The BEAT News July 18, 2006

THREE BERKSHIRE ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTS

Money granted from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust funded by license plate revenues

Three Berkshire organizations –Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and Hoosic River Watershed Association – received a financial boost with grants from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (the Trust).

According to the Trust Executive Director Robin Peach, the Trust will provide over half a million dollars in grants to more than 20 organization this year, thanks to motorists who choose to purchase one of the Trust’s specialty license plates. “Trust plates, including the Leaping Brook Trout Plate, are the only specialty plates that exclusively fund environmental initiatives,” said Peach. “You purchase a plate from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, and half the registry fee is donated to the Trust to fund water-focused environmental education and protection programs.”

Trust funds will allow Berkshire Environmental Action Team, (BEAT) to increase people’s awareness of environmental issues focusing on Pittsfield. “We already videotape and broadcast the Pittsfield Conservation Commission hearings and the Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization meetings,” said Jane Winn, executive Director of BEAT. “The Trust funds will allow us to cover more meetings and to create TV shows to explore particular issues in more depth – such as the planned clean up of the Housatonic River at Dorothy Amos Park or the possible clean up of the King Street Dump.”

Trust funds will help BEAT to publish a weekly email newsletter (The BEAT News) and to maintain and expand BEAT’s website (www.TheBeatNews.org). The website provides conservation news and information about: PCBs and Dorothy Amos Park, the GE clean up in general, laws that protect the environment, and other environmental issues in Berkshire County. It also includes links to most other environmental organizations in Berkshire County.

The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission has received MET funding to promote Low Impact Design (LID) techniques, which reduce the impacts of development on the environment. LID creatively decreases the overall footprint of development, limits the amount of impervious surface area, preserves natural features, and ultimately decreases and treats stormwater runoff at its source. “To date,” said Lauren Gaherty, Senior Planner with BRPC, “no LID-inspired projects have been designed and constructed in Berkshire County. We want to change that. There are several development projects being proposed in the Berkshires that are in their early design stage. MET funds will allow us to hire a LID specialist to work with developers and their design/engineering teams to turn two of those into demonstration projects.”

The Hoosic River Watershed Association was awarded $13,600 to assist the Town of Adams with the educational outreach associated with its Stormwater Management Plan. According to Eileen Fielding, Executive Director of HooRWA, “Much of present-day river pollution is caused by substances from urban or residential areas that simply wash into the river along with rainfall. There are many ways for ordinary citizens and business owners to reduce this pollution by making a few changes around their property. The MET funds will help us show people how to do this, and even lend a hand in getting it done.” The outreach program will be developed for Adams, but will also be available to interested groups in other towns.

The Trust has grown to become the Commonwealth’s premier environmental philanthropy since its inception in 1988. Its primary source of income is environmental license plate revenue which has funded more than 400 grants totaling approximately $15 million.

Former Boston television meteorologist and active environmentalist, Bruce Schwoegler, is an avid supporter of the Massachusetts Environmental Trust. “Trust funding enables organizations from Cape Cod to the Berkshires to tackle critical water-related issues that affect us all,” said Schwoegler. “The health and welfare of every living being is dependent on clean waterways and related ecosystems. This inextricable link within our environment is extremely important, and the Trust is offering everyone an easy opportunity to get involved and make a significant difference in the preservation of the Commonwealth’s water resources.”

To preserve the environmental education, conservation, or public awareness efforts funded by the Trust in your community is easy: choose one of three environmental plates, the Right Whale & Roseate Terns, The Leaping Brook Trout, or the Blackstone Valley Mill, when you purchase a new car or renew your registration with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The plates cost $76.00 which includes a $40.00 tax deductible donation to the Trust. There is a renewal fee of $81.00 every two years. Visit your local Registry of Motor Vehicles or order a plate online at www.mass.gov/rmv; or log onto www.MassEnvironmentalTrust.org where you can learn more about the Trust, the programs it supports, and the specialty license plate offerings.

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Proposed Churchill Estates on aquifer on Pittsfield

BEAT has some serious worries about the proposed Churchill Estates in Pittsfield at the town line with Lanesborough. This project is located on Pittsfield’s only medium yield aquifer that is not polluted with PCBs. BEAT believes the city should keep this land as open space to protect the aquifer. It is an irreplaceable asset.

