More than 600 Participate in Steel Rail Races

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Matthew Ferraro was the first runner across the finish line at the MountainOne Steel Rail Marathon.
 
Ferraro clocked a time of 2 hours, 41 minutes flat on the Ashuwilticook Rail Trail course.
 
He finished a little more than five minutes ahead of runner-up Nick Reid (2:46:15).
 
Simone Veale won the race's women's division in a time of 3:18:42. She beat out Jill Hussain, who covered the course in 3:27:23.
 
The fastest marathoner on Sunday was Stephen Gulley, a hand cyclist, who clocked a time of 2:15:03.
 
The 26.2-mile circuit was covered by 150 finishers ranging in age from 18 (William Hanley in 14th place) to 72 (Ric Nudell, who finished in 6:04:47).
 
The day also featured a half-marathon and an 8-kilometer race.
 
Mark Rabasco won the half-marathon in 1:18:41, edging Vincent Gauthier (1:22:38).
 
Kat Morrissey placed third overall in 1:23:43 and first among women in the half-marathon, which had 213 finishers.
 
Abigail Chaloux was the fastest woman in the 8K, crossing the finish line in 35:52, six seconds ahead of Caroline Kessler; the two women were ninth and 10th, respectively, overall in a field of 171 finishers.
 
Peter Hale had the fastest 8K time, 27:42. Erik Kessler was second in 30:32.
 
More than 600 people registered for Sunday's races, a record for the Berkshire Running Foundation event. Runners from 24 different states signed up to run.
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Pittsfield Schools Hear Community Feedback on Morningside Closure

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Public Schools are gathering feedback on a potential closure of Morningside Community School before a recommendation is made. 

There were community meetings last week, and if the district holds a public hearing, it would likely need to be before the School Committee's next meeting to inform the recommendation. Officials recognize a "deep love" for the Burbank Street school, and say the decision would not be taken lightly. 

Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips shared the considerations for a closure with the School Committee on Wednesday: The feasibility of the facility to provide a conducive teaching and learning environment with an open campus design, the funding allocation needed to ensure Morningside students can have equitable learning opportunities, and declining enrollment across Pittsfield elementary schools.  

Staff and community meetings were held on Monday and Thursday. One of the interim superintendent's takeaways after meeting with faculty was their commitment to caring for students and the school. 

"So it was with heaviness that they, I would say most of the staff, felt that the facility really is not conducive to our students' success, but they also felt a heaviness because of the love and commitment to the school," she reported. 

"And so I didn't want to not share that, because there is a deep love for Morningside Community School, even though there have been many years where it has been struggling with performance."

Phillips said the open classroom concept is probably the biggest driver, and whether students can receive their greatest education there. This is what raised the question of whether funding could follow students into existing, under-utilized, nearby schools. 

Last Monday, the first of three community meetings were held to solicit feedback about the possible closure of Morningside for the 2026-2027 school year and redistribution of its students to other city schools. Meetings are also scheduled for last Thursday morning and at 4 p.m. at the school. 

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