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Steven Miller will preview the new Hoffmann Bird Club archive, containing bird sightings, field trip reports, and other historical documents from the club's 85 years of birding the Berkshires.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.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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