Letter: International Women's Day

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To the Editor:

This letter was ignored by the Berkshire Eagle

Friday, March 8, was International Women's Day. Here in the Berkshires, it was celebrated by the Zonta club, an International Women's Leadership organization, by honoring six dynamic women from our community at a special dinner that attracted over 200 attendees.

This diverse group of women has made monumental contributions from coaching young professionals to build careers here to providing over two million diapers to those in need. These women aren't CEOs of big corporations and they didn't develop the latest app. They excelled by giving their time, skills and in most cases their own money for the benefit and betterment of the Berkshires. Their stories are inspirational, serving as powerful testaments of selfless service to guide young girls and women.

On Saturday morning, I sat down with my digital copy of the Berkshire Eagle–our Hometown Newspaper– expecting to read about this event and the special women leaders who are uplifting our community but there was no story or photo. Making headlines was the lead story with photos about “Drag Time Story Hour for our Children.”


I seriously question the Eagle's editorial decision and judgment. How do you ignore this opportunity to illustrate International Women's Day through local coverage of Zonta's six remarkable honorees, from diverse backgrounds and roles, who are leading the Berkshires to build a more equitable, desirable and respectful place to live?

I've met the editor and publisher of the Eagle. He's a smart guy. This wasn't a mistake. I believe this was an intentional effort by our hometown newspaper to advance a political agenda while ignoring real community heroes. Eagle editors have demonstrated irresponsible behavior and a lack of leadership and judgment by propagating a targeted narrative.

Get the focus where it belongs.

Respectfully,

Roger Gibboni
Lanesborough, Mass. 

 

 

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Dalton Board Reviews Draft AI, Social Media Policies

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — Artificial intelligence is becoming a topic of discussion at several governmental agencies across the state, and has now come before the Select Board.
 
The board reviewed draft policies on artificial intelligence and social media usage at its Monday meeting. No vote was taken, as the drafts will first be reviewed by the town's attorney.
 
During the discussion, questions arose about clarifying vague language and understanding what state law permits regarding free speech on social media. These concerns will be reviewed by town counsel. 
 
The artificial intelligence policy aims to set clear standards guiding town employees, officials, and departments to use AI tools responsibly, legally, and securely.
 
The policy emphasizes that AI tools can assist, not replace, professional judgment for tasks including drafting preliminary documents such as memos, policies, and communications; summarizing public documents; providing research assistance; organizing and analyzing data; transcribing public meetings; and translation services.  
 
"The basic concept is you never want to take what's generated at face value without checking," Town Manager Eric Anderson said. 
 
The personnel using the generative "artificial intelligence" tool are required to review it to ensure the content is accurate, he said. 
 
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