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County's Athletic Directors Recognize Senior Scholar-Athletes

iBerkshires.com Sports12:43PM / Friday, June 06, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Twenty-two graduating seniors from Berkshire County public high schools recently were recognized by the county’s athletic directors with the inaugural Berkshire County Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards.

The honor is designed to recognize seniors who demonstrate “athletic excellence, strong academics and exemplary character, including sportsmanship, leadership and community involvement.”

The list of honorees – two from each of the Berkshire County league schools – includes at least one valedictorian and one salutatorian, state champions and all-Western Mass honorees on the athletic field.

The overwhelming majority of honorees are multi-sport athletes with several earning varsity letters in three different sports throughout the school year.

All recipients have at least a grade point average of 3.0, though most are well above that and have been both successful athletes and demonstrated leaders on their respective teams.

“Award recipients should embody the character and integrity expected of a scholar-athlete award recipient,” the citation reads. “This includes consistently demonstrating good sportsmanship and fair play, both in competition and in daily interactions. The student should show strong leadership qualities on and off the field/court/course, maintain a positive attitude, and represent their school and team with pride and respect. Engagement in community service or other meaningful extracurricular activities highlights a student’s well-rounded character and active involvement beyond the classroom.”

2025 recipients include:

Drury: Colin Daly, Madison Saunders

Hoosac Valley: Maryn Cappiello, Will Hakes

Lee: Reece Faggioni, Sophia Puntin

Lenox: Jocelyn Fairfield, Harper Jaehnig

McCann Tech: Parker Hart, Paige Meyette

Monument Mountain: Polly Geddes, Griffin McElroy

Mount Everett: Aliyah Creamer, Sean Warren

Mount Greylock: Ezekiel Singer, Knowl Stroud

Pittsfield: Caden Boehm, Caroline Sherman

Taconic: Nick Berkeley, Jaelynn Walker

Wahconah: West Dews, Tim Kaley

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New Camp Is Safe Place for Children Suffering Loss to Addiction

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:26AM / Saturday, December 27, 2025

Last year's Happy Campers courtesy of Max Tabakin.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new camp is offering a safe place for children who have lost a parent or guardian to addiction.

Director Gayle Saks founded the nonprofit "Camp Happy Place" last year. The first camp was held in June with 14 children.

Saks is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor who works at the Brien Center. One of her final projects when studying was how to involve youth, and a camp came to mind. Camp had been her "happy place" growing up, and it became her dream to open her own.

"I keep a bucket list in my wallet, and it's right on here on this list, and I cross off things that I've accomplished," she said. "But it is the one thing on here that I knew I had to do."

The overnight co-ed camp is held at a summer camp in Winsted, Conn., where Saks spent her summers as a child. It is four nights and five days and completely free. Transportation is included as are many of the items needed for camping. The camp takes up to 30 children.

"I really don't think there's any place that exists specifically for this population. I think it's important to know, we've said this, but that it is not a therapeutic camp," Saks said.

She said the focus is on fun for the children, though they are able to talk to any of the volunteer and trained staff. The staff all have experience in social work, addiction and counseling, and working with children.

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