The Husky 4 of Herberg Middle School was the champion at Saturday's Berkshire Robotics Challenge. Pictured are coach Wendy Stebbins, left, Ezekiel Mason, Ashton Brennan, Aastha Rai, Qing Song and coach Ellen Lantz.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Husky 4 of Herberg Middle School defeated the Raging Riots of St. Mary's School in Lee to be crowned champion of "Cargo Connect," the 21st Berkshire Robotics Challenge, conducted Saturday at the Berkshire Innovation Center.
The tally in the finals was 250 points for Herberg and 200 for St. Mary's.
The competition involved six teams of students ages 8 to 14 from throughout the county who used programmable robots built from Lego kits to complete a variety of missions involving hypothetical scenarios related to safe, efficient transportation. The event was sponsored by Berkshire Applied Technology Council, with major underwriting support from the Feigenbaum Foundation and General Dynamics Mission Systems.
Ellen Lantz and Wendy Stebbins were coaches for Herberg, which featured team members Aastha Rai, Ashton Brennan, Ezekiel Mason and Qing Song.
Cara Maiorano, Christine Barry and Conner Consolati were coaches for St. Mary's School, which featured team members Brendan Bayles, Joey Abderhalden, Sam Korte, Jacob Cooper, Natalie Hall, Sophie Alsmaan, Isabella Hall, Keaghan Kline, Bernadette Starczewski and Matt Abderhalden.
Other award winners were:
Comeback Kids: Lee Robowildcats of Lee Elementary School.
Best Research Project: Lee Robowildcats.
Best Programming: BART-Botics of Berkshire Arts and Technology Public Charter School.
Most Innovative Design: Herberg Middle School.
Team Spirit Award: Conte Mechanics of Conte Community School.
Sportsmanship Award: St. Agnes Angels of St. Agnes' School in Dalton.
Judges, inspectors and referees for the event were Wil Bourdon, John Bracci, and Jim Chalfonte of General Dynamics Mission Systems and Kevin Mooney of GE. Chalfonte and his son, Liam, were scorekeepers.
The planning committee included Denise Johns, Tim Butterworth and Kate Light of the Berkshire Innovation Center, Bourdon and Chalfonte of General Dynamics, Doug Crane of the New Dalton Group, Bernie Klem of Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America, Kevin Mooney of GE and John Wood of SABIC.
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Striking Out Cancer in Berkshires Holds Sunday Party Before June 27 Games
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Striking out Cancer in the Berkshires has been bringing smiles for half a decade.
This year, it also is bringing Smiley.
A day of community baseball and softball games that act as a fund-raiser for the Jimmy Fund is the brainchild of Joe DiCicco, who has expanded the event’s footprint over the years and seen a steady growth in money raised as a result.
This year’s games are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on June 27 on Buddy Pellerin Field at Clapp Park.
But the festivities begin this Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Sideline Saloon on Fenn Street, where DiCicco invites families to come down, free of charge, to take photos with a Boston Red Sox World Series Trophy and meet Boston mascot Wally the Green Monster and Smiley, the mascot of the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox.
“It’s just a little way to give back to the community to start the week,” DiCicco said. “Last year, we had the trophy for the first time, and they want to bring it back, so that’s a good thing. Wally is different, and so is Smiley.”
What has not changed is DiCicco’s dedication to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund, inspired by Einar Gustafson, a child who beat cancer with the help of Dr. Sidney Farber in 1948 and shared his story with the world under the name Jimmy to protect his anonymity.
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