This Project has two city reviews and a state review coming up.

PITTSFIELD Conservation Commission will hold a Public Hearing in Room 203, City Hall at 6PM on July 13, 2006 – Subject: Notice of Intent for Churchill Road (Map D17, Block 2, Lot 1) for installation of water main for subdivision road. Applicant is Central Berkshire Land Development, LLC

PITTSFIELD Community Development Board will hold a public hearing in City Hall Council Chambers on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 on the Definitive Subdivision Plan entitled “Definitive Plan of Churchill Estates” submitted by Central Berkshire Land Development, LLC for a 39 lot subdivision. This subdivision is located on the eastern side of Churchill Street, just below the Lanesborough town line. The site can be further identified as being composed of the following Assessor’s lots: E16-1-301 & D17-2-302. A copy of the plan and application is on file in the Department of Community Development Office, Room 205, City Hall and may be viewed during regular business hours.

Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review
EOEA No. 13834, Churchill Estates Residential Subdivision, Pittsfield
Copy of the first pages of the ENF (pdf)
Comments due by 7-31-06
For copies call
Teresa Perry (413) 443-8011
MEPA analyst
Briony Angus (617) 626-1029 briony.angus@state.ma.us

An Environmental Notification Form (ENF) has been submitted to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office for this project.

The project proposes the development of 39 residential housing units on a 54-acre site. The project site is located in the northwest corner of the City of Pittsfield; the Town line of Lanesborough is the northern boundary of the parcel. Approximately 16 acres of the site has been mined for gravel. Daniels Brook, a perennial stream, flows north to south along the eastern boundary of the property. The project will result in the creation of 7.3 acres of new impervious surface; the generation of 390 new daily vehicle trips; require 15,840 gallons per day (gpd) of drinking water; and generate 15,840 gpd of wastewater.

The project requires a NPDES Stormwater Permit; Site Plan Review from the Pittsfield Planning Board; and an
Order of Conditions from the Pittsfield Conservation Commission, and therefore a Superceding Order of Conditions from the Department of Environmental Protection if the local Order is appealed. On the ENF, the proponent incorrectly stated that the project exceeds a Mandatory EIR threshold. The project’s impacts to jurisdictional wetlands were not documented in the ENF. The project consultant has agreed to send out a supplemental information packet to the ENF distribution list regarding wetland impacts before the site visit.

A site visit and consultation meeting will be held to receive advice and comments from agencies, officials, and citizens regarding which environmental issues are significant for this project. Opinions as to the extent and significance of possible environmental impact will be welcome.

The meeting is scheduled as follows:

Date: Wednesday, July 26th, 2006

Time: 10:00 am

Location: Meet at the project site. From West Street in Pittsfield, turn right onto Churchill Street. Proceed north on Churchill Street for 3 miles to access gate to subject property on right.

Comments on the project will be welcome in writing prior to July 31st, 2006. A Certificate on the ENF will be issued on August 9th, 2006.

Project Contact: Bob Tynan, White Engineering, Inc.
(413) 443-8011 btynan@whiteeng.com

Pursuant to the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act, this Meeting Notice is available in alternative formats upon request. Questions on the meeting may be answered by contacting Briony Angus, MEPA Analyst at (617) 626-1029.
__________________________________________________________________________
Briony Angus
Environmental Analyst, MEPA Office
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 626-1029

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From MassWildlife:

Gov. Romney signs legislation requiring hunter education 7/11

On July 6, Governor Mitt Romney signed legislation that changes hunting license purchase requirements by requiring all new hunters to successfully pass a basic hunter education course, a measure that has the strong support of sportsmen and gun owners. “It’s important that hunters understand the basic skills and responsibilities that will help them to enjoy the sport safely, and to foster an appreciation of hunting for new generations of young people,” said Governor Mitt Romney.

