Pittsfield Rotary Foundation Awards Student Scholarships

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Two local high school seniors were awarded the Gene Case Memorial Scholarship and one student was awarded the Nash Family Music Scholarship.

Tess McGovern, daughter of Patrick and Jennifer McGovern, of Pittsfield, is a student at Pittsfield High School. For the past year, she has been the president of the Pittsfield Rotary Interact Club. She will be attending Drew University in the fall.

Anthony Castellani, son of Joseph and Victoria Castellani, is a student at St. Joseph Central High School. Anthony has participated in a program to provide meals for the homeless and disabled at Ad Lib Inc. He will be attending Wheaton College in the fall.

In his opening remarks, Thomas Hamel, chairman of the event, welcomed the recipients, their families and guests. He presented the criteria by which the recipients were selected. The awards are based on grades, volunteerism, financial need, written essays and an interest in international study.

According to Hamel, the late Gene Case, former member of 50 years and past president, would have been proud to have a scholarship in his name. The Gene Case Scholarship was established by the Pittsfield Rotary Foundation to honor the memory of Mr. Gene Case. Case was a Pittsfield Rotarian for over forty years.


During his active membership years, he was president of the club in 1956/57. He was especially fond of the club’s annual Pancake Breakfast that is traditionally held at Girls Incorporated. He became a Paul Harris Fellow in 1976. He was an advocate of Rotary International and a staunch supporter of international projects.

The scholarships reflect Case’s interest in the youth of Pittsfield, their ongoing educations, and his love of the Rotary Club of Pittsfield and Rotary International. The scholarships are awarded to high school seniors with demonstrated intentions to further their educations, have good records of community involvement and conduct themselves under the four goals of Rotary.

Alexandra Lanoue, daughter of Mark and Julie Lanoue was awarded the Nash Family Music Scholarship. Alexandra, a student at Pittsfield High School will be attending Berklee College of Music in the fall.

The Nash Family Music Scholarship was established in 2006 by Ken and Suzanne Nash to provide scholarships for a central Berkshire resident who is planning to attend or is presently attending a four-year college or post-secondary school with a major or minor in music study.
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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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