Clarksburg World War II Casualty Returns Home for Burial

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Marine Pvt. Erwin King
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Marine Pvt. First Class Erwin S. King returns home on Friday, more than eight decades after he marched to war.
 
King, who grew up on West Road, was killed in action during the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II. He remains had been buried temporarily with nine of his comrades on the island. There were several unsuccessful attempt to recover the bodies and it was not until 2018 that King's gravesite was uncovered. 
 
His family was notified in May that his remains had finally been identified.
 
The 18-year-old had enlisted only six weeks after Pearl Harbor and never returned home. On Friday, his body will be escorted by veterans organizations and police from Bradley International Airport in Connecticut to Clarksburg Town Hall, where a wreath-laying will be observed at approximately 3 p.m. 
 
The procession will then proceed to Flynn & Dagnoli Funeral Home on West Main Street, passing Veterans Memorial Park at Center and Eagle Street. Those wishing to pay respects should be there between 3 and 3:15 p.m. 
 
The wake will be held at Flynn & Dagnoli's West Chapels on Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. 
 
King will be buried next to his parents, Erwin C. and Emelia LaFountain King, in Southview Cemetery on Tuesday, 82 years to the day he was killed.
 
A group including King's family members will be at the airport when he arrives from Hawai'i around 1 p.m. The wake on Monday will be open to the public and a funeral service will be held Tuesday beginning at 11 a.m. at the funeral home.  
 
A graveside service will include full military honors beginning at noon at the cemetery. 
 
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Community Hero: Noelle Howland

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

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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