Since 1998, most people with Massachusetts gun licenses – a License to Carry Firearms or a Firearm Identification card – have automatically qualified to purchase hunting licenses. With the bill’s signing, the gun license qualification has been eliminated. Massachusetts comes into line with the other 49 states requiring all new hunters take a basic hunter education course in order to purchase a hunting or sporting license. The new law provides an exception for adults who held any hunting or sporting licenses prior to January 1, 2007. Further information about the hunting license purchase requirements will be posted in the next few days at the MassWildlife website.

The Hunter Education program is administered by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) and the courses are taught by certified volunteer instructors. The Program’s mission is to protect the lives and safety of the public, promote the wise management and ethical use of wildlife resource, and encourage a greater appreciation of the environment through education. Massachusetts offered its first hunter safety course in 1954 and to date has graduated more than 160,000 students. Courses are free and a schedule is posted in the Education area of the MassWildlife website.

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From MassWildlife:

Brook Trout in trouble 7/11

Brook trout occupy less than half of their original range in Massachusetts. These results reflect the condition of brook trout across their entire eastern United States range, according to an assessment released by Trout Unlimited (TU) and a coalition of state and federal agencies. The report, “Eastern Brook Trout: Status and Threats,” is the first comprehensive assessment of the status of brook trout in the Eastern United States. (website with report state by state)

These beautiful fish historically thrived in rivers and streams stretching from Maine to Georgia, but land use pressures have relegated the remaining isolated populations to the headwaters of high elevation streams. “Brook trout are the canary in the coal mine when it comes to water quality,” said Gary Berti, TU’s Eastern Brook Trout Campaign Coordinator. “The presence of brook trout in a watershed indicates that water quality is excellent. Declining brook trout populations can provide an early warning that the health of an entire stream, lake or river is at risk.”

The few remaining patches of quality brook trout habitat in the state are located in the Berkshire and Taconic mountains and within portions of the Hoosic, Deerfield and Westfield watersheds and several tributaries to the Connecticut River. Brook trout have been eliminated from 7% of their historical range in Massachusetts, and they are greatly reduced in another 28% of habitat that formerly supported brook trout. Population status is unknown across an additional 42% of the historical range. “While these results are sobering, we are already pursuing many opportunities for conservation of remaining high-quality habitat as well as restoration of impaired streams,” said Todd Richards, Aquatic Biologist, Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife. “Our collective challenge is to protect the best remaining habitat and restore the rest.”

“Brookies are quick to respond to habitat improvements,” explained Warren Winders, the brook trout coordinator for TU’s Massachusetts Council. “We have already seen the results of our work with state and federal partners on the Quashnet River and Red Brook in southeastern Massachusetts. By scaling up these programs throughout the state and region, we will see wild brook trout returning to our streams. And that’s great news for all of us who love to fish locally with our families and friends.” This assessment represents the first stage of the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture’s collaborative efforts to restore brook trout habitat. The Joint Venture was initiated in 2002 as a pilot program of the National Fish Habitat Initiative. Participants include fish and wildlife agencies from 17 states, federal partners, conservation organizations and academic institutions. The results of this assessment will be used to develop state-by-state strategies for brook trout conservation and recovery. The full report, as well as state-specific data and maps, are available at TU’s Back the Brookie website . For more information, contact Warren Winders, Trout Unlimited-Mass. Chapter 781/878-1074.

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Pittsfield considers Community Preservation Act 7/9/06

The city of Pittsfield is considering the adoption of the Community Preservation Act (CPA) that would allow Pittsfield to raise revenue to protect open space, preserve historic properties and develop affordable housing.

How this is funded:

Funding for the CPA would come from two sources: a local real estate tax surcharge that is determined by the city or town, and a state match from the CPA fund. Since the CPA was first adopted by the state, funds have been going to this state CPA Fund from fees collected at the Registry of Deeds and Land Court. State officials estimate that this CPA Fund will aggregate at least $26 million per year. Every year so far, the Fund has matched city and town CPA revenues 100% and is expected to match 100% for the next several years. It is too soon to predict how much of a match there will be after that, but the Fund will pay out up to a 100% match to those cities and towns that do adopt the CPA. Those that do not adopt the CPA don’t get any of the revenue. For more on how this money is paid out see the Community Preservation Act calculator for Pittsfield on the CPA website.

