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Treasurer Steven Grossman asked the students about their ideal schools.
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Grossman asked Esha to explain why she chose certain elements for her ideal school.

Treasurer, MSBA Director Present Award to First-Grader At Crosby

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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Esha Zahid and her family were honored Friday by many elected officials for being the regional winner of a statewide 'my ideal school' competition.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — First-grader Esha Zahid won a statewide competition for designing her ideal school but she and her family were unable to attend a ceremony at the State House. So on Friday, state officials brought the ceremony to her.

Treasurer Steven Grossman and Jack McCarthy, executive director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority, visited Esha's class at Crosby Elementary School on Friday to deliver her winnings. The competition asked  first-graders from all over the state to draw and write an essay describing their ideal school.

Esha was picked as one of 12 regional winners in the seventh annual competition. Drawing a castle and explaining that her school has "good friends, the playground is fun to play in and the lunch that the lunch lady give us is very yummy," earned Esha a $100 savings bond from Sovereign Bank.

"Because she wasn't able to be in Boston for our special presentation, we decided to bring all of us here to say thank you to her," Grossman told the first-graders.

McCarthy and Grossman are in charge with the state funds to build new schools. The city has been making a pitch to renovate or build a new Taconic High School. The city still needs feasibility studies to be completed before the MSBA invites the city into the program, which provide most of the funding needed to complete a project.



But, McCarthy and Grossman have both voiced support for the project.

"The biggest thing I am doing right now is working on that Taconic School," McCarthy said.

McCarthy and Grossman were joined by Mayor Daniel Bianchi, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier and state Sen. Benjamin Downing.

A new Taconic may not look like a castle, but Esha will likely have the opportunity to attend an upgraded high school when she is older.


Tags: awards,   Crosby School,   MSBA,   state officials,   

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Pittsfield Sewer Lining Replacement Projects

PITTSFIELD, Mass.—; The City's Department of Public Services and Utilities sewer lining replacement project continues the week of Dec. 8.
 
The sewer lining will be replaced in several locations as outlined in the schedule below. This work includes lining aging sewer pipes to help prevent future breaks within the sewer line. There should be minimal to no impact on residential sewer lines during this work.
  • Dec. 8-10: Danforth Avenue (7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
  • Dec. 11: Wahconah Street, between North Street and Seymour Street & Park Street between
  • Wahconah Street and Seymour Street (Overnight work-6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.)
    • During this time, Wahconah Street, from North Street to Seymour Street, and Park Street, from Wahconah Street to Seymour Street, will be closed to traffic. Residents and emergency vehicles will be allowed to enter and exit the street if necessary. For more information about this project, please contact the Water Department at (413) 499-9339.
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