Girls Inc. to Honor Ruth Blodgett at 26th Boraski Celebration Evening

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Girls Inc. of the Berkshires, the core program of the Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center, will present the 2016 “She Knows Where She Is Going” award to Ruth Blodgett at the Girls Inc. Annual Ruth P. Boraski Celebration Evening to be held at the Colonial Theatre on Thursday, May 5.
 
Blodgett is the senior vice president of planning and development, and interim vice president of physician services at Berkshire Health Systems. She is responsible for long-range planning, marketing strategies, development and grant management as well as community health and partnership development on behalf of BHS. She is also currently running BHS’s employed physician business, which is comprised of over 130 providers meeting patient needs in the community in more than 20 practices.

Blodgett previously served as Berkshire Medical Center's chief operating officer from 1995-2001, responsible for the operations of the hospital and affiliates including home care and physician companies. Prior to becoming chief operating officer, she was vice president for Ambulatory Care and other hospital services from 1987-1995. She began her career in health care planning and market analysis.

She earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and has a bachelor's degree from Smith College. She recently completed the Leadership Program in Integrative Health at Duke University.

Active in the community, she serves as the president of the Board for Berkshire Theatre Group and secretary for the Center for Ecological Technology. Her past board service includes Berkshire United Way and Berkshire Community College and she has been involved in many community initiatives such as Pittsfield Promise and Pittsfield Prevention Partnership.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.