image description — Allie Burdick, Christopher Cornell, Emma Desormeaux, Sarah Fortini, Katelyn Haggerty and Zoe Oakes graduated from Gabriel Abbott Memorial School.

Gabriel Abbott Memorial School Graduates Six Students

11:00AM / Monday, June 19, 2017Print Story | Email Story

FLORIDA, Mass. — Gabriel Abbott Memorial School graduated six eighth-grade students on Monday, June 12.

"Pomp and Circumstance" played by the Abbott Ensemble welcomed the students followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of "The Star Spangled Banner." Tim Rougeau, the eighth-grade teacher, welcomed all to the ceremony and gave a speech recapping some favorite moments from the year.

After the "class will" was read by Sarah Fortini and the class gifts were read by Katelyn Haggerty, Emma Desormeaux honored Rougeau with a yearbook dedication. A slideshow of pictures, put together by Rougeau and Jenn Segala, capturing their time at Abbott, was shown, eliciting more than a few tears and laughs.

Karen Cooper then presented Fortini with the Charles Bruce Cooper Memorial Award and Jennifer Bean presented Allie Burdick with the PTA Award. Principal Heidi Dugal presented Fortini with the Kellie Boyce Award and the Principal’s Citizenship Award, Desormeaux with the Clement Dugal Award, Christopher Cornell and Zoe Oakes with the President's Achievement Awards, Christopher Cornell with the Good Attendance Award, and finally, Allie Burdick with the President's Excellence Award.

Judy Oleson, School Committee chairwoman, then awarded diplomas to the Class of 2017: Allie Burdick, Christopher Cornell, Emma Desormeaux, Sarah Fortini, Katelyn Haggerty and Zoe Oakes.

Tags: Gabriel Abbott School, graduation 2017,

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Berkshire Towns Can Tap State Seasonal Communities Resources

10:54AM / Monday, December 29, 2025

BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey announced that 18 additional municipalities across Massachusetts have been designated as Seasonal Communities, opening up new tools, support and grant funding to help them manage seasonal housing pressures.

Created as part of the historic Affordable Homes Act signed into law by Governor Healey in 2024, the Seasonal Communities designation was designed to recognize Massachusetts communities that experience substantial variation in seasonal employment and to create distinctive tools to address their unique housing needs. The law also established the Seasonal Communities Advisory Council (SCAC).

The Affordable Homes Act identified several communities to automatically receive the designation, including:

All municipalities in the counties of Dukes and Nantucket;
All municipalities with over 35 percent seasonal housing units in Barnstable County; and
All municipalities with more than 40 percent seasonal housing units in Berkshire County.

To identify additional communities, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC) reviewed available data, specifically focusing on cities and towns with high levels of short-term rentals and a high share of second- or vacation homes.

In Berkshire County, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, New Marlborough, Richmond, Sandisfield, Sheffield, West Stockbridge and Williamstown have been designated.

"Our seasonal communities are a vital part of Massachusetts' cultural and economic fabric, but they're also home to essential workers, families, seniors, and longtime residents who deserve a place to live year-round," said Governor Healey. "That's why we're committed to supporting these communities with innovative solutions like the Seasonal Communities designation to meet their unique needs, and I'm thrilled that we're offering this opportunity to 18 additional communities across the state. Everyone who calls these places home should be able to live, work and grow here, no matter the season."

As with the statutorily identified communities, acceptance of the designation for municipalities is voluntary and requires a local legislative vote. HLC will open an application for newly eligible communities that haven't accepted the Seasonal Communities designation to request consideration.

The Affordable Homes Act created several new tools for communities who accept the Seasonal Communities designation to be able to:

Acquire deed restrictions to create or preserve year-round housing
Develop housing with a preference for municipal workers, so that our public safety personnel, teachers, public works and town hall workers have a place to live
Establish a Year-Round Housing Trust Fund to create and preserve affordable and attainable housing for year-round residents
Create year-round housing for artists
Allow seasonal communities to develop a comprehensive housing needs assessment
Permit tiny homes to be built and used as year-round housing
Permit year-round, attainable residential development on undersized lots
Increase the property tax exemption for homes that are the owners' primary residence