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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Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'
DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action.
The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.
"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.
"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature."
Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures.
Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis.
Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.
The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. click for more
Police Chief Thomas Dawley will retire next month after 24 years with the Pittsfield Police Department, and the mayor will appoint his successor.
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Last weekend, LaBeau raced in the Mount Zion Snocross National race in Ironwood, Mich., the first of eight races in the national circuit series.
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Brown hopes to one day work in a lab, feeding their strong interest in scientific research and making a positive difference in the world.
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Prior to the ribbon-cutting, public officials and community resource personnel were able to tour the two new permanent supported housing projects — West Housatonic Apartments and The First Street Apartments and Housing Resource Center.
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