Pittsfield to Pay Tribute to Fallen Airman Galliher

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Air Force Staff. Sgt. Jacob Galliher
Please note that the times have been updated; the procession is not likely to arrive in Pittsfield before 5:45 p.m.
 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield will be turning out to pay tribute to Air Force Staff. Sgt. Jacob Galliher as his remains are returned home on Friday. 
 
Galliher, 24, was killed when the Osprey aircraft he was on crashed off the coast of Japan along with seven other crew members. The Taconic High School graduate left behind his wife and 2-year-old and 6-week-old sons. 
 
Members of the Pittsfield Police and Fire departments, the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office, State Police and the Dalton American Legion Riders will be escorting Galliher home from Westover Air Force Base along a route that will take them through Lee, Lenox and Pittsfield. 
 
Only invited guests and authorized personnel will be allowed to drive in the procession. Members of the public are welcome to pay their respects along the route beginning at 5:15 p.m. in Lee and 5:45 p.m. in Pittsfield. 
 
The procession will come from Lee down Walker Street and up Main Street with an arrival window in Lenox of 5:20-5:40 p.m. Flags will be given out at the Lenox Library and folks can line the street to pay their respects.
 
Galliher will arrive at Westover at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Friday and the procession, as requested by the family, will travel west on the Massachusetts Turnpike:
  • through downtown Lee
  • over Walker Street and through downtown Lenox
  • Route 7 to Park Square
  • West Street to Valentine Street to Taconic High
  • back to North Street to Bradford Street and Dery Funeral Home. 
The family will have some private time at Dery's. 
 
City officials have been working closely with the family, the Air Force and with Dery Funeral Home. Arrival times are subject to change and updates will be shared on the City of Pittsfield's Facebook page.
 
Flags are available to the public and can be picked up, after noon Thursday, at the following locations:
 
• City Hall, 70 Allen St.
• Department of Veteran’s Services, Senior Center, 330 North St.
• Pittsfield Fire Department Headquarters, 74 Columbus Ave.
• Colonial Theatre, 111 South St.

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Dalton Fire District Voters OK Annual Meeting Articles

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — Voters approved all articles but one on the warrant at the annual Fire District meeting on Tuesday night at the Stationery Factory.
 
Some 48 voters attended the meeting, which lasted an hour and 40 minutes, to vote on several articles that make up a total budget of $3,663,081. 
 
However, that amount was reduced to $3,660,581 after voters decided the town would assume responsibility for funding the required 50 percent match for a state Department of Conservation and Recreation grant.
 
If approved, the grant covers forest fighting in fiscal year 2027. The Fire District and the town are separate governing entities, and under state law, responsibility for funding the Forest Warden position and all related expenses falls to the town.
 
Historically, the district has included a $2,500 article to fund the match, but this year the request was "tabled." However, because articles at annual meetings cannot formally be tabled, the action effectively resulted in the request failing.
 
"The Forest Warden budget does provide enough money to supply. I believe it's $3,900 … within the budget to cover that amount of money," the town's Finance Committee chair  William Drosehn said. 
 
Drosehn, who also moderated the annual meeting, clarified before making the comment that he was speaking in his capacity as finance chair.
 
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