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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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BMC Achieves Straight A's for Patient Safety| 10:33AM / Monday, April 24, 2017 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Leapfrog Group, the nation's leading nonprofit watchdog on hospital quality and safety, has announced new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, and Berkshire Medical Center once again earned an "A."
BMC has achieved straight A's since the inception of the Safety Grade in 2012, and is one of only 63 hospitals nationwide to attain this honor.
"Berkshire Medical Center has been, and continues to be a national leader in providing the safest environment for our patients," said David Phelps, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. "I congratulate our entire team of caregivers on this recognition, which again validates that BMC
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Substance Abuse Prevention Part 2: The EffortsBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
03:56AM / Monday, April 24, 2017 | |
 Part 1 reviewed the results of a countywide survey related to teen drug and alcohol use. The article and survey results can be found here. LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Berkshire district attorney's office is now training educators on a specific curriculum to prevent drug use. The office's grant-funded Community Outreach and Education Program is now teaching "Life Skills," a three-pronged approach to help students make better decisions when presented with drug use. The curriculum is eyed to be rolled out into all schools and help prevent students from going down the path of drug use. "The Life Skills Program in itself has three components, 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Council To Hold Hearing On Capital Improvement PlanBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
04:34PM / Sunday, April 23, 2017 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is looking to spend some $23.5 million on capital projects next year. Mayor Linda Tyer has submitted a capital budget of $9.1 million for city projects and $14.4 million for water and sewer. The debt incurred from the $9.1 million would be paid for through the city's annual budget while the $14.4 million would come from enterprise accounts. A public hearing is scheduled for the City Council meeting on Tuesday. The largest project is $8.4 million to replace primary pumps at the wastewater treatment plant. The project was identified in 2007 because the force main, constructed in 1963, is at risk of failure, according to the capital 0 Comments
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Substance Abuse Prevention Part 1: The DataBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
05:46AM / Sunday, April 23, 2017 | |
 LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Prevention is just one aspect of tackling drug abuse issues in Berkshire County. So far, signs show local efforts are working, but there is still a lot more to be done. Over the last 10 years, data collected from the Berkshire United Way is showing a decreasing percentage of county students using alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco products. However, compared to the national average, Berkshire students are still using those substances at a greater frequency than national averages. The data is pulled from the biannual prevention needs assessment, which polls students with pointed questions designed to shed light on issues. Since 2006, the 1 Comment
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New Gallery Drawn by North Adams' Air of Contemporary Artby John Seven, iBerkshires Contributor
05:58AM / Saturday, April 22, 2017 | |
The gallery is located at 44 Eagle, in the Flatiron Block. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A new art gallery in downtown North Adams is the result of the city's unique relationship with contemporary art as a lure to artists from other places. Gravity Gallery co-owners Lynn Richardson and Paul McMullan first became acquainted with the city in 2012 when both artists displayed work in Downstreet Art. Richardson's installation, "Arctic Garden," addressed climate change in context of Richardson's hometown, Winnipeg. McMullen's work was also featured in a pop-up gallery from Gallery 107, ceramic work that functioned as the "guardians of the 4 Comments
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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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Let's Go Paperless | This is from Ward 6 Councilor John Krol's eblast today. His switch to digital immediately caught our attention. With the associated costs - nearly $4,000 a year for paper alone! - zipping councilors "the packet" (as we in the know like to call it) over the ether makes loads of sense.
Digital also means the average citizen gets far better access to these public documents than ever before. The city clerk's office has been diligent about posting meeting agendas and, where possible, relevant documents. So in terms of saving money and time and getting information out efficiently, digital is the way to go.
I would like to thank City Clerk Linda Tyer for agreeing to print out one less city council packet, as I have officially gone paperless for council meetings - which I hope will be a trend that can be extended throughout city government.
 The bulky (and often, very bulky) city council packet that councilors use for a reference costs an average of $170 per meeting for paper alone. Add the additional costs of ink/toner, wear and tear on city hall copiers, and the time and energy of staff who put it all together - and a simple transition away from paper benefits everyone.
With the packet now fully digital in pdf form, all councilors, and everyone with an internet
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Berkshire Music School Kicks Off 2012 Classes With Open House | The open house featured a sample class, access to musical instruments, information for parents, refreshments ...and more than a few delighted squeals.
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January 29, 2011
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of youths, many of them under the age of 5, attended an open house at the Berkshire Music School Saturday, as the educational nonprofit enters its 70th year at its 30 Wendell Avenue home.
The open house featured a sample class, access to musical instruments, information for parents, refreshments... and more than a few delighted squeals, proving once again the inherent interest in making a joyful noise is not generational, and will never go out of style.
 The open house featured a Music for Preschoolers class, designed to "children’s awareness of rhythm, ability to sing and move creatively to music," which |
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