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Forty-nine students graduated on Sunday, June 4, during Miss Hall's School's 119th Commencement.
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Miss Hall's School Graduates 49 Students

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Forty-nine students, including 16 from Berkshire County and nearby communities, graduated on Sunday, June 4, during Miss Hall's School's 119th Commencement.

Ceremonies took place under a large tent on the front lawn of the school's Holmes Road campus. Christina Lowery, CEO of Girl Rising, a global campaign for girls' education and empowerment, delivered this year’s Commencement address. Lowery is also the granddaughter of the late Mary Thompson Austin, MHS Class of 1931.

Among the Class of 2017 graduates were the following local students: MaryCatherine Balcom of Pittsfield; Quinn Barry of Lee; Molly Crine of Mill River; Jenna Crosier of Pittsfield; Maya Finston-Fox of Monterey; Rachel Freedman of East Chatham, N.Y.; Hayden Gillooly of North Adams; Grace Guachione of Pittsfield; Emme Hauck of South Lee; Gabriela Keator of Lenox; Mikala L'Hote of Pittsfield; Sarah Nason of Lee; Olivia Nealon of Dalton; MacKenzie O'Brien of Dalton; Jacquline Rich of North Adams; and Marianne Vormer of Philmont, N.Y.

Additionally, 10 students were recognized for their induction this year into the Cum Laude Society, the national organization honoring scholastic achievement at secondary schools. This year's MHS inductees are seniors Josephine Dorsey of Slingerlands, N.Y.; Meigue Mollaioli of Assisi, Italy; Sarah Nason of Lee; Marianne Vormer of Philmont, N.Y.; and Yuzhi (Christina) Zhang of Qingdao, China; and juniors Kelsey Brown of Lee; Lin (Vivian) Hou of Shenzhen, China; Trang (Tiffany) Luu of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Kristina (Kexin) Wang of Beijing, China; and Xiyuan (Andrea) Zhang of Tangshan City, China. They joined seniors Momoka Ando of Tokyo, Japan; Gabriela Keator of Lenox; Yuhui (Mindy) Ma of Beijing, China; Hanyue (Amy) Ouyang of Shenzhen, China; and Sicong (Cynthia) Zhang of Hangzhou, China, who were inducted in 2016.

The following awards were also bestowed during the school's 119th Commencement and related recognition ceremonies (students are seniors unless otherwise noted):

* Joseph F. Buerger Memorial School Spirit Cup: Diamond Best of Danvers, Mass., and Jacquline Rich of North Adams

* Margaret Witherspoon Award: Momoka Ando of Tokyo, Japan

* Christine Fuller Holland '33 Service Prize: MaryCatherine Balcom of Pittsfield

* Faculty Commendation Prize: Jenna Crosier of Pittsfield

Miss Hall's School Core Competency Awards were given to:

* Vision: Gabriela Keator of Lenox

* Voice: Julia Baron of New York, N.Y.

* Interpersonal Efficacy: Tiffany Harris of Fort Lee, N.J.

* Gumption: Zuri Wilson of Ellenwood, Ga.

Meus Honor Stat Keys were presented to seniors: Momoka Ando of Tokyo, Japan; MaryCatherine Balcom of Pittsfield; Julia Baron of New York, N.Y.; Diamond Best of Danvers, Mass.; Zhongqi (Qiqi) Cai of Lawrence, Kan.; Hayden Gillooly of North Adams; Xueqi (Cissie) Jiang of Beijing, China; Siwon Kim of Cheonan, South Korea; Jacquline Rich of North Adams; and Zuri Wilson of Ellenwood, Ga.

* Sylvia "Rusty" Shethar Everdell '38 Prize: Grace Guachione of Pittsfield

* Andrea Becker '79 Prize: Shanti Nelson, Class of 2018, of Lenox

* Paul C. Cabot Jr. History Prize: Rachel Freedman of East Chatham, N.Y., and Julia Baron, of New York, N.Y.

* Live Rouse Science Award: Jenna Crosier of Pittsfield

* Department of Engineering and Technology Innovation Award: MacKenzie O'Brien of Dalton

* James K. Ervin Mathematics Prize: Hanyue (Amy) Ouyang of Shenzhen, China, and Grace Guachione of Pittsfield

* Horizons Book Award: Gabriela Keator of Lenox and Mikala L'Hote of Pittsfield

* Mansfield E. Pickett Latin Prize: Marianne Vormer of Philmont, N.Y.


* Spanish Prize: Gabriela Keator of Lenox

* Monique Jalbert French Prize: Meigue Mollaioli of Assisi, Italy

* Virginia Breene Wickwire ’67 Reading Prize: Tiffany Harris of Fort Lee, N.J.

* Doris E. Pitman English Prize: Zhongqi (Qiqi) Cai of Lawrence, Kan.

* Photography Award: Jenna Crosier of Pittsfield

* Susanna McCreath Music Prize: Josephine Dorsey of Slingerlands, N.Y., and Zhijia (Grace) Li of Beijing, China

* Angela Kalischer Theater Prize: Josephine Dorsey of Slingerlands, N.Y.

* Ceramics Award: Simone Brown of Pelham, N.Y.

* Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Studio Art Prize: Yuhui (Mindy) Ma of Beijing, China

* Art Purchase Award for Studio Art: Shuyi (Zoe) Yang, Class of 2019, of Hangzhou, China

* Art Purchase Award for Ceramics: Xin (Sue) Shu, Class of 2018, of Shanghai, China

* Art Purchase Award for Photography: Ruonan (Nancy) Gao, Class of 2020, of Beijing, China

Rising Distinction Awards for Juniors (all members of the Class of 2018) go to:

* Athletics:
Emily Hunter of West Stockbridge

* Engineering and Technology Innovation: Tram Nguyen of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

* English: Shanti Nelson of Lenox

* English as a Second Language: Pinyang (Cindy) Liu of Shanghai, China

* Expressive Arts: Olivia Kinne of Pittsfield

* History: Kelsey Brown of Lee

* Horizons: Mariah Lewis of Williamstown

* Language: Libby Tagliaferro of Pittsfield

* Mathematics: ChuYun (Amanda) Sun of Shanghai, China

* Science: Lin (Vivian) Hou of Shenzhen, China

 


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MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

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