Guest Column: A Thank You to Marcy's Searchers

Dear Berkshire Community, 

It's now been four weeks since we were made to realize the palpable community spirit very much thriving throughout our larger community.

A picture of the recovered Marcy from her lost-and-found posting on Facebook. 

In early December you might recall the powerful three-day snowstorm and below-freezing conditions that hit the region stronger than most in recent memory. As a lover of winter and snow that first morning I took pictures and sent them to family who I hoped would see some snow when they came for Christmas.

We happen to live only a few houses away from Bullard Woods so as with most days I planned to take my two dogs for a walk in the forest and Gould Meadows, but the beautiful, fresh snow lifted that to excitement. Marcy is 13 1/2 and Freddy is 12 1/2. We got them many years ago as adult rescues. They are the joy of my daily journey in nature.

For the past few years Marcy, especially, has lost weight regardless of what we feed her. So for the past few years I became that guy who shows up to the woods in cold weather with big dogs bundled up with a first layer
of reindeer sweaters (including antlers), a second layer of parkas, and their harnesses fitted snugly around both those layers. More poignant, this was to be one of Marcy's first walks back into the woods since her eye removal (due to a tumor) only three weeks prior.

Every day Marcy tells us when it's time to eat … not so much Freddy. When it's near 4:30 p.m. she begins hopping, pacing and whining. I was leaving at 4 p.m. for our walk. Therefore, that day my wife thought I should take a short walk not only because it was almost time for their dinner but she felt more conservative than usual about a shorter walk considering Marcy had only recently recovered from surgery. 

Given the snowy conditions I was alone that afternoon in the woods except for one person I saw later on. I let the dogs off leash to play in the snow and they loved it. They trotted around, sniffed, and had fun. It would be dark soon so we would be heading back shortly. Then it happened. Marcy, in a rare moment, started trotting away, tail up, happy, but toward home, a route she knows perfectly well. I called her, but could tell she was on a non-stop path home anticipating dinner.

To reach the road before her so she didn't get hit by a car in the storm, I quickly leashed old Freddy and began running up the direct path to the street making sure Freddy wasn't getting too exhausted. From our hurrying I was confident we would arrive at the street first. Phew; no cars were anywhere due to the storm. But no Marcy either. I jogged down the road calling. Nothing. I guessed she must have made it to the house somehow before we did so I ran to the door knowing she would be barking and waiting. Not there.

My heart was racing. She had vanished.

In short, Marcy was gone for three days in the freezing almost-blizzard. Our pets are family members. Not everyone feels that way about pets but for those who do it's easy to imagine our fears. To spare the horror I won't detail all that went through our minds. We were devastated.

Enter the community. By the first hour of missing her we contacted the Stockbridge Police who immediately contacted the animal control officer. Soon more groups were contacted. Our phones started blowing up, social media was reaching out to us and the volunteers came pouring in. We had various people in our house for three days and one stayed the night twice. Thermal drones were aloft, four-wheelers were canvassing the area, missing posters were made for us and countless community residents were contacting us and some joined the search.

We were overwhelmed by the support and incredible generosity of so many, yet, privately and honestly, we had lost hope. Within the first few minutes of our search my wife saw a bear exiting Bullard Woods so each day I searched for either patches of blood (although we realize black bears rarely attack dogs) or a frozen body covered in the new, deep snow. Our fragmented spirit only lasted out of dire need and was only fueled by the volunteers. Hundreds of local residents were contacting my wife on social media while I searched day and night in between hanging posters.

Finally on the morning of the third day the animal control officer and Stockbridge Police called me while I was searching the in the forest with an on-foot rescue team. It so happens that four local residents were walking their dogs in the morning snow and heard howling and crying beneath a shed. I was in disbelief it could be Marcy and told that to the officer on the phone. I just knew Marcy couldn't be alive and that it had to be someone else's dog. Nevertheless, I ran according to his directions.

There, down by the shore of the lake I saw the dog walkers, the police and the animal control officer. I immediately recognized that bark: Marcy was alive.

I won't describe the moment because I won't do justice to the relief and joy taking over my heart. (At that very moment my wife was on her way to Staples to print out more missing posters.) You can imagine my phone call
to my wife while I sat holding Marcy in my lap in the snow. We know how deliverance and jubilation feel.

