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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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General Dynamics Runs Strong Through Pandemic, Donates to Community By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:34PM / Saturday, January 02, 2021 | |
More than three-quarters of the Pittsfield company's employees switched to remote working during the pandemic. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — One of Pittsfield's largest employers has been able to maintain successful operations and help its neighbors during the pandemic. General Dynamics Mission Systems has given back to the community with donations, modified its workplace to prevent transmission of the virus, preserved their internship program, and were even able to expand in these unprecedented times. "Despite the ongoing pandemic," Director of Strategic Communications Brenda L. Burdick said. "General Dynamics Mission Systems' Pittsfield team has 0 Comments
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Advocates Concerned for Pittsfield Unsheltered as Winter DeepensBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:48AM / Saturday, January 02, 2021 | |
Tents sprang up around the city this past summer. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — As 2020 drew to an end, around 70 individuals remained unsheltered or housing insecure in Pittsfield as winter weather descends on the county. "I don't believe our homeless are being well taken care of, I believe the city is painting a pretty picture when there's not one there," Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Maffuccio said. "People are treating these individuals like a pack of wild animals and not like human beings, and I have an issue with that." Local homelessness advocates say the city needs to take a different approach to aid the unsheltered population. At 2 Comments
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Happy New Year From iBerkshires.comiBerkshires Staff,
10:01AM / Friday, January 01, 2021 | |
 We are hoping all of our readers have had a happy holiday season. Thank you for making iBerkshires your go-to source for local news. We appreciate your support and will continue to provide you with the relevant information you need in your daily lives as we enter 2021. 1 Comment
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Pittsfield Christmas Tree Pickup Schedule| 01:14PM / Thursday, December 31, 2020 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Please note that Christmas tree pickup in the month of January will accompany the regular trash pickup schedule. A breakdown of the schedule includes the following servicing information: The week of Jan. 9, Casella will pick up trees on Monday and Friday routes. The following week of Jan. 16, they will pick up along the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday routes. During the week of Jan. 23, Casella will resume tree collection with Monday and Friday routes. Lastly, the week of Jan. 30, they will pick up trees according to the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday routes. For more information, please call 499-9330. 1 Comment
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Nearly 100K COVID-19 Vaccinations Expected by Year's EndBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
01:58PM / Wednesday, December 30, 2020 | |
 BOSTON — More than 75,000 people have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and an estimated 20,000 more at long-term care facilities will be inoculated by the end of this year. Vaccines have been shipped to nearly 400 medical and health-care locations and more than 50 vaccination clinics are expected to be operating at long-term care facilities this week. Clinics will continue to be launched on a rolling basis to distribute about 219,000 more doses of the vaccine to long-term care facilities over the next month. Gov. Charlie Baker said this is a sign of "brighter days ahead" after one of the state's worst years but cautioned residents 2 Comments
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Pittsfield 2020 Year in Review: City Grapples With Social IssuesBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:09AM / Tuesday, December 29, 2020 | |
Police Chief Michael Wynn marches in the procession to Durant Park in June. The chief says he is committed to working with community groups to build a more equitable society. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield in 2020 addressed social issues such as police reform, inclusivity, and domestic violence, along with a worldwide pandemic. In June, following weeks of worldwide protests over the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., at the hands of police, Pittsfield began to look at the Police Department’s use of force policy and saw a number of rallies and protests against police violence. Police Chief Michael Wynn committed to the work of 1 Comment
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Morningside Teacher Receives 2K Donation From Allstate FoundationBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Correspondent
01:30AM / Monday, December 28, 2020 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Morningside Community School teacher Renee Clark received a big surprise from the Allstate Foundation when she was funded nearly $2,000 for a social-emotional learning project. Clark is using picture books to teach social-emotional learning, or SEL, to her pupils, including important skills such as self-awareness, self-management, growth mindset, relationships, social awareness, kindness, respect, and responsibility. The Allstate Foundation funded about 2,000 projects for teachers across the country looking to bring SEL into their classrooms. The foundation was able to donate $1.2 million nationwide, benefiting about 300,000 students and 1,700 0 Comments
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Veteran Spotlight: Sgt. McCarthyBy Wayne Soares, Special to iBerkshires
04:37PM / Sunday, December 27, 2020 | |
 WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — An absolute pleasure to interview for this week's Veteran's Spotlight feature was Richard "Dick" McCarthy. McCarthy served his country as a sergeant in the Army in the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1968. His basic training was at Fort Dix, N.J., before he shipped out first to Alaska from McGuire Air Force Base. "We were drinking at a bar and this civilian who was working on the pipeline was bombed and said he wanted to go with us to Vietnam," said McCarthy, than laughed. "We wrapped him in an overcoat and snuck him on the plane. ... The pilot said he didn't have to pay for his flight over but had to pay 0 Comments
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A-Mart Convenience Store Officially Reopens: A Look InsideBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:12AM / Saturday, December 26, 2020 | |
The store is all new construction with expanded offerings. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After a devastating arson fire last October that burnt A-Mart Convenience Store to the ground, the North Street hallmark is once again open for business. A-Mart officially reopened to the public on Tuesday. Owner Yogesh Patel said the store itself hasn't changed much besides the expansion of retail space in what used to be a barbershop in the L-shaped building. The business has been a part of downtown Pittsfield for some three decades, making grocery, deli and other items accessible to residents of the lower-income area who may not have means of 0 Comments
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The Retired Investor: Where Have All the Christmas Trees Gone?By Bill Schmick,
04:22PM / Thursday, December 24, 2020 | |
 If you are one of those eleventh-hour holiday Christmas tree shoppers, you may be out of luck this year. Fresh balsam furs and other varieties of the traditional Yule symbol are hard to find. Blame the pandemic on the scarcity, but at the same time, celebrate the fact that more families than ever before are getting together this holiday season. And decorating that tree could be an intensely personal experience for the whole family. My wife, Barbara, and I actually set up our tree on Thanksgiving weekend. Given our ages, we chose to forgo turkey day with our loved ones, who reside in Manhattan, and tried to fill that emotional hole with something else. We found that 0 Comments
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High Winds, Heavy Rains Usher in Christmas 2020Staff Reports,
12:01PM / Thursday, December 24, 2020 | |
 The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has issued a high wind warning from 6 p.m. Thursday into the afternoon on Christmas Day. The forecast is for damaging winds of up to 70 mph that could blow down trees and power lines. NWS is predicting widespread power outages and difficult travel conditions. The storm will be accompanied by heavy rains that could cause flooding in low-lying areas. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is warning of 2 to 3 inches of rain between Thursday and Friday night. The city of North Adams issued a Code Alert asking for residents to prepare for power outages by charging phones and other devices, bringing in 0 Comments
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Increased Home Fires Highlights Importance Of Prevention | 10:46AM / Thursday, December 24, 2020 | |
 MEDFORD, Mass. — Over the past ten days Red Cross volunteers have responded to home fire across Massachusetts and assisted 84 people displaced or affected by 39 fires. Daily, the Red Cross assists people affected by disaster with direct financial assistance, case work to ensure fire victims find new housing, and mental health counseling to ensure all family members can restart their lives and make progress toward recovery. Home fires can affect anyone, and as weather turns colder, home fires surge. These safety guidelines can help keep you, your family and your home safe: Cooking Safety "Keep an eye on what you fry." Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling 0 Comments
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