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Lenox, Williamstown Students Name State Snowplows

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BOSTON — The state Department of Transportation has selected snowplow names submitted by students at Morris Elementary and Pine Cobble schools.
 
They were among the 12 winning classrooms for the third annual "Name A Snowplow" contest for elementary and middle school students.
 
Katie Simonelli's second-grade class at Morris in Lenox offered the name "Snowana" and Jeff Uhas' fifth grade at Pine Cobble in Williamstown submitted "Ice Ice Baby."
 
The names will be applied to trucks in District 1, headquartered in Lenox. 
 
"This contest is a great way for schools across the state to connect with the crews who work tirelessly to keep our roads clear each winter," said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. "Thank you to everyone who took part in this contest, and congratulations to our winners." 
 
Last year, fourth-graders at Crosby Elementary School in Pittsfield named a truck "Flurry Fighter" and sixth-graders at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School in Shelburne Falls came up with "Sled Zeppelin."
 
The contest this year received entries from classrooms located across Massachusetts to name the 12 MassDOT snowplows within the six districts that will be in service during this 2024/2025 winter season. The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to help recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during the winter season.? 
 
One name each is selected from submissions from kindergarten through Grade 4 and from Grades 5 through 8.
 
"Maintaining safe and clear roads across Massachusetts during winter is no easy task. We appreciate how educators are engaging their students in this fun competition that honors this vital public service," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "Congratulations to the winning classrooms, and we look forward to seeing your snowplows out in the field." 
 
Besides District 1, the winners are listed below.  
 
District 2
 
K-4: "Control-Salt-Delete," Kathleen Koonz's kindergarten at Swift River School in New Salem
 
Grade 5-8: "It's Snow Problem," Tina DeLullo's Grade 6, Paul R. Baird Middle School in Ludlow 
 
District 3  
 
K-4: "Abominable Plowman," Kimberly Tremlett's fourth grade, Brophy Elementary School in Framingham 
 
Grade 5-8: "Mac N' Freeze," Abby Normandin's fifth grade, Oak Street Elementary School in Franklin
 
District 4  
 
K-4: "Snow Force One,"  Kristen Butler's kindergarten, Great Oak Elementary School in Danvers 
 
Grade 5-8: "Blizzard Buster," Gabrielle Campbell's seventh grade, North Andover Middle School 
 
District 5  
 
K-4: "Taylor Drift," Lisa Perry's first grade, Dighton Elementary School 
 
Grade 5-8: "C3P Snow," Deborah Stratton's fifth grade, St. Mary's Catholic School in Mansfield 
 
District 6  
 
K-4: "Ice S'now More," Kathleen Blaho's fourth grade,  St. Mary of the Hills School in Milton 
 
Grades 5-8: "Meltin' John," Sean Milligan's eighth grade, Manville School in Boston 

Tags: MassDOT,   snowplow,   

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Williamstown Fire Personnel Committee to Interview Six Applicants for Chief Position

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Twenty-four applicants from as far away as California applied to be the town's next fire chief, the Prudential Committee learned on Wednesday.
 
By the end of next month, one of those applicants could be named the replacement for retiring Chief Craig Pedercini.
 
At Wednesday's meeting of the committee, which oversees the fire district, member Joe Beverly, who also serves on the district's Personnel Committee, reported that the latter body had reviewed two dozen applicants who sought to lead the call-volunteer department.
 
On Thursday, Beverly said, the Personnel Committee will interview six applicants from that pool.
 
The hiring screening committee hopes to be able to present two or three finalists to the Prudential Committee to interview at its Feb. 26 meeting, Beverly said.
 
"We were all very satisfied with the number [of applicants]," he said. "We all had a chance to review them ourselves and pick out the top six or seven. We met last week and narrowed down the list. We're doing six interviews tomorrow, and then we'll whittle down to a second round [of interviews]."
 
The final interviews by the Prudential Committee, the hiring authority for the department's chief, likely will be conducted without one of the elected members of the body.
 
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