As of this writing Marcy is doing great. So is Freddy. So are we. I had no idea about the spirit of the community and will never forget the exceptional care and support given to us all through those days and nights. The moment Marcy was found I got her home and within minutes the team in my house were already posting to social media and authorities that she was found.

In the greatest appreciation, Marcy's family.

Submitted by Brad Fitzgerald of Stockbridge, Mass. Below is a list of community members, organizations and rescuers the Fitzgerald family wishes to thank:

Alex (Alexandra) found Marcy
Phyllis, found Marcy and met animal control officer
Paul, found Marcy 
Yvonne, found Marcy
Matt Hayden, thermal drone, tireless searcher
John and Heather Drake: John is the animal control officer for Stockbridge and Heather made flyers for Marcy. For the past 20 years John and Heather have also run the Iris Pet Food Pantry which delivers dog and cat food in Great Barrington, Lee, and most of Southern Berkshire County
Mitzie Smalley
Missing Dogs Massachusetts, FaceBook
Rialene Hughes
Assisting with Missing Dogs Massachusetts
Officer Pettibone and Sgt. Nichols of the Stockbridge Police
Nick Fredsall, Stockbridge Drone Solutions
Berkshire Brothers Build
Ryan Harrison
Alfonso Champion
Zach Yarter
Joe Corcoran, searcher and NextDoor
Jennifer, friend of Marcy
Joseph McCullough
App:  NextDoor
Countless invested, caring, and volunteers in the community

Community Leaders Read to Kids at St. Mary's School

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:36PM / Wednesday, March 05, 2025

Participants in Read Across America Day at St. Mary's included community, business and spiritual leaders and a local author. 

LEE, Mass. — In conjunction with Read Across America, St. Mary's School is starting its big reading challenge.

"For every 10 minutes a kiddo reads they get a coin that goes into a big bin. At the end of the month, they will get either an ice cream party for whoever reads the most or a pizza party, something like that," said Principal Cara Maiorana-Culver. "March is literacy month and literacy is so important to schools and something that doesn't get enough emphasis."

Third-grade teacher Amanda Reis invited Town Administrator Christopher Brittain, Police Chief Craig DeSantis, Stacy Simms from Lee Bank, Loren Nazarov from Lee Library, the Rev. Brian McGrath, local author Michelle Cuevas, and state Rep. Leigh Davis to come and read to classrooms Monday.

The community leaders spoke to different grades and read a book of their choice or had conversations about what the books meant or about the leaders' work.

Leigh Davis spoke to Grades 6-8 about what she does and read the book "The Dreaming Tree," the story of a young girl advocating for a tree to not be cut down in her neighborhood, saying anyone can raise their voice for what they believe in.

"Being a role model in the community you live in is so important and I hope that I can provide that and one of the topics were talking about is how can you advocate for yourself how can you advocate for your community, for your school, for your town, for your district and the power that you have within you to make a difference so that is something that I really tried to get across to the students," Davis said. 

The newly elected representative for the Third District brought up topics like road conditions, bridge maintenance, and animal rights. Davis told the students about how she became a representative and asked what they would like to be when they are older. 

Seventh-grade student Eva Sinopoli thinks it was important for Davis to speak to her class about her job and the different things they can do to help and that they have a voice.

"I think it's really important because some people like whether it be us in school feeling like we don't really have a voice because of our age being younger than others but it's a really important thing to bring up because some people think there are things that need to be spoken up for and you might not have that happen unless you speak up yourself," she said.

"I think that was helpful that if you believe in something you should be passionate trying to change something for better in your community," said eighth-grader Gus Gleason.

Seventh grader Sophie Sparks said Davis was nice and that it was cool to be able to meet a representative and that she encouraged them to follow their dreams.

"If there's any issues or if there is something that you want to be fixed and follow your dreams see what you want to be," she said.

DeSantis spoke to kindergarteners and read them "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie." He said he likes community engagement and interacting with kids at all the schools. 

"It's a great way for different people and kids to interact with different professions and different people in our community, community leaders, and it's a chance for the kids to interact," he said. "And on a personal level with law enforcement anytime we get to go in and interact with kids in a positive way like this is a win I love to do it and it gives them a chance to see us as normal people so that they feel comfortable and be able to start building those relationships."

"I liked when he talked about when the mouse was drinking the milk and when he was eating the cookie and then I liked him when he was reading," said kindergartener Natalee Sedelow.