Zonta Club to Honor Five Local Leaders for International Women's Day

03:52PM / Wednesday, March 04, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Zonta Club of Berkshire County will host its fourth annual International Women's Day celebration on Friday, March 6, at the Berkshire Hills Country Club.

The event aims to recognize local women who have made significant contributions to advancing the status of women and girls.

This year's honorees represent a diverse cross-section of leadership in advocacy, education, and international relations:

Divya Chaturvedi (Elizabeth Freeman Center)
Lorena Dus (Berkshire Immigrant Center)
Shela Levante (Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts)
Brenda Oppermann (U.S. Naval War College)
Maria Rundle (Flying Cloud Institute)

Since the inception of the annual award in 2023, the Zonta Club has recognized a total of 17 women for their professional and volunteer efforts within the community.

The evening's itinerary begins with networking and dinner at 5:30 p.m., followed by the formal recognition program at 7:15 p.m.

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Lanesborough Seeks State Support for Berkshire Mall Redevelopment

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires.com
05:58PM / Monday, October 12, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town plans to petition the state to take ownership of the Route 7/Route 8 Connector Road, which officials believe is a "critical component" of the Berkshire Mall’s redevelopment strategy.

On Tuesday, the Select Board approved a letter to state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. John Barrett III to request their support for the vacant mall's redevelopment by helping advance transfer of the Route 7/Route 8 connector and considering funding for essential infrastructure.

"We have held discussions with the Baker Hill Road District … which will take the necessary steps to formally petition the commonwealth to take over ownership of the Route 7, Route 8 connector…Your continued support in facilitating this transfer is greatly appreciated," the letter says.

Berkshire Mall owner JMJ RE Holdings has said the potential sale and redevelopment of the mall hinges on dissolving the Baker Hill Road District, a condition of the agreement that, if unmet, would render the contract null and void.

As a result, the mall will continue to deteriorate and the litigation will proceed forward, said Tim Grogan, of JMJ.

Vera Farrell, the liaison to the Baker Hill Road District, said the district board had discussed at one of its most recent meetings that the connector road could be transferred directly to the state, rather than returned to the town; Barrett and Mark were also a part of the discussion.

"The representatives recommended that as an option, that it could transfer the connector road directly to the state, as opposed to deeding it back to the town to dispense it. If we get to that point, that would be a better option to do it that way," Farrell said.

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