St. Joseph High School's Amanda Plaine crowned 2003 Pittsfield Winter Carnival queen

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Wearing dazzling gowns and stunning smiles, the Pittsfield Winter Carnival Queen contestants reveled at the Queen's Coronation Ball on Saturday at the ITAM Lodge. Amanda Plaine, 17, was crowned 2003 Winter Carnival Queen. Hundreds of family members, friends and well wishers attended the ball but the 17 queen contestants held center stage. The girls spent nearly all day together at the ITAM, where they practiced their entrances and were interviewed by a panel of judges. The evening featured the grand entrance by the contestants and their escorts, the crowning of the new queen, lady in waiting and Miss Congeniality and dancing to 70s & 80s music with DJ Rob D. Casey DiCicco, 17, shared center stage as the 2003 Lady in Waiting. Brittney Lynn Wright, 17, was selected as Miss Congeniality by her fellow queen contestants. Plaine, the daughter of Mitchell and Barbara Plaine of Pittsfield, is a senior and honor student at St. Joseph's. She is involved in Student Council, prom committee and Special Olympics. She volunteers at the Boys' and Girls' Club preschool, has been a tutor at Morningside Elementary and is involved with the after-school program at the CYC. She also has participated in the annual spring musical and has played the piano since age 5. DiCicco, daughter of Joseph A. DiCicco and the late Judy DiCicco of Pittsfield, is a senior at Taconic High School. She has been an active dancer with Cantarella School of Dance for 12 years and has been a member of the Albany Berkshire Ballet's junior company for four years, during which time she has danced at local nursing homes and in the United Cerebral Palsy telethons. Her school activities include the yearbook committee, class council, peer resource team, National Honor Society and the Business Professionals of America. She plans on studying fashion design in college. Wright, the daughter of Rob and Kay Wright of Pittsfield, is a senior at Pittsfield High. She is a member of the Student Council, Spanish Club, yearbook committee and swim and softball teams, and is captain of the volleyball team. Tina Melle, Julie Salatino and Michelle Hayes served as co-coordinators for the Winter Carnival Queen Contest, which highlights the Pittsfield Winter Carnival. In order to participate in the queen's contest, the girls had to sell at least 1,500 Winter Carnival Buttons - the funds help pay for winter carnival events, including Family Day, toboggan and ski races, the speed skating competition, scholarships and the Winter Carnival Ball. David Isby and Cheryl Tripp-Cleveland of WUPE/WUHN Radio served as emcees. Juvenile Court Justice Paul Perachi served as keynote speaker, observing that all of the contestants shared a commitment to volunteerism and community spirit. More contestants Kelly MacDonald, 18, daughter of Michael and Pamela MacDonald, is a senior at Taconic High School. She is a member of the varsity volleyball team, has participated in spring musicals, and is a member of the National Honor Society, French National Honor Society, Student Council and Berkshire Youth United. She is a 10-year member of the Pittsfield Figure Skating Club. MacDonald volunteers at the Special Olympics and as an after-school tutor, and participated in Girls State. She has received the Daughters of the American Revolution, Wellesley College Book and Outstanding English Student awards. Shannon Wasnewsky, 17, daughter of Mark and Joyce Wasnewsky of Pittsfield, is a senior at Taconic. Her school activities include National Honor Society, Student Council and Berkshire Youth United. She played volleyball for two years and works at Stop & Shop. She volunteered as a teacher for a first Communion class and also volunteers for the Special Olympics. Meggi Connor, 17, daughter of Michael and Mariellen Connor, is a senior at Taconic. She is a varsity swimmer and cross country runner, and has been on Western Massachusetts teams for both sports. She is active in Berkshire Youth United, Student Council and the prom committee. An honor roll student, she volunteers at the Special Olympics. Shawna Lahey, 17, daughter of Sheryl Maihle and Mark Lahey of Pittsfield, is a senior at Taconic. Lahey has worked in several jobs and has participated in the cheerleading program both at the Catholic Youth Center and Taconic for almost 10 years. She is certified in lifeguard training, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid for the professional rescuer, waterfront lifeguarding, automated external defibrillator essentials and preventing disease transmission. She is utilizing these certifications as a lifeguard and teacher's aid. Jennifer Nailos, 17, daughter of David and Jeanne Nailos of Pittsfield, is a senior at Taconic. Nailos is a member and section leader of the school band, marching band, jazz ensemble and chorus. She has also been a member of the Eagle concert and jazz bands for several years. She has participated in the Western District Music Festival as a member of the chorus and the jazz ensemble. Her school activities include spring musicals, the Fall Festival of Shakespeare, soccer, varsity cheerleading, on-air personality and program director at radio station WTBR-FM 89.7, National Honor and French National Honor societies. She coaches St. Francis' bantam cheerleading at the CYC. Seanna Sykes, 19, daughter of Winslow and Kathleen Avery of Pittsfield, is a senior at Taconic. Sykes works in school's student personnel office and is a member of the Student Council. She also has been on Taconic's