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Pittsfield High Names Speakers, Top 13 Students for 2023

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield High School class of 2023 will hear three graduate addresses at graduaton ceremonies being held on Sunday, June 4, at 4 p.m.
 
The senior class has elected Lennox Silvestro-Dias Jr., Asa Chard and Daysha Bell to speak at graduation.  These three students represent the voice of this year's senior class who have worked diligently through a challenging four years of high school.  
 
The ceremony will be held on the grounds of Pittsfield High School's 300 East St. campus. Shuttle buses will be available to pick up families parking near the Common and then bring them back at the end of the ceremony.
 
Pittsfield High School recognizes students who have achieved the top 10 cumulative grade point averages in the senior class.  This year there is a tie that creates a top 13: they are, in alphabetical order, Taibat Ahmed, Allison Blau, Asa Chard, Li Chen, Kiera Elizabeth Devine, Jamie C. Duquette, Randi H. Duquette, Kellie K. Harrington, Katerina Marie Livermore, Colin Anthony McKinney, James Herbert Swanton, Tyler J. Vosburgh and Jack Arthur Wildgoose
 
Academic departments also give awards to honor the most outstanding students in their respective disciplines.  
 
The following are this year's outstanding students: Cameron Sime (Art), Kellie K. Harrington (Band), Collin Merwin (Business), Walker Abdallah (Computers), Sidni Anderson (CVTE), Tessa Hanson (Drama), Marlene Mary LeBeau (English, Edward J. McKenna Award), Asa A. Chard (Math), Eladio Mendoza (Multilingual), Geivens Dextra (Orchestra), William B. Kinne (Physical Education), Abigail Archey (Psychology), Kiera Elizabeth Devine (Science, John P. Leahy Memorial Award), James Herbert Swanton (Social Studies), Taina Denise Figueroa (Chorus), Lily Smith (World Language).
 
The Seal of Biliteracy recognizes graduates who speak, read, listen, and write proficiently in another language in addition to English with a seal on their high school diploma. The Seal of Biliteracy movement has the goal of promoting long-term foreign, native, and heritage language study, documenting achievement in biliteracy, and producing a biliterate, multicultural workforce. 
 
Pittsfield High School is proud to be one the first schools in Berkshire County to recognize seniors for this achievement. The students who received this distinction are: Katerina Livermore, Kasey Miranda and Angel Sandoval, all for Spanish with distinction; and Manuel Lewis, Gabriela Loaiza Chavarro, Paola Rosito, James Swanton and Maria Villanueva Portillo, all for Spanish.
 

Tags: graduation 2023,   PHS,   val & sal,   

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Lanesborough to Vote on 34 Articles at ATM

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Voters will decide 34 warrant articles at the annual town meeting on June 11.

The Select Board endorsed a long list of articles during its regular meeting on Monday, most without discussion. 

A $11,846,607 spending plan has been proposed for fiscal year 2025, a 4.3 percent increase from the this year. The budget includes a net increase of $237,129 in education costs for the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School, less than the $271,478 increase in FY24. 

Three articles are related to short-term rentals, or Airbnbs: To impose a local excise tax of up to 6 percent of the total amount of rent for each occupancy, a 3 percent impact fee on "professionally managed" short-term rentals, and a 3 percent impact fee on short-term rentals in two- or three-family dwellings.

"These are the proposed language as provided by town counsel," Town Administrator Gina Dario explained.

Included in the 34 articles is one citizen's petition, which the board was not required to endorse. If passed, this petition would increase the Select Board from three to five members with an annual election of the chair. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes in that election would serve a three-year term, the candidate receiving the second highest number of votes would serve a two-year term, and the candidate receiving the third highest number of votes would serve a one-year term, with three-year terms to follow.

Two articles needed clearance from the Planning Board before coming to the Select Board, one being a request to amend the town's zoning bylaw to raise the cap on accessory dwelling units from 900 to 2,500 square feet.  

The proposal is in response to the lack of housing availability in the community and is the second go-around.

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