MCLA to Host Community Panel 'How to Speak About Peace'

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — MCLA faculty and staff invite the campus and North Adams community to a panel discussion "How to Speak About Peace" to discuss urgent calls for a permanent ceasefire in Palestine on Thursday, Nov. 30.  
 
The discussion will start at 7 p.m. in Murdock Hall Room 218. 
 
Panelists include Associate Professor of Anthropology Dr. Mohamad Junaid, Associate Professor of English & Communications Dr. Victoria Papa, Assistant Professor of Art History and Museum Studies Dr. Eunice Uhm, Associate Professor of Modern Language Dr. Mariana Bolivar, and Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Carter Carter. The discussion will be moderated by Assistant Professor of English & Communications Dr. Caren Beilin and interim director of The Mind's Eye – an initiative featuring interdisciplinary academic programming. 
 
"As an educational institution with scholarly expertise in our community, one thing we can do to try to cope with the unfolding events is to gather for conversation and to contend with current events. It is notable that this panel includes Jewish, Arab, and Muslim faculty members and those whose research addresses many of these intertwined topics," MCLA President James Birge stated in a message to the campus community. "I encourage our community's participation in this important conversation."  
 
This community panel is a follow-up and continuation of the previous panel about the war in Israel and Gaza. This comes after a weekend of horrific violence that took place in Burlington, Vt involving three Palestinian college students.  
 
"We must continue to talk with one another about peace, to find the words, and indeed the information, to speak and act on this urgent issue," Dr. Beilin said. 

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Clarksburg OKs $5.1M Budget; Moves CPA Adoption Forward

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Newly elected Moderator Seth Alexander kept the meeting moving. 
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The annual town meeting sped through most of the warrant on Wednesday night, swiftly passing a total budget of $5.1 million for fiscal 2025 with no comments. 
 
Close to 70 voters at Clarksburg School also moved adoption of the state's Community Preservation Act to the November ballot after a lot of questions in trying to understand the scope of the act. 
 
The town operating budget is $1,767,759, down $113,995 largely because of debt falling off. Major increases include insurance, utilities and supplies; the addition of a full-time laborer in the Department of Public Works and an additional eight hours a week for the accountant.
 
The school budget is at $2,967,609, up $129,192 or 4 percent over this year. Clarksburg's assessment to the Northern Berkshire Vocational School District is $363,220.
 
Approved was delaying the swearing in of new officers until after town meeting; extending the one-year terms of moderator and tree warden to three years beginning with the 2025 election; switching the licensing of dogs beginning in January and enacting a bylaw ordering dog owners to pick up after their pets. This last was amended to include the words "and wheelchair-bound" after the exemption for owners who are blind. 
 
The town more recently established an Agricultural Committee and on Wednesday approved a right-to-farm bylaw to protect agriculture. 
 
Larry Beach of River Road asked why anyone would be against and what the downside would be. Select Board Chair Robert Norcross said neighbors of farmers can complain about smells and livestock like chickens. 
 
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