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The landscape painting was donated by Karen and Patricia Quinn, who discovered it while working on the Linda Gaffney estate.

Fitch-Hoose House Receives Another Painting Donation

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — The Fitch-Hoose House has received another George Hoose painting donation. 
 
The landscape painting was donated by Karen and Patricia Quinn, who discovered it while working on the Linda Gaffney estate. 
 
This is not the only donation that the Historical Commission has recently received. In September, the museum received a painting donation of an "Indian Head" by George Hoose
 
Since the museum was renovated in 2014, the commission has brought and continues to bring to life its scattered history, co-Chair Debora Kovacs said during a previous interview. The house museum has reunited members of the Hoose family with their ancestry. 
 
The Historical Commission hopes that as more light is shined on the history of the Hoose family more residents will step forward with stories or items to share with the museum, Commissioner Thomas Snyder said in a previous interview. 
 
The commission also announced that the Fitch-Hoose House's art month  during September was a success and hopes to continue showcasing George Hoose's work in the future. 
 
Not only did the art month bring in more visitors to the museum, but it also made the tours richer, Kovacs said at last week's meeting.
 
The museum's permanent displays were removed for the month to make room for displaying Hoose's paintings, with different pieces showcased each week. 
 
The paintings are normally stored on the second floor of the small house, which is not accessible to the public due to safety concerns. 
 
Next year, the Historical Commission wants to host a bigger exhibit so it can display more of Hoose's paintings but needs to find a safe way to do so.
 
The commission was going to have an exhibition this year but decided to change it to an art month in an effort to save time upon receiving word that it would be moving back into the Town Hall in September. 
 
The museum is open by request through October by calling the Town Hall at 413-684-6111. 
 
Check out our video of the Fitch Hoose House here

Tags: donations,   historic buildings,   historical commission,   painting,   

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Truck Crashes Into Pittsfield's Samel's Deli

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Elm Street will be partially closed as cleanup continues. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Wednesday morning was busy for Pittsfield first responders, as a pickup truck crashed into Samel's Deli & Catering and a fire broke out on First Street.

Around 9:45 a.m., the police reported that the street in front of Samel's Deli & Catering would be closed or down to one lane as a result of a two-car collision that sent the truck careening into the deli.

The department posted two photos on Facebook, one depicting the silver truck with New York license plates crashed through the glass of the front entrance and another of a white Honda CR-V with significant damage to the front end.

"A vehicle was coming out of one of the alleyways here and struck this truck, which continued into the building," Police Officer Craig Jones explained when iBerkshires arrived on the scene.

Jones reported that there was one injury, but not whether it was someone in the vehicles or in the deli. A crossing signal near Samel's front entrance was also taken out by the truck.

Around this time, crews worked to clear debris in front of the restaurant as the truck was towed away. That section of the road reopened around 11 a.m.

The police, firefighters and an ambulance responded to the accident and police intend to release a statement on the incident.

Around 6:15 a.m., the Fire Department reported that it had responded to a possible structure fire at 233-235 First St. Windows on all three floors of the multi-family building are now broken or boarded up and the cause is under investigation by the Fire Investigation Unit and investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office.

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