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Hundreds Line Pittsfield Streets to Mourn Fallen Soldier

UPDATED: May 23, 2013 at 4:15 p.m.

DALTON, Mass. — A procession transported the body of Army Spec. Mitchell Daehling to St. Agnes Church on Thursday.

Calling hours are from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Thursday and the funeral will be held on Friday. The procession began at Dery Funeral Home in Pittsfield and proceeded up North Street to East Street, across Plastics Avenue to Dalton Avenue to Merrill Road and into Dalton.

The route again was lined with citizens paying their respects. The Dalton Police Honor Guard served a pallbearers and the Dalton Fire Department raised a flag outside of the church.

Daehling arrived shortly after noon. Photos from the procession can be found here.

Army Spec. Mitchell Daehling's body returned to the Berkshires on Wednesday. A funeral service will be held on Friday. More photos can be found here.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Area residents from Lee to Pittsfield lined streets Wednesday to honor fallen Army Spec. Mitchell Daehling, as a procession carried his body back to Berkshire County.

The 24-year-old Wahconah High School graduate was one of four soldiers who were killed on May 14 by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.

Daehling's body was transported by Patriot Guard Riders, Dalton Police and state police, along with individual town police to Dery Funeral Home on Wednesday. A funeral with full military honors will be held on Friday at St. Agnes' Church in Dalton.

"He'll be awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart," Veterans Agent Rosanne Frieri said.

Hundreds of people lined North Street on Friday, including local businesses, schools and organizations. The Fire Department raised a flag near the intersection of Bradford Street for the motorcade to cross under as it made the final turn into the funeral home.

At the funeral home, Patriot Guard Riders from all over the region stood guard with flags and waited until the family left.

But the honor wasn't just in Pittsfield. The body was transferred to Barnes Air National Guard Airport in Westfield Wednesday morning, where Frieri said he received full-military salutes.

He was the recipient of the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat and Special Skills Badge and the Basic Marksmanship Qual Badge, Expert.

He married the former Samantha McNamara of Westford last June and six months later was deployed to Afghanistan. The couple lived in Westford. Daehling also leaves his brother, Adam, and sister, Kayla, both of Dalton; his maternal grandmother, Mary Sander; paternal grandparents, William A. Daehling and Violet J. Daehling, of Clarkston, Wash.; and his wife's family.

The funeral will take place Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Agnes' Church and the body will be transferred to Lewiston, Idaho, where he will be buried next to his grandfather, Kenneth J. Sander, who was also awarded a Purple Heart for his service during the Korean War. Sander died in 2009.

Those expected to attend the funeral include U.S. Department of Veterans Services Secretary Coleman Nee, Gov. Deval Patrick, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal.

Calling hours will be held on Thursday from 4 until 7 p.m. at St. Agnes Church. Westford Veterans Service Officer Terry Sadler, who rode with the motorcade Wednesday, said a memorial is expected to be held at St. Catherine's Church, where the couple was married, at a later date.

"There has been some discussion but nothing is confirmed. There is no date set," Sadler said.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations in his memory be may be made to the USO or the Military Friends Foundation in care of Dery Funeral Home, 54 Bradford St., Pittsfield, MA 01201.

Healey Announces Housing Development Supports at Former Pittsfield Bank

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:29PM / Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Gov. Maura Healey poses with the bank's old safe. The building is being refurbished for housing by Allegrone Companies. The project is being supported by a commercial tax credit and a $1.8M MassWorks grant for infrastructure improvements. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Gov. Maura Healey stood in the former Berkshire County Savings Bank on Tuesday to announce housing initiatives that are expected to bring more than 1,300 units online. 

"People come here from all over the world. We want them to stay here, and we want kids who grew up here to be able to afford to stay here, but the problem is that for decades, we just weren't building enough housing to keep up with demand," she said. 

"And you guys know what happens when there isn't enough supply: prices go up. We have among the lowest vacancy rates in the country, so against that challenge, we made it our priority from day one to build more homes as quickly as possible." 

Approximately $8.4 million from the new Commercial Conversion Tax Credit Initiative (CCTCI) is designed help communities transform empty or rundown commercial buildings into new homes along with $139.5 million in low-income housing tax credits and subsidies through the Affordable Housing Development grant program. 

The historic 24 North St. with a view of Park Square has been vacant for about two years, and Allegrone Companies plans to redevelop it and 30-34 North St. into 23 mixed-income units. The administration announced its Commercial Conversion Tax Credit Initiative (CCTCI) and the Affordable Housing Development grant program as ways to aid housing production, both of which Pittsfield will benefit from. 

The state is partnering with Hearthway for the construction of 47 affordable units on Linden Street, utilizing the former Polish Community Club and new construction, and Allegrone for its redevelopment of the block. 

The Linden Street project is one of the 15 rental developments the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is supporting through $25.7 million in federal low-income housing tax credits, $32.4 million in state low-income housing tax credits, and $81.4 million in subsidies. 

Allegrone's project is supported by the commercial tax credit and was recently awarded $1,800,000 from the MassWorks Infrastructure Program. 

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said she fully comprehends the importance of housing and how crushing it is in communities that need it and want to build, but face difficulties with high construction costs. 

"Housing is the key to keeping people in the community in a safe way and giving them an opportunity to fill those many roles that we need throughout the Commonwealth in cities and towns, large and small, urban and rural, these are all important work. Having somebody fix your boiler, fix your car, we want those individuals to be able to live in our communities as well, particularly in our gateway cities," she said.