Pittsfield Coalition Delivers Christmas Gifts To Veterans in Nursing Homes

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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Larry Vanhorn, Rick Wilder and Joe Mack were part of the team that delivered blankets at Hillcrest Commons on Saturday morning.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — One hundred-and-twenty-four veterans now living in nursing homes were given a special Christmas gift on Saturday.
 
Members of the Berkshire Veterans Coalition delivered blankets to veterans in eight different assisted living facilities Saturday morning, greeting them with a smile, a salute and a thank you.
 
The delivery brought tears to eyes and smiles to faces.
 
"We do something different each year," said American Legion Post 68 Commander Tom Landry.
 
In previous years the organization purchased T-shirts or pins. But the real gift is the honor of having five or so soldiers arriving in the resident's room with a salute.
 
"We find the veterans and wish them happy holidays," Landry said. "If they want to talk some more, we'll stay and talk."
 
The American Legion started a program years ago in which gift bags were delivered to the veterans. But over time, the program was stopped. The Legion's program included Lenox and Lee as well but the coalition only has enough funds for Pittsfield.
 
"Starting about five or six years ago, the coalition started making the donations," Landry said.
 
Now some of the veterans organizations that make up the coalition contribute to the purchasing. This year the blankets — purchased through T-shirts to Go on Dalton Avenue — featured a flag and "U.S. Veteran." 
 
The organization tried to work with the nursing homes to find out which branch the resident served in and matched up the blanket colors accordingly — navy for the Navy, green for the Army, light blue for the Air Force and orange for the Marines.
 
"It is something they'd use and something they'd always want to have," Landry said.
 
This year about 30 veterans met at 9 a.m. at the Wendell Avenue Veterans of Foreign Wars before dispersing to seven nursing homes in Pittsfield and one in Lenox. 
 
"This year we had a great turnout," said Joe Mack.

Tags: donations,   nursing home,   veterans,   veterans organizations,   

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Pittsfield ZBA Member Recognized for 40 Years of Service

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Albert Ingegni III tells the council about how his father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo who died at age 94 in 2020, enjoyed his many years serving the city and told Ingegni to do the same. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's not every day that a citizen is recognized for decades of service to a local board — except for Tuesday.

Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.

"It's not every day that you get to stand before the City Council in honor of a Pittsfield citizen who has dedicated 40 years of his life serving on a board or commission," he said.

"As we say that, I know that there are many people that want to serve on boards and commissions and this office will take any resume that there is and evaluate each person but tonight, we're here to honor Albert Ingegni."

The honoree is currently chair of the ZBA, which handles applicants who are appealing a decision or asking for a variance.

Ingegni said he was thinking on the ride over about his late father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo, who told him to "enjoy every moment of it because it goes really quickly."

"He was right," he said. "Thank you all."

The council accepted $18,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and a  $310,060 from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program.

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