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Citing concussion danger, Williamstown physician issues "ethical" call for Massachusetts to drop tackle football in high schools

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- Calling the issue an ethical matter, a retired epidemiologist and Williams College graduate is calling for Massachusetts educators to support adoption of non-contact, non-tackle football in high-school play, citing increasing evidence about the long-term effect on concussive blows to the head.  Dr. Nicholas H. Wright, says the damage to young brains -- first discovered in the post-death brain tissue of professional football players -- is "an epidemic in slow motion" and that traumatic, long-term injury  "has been found in the brains of football players who have never played beyond the high-school level." 

Wright's comments were contained in remarks he delivered to the Mount Greylock Regional School District board on Tues., Nov. 15 in regular session.  (LINK TO FULL TEXT OF COMMENTS). 

RELATED LINKS:

• Background on the history of the National Football League's handling of brain injury
• Berkshire Eagle story on Dr. Wright's planned testimony
• iBerkshires story on Dr. Wright's testimony and school-board reaction
• WNYT-Channel 13 (Albany, N.Y.,) report on Wright's testimony
• March 1, 2017 op-ed in Berkshire Eagle by Dr. Wright 
• Earlier op/ed in Greylock Independent by Dr. Wright: 
  ""Williams College has denied two requests to provide a representative for interview on these issues.""

Northern Berkshire Youth Collaborative Seeks Nominations for S.A.Y. It Proud Youth Awards

North Adams, MA - The S.A.Y. It Proud is a campaign to recognize individual youth who are involved in positive activities and making good choices. unhealthy behaviors.

The Northern Berkshire Youth Collaborative believes that our community values the good choices our teens make and how hard teens work. In the past two years, a survey of 8th, 10th and 12th graders in Northern Berkshire County revealed that teens do not feel their neighbors recognize the good things they do nor do neighbors encourage teens to do their best. Studies show that rewarding young people for positive activities help them to feel bonded to their community, thus reinforcing their commitment to healthy behaviors and lowering their risk for engaging in. We also believe it is important to respond to this gap our youth have identified in our community. The "S.A.Y. It Proud" column will be one way for adults to do this. S.A.Y. stands for Support and Acknowledge Youth.

We are seeking nominations of individual young people ages 11 to 19 that participate in positive activities, make healthy choices, and/or work hard. Submissions may range from 50-500 words. Please include your contact information as well as the contact information of the youth and their guardian, as we will need to contact you if they are to be interviewed for the North Adams Transcript. Send submissions to S.A.Y. It Proud c/o Kathy Keeser at [email protected] or mail to nbCC, 61 Main St. Suite 218, North Adams, MA 01247.

Touch-A-Truck Family Event April 23

North Adams, MA - The Northern Berkshire Family Net program of Child Care of the Berkshires, Inc is having Touch-A-Truck, a free, fun event for families with young children on Wednesday, April 23 from 10:00 - 12:00 PM in the parking lot next to Noel Field on State Street in North Adams. For more information call 413-664-4821.

UNITY Teen Writing Workshop Meets Thursdays

North Adams, MA - The UNITY teen writing workshop meets on Thursday afternoons, 3:30-5:00 PM at the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, 6th floor at 85 Main Street. This free group is open to youth ages 14-19 that live or go to school in northern Berkshire County and is facilitated by a professional writer. The group provides a safe and supportive atmosphere for young people to practice and share creative writing; no prior writing experience is necessary. Snacks, writing materials, and transportation are all provided at no cost. Contact Kate at 413-663-7588, [email protected]  or drop in on a session. Group does not meet during school vacations.

UNITY Teen Writing Workshop Begins 9th Season

North Adams, MA - The UNITY Teen Writing Workshop, a free mixed-genre writing series, begins its 9th year on November 1st. Short story writer and high school English teacher, Robin Lehleitner, who has led UNITY writing workshops since 2000, will facilitate the sessions.

This popular writing program has successfully brought teen writers together in a safe environment to create and share their writing under the guidance of a professional writer since 1999. Students with all levels of creative writing experience are welcome. In addition to participating in weekly after-school writing sessions, students have the opportunity to be published in UNITY's annual publication, "Somewhere Between: A Journal of Teenage Writing," and perform their work at a public reading at the end of the school year.