The city can choose to fund the CPA with a real estate tax surcharge of from 1% to 3%, and the city can exempt the first $100,000 of value, and/or exempt low income residents, and/or include businesses. According to the CPA calculator for Pittsfield which uses a tax rate of $20.24 per $1,000, if the city elects a 1% rate and exempts the first $100,000 of value, a homeowner whose property is valued at $200,000 would pay an extra $20.24 per year. A homeowner whose property is valued at $150,000 would pay an extra $10.12 per year.

How the money can be spent:

A minimum of 10% of the annual revenues of the fund must be used for each of the three core community concerns. The remaining 70% can be allocated for any combination of the allowed uses, or for land for recreational use. However, the funds to not have to be spent each year. The City can accumulate the funds in a dedicated account to save enough to fund a major project. This gives each community the opportunity to determine its priorities, plan for its future, and have the funds to make those plans happen.

The council’s Community and Economic Development subcommittee will hold a public hearing on the Community Preservation Act, or CPA, on July 20 at 7:30 p.m. The subcommittee may send a recommendation to the entire council in time for its Aug. 8 meeting. If the council approves, the measure will go to the voters on the November 7, 2006 ballot.

If voters approve the CPA, the city would establish a Community Preservation Committee of between five and nine members that would make annual recommendations to the council on how the money should be spent. Based on the committee’s recommendations, the council is required to set aside 10 percent of the revenue raised on each of the three options: open space, historic resources and community housing. Through the preservation committee, the residents of Pittsfield can determine how the rest of the dollars should be allocated.

Among the projects eligible for funding are restoration of historic buildings, the purchase of open space or the creation of new playgrounds, parks or playing fields. CPA funds also could be used to help Pittsfield reach the state-mandated goal of having 10 percent of its housing classified as affordable.

City Councilors Matthew Kerwood and Mike Ward brought this petition forward to the City Council. According to statistics provided by Mr. Kerwood, state communities have so far spent more than $212 million on CPA projects, protecting more than 7,300 acres of open space, preserving 311 historic sites and resources, creating 871 units of affordable housing and creating or preserving 154 recreational facilities. A Berkshire Eagle article stated that Mr. Kerwood figured that with the first $100,000 of taxable value exempted, a 1 percent surcharge would cost the owner of the average single family home in Pittsfield, currently assessed at $149,832, only $8 per year. Without the $100,000 exemption, the 1 percent surcharge for the average single family homeowner would rise to $23. Mr. Kerwood said the city could raise $255,887 annually with the first exemption in place, and $477,898 without it.

“Is it worth $8 to you, the average Pittsfield homeowner, to go after A, B and C?” Mr. Ward asked in the Eagle article, referring to open space protection, historic preservation and the development of affordable housing.

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22 acres protected along Green River, North Egremont

The Egremont Land Trust and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) teamed up to protect 22 acres of land along the Green River in North Egremont. The Land Trust bought the land from the Smith family, and the DFW paid the Land Trust for a Conservation Restriction (CR) on the land. According to the terms of the CR, the land will remain farmland and will be used for passive recreation – like fishing at one of the few public access points to the Green River. The Egremont Land Trust is collecting money for this purchase by asking supporters for donations. The money collected will be matched by a grant from an anonymous donor. Egremont Land Trust, 71 Main Street, PO Box 132, South Egremont, MA 01258
413-528-6626 information@egremontlandtrust.org

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Dalton adopts Scenic Mountain Act 6/28/06

Dalton is the 5th town in the Berkshires to adopt the Scenic Mountain Act, which gives communities the authority to protect scenic mountaintops and ridgelines above 1,500 feet above sea level.

According to the Berkshire Eagle, Monterey, Richmond, and Stockbridge have fully adopted the Scenic Mountain Act, and Lenox is currently in the process of writing its bylaws for the act.

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Save energy and money – computer tips

–A single computer with monitor running 8 hours a day, 5 days a week
consumes approximate 850 KWH per year at a local cost of about $60.
Activation of the power management features built into your computer can
save up to 80% of that energy and cost.
http://pmdb.cadmusdev.com/powermanagement/quickCalc.html
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_management

–Limit screen-saver use. A screen saver does not save energy. In fact,
more often than not, a screen saver not only will draw power for the
monitor, but also will keep the CPU from shutting down. You can set your
computer to go from screen-saver to sleep mode.
http://www.nrel.gov/sustainable_nrel/energy_saving.html

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PCBs and Dioxins possible culprit for changing human sex ratios?

