image description — Lenox Memorial students pose with 'As Schools Match Wits' host Beth Ward. The team took home the championship Collamore Cup.

Lenox Memorial 'As Schools Match Wits' Champion

01:47PM / Tuesday, June 27, 2023Print Story | Email Story

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The team from Lenox Memorial High School is the champion of the 62nd season of "As Schools Match Wits."

The season ended on Saturday, June 24, with the broadcast on New England Public Media TV of the championship match between Lenox and Westfield High School.

Lenox will proudly take home the Collamore Cup.

"As Schools Match Wits" pits teams of western New England high schoolers against each other in a fun but competitive game of academic performance. The competition is open to both public and private high schools throughout western New England.

The show was created by Leonard J. Collamore in 1961 to showcase local students in an engaging format. Today, "As Schools Match Wits" is co-produced by NEPM and Westfield State University and hosted by award-winning local TV journalist Beth Ward. The show is produced using Westfield State facilities and students in the Department of Communications serve as the production crew. NEPM supplies professional production, broadcast, marketing, and technical support. It is one of the longest-running shows of its kind in the nation.

Four teams participated in the semifinal rounds, which were broadcast on NEPM. On Saturday, June 10, Lenox Memorial was pitted against the Academy at Charlemont. On Saturday, June 17, Westfield High competed with Amherst Regional High School. Lenox and Westfield won their semifinal matches and advanced to the championship.

After two seasons of special procedures to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a return to normal for Season 62 with teams and host Beth Ward interacting in a single studio together. Faculty advisers play an important role in the process and many jumped at the opportunity to sign up their school's teams this year. Then, they spent countless hours working with their students to get them ready.

"It was a great season with 36 schools participating," said Mark St. Jean, Westfield State University producer. "We were able to expand the schedule again to include four quarterfinal matches in addition to the semifinals and the championship. The teams seemed very motivated and that was apparent in every match. I commend all of the coaches for getting their teams prepared and I congratulate Lenox Memorial High School for their championship win in a down-to-the-last-question match against a very strong Westfield High team."

"As we draw the curtain on the 62nd season of ASMW, I want to congratulate this year's champions, Lenox Memorial, on their hard-fought victory, and thank all of the teams that participated for sharing their academic skills with us," said

Tony Dunne, NEPM content director and the show's executive producer congratulated the Lenox team "on their hard-fought victory" and thanked the other teams for participating.

"My thanks as well to Mark St. Jean and our colleagues at Westfield State University for being such wonderful production partners," he said. We look forward to welcoming students from across the region once again this coming fall when we kick off the historic 63rd season of 'ASMW!'"

The championship match and all matches of the 62nd season are available for streaming at video.nepm.org.

Tags: Lenox Memorial, school competition,

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Pittsfield Housing Project Adds 37 Supportive Units and Collective Hope

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:01PM / Monday, December 29, 2025

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A new chapter in local efforts to combat housing insecurity officially began as community leaders and residents gathered at The First on to celebrate a major expansion of supportive housing in the city.

The ribbon was cut on Thursday Dec. 19, on nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at The First, located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. The Housing Resource Center, funded by Pittsfield's American Rescue Plan Act dollars, hosted a celebration for a project that is named for its rarity: The First.

"What got us here today is the power of community working in partnership and with a shared purpose," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said.

In addition to the 28 studio units at 111 West Housatonic Street and nine units in the rear of the church building, the Housing Resource Center will be open seven days a week with two lounges, a classroom, a laundry room, a bathroom, and lockers.

Erin Forbush, ServiceNet's director of shelter and housing, challenged attendees to transform the space in the basement of Zion Lutheran Church into a community center. It is planned to operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. year-round.

"I get calls from folks that want to help out, and our shelters just aren't the right spaces to be able to do that. The First will be that space that we can all come together and work for the betterment of our community," Forbush said.

"…I am a true believer that things evolve, and things here will evolve with the people that are utilizing it."

Earlier that day, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus joined Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and her team in Housatonic to announce $33.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funding, $5.45 million to Berkshire County.

He said it was ambitious to take on these two projects at once, but it will move the needle. The EOHLC contributed more than $7.8 million in subsidies and $3.4 million in low-income housing tax credit equity for the West Housatonic Street build, and $1.6 million in ARPA funds for the First Street apartments.

"We're trying to get people out of shelter and off the streets, but we know there are a lot of people who are couch surfing, who are living in their cars, who are one paycheck away from being homeless themselves," Augustus said.

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