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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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DCR Delivers Grants To Help Rural, Volunteer Fire DepartmentsBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
12:13PM / Thursday, December 12, 2013 | |
 DCR Commissioner Jack Murray, left, New Marlborough Selectwoman Michele Shalaby, Great Barrington Fire Chief Charlie Burger, state Sen. Benjamin Downing and state Rep. William 'Smitty' Pignatelli on Wednesday for the grant announcement. GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The volunteer Fire Department has had some trouble in rural areas dragging hoses to the scene of a fire. But not for long.
The department is ordering three forestry backpacks and nozzles to help extend their hoses. And with a cost of $1,500, they received help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
"It's a matching grant and they're funding $750 of it," said Chief Charlie
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'Out of the Furnace': And into the Cauldron of ControversyBy Michael S. Goldberger, iBerkshires Film Critic
11:57AM / Thursday, December 12, 2013 | |
 Popcorn Column
by Michael S. Goldberger
Relativity Media Rodney Raze (Casey Affleck) returns from his fourth tour in Iraq and enters a dangerous illegal fighting ring in 'Out of the Furnace.' One is brought to shuddering terror by the depiction of an insular, degenerate, inbred population of mountain people frighteningly personified by Woody Harrelson in director Scott Cooper's "Out of the Furnace." While the plot itself is a simple tale of revenge with nary a twist or turn along its predictable and violent path, the film is fraught with haunting atmosphere and deeply disquieting, sociological 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Poised to Pick Architect for High School DesignBy Joe Durwin, Pittsfield Correspondent
09:33AM / Thursday, December 12, 2013 | |
 The city is hoping to have a design firm in hand by next week to begin a feasibility study of Taconic High School. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Department is nearly ready to begin working with an architect on the long-anticipated process of overhauling of one of the city's two public high schools, Superintendent Jason McCandless told the School Committee on Wednesday. School officials have been working with the Massachusetts School Bulding Authority to plan what will be either a major renovation or a replacement of Taconic High School, which opened in 1969. If approved by the MSBA, the city will be reimbursed up to 78 percent. This includes $1.3 million already set aside by
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McCann Pins Largest Practical Nursing Class in School HistoryBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
10:25PM / Wednesday, December 11, 2013 | |
 The 23 graduates chose personal mentors to apply their pin to the shirts. See more photos here. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — It required 10 months, 945 hours of classes, 540 clinical experience hours but now 23 graduates of McCann Technical School's Practical Nursing Program are ready for their licensing.
The school pinned the largest class in school history on Wednesday.
"I feel like I am sending my children off. And I'm going to miss them so much," said Program Coordinator Susan Watson said with tears in her eyes at the ceremony.
Watson said the students have gone through a lot to get to that point and not just with the rigors of the coursework — and being a
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Dalton Police Gets Grant to Add K-9 UnitBy Dan Gigliotti, iBerkshires Correspondent
04:35PM / Wednesday, December 11, 2013 | |
 The Dalton Police Department was awarded a grant to add a K-9 unit to the force. DALTON, Mass. — The Police Department has sniffed out additional funding for the establishment of a K-9 unit. The department was granted a total of $26,000 to the support the creation and early maintenance of a trained dog and K-9 officer. "It's something that we're excited and gearing up for," Police Chief Jeffrey Coe said, following the formal acceptance of funds by the Select Board on Monday. The Stanton Foundation — a program supporting human/dog relationships — granted the Police Department $25,000 for initial acquisition, training and maintenance costs for the onset
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Senator Downing Holding Toys for Tots Open House| 11:33AM / Wednesday, December 11, 2013 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — State Sen. Benjamin B. Downing will host his third annual Toys for Tots Holiday Open House at his district office at 7 North St., Suite 307, on Thursday, Dec. 12, from 3 to 6 p.m.
The senator will be collecting donations of unwrapped toys for children of all ages for Toys for Tots. Toys should be new and non-violent.
The program is an official activity of the Marine Corps Reserve. Created by a reservist in 1947 to collect toys for needy children, the program has since distributed more than 469 million toys to some 216 million children. The Massachusetts State Police have been supporting the effort for nearly 30 years and anyone who cannot get to the
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Company Donates $1,000 For Future Pittsfield Tree LightingsBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
10:41AM / Wednesday, December 11, 2013 | |
 Mayor Daniel Bianchi, Parks and Recreation Activities Coordinator Rebecca Tefft and Bruce Stanas, of Republic Services, at the mayor's office on Tuesday when Stanas delivered a $1,000 donation. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Future tree lighting ceremonies have been secured, or enhanced, with a $1,000 donation.
Republic Services, the company that has been hauling the city's recyclables and waste, gifted the money on Tuesday for future tree lightings. Bruce Stanas, the company's municipal and governmental affairs manager, said the donation is just a way for the Republic Services to give back to the communities it services.
"It's our obligation to support the
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Greylock Appoints Manager to Merrill Road Branch| 09:14AM / Wednesday, December 11, 2013 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Mary Rinaldi has been appointed as assistant vice president and branch manager of the Merrill Road branch. "We are delighted to have someone of Mary's caliber managing the Merrill Road branch, which is one of our busiest branches, "Greylock President Marilyn L. Sperling said. "Her leadership qualities and banking experience will be a terrific asset to Greylock and our members." Before coming to Greylock, Rinaldi worked for 33 years at local banks. Most recently she held the position of assistant vice president and branch manager at the Adams Community Bank. Previously, Rinaldi held the positions of officer and branch Manager, 5 Comments
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PEDA Moves Forward With Re-Envisioned Life Sciences CenterBy Joe Durwin, Pittsfield Correspondent
03:39AM / Wednesday, December 11, 2013 | |
 PEDA voted to move forward with funding Phase 2 of a life-sciences complex, envisioned in this artist's rendering. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Econonomic Development Authority voted Monday to begin funding the second phase of planning for a long-anticipated life sciences complex at the William Stanley Business Park. Planning consultant Rod Jane told PEDA's board he will be submitting a report to the city this week on the results of efforts in Phase I, which was launched this summer with $55,000 in grant funding from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to study feasibility and start developing a working business plan. A $6.5 million dollar earmark was 5 Comments
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Pittsfield Decides Structure Of Ordinance Review CommitteeBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
10:27PM / Tuesday, December 10, 2013 | |
 In what is likely its last meeting of the year, the City Council spent almost two hours outlining the structure of a committee to review city ordinances. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It took nearly two hours Tuesday night but the City Council decided that it will form an ordinance committee and it will have people on it.
The new charter requires the council to create a five-member committee to review city ordinances and ensure they don't conflict with the charter. The committee needs to have City Clerk Linda Tyer as member but who will comprise the rest of the committee was up for debate Tuesday — after the council spend nearly a half-hour debating whether the charter's
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