PreviousNext

Pittsfield Park of Honor Continues to Remember Veterans

The event has been held for a decade. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Hundreds of American flags are swaying in Park Square to honor those who served the country.

The Park of Honor had its opening ceremony on Saturday. In the Kiwanis Club of Pittsfield's annual fundraiser, flags are purchased in honor of local veterans to raise money for scholarships that support children and grandchildren of veterans.

President Curtis Janey pointed out that the park was not completely full of flags this year but wants to have it packed for the event's 10th anniversary next year. More than 400 were sold, covering about half of the park.

"Sometimes things change with the economy and with COVID but that doesn't stop us from honoring our veterans," he said.

City Council President Peter Marchetti said he has seen the full circle of this event, attending the opening ceremony and then the award ceremonies where students receive the funds.

"I think most importantly, we're here on another day to honor veterans and I feel uncomfortable sometimes when I say that, because you say Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Veterans Day now Park of Honor, but shouldn't we be honoring veterans every day?" he said.

"They provided us with the freedom that we have, some of them have left their lives to provide us with that freedom and so any chance that we can get to honor veterans we should be doing so and not just on a special day but every day."

Air Force veteran Robert "Bobby" Dassat, who was honored as the Berkshire Veterans Coalition 2021 Veteran of the Year, spoke at the ceremony.

He added that seeing these flags bring back memories of his father, who is honored annually in the park.

Real Gadoury, former president of the Pittsfield Kiwanis when the Park of Honor started, highlighted that the event was created to honor veterans, give scholarships to kids, and make the park look beautiful.

He explained that this event sparked a number of other communities to adopt a similar one.

"We have one in Westfield one in Springfield, one in Colorado, one in Florida," Gadoury said.

"We have all over the place people, they were asking us how we started the park just because of the one we did in Pittsfield."

A small table set for one stood at the front of the ceremony. It symbolized the fact that members of the armed forces — POWs and MIAs — are missing from the ranks.  

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.