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.

Berkshire Innovation Center Expansion Aims to Bring Jobs, Innovation to Pittsfield

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Innovation Center broke ground on its roughly 12,000-square-foot expansion on Thursday, surrounded by state and local officials, business leaders, and industry partners who helped bring the project to fruition.
 
The approximately $8 million expansion will bring advanced manufacturing capabilities, new jobs, and additional opportunities for technology companies to the William Stanley Business Park, speakers at Thursday's ceremony said. 
 
The importance of collaboration among state and local officials and the private sector in fostering innovation, creating jobs and driving economic growth was a central theme throughout the event.
 
It was no coincidence that the groundbreaking brought together representatives from government and the private sector, including Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, state Sen. Paul Mark, state Reps. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Leigh Davis and John Barrett III, alongside business leaders and industry partners from the Berkshire Innovation Center, Electro Magnetic Applications and Myrias Optics.
 
"Massachusetts is now the mecca of research in the world. Nothing comes close to what we do," Neal said, highlighting several of the state's research and innovation centers, including Berkshire Medical Center, Kendall Square and UMass Medical.
 
"These are the breakthrough moments that are happening, and we have a chance to witness them," he said. 
 
The BIC and the tech hub that has been created around advanced optics is going to build on creating new opportunities in an organic way by using the region's success and leveraging it for more, Driscoll said. 
 
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