Monterey Seeking Submissions for Town Flag Design

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MONTEREY, Mass. — The Selectmen and sate Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, are sponsoring a contest to design an official flag for the town to hang in the Great Hall at the State House.

Residents are encouraged to submit a flag design: teachers, students, seniors, artists or any individual or group interested in creating a piece of Monterey history.

Once chosen, Monterey will present its flag to state officials in Boston. The Bureau of State Office Buildings began a project to improve the acoustics of the Great Hall in 1992 by collecting the official flags of the 351 commonwealth communities and hanging them throughout the space. State House visitors are often awed with the degree of detail represented in the flags and how they proudly display a community's history and heritage, said Downing

"Over the past two years, I have welcomed delegations from Pittsfield, Stockbridge, Otis and New Marlborough to the State House so they could present their flag to state officials," he said. "When visitors come to the State House and realize their hometown is not represented in the Great Hall, they are often disappointed. I'm excited to kick off this process and look forward to the day when Monterey's colors are hung in the Great Hall for all to admire."

Flag contest entry forms are available at www.montereyma.gov or can be picked up at Town Hall at 435 Main Road or at the Monterey Library at 452 Main Road. The deadline for submission is Oct. 31.

The community at large will vote for the top five finalists; those designs will then be judged by a panel of Monterey officials. The winning design will be announced on Dec. 12 and the new flag will be raised locally on Jan. 9, 2012.

After the local ceremony, Downing will host a delegation from the community in Boston to officially present Monterey's new flag to BSB officials at the State House.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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