wrestling team and prom committee, and was a member of Shakespeare & Company. A former Girl Scout, she played soccer for the Pittsfield Parks Department summer league and has taken karate. Nicole Yon, 18, daughter of Greg and Christine Yon of Pittsfield, is a senior at Taconic. She is the starting varsity pitcher of the softball team and has recently been named an NACA All-American Scholar Athlete. She is active in the Student Council, prom committee and the peer resource team. She has volunteered with the South Congregational Church soup kitchen, Relay for Life, Special Olympics and as a CYC cheerleading coach. Yon is employed at Kneebone's Steakhouse. Her academic honors include being named in Who's Who Among High School Students and on the National Honor Roll. Nicole Lynn DiSimoni, 17, daughter of James and Lynn DiSimoni, is a senior at Taconic. DiSimoni is the secretary/treasurer for Berkshire Youth United and a member of Business Professionals of America, Student Council and yearbook committee. She is an actress in Taconic's spring musicals and is employed by Purple Plume in Lenox. Erin Starsja, 17, resides with her mother and stepfather, Lily and Art Pandell, in Pittsfield. She is a senior at Pittsfield High School, where she is a peer mediator. She has participated in the Future Educators of America, the Robotic Competition and Massachusetts College of Liberal Art's Computer Programming Competition and is a member of the Young Adult Council at the Berkshire Athenaeum. Her activities at St. Mary's Church include altar server, eucharistic minister, religious education teacher and Family Festival volunteer. Starsja is employed by attorney Thomas J. Hamel. Amber Martin, 17, daughter of Michael Martin and Susan and David Maloy of Pittsfield, is a senior at Taconic. She performs in the Fall Festival of Shakespeare, Taconic's spring musicals and honors chorus, the South Mountain Festival, Western District Chorus and Jimmy Fund Concert Series. She was a member of the varsity wrestling team for one year. She was a counselor for the Berkshire Community College Children's Circus Camp and a teacher and music coordinator for the Sheffield Chapel vacation Bible school. Martin plans to attend MCLA and major in music education. Tamara Morgan, 17, daughter of James Morgan and Teresa and Joseph Palmieri, all of Pittsfield, is a senior at St. Joseph's High School. She is a member of the Ambassadors Club, Student Council and peer education. She is co-director of community service at St. Joseph's, and has participated in the Walk for Life, Pittsfield Youth City Council, Berkshire Teen Network and the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. She is an altar server and lector at St. Mark's Church and has volunteered as a Bible camp counselor. Kristen St. John, 17, daughter of Cheryl St. John of Pittsfield, is a senior at Pittsfield High. She is a member of the class council, Spanish and French clubs, Youth Group, varsity swim team, softball and track teams, and prom committee. She was junior class treasurer, Create-a-Dream activity coordinator, and basketball manager for the girls' varsity team. Mandy St. Pierre, 17, daughter of Michael and Cheryl St. Pierre of Pittsfield, is a senior at Taconic. Her school activities include spring musicals, the Fall Festival of Shakespeare, chorus, marching band and Western District Music Festival. She also is on the cross country and track and field teams, and in the Youth Group. She is a religious dance teacher at her church and has participated in the Relay for Life. Her interests include singing and playing instruments, including the clarinet, flute, recorder, piano, violin and saxophone. Brittany Raé Breault, 17, daughter of Brian M. Breault of East Greenbush, N.Y., and Victoria M. Spencer of Pittsfield, is a senior and honors student at Taconic. Her activities include varsity cross country, and cross-country skiing and track and field teams. Her volunteer activities include being a senior mentor at the Pittsfield DARE summer camp, Special Olympics and chairman of the youth committee of the American Cancer Society. Amanda Plaine, 17, daughter of Mitchell and Barbara Plaine of Pittsfield, is a senior and honor student at St. Joseph's. She is involved in Student Council, prom committee and Special Olympics. She volunteers at the Boys' and Girls' Club preschool, has been a tutor at Morningside Elementary and is involved with the after-school program at the CYC. She also has participated in the annual spring musical and has played the piano since age 5.
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Winter Storm Warning Issued for Berkshires

Another snowstorm is expected to move through the region overnight on Friday, bringing 5 to 8 inches of snow. This is updated from Thursday's winter weather advisory. 
 
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has posted a winter storm warning for all of Berkshire County and parts of eastern New York State beginning Friday at 4 p.m. through Saturday at 1 p.m. 
 
The region could see heavy to moderate snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour overnight, tapering off Saturday morning to flurries.
 
Drivers should exercise caution on Friday night and Saturday morning, as travel conditions may be hazardous.
 
Saturday night should be clear and calm, but warming temperatures means freezing rain Sunday night and rain through Monday with highs in the 40s. The forecast isn't much better through the week as temperatures dip back into the teens with New Year's Eve looking cloudy and frigid. 
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