LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The school district may not be withdrawing from Superintendency Union 71 right now, but it will investigate other options.

The School Committee voted 2-1 on Wednesday in favor of exploring alternative affiliations and stated that it will start by working with Union 71 to see if it can work better.

"We're not voting to leave SU71. I am not voting to leave SU71," said Committee member James Moriarity. "I would have to be very compelled to leave SU71."

He pointed out the the union showed a willingness to work through issues that he hadn't seen before, giving him optimism for future dealings with Williamstown.

But, voting in favor of

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The show must go on.

That's what Mount Greylock Regional High School teacher Jeffrey Welch knew when he found out last November that the annual spring musical he directs would not be able to be performed at the school because of fire code issues in the auditorium. Not willing to let that derail the 15th annual spring production, Welch and Principal Mary MacDonald began looking around for another venue.

They found Williams College, which is letting the students use the prestigious MainStage of the college's '62 Center for Theatre and Dance for their two performances of "Guys and Dolls" this weekend, at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday, March

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Patterns exist in social justice movements.

Conciseness, and the realization that there are shared experiences between oppressed people, progresses movements, says Gloria Steinem.

"Saying what happened to us and discovering shared experiences is the beginning of every profound social justice movement I know of," she said. "It moves from individual experience, through naming, through organizing, and to changing public policy."

The feminist activist and writer discussed the progression of feminism and social justice movements at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on Tuesday night as part of its Public Policy Series on Equality.

Steinem

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Gloria Steinem was happy to be at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on Tuesday because of what the public college represented.

"I'm glad to be on a campus that is closer to universal free education that I wish we had as a country," she said. "It's more accessible and I think I understand that students are less likely to end up in debt. Which is a current outrage in this country."

The equal rights activist, journalist, lecturer, editor and author shared more of her occasionally "outraged" thoughts on current social and political issues, the progress of women's rights and other topics with local media before an

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The eyes of 10-year-old Elianna Pow lit up when she heard one of the books she could check out Friday at Williams College.

The title of the book? "Man Who Has Never Watched TV."

The idea of someone who had never watched television did indeed appeal to the Lee student, who gasped "No!" when her mother, Jodi, said that she was thinking of getting rid of the family's cable box. But Elianna was especially interested in waiting to check out a different book, this one titled "Olympic Athlete."

"She just spent a lot of time watching the Olympics," Jodi Pow said.

These were no ordinary books, though: They were two of 60

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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Superintendency Union 71 opted again not to fill a curriculum coordinator position.

The position was created in 2010 to align curriculum in all three schools with the forming of SU71. Mary McDonald last held the position prior to this school year, when she become principal of Mount Greylock Regional School.

Then it was too late in the year to do a search for a replacement so the union held off but kept the position on the books for the future. On Monday, the union voted to again put off hiring for the position.

"We did well without it," said Superintendent Rose Ellis on Monday. "We're doing well and our curriculum alignment is working as we

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Applications are available for the 12th annual Daniel Pearl Berkshire Scholarship.

The $1,000 award is given in memory of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter kidnapped and killed in Pakistan early in 2002. Pearl earlier worked in the Berkshires at the former North Adams Transcript and at The Berkshire Eagle.

While Pearl's career was in journalism, he was also a gifted musician, trained as a classical violinist. He played guitar and mandolin as well, and while living in the Berkshires, he performed in a bluegrass band. For this reason, the award is given annually to a student who intends to study and pursue a career in either journalism or

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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Williamstown members of Superintendency Union 71 are questioning why the Lanesborough School Committee began exploring the disbanding of the union without presenting concerns to them first.

"If a member school had a concern, they should bring that concern to the union and the union would explore it," said Dan Caplinger. "I kind of feel like we skipped a step."

Lanesborough School Committee Chairman Robert Barton has been calling on his committee to vote an intent to withdraw from the agreement made with Williamstown to share administration, including the superintendent.

The goal would be to give the town legal recourse to get out of

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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Superintendent Rose Ellis and residents defended the Superintendency Union 71 agreement Monday, countering arguments that the town would be better served by another district.

Ellis outlined a series of benefits the town has received because of the union and said the cost is lower than other districts.

She said the three key positions — that of the superintendent, business administrator and special education director — saves the town some $250,000.

For example, Lanesborough pays just $33,733 for her position compared to $54,615 for Williamstown Elementary and $72,285 for Mount Greylock Regional School. Comparatively, Adams-Cheshire $117,300;

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Last year, the county's high school girls rugby team had an invitation to play for a national championship but did not have the resources to get there.

This year, they solved that problem by bringing the championship to them.

The Berkshire United Girls & Boys Rugby Club will host the 15th annual Girls High School Rugby National Championship Tournament May 17-18 at Taconic High School.

"It kills me we couldn't go last year because what this is all about and the reason all the coaches give their time to volunteer to coach the kids is to get the kids the best opportunities available," Berkshire United director and head coach David Colli said

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