1Berkshire Youth Leadership Program Class of 2021 Commencement

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Tuesday, May 4, 1Berkshire celebrating the commencement of the Youth Leadership Program's Class of 2021 via Zoom. 
 
Having completed the entirety of this 10-month leadership program, 31 students shared the products of their collective impact projects with attending family, friends, and regional leaders, and were recognized for their program completion. 
 
The Class of 2021 is the 11th class in the program's history.
 
Though the class applied to the program prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health guidance precluded in-person meetings throughout the course of the year. As a result, from their kickoff retreat over the summer through their Commencement, the students have participated in the program virtually. 
 
For their collective impact project, the class was organized into five groups and they chose to focus on the broad topics of racism and the environment. Each group of students addressed these topics in its own way. Students created social media accounts on the topic of racism in schools and in society more broadly, organized an anti-racism workshop to be held for their peers featuring an expert from Multicultural BRIDGE, created a social media campaign around reducing the impacts of fast fashion and reducing waste locally, and organized a park cleanup. 
 
"The past year has been challenging and uncertain for us all, but [the Class of 2021] truly rose to the occasion," Program Director Ben Lamb noted in his remarks. "[The class] did not shy away from addressing some of the most daunting issues our society faces, and showed a flexibility and persistence for which we should all be proud."
 
Berkshire Youth Leadership Graduates: 
 
Isabella Ameen, Pittsfield High School
 
Jordynn Bazinet, Pittsfield High School
 
Madilynn Brothers, Drury High School
 
Lauren Callahan, Pittsfield High School
 
Madison Crouse, Pittsfield High School
 
Zachary Davignon, Drury High School
 
Bronwyn Dix, The Potter's School
 
Jonathan Douhan, Pittsfield High School
 
Sydney Ferris, Pittsfield High School
 
Jonah Hane, Mount Greylock Regional School
 
Julianne Harwood, Lenox Memorial Middle & High School
 
Alex Henner, Pittsfield High School
 
Solia Herndon-Schmid, Lenox Memorial Middle & High School
 
Micah Ketchen, Mt. Everett Regional High School
 
Cecilia Kittross, Lenox Memorial Middle & High School
 
Isaac LeBlanc, Berkshire Waldorf High School
 
Alexa Macdonald, Drury High School
 
Grace Makuc, Mt. Everett Regional High School
 
Madelyn Malumphy, Pittsfield High School
 
Catherine McAllister, Mount Greylock Regional School
 
Tess McCluskey, Pittsfield High School
 
Elli Miles, Drury High School
 
Madeline Nesbit, Drury High School
 
Leila Paredes, Pittsfield High School
 
Thomas Peterson, Drury High School
 
Alyssa Potvin, Pittsfield High School
 
Zachary Pupo, Pittsfield High School
 
Jocelyn Sommers, Wahconah Regional High School
 
Alexis Toomey, Mount Greylock Regional School
 
Sienna Trask, Miss Hall's School
 
Isolena Ungewitter, Pittsfield High School
 
The 1Berkshire Youth Leadership Program is made possible through the financial support of sponsors Berkshire Bank, Greylock Federal Credit Union, and Cohen Kinne Valicenti & Cook, and with additional support this year from Neenah Technical Materials and NBT Bank. The program is coordinated by 1Berkshire with the dynamic support of the volunteer Youth Leadership Program Steering Committee. Co-chaired by Karen Ruiz Leon of Berkshire Community College and Matthew Martin of Mildred Elley, this committee is composed of professionals across the region who commit their time and expertise to develop and facilitate the monthly sessions for the class and offer them advice as they look to their own futures.

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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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