Professor Shanna Swan of the University of Rochester, New York, not far from Sarnia Reservation, says that levels of contamination on the reservation are “incredible” and that the “first assumption” must be that they are to blame for far fewer male babies that expected being born. She believes that changing sex ratios may often provide an indication of dangerous pollution, and that low levels of exposure to such ubiquitous chemicals as dioxins and PCBs may explain the decline in boys in industrialized countries.

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Truck Drivers beware: Turn Engines Off When Not Rolling – Cars, too!

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) announced today that it has cited 10 truck operators – nine companies and a hospital – for keeping stopped vehicles running in violation of a state law that limits most engine idling to five minutes or less.

This law applies to cars, too! ( Local Idle Free Campaign)

MassDEP inspectors identified the violators during an enforcement sweep of neighborhood streets, shopping centers, truck terminals, and distribution facilities last fall in 10 communities – none in the Berkshires.

Twelve of 50 trucks observed were found to be idling too long during stops. Given weather conditions and how the trucks were being used at the time, MassDEP inspectors determined that running their engines for more than five minutes was “unnecessary” and therefore in violation of the idling law.

MassDEP is requiring the 10 truck operators it cited for violations to provide driver training so their employees will know what the law requires and how people’s health can be affected by excessive idling:

Diesel exhaust contains fine particles that can penetrate deeply into the lungs and cause breathing difficulties, respiratory infections, and attacks of asthma and chronic bronchitis.

Gasoline exhaust contains toxic carbon monoxide and a range of pollutants that contribute to smog.

State law and MassDEP regulations limit vehicle idling to no more than five minutes in most cases. A vehicle may idle longer only if absolutely necessary. The law applies to both diesel and gasoline vehicles. It includes exceptions for vehicles that are being serviced, making deliveries that require power for refrigeration, and operating power accessories. MassDEP, police departments, and local boards of health are empowered to enforce the state’s idling restrictions.

Last spring and the previous fall, MassDEP conducted a statewide crackdown on engine idling violations by school bus operators, observing 651 buses at 56 elementary, middle, and high schools. Three companies were cited for repeated violations, and a number of non-compliance notices were issued, but excessive idling dropped significantly between the first and second rounds of inspections in part due to training the agency provided to school bus operators across the state. The agency has also developed an Idling Reduction Toolkit to help Massachusetts’ towns and cities combat air pollution from unnecessary vehicle idling.

MassDEP is planning a second round of truck inspections over the next couple of months. The agency is also working to reduce smoke from buses, trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles by requiring them to undergo emissions testing every other year and by requiring new diesel engines sold in Massachusetts to meet stringent California emission standards.

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PCB Blood Tests for students, teachers, and parents?

PITTSFIELD 4/11 According to a Berkshire Eagle article — Members of the Allendale Elementary School community will soon be able to have state-funded tests to determine the PCB levels in their blood.

The DPH announced last December that it would offer free blood tests to children, teachers and parents. The department has been working to develop a protocol that would provide accurate analysis and put the results in context so that the subjects can understand what the numbers mean.

Allendale Principal Ann Kuhn said yesterday [4/10] that she expects the school to send a letter to parents and teachers this week, informing them of the program and providing a Department of Public Health number to call if they are interested.

previously Pittsfield’s Pediatricians Protest PCBs

Two Pittsfield pediatricians, Dr. Richard Rosenfeld and Dr. Siobhan McNally urged the City Council and Mayor James M. Ruberto to stop the dumping of PCB-contaminated waste at two toxic waste sites right behind Allendale Elementary School.

Rosenfeld told the council that a letter addressed to Mayor Ruberto(pdf) summarizing recent PCB research and detailing the reasons why the pediatricians believe the children and staff at Allendale School are at risk. All of Pittsfield’s pediatricians signed a letter to Mayor James M. Ruberto urging the community to speak out against the two PCB dumps.

