Town Digest

12:00AM / Wednesday, November 13, 2002Print Story | Email Story

Public Meetings A schedule of public meetings in or about Williamstown, as provided by Town Clerk Mary C. Kennedy, 458-9341, from official postings. Meetings are held at the Municipal Building, 31 North St., unless otherwise indicated: Wed., Nov. 13: recreation committee, 9:30 a.m.; ConCom, 7:15 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 14: master plan, 7 p.m., Legion. NBSWMD, 7 p.m., Adams. Mon., Nov. 18: Tues., Nov. 19: cable commission, 7:30 p.m. Wed., Nov.20: community preservation committee, 7 p.m. Harper Center Elder Services Nutrition Program serves hot meals. Please call 458-8250 or 458-5156; 48-hour notice is appreciated. Voluntary donations for van transportation are 50 cents one way from Williamstown and $1 one way from North Adams. Service is available 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Wed., Nov. 13: 1 p.m., bridge. Thurs., Nov. 14: 10 a.m., tai chi; 11 a.m., van to Wal-Mart; 11:30 a.m., lunch; 1 p.m., line dancing, crafts. Fri., Nov. 15: 10:30 a.m., exercise; 11:30 a.m., lunch; 1 p.m., bingo. Sun., Nov. 17: 11:30 a.m., lunch. Mon., Nov. 18: 10:30 a.m., exercise; 11:30 a.m., lunch; 1 p.m., line dancing. Tues., Nov. 19: 9 a.m., oil painting; 9:45 and 10:45 a.m., van to Stop & Shop; noon, foot care clinic; 1 p.m., Bill Bradley - Healthy Holiday Cooking. Deaths Fritz Langer, 88, Owned Modern Dairy Farm Fritz Langer, 88, of 2478 Green River Road, who formerly owned and operated the Modern Dairy Farm in South Williamstown, died Wednesday at his home. Born in Herringen, Germany June 1, 1914, he was the son of Herman and Ida Langer. He and his family immigrated to the United States in 1923. He attended schools in Germany and in Adams. He began working at a dairy farm on East Road in Adams and left school at 16 to work there full time. When the owner, Richard C. Stohlman died in 1934, Mr. Langer bought the cows and equipment, and rented the farm. He purchased a 225-acre farm on Green River Road from the late Robert Steele in 1954. He and his wife operated the dairy farm there, at the intersection of routes 7 and 43, until 1980, when he auctioned off his herd of 140 cows and retired. In 1983, he sold the development rights to the farm, with its stunning views of Mt. Greylock and the surrounding hills, to the state under its Agricultural Preservation program. He sold the farm in 1997 to Paradise Farm Corp., headed by Harry S. Patten, which operates it as a working farm. He leaves his wife of 62 years, the former Stephania H. Rys; two daughters, Barbara A. Hilder of Washington, D.C., and Lucille L. Cannon of Arlington, Va.; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. The funeral was Sunday at AugÃ©-Paciorek-Simmons Funeral Home in Adams, with the Rev. Donald E. Gray, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Adams, officiating. Burial was in Bellevue Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of Northern Berkshire, which provided hospice care to Mr. Langer and his family, through the funeral home at 13 Hoosac St., Adams. Robert McCarthy Sr., 95, Owned Landscaping Firm Robert McCarthy Sr., 95, former longtime resident and forester, died Wednesday at Monarch Special Care Facility at Laurel Lake in Lee. Born in Berlin, N.H., Jan 30, 1907, he was the son of Thomas and Clara Ouillette McCarthy. He attended Berlin schools and graduated from the Davey Institute in Ohio. Mr. McCarthy established McCarthy's Tree and Landscaping Service in 1945, and also served as the town tree warden as as a forester in Western Massachusetts. He had previously worked for the Davey Tree Expert Co. and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was a communicant of St. Patrick's and St. Raphael's Parish, where he served on the St. Patrick's parish council. He was a member of the Williamstown Lions Club, Massachusetts Tree Wardens Society and the International Shade Tree Organization. He was also a longtime resident of Dunnellon, Fla. His wife, the former Muriel Smith, died in 1998. He leaves two daughters, Doreen F. McCarthy Esberk of Washington, D.C., and Beverly I. McCarthy of Chicopee; two sons, Thomas F. McCarthy of North Adams and Robert E. McCarthy Jr. of Williamstown; 16 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and a great-great-grandchild. The funeral was Monday, with a Liturgy of Christian Burial in St. Patrick's Church. Burial was in Eastlawn Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association or the Western Massachusetts Alzheimer's Association through the Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, West Chapels, 521 West Main St., North Adams, MA 01247. Angela Maria Dintino, 34, of 44 Candlewood Drive, died Friday, Nov. 8, at North Adams Regional Hospital. Born in Springfield April 25, 1968, she was the daughter of Joseph F. and Mary (Sablock) Dintino. She attended Williamstown schools, graduating from Mt. Greylock Regional High School in 1990. Miss Dintino was employed for the past 12 years with Arcadia Employment in North Adams. She was a communicant of St. Patrick's Church. She competed several times in the Special Olympics. She was also a member of the weekly "fun night' sponsored by United Cerebral Palsy of Berkshire County. Besides her parents, with whom she made her home, she leaves two brothers, Joseph F. Dintino Jr. of Lansdale, Pa., and Anthony M. Dintino of Somerville, and her grandmother, Ada (Palmieri) Dintino of Clinton. The funeral was Monday, Nov. 