Rathbun was one of 8 dancers that travelled to Ballina, Ireland, recently. But never did Darby, or her dancers, imagine they would get to share that love in the country that originated the art form. The dancers said the trip, and effort to get there, still feels like a whirlwind. Looking to commemorate the milestones with a big trip, the committee members suggested the dancers joined them on their annual visit in July.
The trip coincided with Ballina's Salmon Festival and Heritage Day, celebrations which regularly draw tens of thousands of people to the city in the northwestern part of the country. The Pittsfield dancers played their own part in the celebration. On all but one of the four days, the dancers mixed sightseeing at places like the cliffs at Downpatrick Head with performances. The dancers said it was incredible how much their understanding of the dance form improved in such a brief meeting.
The Irish crowd reacted warmly to the Pittsfield dance ambassadors. She said she took a moment during one of the performances during Heritage Day to take in the scene. The dancers were performing on this great raised stage in the middle of a closed down intersection, surrounded by people. Meg Britton-Mehlisch can be reached at mbritton berkshireeagle. The contract, which was previously ratified by the Pittsfield Educational Administrators Association, was unanimously approved by the School Committee during a special meeting on Wednesday.
To underscore the point, Jetta Bernier presented a list of cases over the past eight years in Massachusetts, including reports of abuse at several Berkshire County public and private schools.
An EPA spokesperson said because there's a responsible party committed to funding the Rest of River cleanup, "at this point there's no direction other than to carry on and proceed as planned. The Pittsfield Public Schools Middle School Restructuring Committee on Monday voted to present to the School Committee a plan to split the district's middle school buildings into a fifth and sixth grade program and a seventh and eighth grade program.
