PITTSFIELD - The Berkshire Historical Society will honor Robert M. Boland at a gala at the Colonial theater on Monday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. to acknowledge his commitment to the historic preservation of the Colonial.
The event will include presentations and entertainment by local artists and actors from the Albany Berkshire Ballet, Berkshire Community College and the Town Players.
Bolandhas been actively involved with the cultural life of Pittsfield since he moved here in 1939. He is a graduate of Pittsfield High School and the University of Massachusetts. He was supervisor of art for the Pittsfield Public Schools, a theatrical director and a faculty member of Berkshire Community College, where he is a professor emeritus in fine arts.
Boland has directed more than 200 theatrical productions, in Boston, Westfield and Pittsfield. He has directed 14 musicals and 12 straight plays for Town Players, 27 musicals for BCC and 13 straight plays, including Ibsen and Shakespeare, for other productions.
He also, with Miss Margaret Hall, is a founding member of the Berkshire County Historical Society. In 1995, Boland, with Stephen Miller, Tom Blalock and Dr. Alice Jenkins, formed the Friends of the Colonial Theatre Restoration Inc. to promote the saving and restoration of the theater. Their efforts brought then first lady Hillary Clinton to Pittsfield on July 14, 1998, after which the theater became an official "Save America's Treasures" site.
During the restoration, Boland and William Munn were the official historians for the Colonial regarding decisions on the interior decoration and re-establishing the identity of the historic site.
Louise McCue, executive director of the Historical Society, said "The Berkshire Historical Society is honoring Bob Boland for his untiring commitment to the historic preservation of the Colonial theater, and to have it in this grand hall is the perfect setting."
The evening will begin with a reception in the lobby with hors d’ouerves and wine, and then proceed into the theater for a special tribute.
Reservations are available by calling at 413-442-1793, Ext. 11. Tickets are priced at $40 per person, or $35 for BHS members. The public is invited to join the BHS as a member and receive the lower price.
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Multiple Departments Respond to Lanesborough Structure Fire
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Multiple fire departments responded to a structure fire off Narragansett Avenue on Wednesday afternoon.
The Fire Department received a call from the owner of 6 Bangor St. reporting a smoke and flames at around 1:44 p.m.
Firefighters arriving on scene reported heavy smoke emanating from the the 1940s single-family ranch home in the thickly settle neighborhood.
The blaze was brought under control in less than an hour and there were no civilian or firefighter injuries.
"The homeowner was outside doing some work, evidently, opened the door when she came back in the house, and there were flames and smoke, so she backed out and called us, and that's all we know right now," Deputy Fire Chief Glen Storie said around 2:35 p.m.
The fire was out at that time, and first responders observed "quite a bit of damage" to the home. The cause is still under investigation.
Lanesborough, Cheshire, and Pittsfield departments responded to the scene, and Hancock covered the station during the call.
"The first crew in knocked the fire right down with the first engine," Storie said.
Smoke could be seen coming from the back of the home. Part of Narragansett Avenue and Bangor Avenue were blocked off while firefighters battled the blaze.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric last week held a public hearing at Herberg Middle School for the Reach 5A Final Design and Restoration Plan, which details remediation efforts for the Pittsfield stretch of the Housatonic River.
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Town meeting on Tuesday approved an almost $14 million fiscal 2027 budget, and approved bylaws for short-term rentals and signage, and for public safety vehicles.
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On Tuesday, the School Building Needs Commission heard an update from the owner's project manager, Skanska, and endorsed a draft schedule that runs from 2026 to 2032.
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Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building.
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