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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Tech Impact Collaborative Advances Effort to Grow Digital Economy of the Berkshires| 08:07AM / Wednesday, May 11, 2022 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Tech Impact Collaborative, an ongoing collaboration of 1Berkshire, the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC), and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at BCC, completed their initial two phases of work to grow a more inclusive digital and tech-enabled economy in the Berkshires. This collaborative of three organizations, initially formed in 2020, has held over a dozen classes, workshops, webinars and panels through the OLLI platform, engaging more than 1,000 individuals across the Berkshires and beyond. In September 2021 this collaborative, through staff capacity of 1Berkshire and the BIC, and volunteer capacity from OLLI, began 6 Comments
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Pittsfield City Council Endorses Body Cameras for PoliceBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:38AM / Wednesday, May 11, 2022 | |
Police Chief Michael Wynn takes questions from Councilor at Large Karen Kalinowsky, a former police officer, on the timing for implementing body cameras. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council has voted to support body cameras on Pittsfield Police officers. Councilors on Tuesday endorsed two petitions pertaining to the equipment and referred them to local and state officials.
There have been calls to implement body cameras, as residents have taken to open microphone at council meeting to advocate for them after Miguel Estrella was shot and killed by police in late March.
Councilor at Large Earl Persip III said this is probably one of the easier votes he
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Verizon Asks U.S. Court for Judgment Against Pittsfield Health BoardBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:20AM / Wednesday, May 11, 2022 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Verizon is asking for a declaratory judgment from the U.S. District Court in Springfield against the city of Pittsfield after the Board of Health issued a cease-and-desist order against the company for a cell tower it says is affecting the health of the neighborhood. The City Council was to take up a request from the Board of Health on Tuesday for $84,000 to hire legal counsel against the telecommunications company but this was sidelined when the council was informed of the lawsuit. Verizon claims that the board violated Section 332 of the federal Telecommunications Act (TCA) of 1996 that prohibits state and local governments from regulating a personal wireless
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Summer Temperatures Expected this Week | 12:36PM / Tuesday, May 10, 2022 | |
The Berkshires can expect an early glimpse at some summer temperatures this week. We are looking at a high of 74 in North Adams today, according to Accuweather. But be warned, the National Weather Service released a special weather statement that indicated that a very dry airmass combined with gusty winds will result in elevated fire weather concerns today. This warning expires at 8 pm Wednesday, May 11 gets even better with a high of 80 predicted. Thursday, Temperatures could hit 85. Friday, May 13 could truly feel like summer with a high of 89 predicted. A high of 86 is predicted Saturday. Sunday, temperatures should wind down into 1 Comment
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BIC B[E]TA Program Application Period Closing Soon| 08:08AM / Tuesday, May 10, 2022 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) is running their experiential learning program - B[E]TA - this summer for high school students entering their Junior or Senior year or those recently graduated. The B[E]TA program is designed to connect students with local businesses, explore idea development and business strategies, and engage in technologies offered at the BIC. Specifically, participants will learn: The entrepreneurship journey Business agility Key aspects of 3D printing Professional uses of virtual and augmented reality The six week summer program will run Monday through Friday from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm; starting Tuesday, July 0 Comments
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BRPC to Help Lanesborough Develop Solar Overlay DistrictBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:27AM / Tuesday, May 10, 2022 | |
 LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town is seeking help from the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to creating a zoning overlay to restrict areas for solar fields. Consulting Planner Andrew Groff told the Planning Board on Monday that a state District Local Technical Assistance grant was received after it was applied for in February. With this program, BRPC staff provides technical assistance to communities at no cost on eligible projects. BRPC will conduct a mapping analysis of the risk of solar developments on certain parcels and with the information from the study, the board will develop a solar overlay district that puts acceptable limits on solar panel fields.
The planners would
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Pittsfield COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations RiseBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
03:55PM / Monday, May 09, 2022 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — COVID-19 cases continue to rise after a surge that pushed the city into the "red zone." Hospitalizations have also increased. On Sunday, the percent positivity rate was 12.4 and there were 106 cases per 100,000 people. This is a stark contrast to the positivity rate of 2.1 in late March, when there were only about 13 cases per 100,000 people. Berkshire County reported 342 new cases on Monday, which includes cases from over the weekend. There are currently 17 people hospitalized at Berkshire Medical Center who have tested positive for the virus, which is a rise from early last week when there were 14 and then seven hospitalizations. Some 24 patients
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Dalton Police Department Requests Interdepartmental TransfersBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
01:20PM / Monday, May 09, 2022 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Finance Committee approved more than $100,000 in departmental transfers to cover costs for vacation and overtime for the Police Department. The approvals were made at the committee's April 27 meeting so they could be done before the end of the month to pay bills. Approved was transfer of $40,700 from the Vocational Education line and $57,500 from the Communication Salary budget to the salary budget to accommodate overtime and vacation time. "We had three officers at the academy, and a resignation of a sergeant. We had to fill a minimum of 80 hours per week on overtime for months. Due to police reform, we only have two 0 Comments
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BArT Third Quarter Honor Roll| 12:00PM / Monday, May 09, 2022 | |
ADAMS, Mass. — Berkshire Arts & Technology (BArT) Charter Public School has announced the students who made the honor roll for the third quarter of the 2021-2022 school year. Students who earned 80 percent or above in all of their classes received the distinction of Honors. Students who earned 90 percent or above in all of their classes received the distinction of High Honors. Students in Grade 6 who earned High Honors are Isabella Campoli, Holly Dawson, Quentin Durand, Mary Harty, Molly Isham-Morton, Presley Kelley, Stasiu Kozak, Amelia Lancto, Lucas Lapointe, Nova Leinbaugh-Chelukhova, Andrew Post, Liam Smith, Gabrielle Thomas, Maria Valdivieso, 4 Comments
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Berkshire County Historical Society Summer Season | 08:16AM / Monday, May 09, 2022 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire County Historical Society (BCHS), located at Herman Melville's historic Arrowhead, will open its summer season on May 14 offering guided tours of the historic house Thursday through Monday beginning at 10 am. Currently tours are available on Saturdays only. "This summer we are expanding our exhibitions program to include programs both at Arrowhead and at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in downtown Pittsfield," said Executive Director Lesley Herzberg. "The Arrowhead show will explore the rich history of the Works Progress Administration in Berkshire County, and the Lichtenstein exhibit will feature works by 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Warming Shelter to Close at the End of the MonthBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:40AM / Monday, May 09, 2022 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city's warming shelter located at the Christian Center will be closing at the end of May after opening last year. Its last day of operation will be on May 27 and the structure itself will be removed on June 3.
"I just wanted to make you aware that the warming shelter is closing the first week of June," Director of Community Development Justine Dodds reported to the Homelessness Advisory Committee on Wednesday.
"It was put in place in February, as you all remember, 2021 when we were in the middle of the pandemic and there was a lack of public spaces for people to do exactly what we've been talking about, just to get warm, charge
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Making the Loop | We had some free time this week to walk the 2-mile loop through the downtown. Here's a few of things that caught our eye. (In between taking photos, we were heel-toeing and arm-pumping as prescribed.)
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