UNICO of Pittsfield to Hold Mother's Day Community Drive

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PITTSFIELD, Mass.— UNICO of Pittsfield will conduct a Mother's Day Community Drive for Families in Need on Saturday, May 17. 
 
The drive will collect new pillows, new twin sheet sets, diapers (size 6 and Pull-Ups), diaper wipes or hand wipes, and personal care items such as body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant. They will also be collecting blank calendar planners, adult coloring books, and color pencils. All collected items will be donated to the Elizabeth Freeman Center's families.
 
Donations will be accepted from 9 a.m. to noon at the Elizabeth Freeman Center, located at 66 Allen Street, Pittsfield, and from noon until 6 p.m. at Balderdash Cellars, situated at 81 State Road, Richmond.
 
Prior to Saturday, donations can be dropped off until Thursday, May 15, at Ready Set Learn, 133 Dalton Ave and 41 Wendell Ave., and Berkshire Fitness and Wellness, 137 North Street, all in Pittsfield.
 
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Parole Granted to Pittsfield Man Sentenced for Killing Toddler Son

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city man serving a life sentence for killing his 2-year-old son 43 years ago has been granted parole. 
 
According to the Boston Globe, the Parole Board on Monday voted to release Richard N. Mayes Jr., 78, to a halfway house.
 
Mayes was charged with beating his son to death in 1983 when he wouldn't eat. The child, Lawrence Richon, had received blows to his head, body, arms and legs. Mayes also told police he'd hit his son four times with a plastic baseball bat. 
 
According to media reports at the time, Mayes tried to resuscitate Lawrence when he later collapsed and cried to police that he did it when arrested. 
 
The boy was taken by life flight to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he died from blood clots in his head. 
 
Mayes was found guilty of second-degree murder by a Superior Court jury and sentenced to life in state prison.
 
According to the Globe, Mayes had been denied parole five times previously but told the board he had been sober for three decades and had not had a disciplinary report in a dozen years. 
 
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