| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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1Berkshire Youth Leadership Program Accepting Applications | 08:17AM / Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The 1Berkshire Youth Leadership Program, open to all current sophomores in the Berkshires, selects a cohort of up to 30 students from all backgrounds for this ten-month experience that will allow them to explore the regional economy and develop their leadership skills. Once selected, students will begin the program with a 3-day, 3-night retreat in June near the end of their sophomore year. At the retreat, students will meet for the first time, begin to build connections, and learn about their individual leadership styles. Over the following ten months, students will reconvene for eight full-day sessions, held at various locations across the Berkshires (or
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Pittsfield Extends Interim School Superintendent ContractBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:31AM / Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips' employment has been extended to 2027.
Last week, the School Committee approved an employment contract that runs through June 30, 2027. Phillips was originally appointed to a one-year position that began on July 1 and runs through the end of the fiscal year in June 2026.
"You didn't ask me simply to endure challenges or struggle to prove myself. Instead, you believe in me, you've given me the space to grow, the encouragement to stretch, and the expectation that I can truly soar," she said earlier in last Wednesday's meeting when addressing outgoing School Committee
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New BRTA Administrator Keen on Getting People Where They Need to GoBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
05:11AM / Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | |
Kathleen Lambert has decades of experience in transportation and planning and has some ideas on how improve service at BRTA. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The new Berkshire Regional Transit Authority administrator has officially started work alongside outing Administrator Robert Malnati. Kathleen Lambert was chosen as the new administrator back in September to replace the retiring Malnati. Lambert was the administrator of Haverhill's $37.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. Previously, she was deputy administrator at the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority, and was in transportation planning and administration in Arkansas and community development in Philadelphia. She has
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Pittsfield's Durant Park Splash Pad Gets $200K BoostBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:49PM / Tuesday, December 16, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Durant Park splash pad project has been boosted by more than $200,000 in state funds.
A 700-square-foot outdoor water attraction is planned for the 2.1-acre park at 30 John St. City officials hope to have it operational by summertime.
On Tuesday, the City Council accepted $215,980 from the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to install a stormwater treatment system on Francis Avenue and a splash pad at the park. BRPC has agreed with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs' Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program to administer the funds.
"This is a really easy thing, I think, for most of us to support, at
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Dalton Finance Makes Reserve Fund TransfersBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
02:24PM / Tuesday, December 16, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Finance Committee made two reserve fund transfers last Wednesday night. The reserve fund balance is currently $60,000. This is the first reserve fund transfer the town has made this fiscal year, committee clerk Karen Schmidt said. A transfer to the vocational education tuition account for $16,000 was approved. The original appropriation was $605,020 and the present balance is $4,527. It had been previously demonstrated that setting the budget for this account can be challenging due to the uncertainty about how many students will choose to attend vocational education programs. The vocational education account was reduced 0 Comments
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BCC Welcomes Applicants for Para Educator Training | 11:12AM / Tuesday, December 16, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) is accepting applications for its Para Educator Training course. Classes are held four days per week from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. beginning Monday, Jan. 5 and concluding Thursday, Feb. 12. This is an entry-level course with no prerequisites. Registrants must be 18 years or older and have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent. To view more information, including specific course hours and days, and to fill out an interest form, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/paraeducator. Para educators play a vital role in supporting teachers in the classroom. The para educator certificate can also 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Sewer Lining Replacement Projects| 07:07AM / Tuesday, December 16, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City's sewer lining replacement project work continues this week. The sewer lining will be replaced in several locations as outlined in the schedule below during the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each weekday. This work includes lining aging sewer pipes to help prevent future breaks within the sewer line. There should be minimal to no impact on residential sewer lines during this work. Dec. 16: Union Street Dec. 17: West Street Dec. 18: Hopewell Drive & Bryant Street Dec. 19: Fort Hill Avenue & Bryant Street This schedule is subject to change based upon weather conditions. For more information about this project, 0 Comments
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Lenco Celebrates $5M in Capital InvestmentsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:34AM / Tuesday, December 16, 2025 | |
Executive Vice President Lenny Light says it's not the equipment but the staff that gives Lenco its competitive advantage. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Lenco Armored Vehicles has embarked on a $5 million capital investment project for faster, better manufacturing. A ribbon was cut on Monday in front of the company's new Trumpf TruLaser 3080, a machine designed to cut extra-large sheets of metal. This will increase the efficiency of building armored tactical vehicles, such as the BearCat, by about 40 percent. Executive Vice President Lenny Light recalled the Lenco's beginnings in 1981, when it operated out of 3,000 square feet on Merrill Road 0 Comments
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OLLI at BCC Announces Winter 2026 Semester| 07:15AM / Monday, December 15, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College (OLLI at BCC) announced its Winter 2026 class catalogue, offering hundreds of courses, lectures, and events — online and in person — for adults seeking enrichment, connection, and community. Online registration is open at berkshireolli.org/winter2026. Each winter, OLLI brings together a learning community from across the Berkshires. In Winter 2026, members may choose from a variety of classes, spanning literature, history, science, arts, current events and even practical topics such as self-defense and hiking. Some highlights of the Winter 2026 0 Comments
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Pittsfield ConCom OKs Wahconah Park Demo, Ice RinkBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:26AM / Monday, December 15, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Conservation Commission has OKed the demolition of Wahconah Park and and the installation of a temporary ice rink on the property.
The property at 105 Wahconah St. has drawn attention for several years after the grandstand was deemed unsafe in 2022. Planners have determined that starting from square one is the best option, and the park's front lawn is seen as a great place to site the new pop-up ice skating rink while baseball is paused.
"From a higher level, the project's really two phases, and our goal is that phase one is this demolition phase, and we have a few goals that we want to meet as part of this step, and then the
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Berkshires Marks the Start of Hanukkah, Mourns Shooting VictimsBy Stephen Dravis & Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
05:04AM / Monday, December 15, 2025 | |
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat and her son, Drew Zuckerman, prepare to light the menorah in North Adams. The brief ceremony can be watched here. LENOX, Mass. — At a community Hanukkah celebration at The Mount, Jewish Federation of the Berkshires President Arlene Schiff opened the festivities with a recognition of the victims of Sunday's mass shooting in Australia and praise for a hero who helped stop the killing. Watch the lighting here. "We stand in solidarity with the Jews of Australia and other Jewish communities around the world who are lighting candles tonight, continuing Jewish life and tradition, standing proud in the face of hate," Schiff said. "And we 0 Comments
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Governor Announces Federal Heating Assistance Funding is Now Available| 04:20PM / Sunday, December 14, 2025 | |
BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey announced that the Trump Administration has released federal funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). After more than a month's delay, the federal funding was released, and all applications can now be processed, stated a press release. "For more than a month, President Trump has forced American families to wait in the cold," said Governor Healey. "As we hit cold winter weather, we are relieved that funds are finally flowing now, and families can apply for help heating their homes. Our team has worked to make this funding available immediately, because our families cannot afford to wait. 0 Comments
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