11, with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at St. Patrick's Church with the Rev. Richard Kerouac, officiating. Graveside services and burial were yesterday, Tuesday, Nov. 12, in Clinton. Memorial contributions may be made to UCP of Berkshire County in care of the Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, West Chapels, 521 West Main St., North Adams MA 01247. Bob Spencer Bury, 89, Daughter in Williamstown Bob Spencer Bury, 89, of Cornwall Bridge, Conn., died Saturday at his home. He was the father of Gail M. Burns of Williamstown. Born in Lydney, England Aug. 5, 1913, he was the son of William I. and Fanny Stock Bury and attended schools there. He became a chartered accountant, the British equivalent of a CPA, in 1935. He emigrated to the United States in 1946 and became a U.S. citizen in 1951. He maintained a second residence in New York City until 1982. A Royal Air Force veteran of World War II, he enlisted in 1941 and flew B-24s on convoy escorts and anti-submarine patrols over the North Atlantic. Mr. Bury was associate treasurer of the retirement division of the benefits office of the Federal Reserve System at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York until his retirement in 1982. He was first employed as chief accountant by Austral Development Corp. at its Zinc Corp., and then by Imperial Smelting Corp., both in England. He had also worked for Barrow, Wade, Guthrie and Co., and for Jofa Inc., both in New York City. He was a longtime member of the Dark Entry Forest Association, overseers of a land preserve in Cornwall, serving as president and member of the board. In May 2001 he was named dean of the forest. He enjoyed woodworking and built much of his home in Cornwall Bridge, as well as furniture and woodenware. Since 1994, he had sung bass with the HousaTonics barbershop chorus based in Salisbury, Conn. His wife, the former Theodora "Teddy" Smith, whom he married at the Church of the Transfiguration in New York City Oct. 15, 1949, died Sept. 28, 2001. Besides his daughter, Gail Burns, he leaves another daughter, Jennifer L. Bury of San Francisco, and two grandsons. Funeral services will be private. Memorial donations may be made to the Cornwall Child Center, 8 Cream Hill Road, West Cornwall, CT 06796; the Brearley School, 610 East 83rd St., New York, N.Y., 10028; the Connecticut Junior Republic, P.O. Box 161, Litchfield, CT 06759; or the Helen Coley Nauts Fund at the Cancer Research Institute, 681 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10022. Mildred Burstein, 94, Film Editor Mildred S. Burstein, 94, of Sweetwood, died there Saturday. Born in Philadelphia May 18, 1908, she was the daughter of William and Tillie Rubin Shulman. She attended schools in Philadelphia. During the late 1920s and 1930s Mrs. Burstein worked as a film editor at Max Fleischer Studio and for Grantland Rice's "Sportlight" newsreel. She used her skills during World War II in the preparation of training films for the U.S. military. She lived in Scarsdale, N.Y., for many years and was an active member of the Jewish Community Center in White Plains, N.Y. Her husband, Benjamin Burstein, whom she married June 8, 1930 in New York City, died in 1979. She leaves a son, William Burstein of Petersburgh, N.Y., and three grandchildren. Burial will be today, Wednesday, Nov. 13, in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Valhalla, N.Y. Memorial donations may be made to the charity of the donor's choice. The George M. Hopkins Funeral Home, 61-67 Spring St., is in charge of arrangements. Nancy Cole Williamson Van Arsdale, 77, of Pownal, Vt., died at her daughter Laura Summer's home in Harlemville, N.Y., November 10. She was the daughter of O.Harold and Virginia Williamson of Baltimore, Md. Born in Baltimore on December 3, 1924, she graduated from the Putney School, attended Bennington College, and graduated from the New School for Social Research. She lived in New York City before marrying, and raised her children in northern New Jersey. She later lived in upstate New York, Williamstown, and Pownal. An accomplished photographer, she took pictures of events, children and families, and showed her work in several Northeastern states. In addition to her photography, she engaged in many creative endeavors, including working in ceramics. She educated several apprentices in photography both in New Jersey and in southern Vermont, and she traveled frequently, especially to Oaxaca, Mexico. Throughout her life, she was active in many community organizations including the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, N.J., the Experiment in International Living, the League of Women Voters, the Williamstown Public Library, the Southern Vermont Medical Center Auxiliary, Greylock ABC, and the Food Bank of Williamstown. In addition to her daughter Laura Summer, she leaves another daughter, Sarah Van Arsdale and her partner, Geraldine de Haugoubart of New York City; a son-in-law, Stuart Summer, two grandchildren, Kelsa and Martin Summer, all of Harlemville, N.Y.; a step-daughter, Sophia Brooks of Asheville, N.C.; a step-son, Peter Van Arsdale and his wife, Joanna Beam, of Berkeley, Calif.; a sister, Margaret Williamson Fowler of Gibson Island, Md.; a brother, Jack Williamson, of Cockeysville, Md., and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, November 17, at her home; for information, call (802) 823-9303. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Greylock ABC, Post Office Box 665, Williamstown, MA 01267.

