Market 32, Price Chopper, Freihofer's Campaign for Melodies Center

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Market 32 and Price Chopper are partnering with Freihofer's Baking Co. to raise funds for the Melodies Center at Albany Medical Center, which provides care to children and teens with cancer and blood disorders.
 
The Melodies Center is part of the Bernard & Millie Duker Children's Hospital, the referral center for all seriously ill and injured children in 25 upstate New York counties and western New England.
 
From now through Feb. 28, 2026, a $.10 donation will be made to the Melodies Center each time select Freihofer's products are purchased. The items are specially marked with shelf tags in most stores.
 
"Facing a childhood cancer or blood disorder diagnosis is overwhelming," said Pam Cerrone, Market 32 and Price Chopper director of community relations. "Through our partnership with Freihofer's and the kindness of our customers, we're able to help patients and their families access exceptional care and much-needed support during an extraordinarily difficult time."
 
The Melodies Center is a member of the Children's Oncology Group (COG), the world's largest organization dedicated to childhood cancer research trials. With state-of-the-art facilities and a highly skilled clinical staff of pediatric oncologists and hematologists, chemotherapy nurses, social workers, child life specialists, and more, the Center treats more than 1,500 children each year.
 
"We are incredibly grateful for our longstanding partnership with Market 32 and Price Chopper and Freihofer's Baking Co. and their continued support of the Melodies Center, which is one of a kind in our region," said Kate Halligan, MD, PhD, director of the Melodies Center and division chief of pediatric hematology and oncology at the Bernard & Millie Duker Children's Hospital at Albany Medical Center. "Thanks to their fundraising efforts and the generosity of our community, we're able to advance our mission and continue providing high-quality care, close to home."
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Dalton Police Facility Report Complete; Station Future Still Uncertain

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee's final report is complete but the future of the station remains uncertain. 
 
Several members of the committee attended the Select Board meeting last week, as co-Chair Craig Wilbur presented four options delineated in the presentation — build on town-owned land, build on private land, renovate or repurpose the existing buildings, and do nothing. The full report can be found here
 
According to the report, addressing the station's needs coincides with the town facing significant financial challenges, with rising fixed costs and declining state aid straining its budget. 
 
These financial pressures restrict the town's ability to fund major capital projects and a new police station has to compete with a backlog of deferred infrastructure needs like water, sewer, roads, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
 
In June 2024, Police Chief Deanna Strout informed the board of the station's dire condition — including issues with plumbing, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and damaged cells — prompting the board to take action on two fronts. 
 
The board set aside American Rescue Plan Act funds to address the immediately dire issues, including the ventilation, and established the Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee to navigate long-term options
 
Very early on it was determined that the current facility is not adequate enough to meet the needs of a 21st-century Police Facility. This determination was backed up following a space needs assessment by Jacunski Humes Architects LLC
 
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