Community Volunteer Hailed as Pittsfield's 'Unsung Heroine'

By Joe DurwinPittsfield Correspondent
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Mayor Daniel Bianchi reads a proclamation designating Yvonne West, right, the city's Unsung Heroine for 2013.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Officials honored local registered nurse and community organizer Yvonne West as this year's recipient of the "Unsung Heroine" award.

The distinction comes from the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, which each year recognizes women from their community for making a difference even if they don't make headlines.
 
"It's not the big things, but all those little things," said State Rep.Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, who was joined by Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru, at Tuesday's City Council meeting in acknowledging West, who was among 83 Unsung Heroines recognized at the State House in Boston in April.
 
"I thought this year it would be nice to not only honor them at the State House, but to have that hero... be able to have a recognition here in their own hometown," said Farley-Bouvier.
 
"It was my great honor to attend the ceremony with Yvonne at the State House, and to show her around the State House with a group of other  honorees from Berkshire and Franklin county, and it is now my great honor on behalf of the Pittsfield delegation to present this citation tonight," said Mark.
 
West, a registered nurse of 22 years and mother of two, also runs the Women of Color Giving Circle and is president of Price Memorial Ame Zion Church's missionary group, as well as serving on the Pittsfield Human Rights Commission.  West was acknowledged not only for her community service but for the obstacles she has overcome, as a widow of 11 years who has battled addiction and survived breast cancer to make important contributions in the community.
 
In addition to presentation of the citation by the legislators, Mayor Daniel Bianchi read a proclamation recognizing West for her attainment of this distinction.
 
"Whereas Unsung Heroines make a difference by using their time, talent and enthusiasm to enrich the lives of others by mentoring, volunteering, and doing what needs to be done without expectation of recognition or gratitude," the proclamation read in part, "I, Dan Bianchi, mayor of the city of Pittsfield, on behalf of the citizens and the city officials, on this 28th day of May, 2013, do hereby recognize and praise Yvonne West for being our unsung heroine."
 
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, and independent state agency, was formed in 1998, and established the Unsung Heroine Award in 2003. Past Pittsfield recipients in recent years have included Dana Dermody, Nicole LaChapelle, Heather McNiece, Carolyn Valli and Laura Mick.  

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Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A few projects are not getting funded by the Community Preservation Committee because of a tight budget.

The projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle.

"It's a tough year," Chair Danielle Steinmann said.

The panel made its recommendations on Monday after several meetings of presentations from applications. They will advance to the City Council for final approval.  

Two cemetery projects were scored low by the committee and not funded: A $9,500 request from the city for fencing at the West Part Cemetery as outlined in a preservation plan created in 2021 and a $39,500 request from the St. Joseph Cemetery Commission for tombstone restorations.

"I feel personally that they could be pushed back a year," Elizabeth Herland said. "And I think they're both good projects but they don't have the urgency."

It was also decided that George B. Crane Memorial Center's $73,465 application for the creation of a recreational space would not be funded. Herland said the main reason she scored the project low was because it didn't appear to benefit the larger community as much as other projects do.

There was conversation about not funding The Christian Center's $34,100 request for heating system repairs but the committee ended up voting to give it $21,341 when monies were left over.

The total funding request was more than $1.6 million for FY24 and with a budget of $808,547, only about half could be funded. The panel allocated all of the available monies, breaking down into $107,206 for open space and recreation, $276,341 for historic preservation, and $425,000 for community housing.

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