| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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The Retired Investor: Gen Z prefers stocks rather than houses to build wealthBy Bill Schmick,
03:26PM / Thursday, January 22, 2026 | |
Priced out of the housing markets, younger generations must look further afield to save for retirement. While the barriers to entry in the housing market keep rising, access to financial markets has gotten cheaper. This is a vastly different attitude and behavior from previous generations. It has been a tradition here in America that the way to build wealth and enjoy it was to buy a home. As a result, homeownership is today the most valuable asset for the average American and accounts for nearly half of their accumulated wealth. In just about any study today, rising home equity accounts for the lion's share of net worth. Unfortunately, as I wrote in my last column, most Gen Zers cannot
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Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity offers Free Tax Assistance | 10:38AM / Thursday, January 22, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — For more than a dozen years, Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity (CBHFH) has provided free income tax preparation to qualifying households through the IRS-supported Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Services are available to households earning $69,000 or less, as well as individuals with disabilities and older adults. All VITA volunteers complete extensive training and are IRS-certified. According to CBHFH CEO Carolyn Valli, the program's success is rooted in both volunteer commitment and community trust. "Most of our volunteers return year after year to support this essential service for underserved residents of 0 Comments
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Crane Drops Challenge to Dalton Land SaleBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:43AM / Thursday, January 22, 2026 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The sale of the land known as the Bardin property is no longer being challenged. Dicken Crane of Holiday Farm, the highest bidder on the property, withdrew his lawsuit and a citizen petition requesting the board award him the sale, recognizing that a reversal was unlikely after the deed had already been signed. The Select Board's decision in December to sell the last 9.15 acres of land to Thomas and Esther Balardini, the third highest bidder, sparked outrage from several residents resulting in a heated meeting to sign the quitclaim deed. Crane was the highest bidder by $20,000. The board swiftly had the deed signed on Dec. 22, following 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Commission Sees Plans for $15M Rebuild of Wahconah ParkBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:02AM / Thursday, January 22, 2026 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Tuesday, the Parks Commission saw plans for a $15 million rebuild of the historic-but-condemned grandstand. The project team hopes to begin construction in July, after the original 1919 structure is demolished. The new, half-cost design for Wahconah Park places the bathrooms and concessions in elevated, standalone buildings beside the grandstand.
"We think this is a fair redesign for a very complicated site and a reduced budget in an environment of escalating building costs," Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath said.
The new design decouples the bathrooms and concessions into smaller buildings
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Lanesborough ZBA Denies Local Country Store's Appeal By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:32PM / Wednesday, January 21, 2026 | |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The fate of the Lanesborough Local Country Store's signature vintage pickup truck remains uncertain following the Zoning Board of Appeals' recent decision. Tensions flared at last week's meeting as the board debated whether a truck with a sign mounted on its bed complies with the town's sign bylaws. The board voted to uphold the building inspector's violation, though board member Ronald Tinkham expressed reluctance about the decision. For the last five years, the truck has been a familiar sight on the grass near the store, at local events and parades, and serving ice cream at summer gatherings. That was until 0 Comments
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Dalton Board OKs Personnel Policies, Handbook UpdatesBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
02:44PM / Wednesday, January 21, 2026 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board started approving updates to the town's Personnel Policies and Administrative Procedures Handbook last week. Town Manager Eric Anderson, who started his new role on Nov. 1, presented to the board proposed amendments to the policies. The town's solicitor, KP Law, reviewed the document and made suggested changes to verbiage that didn't change the document's intent and did not require the board to sign off. However, there are six items that require board-level approval including amendments to the Commercial Driver's License training reimbursement, implementing a bi-weekly pay period and 0 Comments
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Dalton Capital Planning Committee Members SelectedBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
12:57PM / Wednesday, January 21, 2026 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The members of the town's Capital Planning Committee have been selected. In December, the Attorney General's Office approved the Capital Planning Committee bylaw that was approved by voters at the annual town meeting last May, Town Manager Eric Anderson said last week. The bylaw creates the committee, outlines membership, appointment and term, and highlights the committee's duties, which is to prepare a Capital Improvement Plan financing plan with a five-year forecast of revenues and expenses. The members of the committee are Karen Schmidt and Tom Irwin, representatives of the Finance Committee, and Dennis Croughwell, a 0 Comments
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Pittsfield School Board See Update on Middle School RestructuringBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:24AM / Wednesday, January 21, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Wheels are moving on the Pittsfield Public Schools plan to realign the middle schools in the fall.
Last week, the School Committee received updates on the transition to an upper elementary and junior high school model in September, with Grades 5 and 6 attending Herberg Middle School and Grades 7 and 8 attending Reid Middle School.
"This is an equity strategy that was started maybe a year ago, a year and a half ago, that we’ve been working towards to ensure that every intermediate and middle school student has access to equitable educational opportunities," Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips said.
"I know that there
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Pittsfield's Christian Center Seeks Community Input on Services, NameBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:57PM / Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | |
Worker Dionisio Kelly, left, board member Kenny Warren, Executive Director Jessica Jones, and Food and Services Director Karen Ryan. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's a new year, and The Christian Center is looking at how it can serve the area in 2026 and beyond.
This includes a possible new name fueled by community forums in late January and early February.
"We're hoping people will come in and talk about the name, talk about what programs, what services they would like to see from us. What would be most meaningful," Executive Director Jessica Jones said.
"Because the population in this area has changed quite a bit, and we no longer serve just
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Letter: I Do Not Apologize For Being Out of OrderLetter to the Editor,
05:00PM / Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | |
 To the Editor:
I do not apologize for being "out of order" at a recent Dalton Select Board meeting, as it is a right and a responsibility for citizens to criticize their government when it makes a bad decision. In this case, I and several other town residents objected to the lack of transparency by our Selectmen regarding the sale of a parcel of town land, deciding to accept a bid $20,000 lower than the highest bid. The public still deserves a satisfactory explanation.
At a subsequent Select Board meeting, Chairman Bishop added to the mistake by threatening to shut down any meeting in which the public is "out of order" and that police would be used for enforcement. Is
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Dalton Will Warn Commercial Vehicles Off Orchard Road By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:40AM / Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | |
DALTON, Mass. — Now the Orchard Road has been paved, the neighborhood is facing a new problem — commercial vehicles. The road, which is often used as a connector to Route 9, was plagued with potholes and flooding because of its undersized drainage pipes. This past summer, the Highway Department had it repaved and added sidewalks. Since then, the road has seen an increase in tractor trailers cutting through from Route 8 to Route 9, during which they have been using their Jake brake, resident Carrie Thomson wrote to the town. "This is happening all hours of the day and night. Prior to the road being done it was never a problem, I have 0 Comments
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North Adams, Pittsfield Mark King Day With Calls for ActivismBy Tammy Daniels & Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:01PM / Monday, January 19, 2026 | |
Alÿcia Bacon, community engagement officer for the Berkshire Taconic Foundation, speaks at the MLK service held Price Memorial AME Church in Pittsfield. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Wendy Penner can be found pretty much everywhere: leading local initiatives to address climate change and sustainability, championing public health approaches for substance abuse, and motivating citizens to defend their rights and the rights of others. That's all when she's not working her day job in public health, or being co-president of Congregation Beth Israel, or chairing the Williamstown COOL Committee, or volunteering on a local 0 Comments
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