How to Parent Healthy Kids in the Digital Age

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Pine Cobble School will host How to Parent Healthy Kids in the Digital Age: Supporting Connection, Resilience, and Critical Thinking, a presentation for parents of elementary and middle school kids who are seeking developmentally appropriate guidance on preparing their kids to handle the complexities of digital life.
 
The evening will start with a presentation by educator, author, and parenting expert Betty Ray, who will share findings from her years of research as head of innovation at the George Lucas Educational Foundation and chief impact officer at Pandora's Way. 
 
The event is intended for parents and other caregivers of elementary and middle school students who are eager to take proactive steps for healthy digital engagement. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, and will leave with several actionable steps they can implement right away.
 
Following the presentation will be a Q+A with Betty, as well as Pine Cobble Head of School Dr. Jill Romans, and developmental psychologist Scott Burg.
 
How to Parent Healthy Kids in the Digital Age: Supporting Connection, Resilience, and Critical Thinking will be held on March 5, 2026 at '62 Center for Performing Arts on the Williams College Campus,  Williamstown, MA. Doors open at 5:45 pm and the program starts at 6 and runs until 7:30 pm.
 
"I am delighted that we can come together as a broader community and discuss this important topic for our youth through the lens of child development," Romans said. "Betty's focus on rites of passage is helpful in understanding the process for nurturing agency and empowerment for our students as they navigate an increasingly digital world. We must be intentional in how we introduce children to this environment and ensure they have adequate skills to navigate digital platforms in healthy ways."
 
Attendees will discover:
  • How to plan for the developmental shifts from childhood to adolescence.
  • How digital media is designed to engage the developing adolescent brain
  • A practical approach to introducing digital media and sustaining healthy development.

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Williamstown's Cost Rising for Emergency Bank Restoration

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The cost to stabilize the bank of the Hoosic River near a town landfill continues to rise, and the town is still waiting on the commonwealth's blessing to get to work.
 
Department of Public Works Director Craig Clough was before the Finance Committee on Wednesday to share that, unlike the town hoped, the emergency stabilization work will require bringing in a contractor — and that is before a multimillion dollar project to provide a long-term solution for the site near Williams College's Cole Field.
 
"I literally got the plans last Friday, and it's not something we'll be able to do in-house," Clough told the committee. "They're talking about a cofferdam of a few hundred feet, dry-pumping everything out and then working along the river. That's something that will be beyond our manpower to do, our people power, and the equipment we have will not be able to handle it."
 
Clough explained that the cofferdam is similar to the work done on the river near the State Road (Route 2) bridge on the west side of North Adams near West Package and Variety Stores.
 
"We don't know the exact numbers yet of an estimate," Clough said. "The initial thought was $600,000 a few months ago. Now, knowing what the plans are, the costs are going to be higher. They did not think there was going to need to be a coffer dam put in [in the original estimate]."
 
The draft capital budget of $592,500 before the Fin Comm includes $500,000 toward the riverbank stabilization project.
 
The town's finance director told the committee he anticipates having about $700,000 in free cash (technically the "unreserved fund balance") to spend in fiscal year 2027 once that number is certified by the Department of Revenue in Boston.
 
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