NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — McCann Technical School Principal Justin Kratz announces Amy Lynn Harrington as valedictorian and Svea-Marie Meaghan Lawson as salutatorian for the graduating class of 2024.
Both students will graduate from McCann with high honors on Wednesday, June 5, at 7 p.m. in the Amsler Campus Center at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Harrington, daughter of Leigh Ugdah, is a senior in the Information Technology program. She is the recipient of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendent's Award for Academic Excellence, a John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, numerous undergraduate awards and is first in her class with a 4.42 grade-point average.
She is a member of SkillsUSA, National Honor Society, Berkshire County District Attorney's
Office Youth Advisory Board, Yearbook, and the cross country team. She works in Williams College's Network and Systems Department through the co-operative program at McCann in addition to her hostess/server position at Freight Yard Pub.
Along with her stellar academic achievement's she also volunteers her time at the All Saints Episcopal Church's Meals on Wheels, the Haiti Plunge and Youth Center Inc. in Cheshire.
Harrington will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology and will major in software engineering.
Lawson, daughter of Paige Keenan and Kurt Lawson, is a senior in the Computer Assisted Design program.
She is a recipient of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, many undergraduate academic and technical awards and ranks second in her class with a 4.41 GPA. She is a member of National Honor Society, Ski Club, 1 Berkshire Youth Leadership Program, and the softball and soccer teams.
She works at Hill-Engineers, Architects, and Planners Inc. through the McCann co-op program as well as at Lickety Split in Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. She also volunteers her time at the First Baptist Church soup kitchen.
Lawson plans to major in civil engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
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Wendy Penner to Receive the 2026 Peacemaker Award
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - This year, the MLK Jr. Day of Service Committee announced Wendy Penner as the selected recipient of the Peacemaker Award.
The award will be presented at the annual Northern Berkshire MLK Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Jan.19, during the celebratory luncheon.
The Peacemaker Award is given annually to an individual or group in Northern Berkshire.
The award, which originated as part of the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, honors individuals or groups who have contributed substantially to peace in our region. In general, the Peacemaker Award recognizes those who have a history of working with people and/or neighborhoods and communities to promote greater tolerance, understanding, and caring.
According to a press release:
Penner is a volunteer community organizer and has previously worked in the nonprofit world on issues related to the environment and substance use. Penner is committed to the northern Berkshire Community and to the idea of "think globally, act locally." She has helped lead initiatives for the citizen-led Williamstown COOL Committee for many years, which empowers people to address climate change through local action. She is a champion for public health approaches to support people impacted by substance use, a member of Have Hope Recovery Center, and the northern Berkshire HEAL coalition. Wendy is on the leadership team of the North Berkshire Indivisible chapter, Greylock Together, and she is currently co-president of Congregation Beth Israel.
The community is invited to celebrate the 2026 Peacemaker during the MLK Jr. Day of Service.
The former mayor was presented with a clock in 2017 upon the completion of his fourth term as chair of the committee; on Tuesday, he received another clock marking his four years as a member of the committee.
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This year Berkshire County saw many new businesses open — from restaurants to local goods — as well as new owners taking over existing companies.
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A new government took the reins at City Hall on New Year's Day, pledging to move North Adams forward with compassion and accountability. click for more