Berkshire Humane Society will hold its 14th annual meeting

12:00AM / Friday, June 16, 2006Print Story | Email Story

The Berkshire Humane Society will hold its 14th annual meeting on June 28th at 6pm. The meeting will take place at the Humane Society, which is located at 214 Barker Road in Pittsfield. All members are welcome to attend. The three most recently appointed Directors coming up for election for two-year terms are Cynthia Bartlett of Richmond, Andrew Meisberger of Pittsfield and Karen Leopardi of Stockbridge. Cindy Bartlett has been a Berkshire Humane Society member since 1995. She lives in Richmond with her husband Ron and her two children Justin and Micaela. Cindy is currently the summer program director for the Society. She has also been involved with fundraising and event planning for BHS. Cindy has been helping her husband Ron and his family operate Bartlettâ€™s Orchards for over 23 years. She is a ski instructor at Bousquet in Pittsfield where she holds a level two certificate. Cindy also enjoys horseback riding. Andrew Meisberger lives with his wife and two daughters on Crofut Street in Pittsfield. He owns Different Drummerâ€™s Kitchen, a kitchenware retail store with locations in Lenox, Northampton and Albany. Andrew served in various positions for Pennsylvania Governor Bob Casey before being appointed Comptroller for the Port of Philadelphia. Mr. Meisberger returned to the Berkshireâ€™s in 1997 and purchased Different Drummerâ€™s Kitchen from his father Ray. Karen Leopardi is an executive with the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1981, joining the orchestraâ€™s administration shortly after graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music where she holds degrees in Performance and Music Education. She has worked closely with the former BSO Music Director Seiji Ozawa as his assistant for 15 years and currently works in that position for Boston Pops Laureate Conductor John Williams. In the fall, she will assume the roll of Manager of Faculty and Guest Artists with the Tanglewood Music Center. She is married to Boston Symphony Musician Gregg Henegar. The couple resides in Newton when not in the Berkshireâ€™s. The Berkshire Humane Society is an open admission shelter providing refuge for homeless animals in Berkshire County, as well as offering free educational programs for local school children, operating a pet food bank for those in economic need, and finding safe haven for the pets of battered and abused women who find refuge at the Elizabeth Freeman Center. The BHS is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 am - 4 pm, Thursday evenings from 5 pm - 8 pm and Sunday afternoons from 1 pm - 4 pm. For more information about Berkshire Humane Society or information about the annual meeting, please call shelter manager John Perreault at 413 447-7878 ext.33

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Peace Officer Standards Commission Strips Former Pittsfield Cop of Certification

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
02:52PM / Tuesday, August 25, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A former Pittsfield Police officer was one of five statewide who recently had their licenses revoked by the POST Commission.

Last week, the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission voted to strip five former officers of their licenses to work in law enforcement, including former PPD officer William Straub.

The commission had determined that these workers were unfit to carry a badge and gun in Massachusetts; so far, 92 state police officers have been decertified by the commission.

Records indicate that Straub faced charges tied to a 2024 incident, but details are redacted. On Oct. 31, 2024, the POST Commission suspended Straub's law enforcement certification, and he resigned from PPD in April.

"According to Pittsfield District Court records, Straub pleaded guilty in April to two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery tied to a 2024 incident," MassLive wrote on Monday.

"Three other charges, including drunk driving and carrying a firearm while intoxicated, were continued without a finding. While that resolution allows the charges to be dismissed after a period of time if Straub abides by certain conditions, the commission treats them as a criminal conviction."

According to records, he was certified as a police officer in July of 2021, and recertified in July 2024.

"The Respondent's appointing agency, the Pittsfield Police Department ("PPD"), submitted a final report to the Commission finding that the Respondent had engaged in criminal conduct and conduct unbecoming [of] an officer," the Aug. 20 final decision to decertify reads.

"The Respondent resigned from PPD on April 9, 2026, prior to the imposition of any discipline."

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