McNally, co-chairwoman of the Massachusetts American Academy of Pediatrics Environmental Health Committee, gave a three-minute presentation detailing the risks of PCB-contamination.

“I think it’s important to emphasize that PCBs have no margin of safety and given the fact that PCB levels at Allendale Elementary School have been above background level, I think we need to take this under serious consideration,” she said.

State and federal officials have maintained that tests conducted at Allendale have shown little or no detectable levels of PCBs and that the school is safe, but McNally said that prenatal research has shown that exposure to low levels of PCBs have been linked to very serious health effects that have been documented in medical journals. Based on this documentation, McNally said the state Department of Public Health has received funding to do an environmental tracking study on developmental disabilities in Berkshire County children to see

if there are any links to PCB contaminant data.

Rosenfeld said he and McNally had also decided to address the council to advocate on behalf of the Allendale Task Force, a group of parents and teachers from the elementary school.

“The Allendale Task Force believes that every child has the right to attend an environmentally safe school,” Rosenfeld said. “Despite the assurances from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Public Health, we believe that this is not possible.”

Rosenfeld and McNally advised the city council and the mayor to call on GE and the EPA to stop the dumping and cap the dump sites, “until a safer alternative for the disposal and/or treatment of PCB residues and other toxins can be found.”

For more on this issue see BEAT’s GE and PCBs web pages

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New Species of Millipede Discovered by BCC Student

During a recent field trip to northeastern Costa Rica, Kate Edwards, an 18-year-old Berkshire Community College (BCC) student discovered a new species of millipede. Edwards, a recent graduate from New Lebanon (N.Y.) Central High School, was on a January field trip to Costa Rica as part of BCC’s tropical ecosystems course, taught by professors Tom Tyning and Tim Flanagan. A total of 10 students participated in the trip.

During the trip, the class went out to explore the Caribbean slope. Edwards, who has a deep interest in herpetology, was looking for elusive low-laying pit vipers when she spotted a familiar shape crawling along a rotten log. Edwards’ species will be the third new species of millipede to be found in Costa Rica in recent years. The other two were discovered by Edwards’ friend and colleague Mike Boston, an Irish biologist, who also acts as a naturalist guide on the Osa Peninsula, where he discovered his species. The Osa Peninsula is located in the southwest corner of Costa Rica, miles from the Caribbean slope. The two geographies produce different habitats for the millipedes: Boston’s were found in dense untouched “primary” forests, while Edwards’ find was in a less dense secondary forest.

“It really ticks me off when an 18-year-old, second-semester, BCC student looks down at the ground and says, ‘Hey, I think these are something different,’ ” joked Tyning at a recent presentation to the college’s Board of Trustees. He added that he was very proud to have Edwards as a student. In addition to being an environmental science professor, Tyning is a well known herpetologist, having authored several books and worked with Mass Audubon for nearly

25 years.

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Filters with possible PCB evidence, thrown awayThe filters from the air exchange machines at the Allendale Elementary School have apparently been thrown away. Tim Gray, Director of the Housatonic River Initiative, said Board of Health Director Philip Adamo reiterated last week, when the state Department of Public Health held a meeting at the school, that these filters would not be changed.

According to the Berkshire Eagle article: Superintendent of Schools Katherine E. Darlington said that the air filters inside the school were supposed to be changed in December, and that school custodians changed them during school vacation last week as part of their regular maintenance. “It was part of the routine maintenance that was going to be done,” Darlington said. Darlington, who did not attend last week’s meeting, was unaware of any agreement to save the filters.

David Martindale of California Avenue, whose daughter attends Allendale, said he was both “angry” and “incensed” that the air filters had been disposed of. “This is a travesty,” he said. “Everybody talks about data, and now the last piece has been thrown out. It seems very convenient that this happened. It’s not like it was a big secret that we didn’t want the filters changed.”

School staff members known as the “Allendale Safety Committee” released a written statement yesterday expressing their frustration at the most recent turn of events.

“We are frustrated and disturbed by the lack of communication between our city officials and state agencies,” the committee’s statement read. “There is no one person overseeing the PCB issue at Allendale school. As a result, different groups are unaware of what others are doing.

For more on this story check BEAT’s Allendale School page.

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