Funded by the YouthReach initiative of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Teen Writing Workshop is a program of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition (nbCC). Sessions, which take place at the nbCC at 85 Main Street in North Adams, are from 3:30-5:00 on Thursdays through May 29th. This program is open to Northern Berkshire youth, ages 14-19. Space in the workshops is limited and commitment to participate in all program sessions encouraged. Interested students can register by contacting Kate Merrigan at 413-663-7588 or [email protected]

UNITY Seeks Teens for Leadership Roles

North Adams, MA - The UNITY program of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition is looking for teenagers interested in learning leadership skills and making a difference in the community. Participants will be part of a diverse team of 20 students selected from area high schools. Applications are due September 25th and are available at NBCC, 85 Main Street, suite 624, and on-line. For more information please contact Kate Merrigan, Program Coordinator at 413-663-7588 or [email protected]

Kids Can Touch-A-Truck April 18

North Adams, MA - Children can get up close and personal with some of their favorite big vehicles on Wednesday, April 18! Touch-a-Truck takes place from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM in the parking lot next to the Haskins Center on State Street.  Children can come and touch diggers, plows, emergency vehicles and others. This is a free event sponsored by the Family Net program of Child Care of the Berkshires, Inc.  For more information call 413-664-4821.

Some 120 teens to gather April 11 to hash over pros and cons of Berkshire living

LENOX, Mass. -- Up to 120 teen-agers will gather for the day on Wed., April 11 at Shakespeare & Co.'s campus in Lenox to hash over the pros and cons of living in Berkshire County and how problems might be fixed, organizers say.

"We're creating a totally unique opportunity for students from across the county to come together to share their hopes, frustrations, passions and concerns as teen-agers specifically in Berkshire County," says Kate Merrigan, a co-convener of the "Berkshire Youth Development Conference" -- nicknamed "411 in the 413". A team of four high-school students, joined by adult collaborators, planned the 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. program, which will include an opening keynote talk by freshman state Sen. Ben Downing, D-Pittsfield, followed by three 75-minute workshops on 16 topics selected by student planners.

Funding for the free event is from the state Dept. of Public Health through the Berkshire Youth Development Project. Key collaborating organizations are the Railroad Street Youth Project, in Great Barrington, and the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, in North Adams. Merrigan is NBCC's UNITY program coordinator. UNITY stands for "united neighborhood interdependent trusted youth."

Merrigan, 27, (413-663-7588) grew up in North Adams, was graduated from Marlboro College and worked for Tapestry Health before joining NBCC a couple of years ago.  Her own recollections of growing up in the region are contributing to the topics to be discussed. "It's about what is great and what isn't about growing up here, and thinking about changing those things that they want to change," she says of participants.

To select participants, Merrigan, Dahlia Bousaid (413-528-2475) of the Great Barrington project, and other organizers sent letters to high-school superintendents asking them to pick approximately two students from each grade 9-12, including, as the letter suggested, some youth who are not always in leadership roles.  The students will get excused absenses from school for the day, and will be treated to continental breakfast and a box lunch while at Shakespeare & Co.'s campus. The event's overall coordinator is Rudi Bach at Railroad Street Youth Project (413-528-2475). Also supporting the event is the Berkshire United Way's Marya LaRoche.

Student coordinators include Jen Kodela of Mount Greylock Regional High School, in Williamstown; Ashleigh Carr of Monument Mountain High School, in Great Barrington; Chris Tassone of Pittsfield High School, and Jeanna Tinne of Charles H. McCann Technical School, in North Adams.

Workshop topics planned include these titles: Life after high school, diversity: moving beyond tolerance, art as a tool for empowerment/social change, healthy relationships, what to expect in college relationships, nutrition with a twist, coping with depression, how media exploit youth, media violence, youth involvement with the United Nations, stress management/alternative medicine/yoga, dealing with divorce, environmental issues/activism, how to create change in your community and discussion of hot political topics.

(Photos above, right, Jen Kodela taken by Gina Ianitelli, left, Kate Merrigan, supplied)

LINK: Greylock Echo story about Kodela's involvement -- (PDF)

Photos of today's pancake breakfast in Williamstown

Hundreds of people streamed to the Williamstown [Mass.] Elementary School on Sunday for the annual pancake breakfast which raises money for the traditional spring sixth-grade trip to Cape Cod. For the first time, a holiday craft fair was also staged in the gym at the school. View Angie England's photos of both by clicking on the link below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mediagiraffe/tags/pancake/

Energy-saving lightbulb sale benefits elementary-school Cape trip

WILLIAMSTOWN -- Parents of sixth-grade students at the Williamstown Elementary School have gotten on the energy-conservation bandwagon. They are selling lightbulbs which use a fraction of the electricity of old-fashioned incandesent bulbs with proceeds supporting the traditional spring trip by sixth graders to Cape Cod. Volunteer Wendy Penner explains in this Sunday, Dec. 10 audio post (click on the arrow in the bar below to launch. (ERRATA: The audio report mentions Dec. 12; it was actually recorded Dec. 10)

MP3 File