This year's Commencement Remarks were delivered by award-winning author Mary Pope Osborne
PITTSFIELD — Forty-six students, including 22 students from Berkshire County and nearby communities, graduated on Sunday, June 2, during Miss Hall's School's 126th Commencement.
The ceremony took place under a large tent behind the Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Arts Center on the School's Holmes Road campus and was shared worldwide via Hudl.
Hosted by Miss Hall's Head of School Julia Heaton, the ceremony included remarks from Senior Class President Naomi Hopkins, of Rabun County, Georgia; School President Iva Knezevic, of Belgrade, Serbia; School Vice President Hanna Heaton Wellenstein, of Pittsfield; and Miss Hall's School Board of Trustees President Nancy Gustafson Ault, Class of 1973.
This year's Commencement Remarks were delivered by award-winning author Mary Pope Osborne, who was introduced by 2024 Miss Hall's graduates Lila and Zadie Juska, of Great Barrington. Mary is the author of many award-winning children's books.
Local graduates are Brianna Babcock, of Pittsfield; Kate Butler, of Pittsfield; Malena Carraro, of Stockbridge; Molly Casey, of Lee; Ella Cohen, of Great Barrington; Leora Cook-Dubin, of Pittsfield; Margaret (Margot) Dionne, of New Lebanon, N.Y.; Honey Fields, of New Marlborough; Sophie Gentleman, of Lenox; Ruby Hauck, of South Lee; Hanna Heaton Wellenstein, of Pittsfield; Isabella Hennessey, of Lenox; Lila Juska, of Great Barrington; Zadie Juska, of Great Barrington; Revan (Revvie) MacQueen, of Lenox; Juliana Mills, of Pittsfield; Alida (Hypnos) Perri, of Pittsfield; Kyla Rosales-Gore, of Great Barrington; Ella Tawes, of Williamstown; Madeline Tillem, of Lenox; Sophia Tillem, of Lenox; and Elise Tyler, of Lenox.
The following awards were also bestowed on members of the Class of 2024:
• Joseph F. Buerger Memorial School Spirit Cup: Kate Butler, of Pittsfield, and Naomi Hopkins, of Rabun County, Georgia
• Margaret Witherspoon Award: Iva Knezevic, of Belgrade, Serbia
• Christine Fuller Holland '33 Service Prize: Welmerly Maria, of Methuen, Massachusetts
• Faculty Commendation Award: Molly Casey, of Lee
• Meus Honor Stat Keys Awarded for MHS Core Competencies:
Vision: Sutra Chakma, of Khagrachari, Bangladesh, and Naomi Hopkins, of Rabun County, Georgia
Voice: Hanna Heaton Wellenstein, of Pittsfield, and Oumou Sidibe, of Bamako, Mali
Interpersonal Efficacy: Naomi Wager, of Cooperstown, N.Y., and Jiaying (Lily) Yao, of Shenzhen, China
Gumption: Leora Cook-Dubin, of Pittsfield, and Kyla Rosales-Gore, of Great Barrington
• Sylvia “Rusty” Shethar Everdell '38 Prize: Kate Butler, of Pittsfield
• Paul C. Cabot, Jr. History Prize: Sophie Gentleman, of Lenox
• Senior Prize in Engineering and Tech Innovation: Isabella Hennessey, of Lenox
• Iive Rouse Science Award: Iva Knezevic, of Belgrade, Serbia
• James K. Ervin Mathematics Prize: Hanna Heaton Wellenstein, of Pittsfield
• Horizons Award: Welmerly Maria, of Methuen, Massachusetts
• English for Speakers of Other Languages Award: Ayako Ogawa, of Tokyo, Japan
• Mansfield E. Pickett Latin Prize: Leora Cook-Dubin, of Pittsfield
• Spanish Award: Ella Tawes, of Williamstown
• Monique Jalbert French Prize: Nathania Williams-Jack, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Virginia Breene Wickwire '67 Reading Prize: Madeline Tillem, of Lenox
• Doris E. Pitman English Prize: Naomi Hopkins, of Rabun County, Georgia
• Photography Award: Honey Fields, of New Marlborough
• Susanna McCreath Music Prize: Jiaying (Lily) Yao, of Shenzhen, China
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Letter: Pittsfield Court Injustices Against Seniors
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
The Foundation: A Lifetime of Integrity
For over 45 years, I have been a fixture of the Berkshire community. As a professional house painter, I helped maintain the homes of this county; as a self-taught artist and photographer, I contributed to its culture. In the 1970s, my work was exhibited at the Berkshire Museum, where I earned multiple ribbons for my photography.
The Shattered Sanctuary
My retirement in a Section 8-assisted apartment was meant to be my creative peak. For six years, I lived in peace and maintained a friendship with my landlord. That changed in July 2024, when a new tenant and her adult son moved into the unit directly above mine. The son, who had recently completed a four-year prison sentence for robbery, was under house arrest for months.
The noise from above became unbearable, making my creative work and daily life impossible. These neighbors show a complete lack of consideration for others and disregard the basic ethical standards necessary to live harmoniously within a community.
The Weaponization of the Law
Left with no protection from the landlord or the Housing Authority, I was forced to defend my living space. This tension allowed the plaintiffs to weaponize the legal system. The plaintiff’s son successfully petitioned for a restraining order against me. To prevent the order from being dismissed in late December, he fabricated a new allegation: He claimed I was "following him" in my vehicle.
One of the most basic roles of government is public safety. The ability to provide police and fire protection and other emergency services is considered a vital function.
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About 50 people gathered at Park Square on Saturday to remember Vietnam veterans and mark the 53rd anniversary of the last American troops' departure.
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The Pittsfield Public Schools are gathering feedback on a potential closure of Morningside Community School before a recommendation is made.
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The seed library is funded by the volunteer organization Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum, which raises funds for the library programming and needs.
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