PreviousNext

Pittsfield Kiwanis Holds Park of Honor Opening Ceremony

Air Force recruiter Staff Sgt. Monica Ureste poses with the flags. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Kiwanis Club of Pittsfield celebrated the 11th annual Park of Honor with an opening ceremony on Saturday afternoon.

The club holds this fundraiser every year. Flags are purchased in honor of local veterans to raise money for scholarships to support children and grandchildren of veterans.

In the decade that the Pittsfield Kiwanis have been holding this fundraiser, the club has raised more than $1 million in scholarships. This year, it sold more than 400 flags.

"I could go on forever, I am so proud of this event and to have it continue for 11 years is a lot of  work," President Cheryl Tripp-Cleveland said.

She sent out a heartfelt thank you to the city of Pittsfield, which came to the rescue after the Kiwanis' loyal helper who usually installs the flags became ill. After giving Mayor Linda Tyer a call, the Pittsfield Highway Department was on site within a half hour to put up all of the flags at Park Square.

"This year's almost didn't happen," Tripp-Cleveland said. "One of our people that helps us every year is very very sick and he just couldn't do it, and so we're offering up some prayers and good thoughts for Ernie and wishing him a quick recovery because this community really appreciates everything that he does, and he does so much."

The Kiwanis president also thanked all of the donors including the Pittsfield Highway Department, the Rotary Club, and WBRK and Star 101. She is also thankful for Berkshire Gas, which has given a generous donation each year for the 11 years that the Park of Honor has been held.

In support of the Pittsfield Kiwanis, the Dalton American Legion did the colors and honor guard at the event. 

The flags will be on display until the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when they will be taken down and donors will be able to pick them up.

Pittsfield Council Says 'Yes' to Soccer at Crane Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:35AM / Saturday, June 13, 2026

The pitch will have the logos of the city and the US. and Massachusetts soccer associations. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is gladly accepting a "mini-pitch" from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring games back to Crane Park. 

Fueling excitement around the World Cup, U.S. Soccer has been working with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer League to make these facilities available to 20 communities — one of which will be at the park at the intersection of Benedict Road and Springside Avenue. 

The City Council accepted the gift on Tuesday during its regular meeting. 

A mini pitch is a compact, modular field typically used for soccer, and it can also accommodate inline skates. It has a galvanized steel border with built-in goals and a rubber plastic surface that is clicked together; installed on the existing inline hockey court. 

Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham said he has gone door to door speaking with nearby residents, and they are "really excited" about the upgrade. He also sees it as a great addition. 

"They say that nobody really uses the court a ton now, and they are excited to see kids back on there playing," he said. 

Decades ago, the Crane Park facility was a wading pool. It closed in 1980, and before the turn of the century, it was filled in and marked for hockey. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained that the wooden border around the rink is showing its age, has been vandalized and tagged, and the facility is seeing a "real decline" in use. 

"This would seem to be an appropriate spot for us to remove the board system that's in place and install the mini pitch system through this grant," he said.