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School Committee Chair Richard Peters, new Dalton representative Sara Tucker and Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis.

Central Berkshire School Committee Appoints Dalton Representative

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass.  — Central Berkshire Regional School Committee appointed its newest member, Sara Tucker, during its meeting last week. 
 
Tucker will be serving as the committee's Dalton representative taking the place of the town's former representative Nicole Tucker. Although Sara and Nicole share a last name they have no relation. 
 
Nicole Tucker decided to leave her seat early, which caused a vacancy on the committee that needed to be filled. The district put a call out for applications and received three but two dropped out. 
 
The seat will be included in the elections in November so the community can vote who they want to have as the Dalton representative. 
 
Sara Tucker is a supervisor for an adolescent unit at the state Department of Children and Families. 
 
As a social worker, she has experience working with teens in the criminal justice system which the committee has not had before, committee Chair Richard Peters said. 
 
"I'm excited actually, because obviously she has a lot of energy and a lot of really good experience and it's good to have a really great mix of people, parents, other folks who've been not in education, folks that are in education, and we have a really good blend of all of the above characters," Peters said. 
 
"So, it really works out well and everybody on the committee is very respectful and it's just a pleasure to be on this committee, and I hope it maintains that for sure. It actually makes it really nice. So, I'm excited to have her, that's for sure." 
 
Tucker has children in the district, one who will be going to Nessacus Regional Middle School next year and another one is involved in special education and receives Individualized Education Program services. She also is president of the Parent Teacher Organization.
 
"Since my kiddos started, I've been trying to figure out ways to kind of be helpful to the school system to be helpful to my children and their growth within the school system," Tucker said. 
 
"I think she has an excellent background," Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis. "She has great ideas, great suggestions. She's very invested in all students. She has children in the district."
 
As the PTO president, Tucker has helped the Craneville Elementary School principal bring in more "diversity, equity inclusion" with a reading program. 
 
The program works to increase belonging and make children feel included while also encouraging readers, especially the reluctant readers, she said. She is also working with Craneville to bring the entrepreneur fair for its fifth graders. 
 
She has a master's degree in social work from the University of Albany in New York and a post-master's certificate working with adolescents and children that are dealing with different challenges. 
 
"Having that experience and coming from where I'm trying to kind of fix things. I would love to be able to kind of come in here and help create more positive change for our kids and our staff," Tucker said. 

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First Responders Pull Truck From Pontoosuc Lake

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.—First responders performed a rescue at Pontoosuc Lake on Friday, Oct. 30, after a truck ended up in the water. 

The driver, who was not identified, was taken to Berkshire Medical Center following the incident.

Deputy Chief Neil Myers said the Pittsfield Fire Department was dispatched for a water rescue incident at the boat ramp off Hancock Road at 9:30 a.m. 

There was one occupant in the truck who had climbed onto the vehicle's roof when they arrived. The white vehicle had floated across the channel near the ramp and landed on the waterbody's base; one corner of the roof was peeking out of the water when iBerkshires arrived around 10 a.m. 

Myers relayed that a witness saw the truck driving into the water; that was the initial report. On the way, first responders received another call reporting the truck had floated across the channel, and the caller was unsure if the person got out. 

With this information, PFD dispatched a full assignment: three engines, a ladder truck, and a rescue. Pontoosuc Lake is drawn down right now, with a maximum depth of about 15 feet in that area. 

Two firefighters were deployed in cold-water suits to make contact with the driver.  They assessed him, provided a life jacket, and put some lines in for safety.

Worried about hypothermia, firefighters planned to keep the man on top of the truck until a boat arrived. Though, Myers said when the boat was launched off the ramp, the man swan dove into the lake and swam to land. 

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