PreviousNext

Kiwanis Club Unveils 2023 Park of Honor

Real Gadoury, former chair of the project, says its 'the most beautiful project in the Berkshires.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An army of American flags sway in the wind on Park Square as a part of the Kiwanis Club of Pittsfield's annual fundraiser.

The Park of Honor had its opening ceremony on Saturday. More than 100 flags were sold, totaling over $2,500 raised for scholarships that support children and grandchildren of veterans.

"This is just an amazing opportunity for all of us to recognize our veterans, past and present," President Curtis Janey said.

He pointed out that there are veterans serving everywhere whether they are first responders, bankers, lawyers, or doctors.

"We have veterans serving in every facet of our community and this is just one of the ways we say thank you to them," Janey said. "And they drive by Park Square and they see all these flags flying."

The project has been going on for a decade and has raised thousands of dollars. The flags remain in the park for a month.

"We have been doing this for a while and every year it's just as beautiful as the year before," Cheryl Tripp-Cleveland, former Kiwanis president, said.

"It signifies something so special especially now. In our times of trouble that we live in, our veterans are more important than ever. Let's all keep them in mind, in our prayers, and our thoughts every day and thank them for their service, for letting us, allowing us to have something like this every year to save our democracy and our independence, and let's not forget any of them and pray that they will all come home safely."

Former chairman Real Gadoury has a great love for the project, as it has given the Kiwanis Club a name in the community while honoring veterans and supporting their families.

"Really, there's nothing more important than supporting the youth and it is always a great honor to be here."

He was amazed by the display when he saw it for the first time and pointed out that it was immortalized in a painting by local artist Marguerite Bride.

Kiwanis member Vickey Mazzer thanked all who have sponsored a flag, explaining that it goes to Berkshire County children of veterans so they can further their education.

It's an emotional thing for the Kiwanis president, as he served for 12 years in active duty as a Marine and has had eight brothers serving in the Army.

"I appreciate all of my brothers and sisters that served in the Army but more importantly, I appreciate — I call them my elders — the ones that came before me when I started serving," Janey said.

"To see these gentlemen show up year after year, and carry these flags and present the colors and to do the things that they do for us is the way they represent not only the nation but this county as well."

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. 

Social Service Organizations Highlight Challenges, Successes at Poverty Talk

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
08:04AM / Sunday, April 05, 2026

Dr. Jennifer Michaels of the Brien Center demonstrates how to use Narcan. Easy access to the drug has cut overdose deaths in the county by nearly half. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Recent actions at the federal level are making it harder for people to climb out of poverty.

Brad Gordon, executive director of Upside413, said he felt like he was doing a disservice by not recognizing national challenges and how they draw a direct line from choices being made by the Trump administration and the challenges the United States is facing. 

"They more generally impact people's ability to work their way out of poverty, and that's really, that's really the overarching dynamic," he said. 

"Poverty is incredibly corrosive, and it impacts all the topics that we'll talk about today." 

His comments came during a conversation on poverty hosted by Berkshire Community Action Council. Eight local service agency leaders detailed how they are supporting people during the current housing and affordability crisis, and the Berkshire state delegation spoke to their own efforts.

The event held on March 27 at the Berkshire Athenaeum included a working lunch and encouraged public feedback. 

"All of this information that we're going to gather today from both you and the panelists is going to drive our next three-year strategic plan," explained Deborah Leonczyk, BCAC's executive director. 

The conversation ranged from health care and housing production to financial literacy and child care.  Participating agencies included Upside 413, The Brien Center, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, MassHire Berkshire Career Center, Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and Child Care of the Berkshires. 

The federal choices Gordon spoke about included allocating $140 billion for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, investing $38 billion to convert warehouses into detention centers, cutting $1 trillion from Medicaid over 10 years, a proposed 50 percent increase in the defense budget, and cutting federal funding for supportive housing programs. 

Gordon pointed to past comments about how the region can't build its way out of the housing crisis because of money. He withdrew that statement, explaining, "You know what? That's bullshit, actually."

"I'm going to be honest with you, that is absolute bullshit. I have just observed over the last year or so how we're spending our money and the amount of money that we're spending on the federal side, and I'm no longer saying in good conscience that we can't build our way out of this," he said. 

Upside 413 provided a "Housing Demand in Western Massachusetts" report that was done in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst's Donahue Institute of Economic and Public Policy Research. It states that around 23,400 units are needed to meet current housing demand in Western Mass; 1,900 in Berkshire County in 2025.