Arthur Alpert, left, Michael Case and Bonny DiTomasso were thanked by Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis and Chair Richard Peters for their service on the Central Berkshire Regional School Committee. The three are not running for re-election.
DALTON, Mass. — Last Thursday's Central Berkshire School Committee meeting marked the end of term for three members, who have decided not to run for their seats again.
The committee said goodbye to Vice Chair Bonny DiTomasso and members Art Alpert and Michael Case.
These members have given their time and passion to improve the district, committee Chair Richard Peters said.
"Their support has been invaluable to the families and students at Central Berkshire [by] making sure we have the right resources and their input around their knowledge about teaching and learning and social, social and emotional learning," Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis said.
They will also decide how to fill eight School Committee seats, six of which will require write-in votes.
Dalton has three open committee seats, while Becket, Hinsdale, and Washington each have one. Since no candidates are running for these positions, they will need to be filled through write-in votes.
The Peru and Windsor seats also have vacancies. Peru's Planning Board member Kimberly Wetherell is running for the Peru School Committee seat, and School Committee member Elizabeth Lounsbury is running for re-election in Windsor.
DiTomasso, Alpert, and Case were presented each with a floral arrangement.
DiTomasso has been on the committee for 8 1/2 years, Alpert for six years, and Case for almost 13 years.
Case said he learned a lot about small-town politics, how to work with others, and gained an appreciation of community during his tenure.
A highlight of DiTomasso's time on the committee was getting Wahconah Regional High School built $2 million under budget during a pandemic.
Alpert said school boards often get a bad reputation, but this school committee has worked together for the betterment of the school community, the children, and the staff.
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Pittsfield Council Says 'Yes' to Soccer at Crane Park
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
The pitch will have the logos of the city and the US. and Massachusetts soccer associations.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is gladly accepting a "mini-pitch" from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring games back to Crane Park.
Fueling excitement around the World Cup, U.S. Soccer has been working with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer League to make these facilities available to 20 communities — one of which will be at the park at the intersection of Benedict Road and Springside Avenue.
The City Council accepted the gift on Tuesday during its regular meeting.
A mini pitch is a compact, modular field typically used for soccer, and it can also accommodate inline skates. It has a galvanized steel border with built-in goals and a rubber plastic surface that is clicked together; installed on the existing inline hockey court.
Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham said he has gone door to door speaking with nearby residents, and they are "really excited" about the upgrade. He also sees it as a great addition.
"They say that nobody really uses the court a ton now, and they are excited to see kids back on there playing," he said.
Decades ago, the Crane Park facility was a wading pool. It closed in 1980, and before the turn of the century, it was filled in and marked for hockey.
Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained that the wooden border around the rink is showing its age, has been vandalized and tagged, and the facility is seeing a "real decline" in use.
"This would seem to be an appropriate spot for us to remove the board system that's in place and install the mini pitch system through this grant," he said.
Lenox Memorial High School has named Sai Sanjana Meesala as valedictorian and Chloe Parsenios as salutatorian for the graduating class of 2026. click for more
Pittsfield High School has announced the students who will speak at graduation ceremonies on Sunday, June 14, at 4 p.m. at Tanglewood in Lenox. click for more
The ceremony took place under a large tent behind the Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Arts Center on the School's Holmes Road campus and was broadcast worldwide via Zoom. click for more