TV And Radio Personality, Mika Brzezinski, Featured Speaker

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TV and Radio personality, Mika Brzezinski
PITTSFIELD, Mass. - On Friday, May 29, 2009 the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College (OLLI) will inaugurate the Mona Sherman Memorial Lecture series by presenting TV and Radio personality, Mika Brzezinski, who will discuss Journalism in the Age of Obama. The program at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield starts at 6:30 PM and is open to the public at no charge.

Ms. Brzezinski is a co-host of "Morning Joe" and an MSNBC anchor. She also reports on "NBC Nightly News" and is an alternating news anchor for "Weekend Today." Prior to joining MSNBC in January 2007, Brzezinski was an anchor of the "CBS Evening News Weekend Edition" and a CBS News correspondent who frequently contributed to "CBS Sunday Morning" and "60 Minutes."

She joined CBS News in 1997 as the anchor of "CBS News Up To The Minute," but took a short hiatus in 2000 to co-host MSNBC's weekday afternoon program "Homepage." In September 2001, she returned to CBS as their principal "Ground Zero" reporter for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Brzezinski began her journalism career in 1991 in Hartford, Connecticut, as a general assignment reporter at WTIC. A year later she joined WFSB, also in Hartford, and quickly became the weekday morning anchor.

Mona joined the Berkshire Institute for Lifetime Learning (BILL) following a successful management career and became a significant force in its development. She served on the Board of Directors and as President, and introduced the Distinguished Speaker series, now an important feature of the OLLI educational program. She was a key factor in securing the hugely important affiliation with the Osher Foundation and the merger of BILL into Berkshire Community College as an OLLI. Her energy, curiosity and interests were endless as she participated among the many cultural Berkshire organizations.

Support for this ongoing lecture series is made possible by generous contributions from friends and family of Mona Sherman to the Berkshire Community College Foundation, OLLI/Mona Sherman Fund at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield, MA. 01201.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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