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Salutatorian Stephanie Young shares memories of her times at Lee High School.
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Superintendent James P. McCandless tells graduates to be prepared for detours in life.
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Jacob LePrevost receives his diploma from Principal Joseph P. Turmel.

Lee High Class of 2013 Embraces Community, Friendship

By John DurkaniBerkshires Staff
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Sixty-six Lee High School students graduated on Saturday afternoon.
LENOX, Mass. — The message to embrace friendship and community was prevalent at Lee High School's graduation on Saturday afternoon.
 
"If there is anything in life that can make your day brighter or can keep you grounded, it is the kind words of a friend and this is the undefined fuel that burns at the heart of our town, nestled in the protective folds of the Berkshire Hills," said Valedictorian Moriah McKenna to her 65 fellow classmates, friends and families at the ceremony in the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood.
 
McKenna recalled a surprise 15th birthday party as a moment in her life that defined friendship and hoped all her classmates enjoyed a similar feeling.
 
"I hope that you all are as sure as I am of yourselves as I am, knowing you have such a loving supportive community to return home to," she said.
 
Salutatorian Stephanie Young shared much of the same feelings and enjoyed the atmosphere during her years growing up at the school.
 

Valedictorian Moriah McKenna stressed the importance of community and friendship in her speech.

"I can't even begin to describe the sense of comfort and unity you feel when you enter the school, whether it be through the front entrance or a propped back door," Young said. "It was actually a pleasure to come to school every day and be within this tightly knit community.
 
School Committee Chairwoman Susan Harding told the class of 2013 to approach "new faces with an open mind and an open heart" to others as wherever they go in the world, regardless of their position or appearance.
 
"Here's our secret weapon," Harding said. "Here's what we can give you in a small place that maybe kids from bigger places don't always get. We're all people... People are all special."
 
Superintendent Jason P. McCandless, who will be leaving the school system after 11 years for a position in the Pittsfield School District, told students to be prepared for detours in life regardless of their plans.
 
"Where I went to college, what I studied, who I met, where we wound up living, working and raising our children were all deviations from the plan I had sitting on my high school graduation stage," McCandless said. "But in the end they were all tremendous blessings for me and my family and I hope to the places we've been as well."
 
 
The Graduates Scholarships & Awards Val & Sal Photos
Angela Argio *
Maximo Artioli 
Jeremiah Babcock
Kaitlin Berry
Taylor Briggs
Samantha Brown *
Stone Burdick
Dana Campagna
Joseph Carlotto
William Carroll
Jamie Castegnaro
Shirley Castillo
Cameron Collins *
Tyler Collins
Hadley Cook *
George Cox
Lisa Curley
Asia Curtin
Zachary DeSantis *
Tanner DeVarennes *
Eileen Dooley *
Marcus Drake
Brian Drumm
Jacob Fanham
Nicholas Fillio
Lauren Gagnon
Lara Gallant
Austin Gaudette
Megan Gaul *
Andrew Goodfellow III
Sara Groves
Michael Haywood
Megan Heppleston *
Travern Jerome
Abigal Jones *
Rebekah Kelley *
Sean Kelly
Jared Kirchner
Katherine Larkin
Jacob LePrevost *
Timothy LePrevost
Michelle Light
Moriah McKenna +*
Maria Melendez
Sara Middleton *
Victoria Murphy *
Ryan Nalepa
Amber Newton *
Edward Perry
Joshua Pressley
Kenneth Retzel
Lauren Richardson *
Amanda Robertson
Rebecca Robertson
Madelyn Salice *
Michelle Scapin
Nicholaus Sitzer
William Stewart
Kenn Suarez
Jack Tallboy *
Tabitha Thomas
Kurt Warner *
Preston Webb
Joseph Winston
James Wood
Chuanqi Xiong
Stephanie Young ++*
Jessica Zerbato
+ valedictorian, ++ salutatorian, * National Honor Society

 

 


Tags: graduation,   graduation 2013,   Lee High,   

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Dalton Man Accused of Kidnapping, Shooting Pittsfield Man

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Dalton man was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly kidnapping and shooting another man.

Nicholas Lighten, 35, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday on multiple charges including kidnapping with a firearm and armed assault with intent to murder. He was booked in Dalton around 11:45 p.m. the previous night.

There was heavy police presence Thursday night in the area of Lighten's East Housatonic Street home before his arrest.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Dalton dispatch received a call from the Pittsfield Police Department requesting that an officer respond to Berkshire Medical Center. Adrian Mclaughlin of Pittsfield claimed that he was shot in the leg by Lighten after an altercation at the defendants home. Mclaughlin drove himself to the hospital and was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries. 

"We were told that Lighten told Adrian to go down to his basement, where he told Adrian to get down on his knees and pulled out a chain," the police report reads.

"We were told that throughout the struggle with Lighten, Adrian recalls three gunshots."

Dalton PD was advised that Pittsfield had swabbed Mclaughlin for DNA because he reported biting Lighten. A bite mark was later found on Lighten's shoulder. 

Later that night, the victim reportedly was "certain, very certain" that Lighten was his assailant when shown a photo array at the hospital.

According to Dalton Police, an officer was stationed near Lighten's house in an unmarked vehicle and instructed to call over the radio if he left the residence. The Berkshire County Special Response Team was also contacted.

Lighten was under surveillance at his home from about 7:50 p.m. to about 8:40 p.m. when he left the property in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. Another officer initiated a high-risk motor vehicle stop with the sergeant and response team just past Mill Street on West Housatonic Street, police said, and traffic was stopped on both sides of the road.

Lighten and a passenger were removed from the vehicle and detained. Police reported finding items including a brass knuckle knife, three shell casings wrapped in a rubber glove, and a pair of rubber gloves on him.

The response team entered Lighten's home at 43 East Housatonic before 9:30 p.m. for a protective sweep and cleared the residence before 9:50 p.m., police said. The residence was secured for crime scene investigators.

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