BAAMS Fall Classes Starting Sept. 13

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Berkshires Academy for Advanced Musical Studies (BAAMS) is now offering registration for its Fall 2025 classes.
 
Music students of all levels, ages 10 to 18, will have the chance to study Trumpet, Trombone, Saxophones and Woodwinds, Guitar, Bass, and Drums along with Improvisation and Music Composition with a faculty who are also members of the Juilliard School, NBC's "Saturday Night Live" Band, and are multi-Grammy award- winning recording artists.
 
"BAAMS offers our students a unique music learning experience that teaches our kids not only how to improvise, and compose and record their own original music, but also gives our students the guidance to develop their skills and talents as developing instrumentalists and musicians and having fun at the same time," said Founder and Executive Director Richard Boulger. "No two students learn the same way — we pride ourselves in helping each of our students have success and develop confidence in themselves. While learning from a teaching faculty who are truly committed to helping each student grow, they're also being passed the torch of the American musical legacies of faculty that is second to none, featuring Guitarist Rodney Jones, Bassist Alex Blake, Drummer Tony Lewis, Pianist Dario Boente, Saxophonist and Woodwinds Master Ron Blake, and myself on Trumpet and Trombone."
 
BAAMS also features special guest masterclasses that have in the past included 7-time Grammy Award winner and Trumpeter Randy Brecker, Saxophonists Ada Rovatti, Alex Foster, Jay Rodriguez, Percussionist Mino Cinelu, Trombonist Steve Davis, Vocalist Abena Koomson-Davis, Guitarist David Gilmore the Allman Brothers Band original founding member and drummer Jaimoe, among others.
 
Classes at BAAMS begin Saturday September 13 from 10:30am to 3:30pm and after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Click here to register: https://www.berkshiresacademyams.org/class-registration

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North Adams Finance Committee Warned of Coming Sludge Costs

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Waste treatment plan supervisor Brad Furlon warned the Finance Committee last week to expect a future 500 percent increase in sludge disposal.
 
"Even though the district is still has the approval of suitability to apply compost to land, we no longer do it, primarily because of the contaminant, PFAs," he said. "Compost plant supplies is a $200,000 increase this year. There's no way around this cost whatsoever. ...
 
"Unfortunately, these costs are going to go up. They expect this sludge disposal cost in the next five to 10 years to increase 500 percent."
 
PFAs, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are considered "forever chemicals" because of how long it takes for them to breakdown. They are used in numerous products and have become endemic in air, soil and water.
 
The Hoosac Water Quality District, a shared regional waste treatment system between North Adams and Williamstown, had planned to accept sludge from other communities and sell off the resulting compost through waste hauler Casella. But that proposal ran into opposition; Williamstown has a citizens petition on its annual town meeting warrant this year that would prohibit the use of contaminated compost. 
 
The district is still producing compost, which has to be removed. 
 
"We had a backlog of about 2,500 yards of compost that was on site," Furlon said. "We worked on a plan to dispose of our compost. Even though the district is still has the approval of suitability to apply compost to land, we no longer do it, primarily because of the contaminant, PFAs. ... the most feasible way and economical that we looked at was to be able to take our compost to a landfill in Ontario, N.Y."
 
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