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Westfield State Honors Monterey's Gilderdale

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WESTFIELD, Mass. -– Senior track and field athlete Lauren Gilderdale (Monterey, Mass./Housatonic, Conn., High) and senior volleyball middle hitter Brianna Starkey (Rockland, Mass.) have been honored as the Westfield State University Female Athletes of the Year for the 2019-20 academic year. 
 
Gilderdale has been a key component of the women’s track and field team as the Owls have won four-straight MASCAC women's indoor track and field championships. She won the weight throw event with a college-best throw of 17.25 meters, or 56’ 7.25” at the 2020 MASCAC indoor championships. Gilderdale also qualified for the NCAA Championships 2020 indoor meet, but the championship was canceled a day before it was to start due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
Gilderdale has also won a total of six MASCAC individual titles over the past three years in the indoor and outdoor throwing events, including the shot put event at the 2020 indoor championship with a distance of 12.94 meters.
 
Starkey served as co-captain of the women’s volleyball team, leading the Owls to the number one seed in the MASCAC playoffs this past season thanks to a perfect 7-0 MASCAC record.
 
Starkey finished the 2019 season leading the Owls with 348 points, 279 kills and 82 blocks. She was named to the MASCAC All-Conference team for a third straight season.
 
The Owls won the MASCAC title with a 3-1 win over Framingham State in the championship match, earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, where the Westfield lost to eventual Elite Eight participant Clarkson in the opening round.
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MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

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