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Community Hero: Noelle Howland

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:39PM / Saturday, November 23, 2024

Noelle Howland is committed to keeping alive the late Pittsfield ACO Eleanor Sonsini's mission of helping animals ... albeit farther north in North Adams.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — No Paws Left Behind Executive Director Noelle Howland has been selected as the November Community Hero of the Month.

The Community Hero of the Month series honors individuals and organizations that have made a significant impact in their community. The series sponsor, Haddad Auto, has extended this initiative for one more month.

Howland breathed new life into the mission of the former Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter, which closed in August 2023.

The shelter in Pittsfield operated under the mission established by Eleanor Sonsini, a local animal rights activist and longtime animal control officer in Pittsfield, to be a no-kill shelter committed to finding surrendered and abandoned pets new forever homes.

Howland's love for animals, dedication to their well-being, and expertise in animal behavior and training and shelter management brought this mission to new heights at No Paws Left Behind, a new shelter for dogs located at 69 Hodges Cross Road.

"I want people to understand that I know it's hard to surrender. So, my biggest thing is [making sure] people know that, of course, we're not judging you. We're here to help you," Howland said.

When Sonsini announced its closing, Howland, who was the shelter's manager, worked to save it, launching fundraising initiatives. However, the previous board decided to close the shelter down and agreed to let Howland open her own shelter using their mission.

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