Berkshire's Hoffmann Bird Club to Celebrate 85th Anniversary

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Hoffmann Bird Club (HBC) of Berkshire County was founded in Pittsfield in 1940, and on Monday, Sept. 8, the club will celebrate its 85th Anniversary at Berkshire Community College, 1350 West Street, Pittsfield.  
 
Social hour will start at 6:00 PM, with the meeting and programs starting at 7:00 PM in Susan B. Anthony building, 1st Floor.  The event will be complete with a birthday cake, and presentations from several HBC Members.  The event is free and open to the public. 
 
There will be a brief meeting, and mini programs to follow.  On the roster are:
 
Dick Ferren, who will introduce us to his new book, "The Birds of Rhode Island."
 
Ferren is a former professor of Life Sciences at BCC, and recipient of the 2020 "Distinguished Naturalist" by the Rhode Island Natural History Survey. There will be a limited number of these books will be available for sale.
 
Zach Adams, who will discuss his new book, "The Birds of New England."
 
Throughout his career in conservation— working with National Audubon, Mass Audubon, and Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, and now Trout Unlimited— Adams' knowledge and enthusiasm have helped hundreds of people connect with birds.
 
Chip Blake, HBC's current president, who will tell us about "The History of Birding in Berkshire County."
 
Blake has lived in Berkshire County for almost three decades, exploring every corner of it as a naturalist and birdwatcher. He is the author of The Birds of Berkshire County, to be published later this year by the Nuttall Ornithological Club. Earlier, he served for 25 years as the editor of Orion magazine.
 
Steven Miller, HBC Vice President, Website and Social Media
 
Steven Miller will preview the new Hoffmann Bird Club archive, containing bird sightings, field trip reports, and other historical documents from the club's 85 years of birding the Berkshires. This physical archive will be housed at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield and a digital archive will be available on the website this fall.
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Dalton Becomes Purple Heart Community

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The town has been home to many veterans and soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in military service — a new proclamation honors their service and sacrifice.
 
The Select Board signed a proclamation declaring the town a Purple Heart Community, joining communities across the commonwealth to adopt this as a way to honor their local Purple Heart recipients. 
 
"This designation is more than a symbolic gesture; it is a public affirmation of Dalton's respect, gratitude, and enduring commitment to the men and women who have been wounded or killed in combat while serving in the United States Armed Forces," Historical Commission co-Chair Deborah Kovacs said at the Select Board meeting Monday night. 
 
The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration that is still awarded to service members, recognizing their sacrifice, courage, and an unwavering devotion to the nation.
 
The Purple Heart originated on Aug. 7, 1782, when Gen. George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit to recognize enlisted soldiers and noncommissioned officers for exceptional service during the Revolutionary War. 
 
It fell out of use after the war but was revived in 1932 on Washington's 200th birthday under the leadership of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.  
 
Under the revival, it was still awarded for meritorious service or for combat wounds but during World War II this narrowed to service members wounded or killed as a direct or indirect result of enemy action. That wounds-only standard has remained in place ever since.
 
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