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Wahconah Graduates 121 to a World of Adventure

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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This was the last graduation for Principal James Conro, who is retiring. See more photos here.

DALTON, Mass. — Sometimes it's a good idea just to take a day off and have an adventure.

Valedictorian Catherine May told the solid wall of blue behind her in the Ed Ladley Gymnasium at Wahconah Regional High School to take a page from the most famous teenager whoever took a day off: Ferris Bueller.

May said she was very much the opposite of Ferris, maybe more like his friend Cameron, a little afraid to face the world. So Ferris forces his friend out of bed and takes him on a daylong "magical journey."

"Ferris does this because he realizes the power of adventure, of living in the moment."

She told her classmates to be careful of wishing their lives away once they walked out the doors of Wahconah with their diplomas on Sunday afternoon, or getting caught up in chasing success, or avoiding the world for fear of taking risks.

"Please take a day off once in awhile and appreciate the beauty around you," May said. "Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and move around once in awhile, you could miss it."

Success can be scary and it takes risk to be successful. The class of 2016 had been tethered to the high school but now has "to venture out into the world with no tether tying us anymore," she said. "We are free. We are free to explore the world and ourselves. And now we have the freedom and choice to become who we want to be. This is scary."

If they feel deflated, they can always reconnect — tether — to the friends they made at Wahconah.

And get out of bed, like Cameron.

"He took risks that scared him beyond belief, but in the end he had the best day of his life," said May.

The 121 graduates at Wahconah had been together for years — some since elementary school, others as they came together at high school. Each was writing their own novel about their years at the school, said salutatorian Natasha Beauchesne.

It started in freshmen year with the introduction of all the characters until it began to fade to conclusion in senior year.

"It doesn't feel like the story could tie up all the loose ends in such a short period of time," she said. But the story doesn't end, it gets continued by new faces that arrive at Wahconah, and by the faculty and staff that keep writing their own chapters.


"We have each written our own story of Wahconah, it's time for each of us start a new book ... a new sentence, a new thought," Beauchesne said, though she recommended that every so often they crack open their book "and relive the stories we wrote for Wahconah."

Before presenting the diplomas, Superintendent of Schools Laurie Casna told the graduates that "you have amazed us for the 13 years since you started your education career and I'm sure you will continue to be amazing ... if you don't feel so amazing, I hope that you remember that the people here today believe in you and are behind you."

Casna presented the diplomas with Central Berkshire School Committee Chairman Shawn Armacost, Assistant Superintendent Melissa Falkowski and class advisers Jeffrey Pike and Jared Shannon. The concert band played the processional, recessional and "The Star-Spangled Banner." The chorus sang "I'll Think of You."

Isabella Sears, president of the class of 2016, welcomed the guests and administrators.

She reminded her classmates that they had not arrived at this point without the support of others, "so let people know that they are important to you and to the things you have accomplished."

Sears urged them to be compassionate, to know it was OK to sometimes get things wrong or not like something, to travel and meet new people, and to make a commitment.

"Before you can give yourself to a school, or to a business, and especially to a person, you must commit to yourself," she said. "It is never to late to become the person your 10-year-old self dreamed about. It is now time for us all to move forward and I do not have one single doubt in my mind that we can do it."

The class of 2016 weren't the only ones departing. Principal James Conro was leaving with them, entering his next chapter: retirement.

He had arrived at Wahconah in 2006 from Palmer High School, where he had been principal for five years. Casna acknowledged his work at Wahconah, which sparked a round of applause that Conro tried to shush with hands.  

"Ten years go by very fast, when you're having fun and enjoying yourself," he told the class. He noted that every class has uniqueness to it, and that every one had grown into its roles as seniors. "Look around you ... This is the last time all 121 of you will be together. when i was in high school."

He encouraged them to keep in touch with each other after they scatter to the winds. He told them to explore the fantastic world, especially, he joked, once their own children are grown and out of college.

"Find a job that you love so much that you will do it free — only they pay you," he said to laughter. "If you love what you do as much as your teachers and I have loved spending our years at Wahconah with you, then you will truly enjoy your life.  

"Thanks for the adventure, now have a life full of adventure of your own."


Tags: graduation 2016,   WRHS,   

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Dalton Health Dept. Develops Temporary Food Event Info Sheet

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass.—The Board of Health approved an amended version of a Temporary Food Event Informational Sheet.
 
Health Agent Agnes Witkowski and her Administrative Assistant Christina Parkington developed this information sheet to streamline the permitting process for temporary food events. 
 
Before this information sheet, Witkowski would work with event organizers to determine the vendors. Then Witkowski and Parkington would reach out to the vendors with applications and information. 
 
"There's times when we even had somebody show up as a vendor not being permitted and then they're looking for what we require. Well, this is to help organize that and to make it smoother," Witkowski said. 
 
This document will be given to the event organizer and the vendors. 
 
"I think it's just good communication, and it's helping guidelines and expectations," Witkowski said. 
 
The sheet instructs the event coordinator to provide the Board of Health with a contact list of all vendors 30 days before the event. The list must include the vendor's name, contact person, phone number, and email address.
 
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