St. Patrick's Celebration to Benefit Hillcrest Educational Centers

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Hillcrest Educational Centers’ 11th annual Robert  'Bees' Prendergast St. Patrick’s Celebration will take place Thursday, March 22, at the Country Club of Pittsfield from 6 to 9 p.m.

Tickets for the celebration are $50 each. Proceeds will benefit the educational programs at Hillcrest Educational Centers. Lead sponsors include, Action Ambulance, Berkshire Money Management, Greylock Federal Credit Union and Pignatelli Electrical Contractors.

In keeping with the event’s Celtic traditions, Hillcrest will honor Dr. Howard "Jake" Eberwein III as its Irish Person of the Year. Eberwein began his career in Berkshire County in 1994 as a biology/chemistry teacher and then served four years as principal of Pittsfield High School before being named superintendent of schools in 2008. Eberwein is also an adjunct professor and has been a member of several state and local committees.

Hillcrest will present the Judge John A. Barry Community Service Award to locally owned Crescent Creamery and principal partners John O'Brien, president, and Robert "Bob" Keegan, vice president. Founded in 1936, the creamery continues to promote a strong culture of allegiance to Berkshire County by the company and its employees' support of community based programs and initiatives.


“This traditional event captures the lively spirit of Hillcrest’s founding board member, Bees Prendergast, and continues his legacy by bringing our longtime, and new, supporters together for an evening," said Hillcrest President and CEO Gerard Burke.

The reception features hors d’oeuvres, buffet selections, door prizes, and live and silent auctions with Irish entertainment provided by the Brodie Mountain Boys. To purchase tickets, contact Sheila Mason, Hillcrest’s director of development and  community outreach, at 413-499-7924, Ext. 133, or smason@hillcrestec.org.
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Pittsfield Resident Victim of Alleged Murder in Greenfield

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A man found dismembered in a barrel in Greenfield on Monday has been identified as Pittsfield resident.
 
The Northwestern District Attorney's Office identified victim as Christopher Hairston, 35, and subsequently arrested a suspect, Taaniel Herberger-Brown, 42, at Albany (N.Y.) International Airport on Tuesday.
 
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that Herberger-Brown told investigators he planned on visiting his mother outside the country. 
 
Herberger-Brown was detained overnight, and the State Police obtained an arrest warrant on a single count of murder on Tuesday morning, the Greenfield Police Department said in a press release.
 
According to a report written by State Police Trooper Blakeley Pottinger, the body was discovered after Greenfield police received reports of a foul odor emitting from the apartment along with a black hatchet to the left of the barrel, the Greenfield Recorder reported. 
 
Investigators discovered Hairston's hand and part of a human torso at Herberger-Brown’s former apartment, located at 92 Chapman St, the news outlet said. 
 
According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Herberger-Brown originally told investigators that he had not been to the apartment in months because he had been in and out of hospitals. 
 
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