Letter: Hinkell Family Thanks Community for Support After House Fire

01:00PM / Friday, February 26, 2021Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

We would like to thank everybody for their generous support during these tough times for our family. We greatly appreciate all of the donations, prayers, meals, and support that has been sent our way. We feel so blessed to be part of such an amazing community and we honestly couldn't have made it through this past week without all your help.

To the North Adams Fire Department, North Adams Police Department, Northern Berkshire EMS, North Adams DPW, the North Adams Animal Control Officer, and the North Adams Water Department, thank you for your quick responses to our house, saving our dogs, and making sure everyone was OK.

Finally, thank you to Cutting Edge Painting for dropping everything and coming to board up and secure our house and to Thrifty Bundle for immediately cleaning clothes for us to wear.

As we continue to move forward, we can't help but to reflect back to how lucky we are to be able to reside in a community that is so willing to help people in need. We are forever grateful and will never forget everything that the community did for us. We Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Johno, Emily, Connor and Easton Hinkell
North Adams, Mass.

Tags: letters to the editor, structure fire,

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Veteran Spotlight: Marine Corp. Tim Woodward

By Wayne SoaresSpecial to iBerkshires
05:17PM / Sunday, February 15, 2026

FALMOUTH, Mass. — Tim Woodward served his country in the Marine Corps as a corporal from 1983 to 1987.

Having grown up with Tim, you knew he was the type of person who would succeed at whatever he attempted. His drive and discipline set him apart from his peers, even at a young age. He would have four college acceptances after graduating from Falmouth High School, but put them on hold to enlist in the Marines, where he did his basic training at Parris Island, S.C.

"It was definitely an eye opener," he said. "I had some pretty good preparation as my father and uncle were Marines. It was a lot of work, more mental than physical, and a lot of people weren't prepared for that.

"I wasn't fearful. It was about earning the title of U.S Marines. I'm proud of the fact that I was selected for just about every leadership position in my platoon, including Honor Man. I had a great time."

Woodward's first assignment would take him to the former Naval Air Station Memphis in Tennessee for aviation electronics training through a rolling admissions program.

"Made it all the way through — I was pretty good at troubleshooting. I always wanted to fly jets but ended up working on them," he said. "After schooling, I was sent to Whidbey Island, north of Tacoma and Seattle, Wash., where I was attached to Navy Squadron VAQ-129, where I learned to test the electronics on the Grumman EA 6B Prowler.

"I also did five months with VAQ-29. I remember when you drove into the base the sign overhead said, 'EXCUSE OUR NOISE, IT'S THE SOUND OF FREEDOM,'" Woodward said. "I had a chance to climb on the jets, wash them like your car, walk on the wings — lots of good memories."

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