Letter: Cancer Survivor Month

To the Editor:

June has a special significance for members of our community: it's the start of summer, end of school for students and teachers, and at the Phelps Cancer Center, we celebrate National Cancer Survivor Month.

As the medical director of the Phelps Cancer Center, I'm also proud to be marking the 10-year anniversary of the center's opening in 2014 and the progress we have made in delivering cutting-edge treatments and therapies to cancer patients here in Berkshire County for a full decade.

Being a cancer survivor myself, I know how a diagnosis changes your life. I hope that we never have to care for you or for your loved ones, but I want you to know that, if you need us, you will be able to receive world-class care, close to home at the Phelps Cancer Center. We provide the highest quality, personalized cancer care, including integrative health programs that support a patient's body, mind, and spirit. We are also proud to be the only Western Massachusetts member of the Dana-Farber Cancer Care Collaborative, giving our patients access to cutting-edge trials and Dana-Farber specialists for advanced care.

It is my greatest honor to care for patients in Berkshire County — the community I grew up in and still call home. Thank you to all of the providers, clinicians, and healthcare staff at the Phelps Cancer Center and Berkshire Health Systems who make this a community where a cancer diagnosis is marked by compassion and caring and no one has to make their journey alone.

Dr. Trevor Bayliss
Pittsfield, Mass.

Dalton Swap Shed Seeks Volunteers; Wahconah Umbrella Club Designs Shed

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
12:42PM / Friday, June 26, 2026

The swap shed has usable goods looking for a second life. 

DALTON, Mass. —The town is seeking volunteers to operate "Dal-mart," the transfer station's swap shed. 

 

The initiative provides individuals the opportunity to leave items they no longer need and/or take some items they need for free which prevents usable items from being tossed in landfills, reducing waste and supporting sustainability.

 

The shop is currently open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with hopes to expand operating hours as community awareness grows and additional volunteers become available to help staff the space.

 

"It's a way of reusing other people's stuff that's still in good condition," Green Committee member Kathy Perney said, highlighting a few items often found in the shop including toys, books, and dinnerware. 

 

The town opened the shop last June and to spread awareness invited Wahconah Regional High School students in the Umbrella Club to paint it.

 

When presented with this experience, 19 students stepped up to help design the illustration, although only eight were able to go on the field trip to paint. 

 

The students researched indigenous flowers and fauna to incorporate in its design, featuring the area's four seasons. Prominently displayed on the front are images that bring to light fall and spring and a native blue butterfly.