| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Superintendent's Award Presented to Wahconah High SeniorBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
12:44PM / Saturday, December 20, 2025 | |
Brown's parents Dan and Heather Brown pointed to Haze's drive, resilience and willingness to learn. DALTON, Mass. — Wahconah Regional High School senior Haze Brown was recognized for their academic achievements and for making the school and community a more inclusive and connected place. During last week's School Committee meeting, Brown was presented with the Superintendent's Award for being a "changemaker" and embodying the spirit of academic excellence. The Certificate of Academic Excellence from the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents was presented by Superintendent Michael Henault. Only one student from each high 0 Comments
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Planning Board Continues Berkshire Concrete Hearing By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
10:07AM / Saturday, December 20, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Planning Board again voted to continue the public hearing for Berkshire Concrete's excavation permit despite opposition from neighbors. The hearing was continued to Jan. 21 with the stipulation that Berkshire Concrete, a subsidiary of Petricca Industries, have all its documents submitted to the town 10 business days prior to the next meeting. "We have two roads to take — one helps keep us with the ability to put more useful and adamant conditions on the permit, and the other one gives us a year and eight months to figure out what we would like to add to the information," Planning Board Vice Chair Robert Collins 0 Comments
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MassWildLife: Counting birds, Your New Holiday Tradition| 08:01AM / Saturday, December 20, 2025 | |
Looking for a way to give during the holiday season while also enjoying nature? A tradition that started Christmas Day in 1900 is now a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society. People across the state will spend the beginning of the winter counting birds, helping ornithologists gather data that would be difficult to collect on their own. From December 15 to January 5, the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will commence in the U.S., Canada, and 18 other countries in the Western Hemisphere. Countries are divided into geographical regions (35 in Massachusetts) and each region will pick a single 24-hour period to count birds. Data from the CBC can be utilized in many ways, 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Affordable Housing Initiatives Shine Light, HopeBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
07:08AM / Saturday, December 20, 2025 | |
Housing Secretary Edward Augustus cuts the ribbon at The First on Thursday with housing officials and Mayor Peter Marchetti, state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The holidays are here and several community members are celebrating it with the opening of two affordable housing initiatives. "This is a day to celebrate," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said during the ribbon-cutting on Thursday. The celebration was for nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at "The First" located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. A ceremony was held in the new Housing 0 Comments
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Dalton Finance Anticipates Challenges Budget Season By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
03:45PM / Friday, December 19, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Finance Committee will soon embark on its budget planning process, which comes with a notable challenge. It was demonstrated during its meeting last Wednesday that this year's budget planning will demand both strategic thinking to ensure financial stability for the town while maintaining critical services. The town does not have a lot of budgetary flexibility because it does not have a lot of room with relation to Proposition 2 1/2, Chair William Drosehn III said. Proposition 2 1/2 limits the ability of town's to raise taxes and sets a levy ceiling. Drosehn said the town's levy limit is $280,000. However, it 0 Comments
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Berkshire United Way Awards Food Assistance Funds to 15 Organizations | 03:37PM / Friday, December 19, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire United Way (BUW) has awarded $51,630 to 15 local organizations to strengthen food distribution efforts in response to rising food insecurity and recent disruptions in federal assistance programs such as SNAP. Following a thorough application and review process, BUW provided funding to: Berkshire Bounty, Berkshire Community College Foundation, Berkshire Dream Center, Berkshire Grown, Community Health Programs (CHP), First United Methodist Church, Friends of the Pittsfield Senior Center, Great Barrington Farmers Market, Pittsfield Community Food Pantry, seeing rainbows, Sonrisas, The Christian Center, The People's Pantry, Village Food Box, 0 Comments
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Weekend Outlook: Holiday HappeningsBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
02:32PM / Friday, December 19, 2025 | |
 Check out the events happening this weekend, including holiday-themed parties and events. Find all the craft fairs and bazaars happening here. Editor's Pick Adams Holiday Light Parade Downtown Adams Sunday at 6 p.m. Santa is visiting Adams before his big night. Join the first responders, police department, and more as they escort Santa around town. The parade will start at Liberty Street and end at Hoosac Street. More information and route here. Friday Family Movie Night 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' BArT Charter Public School, Adams Time: 6 to 9 p.m. Bring the family to see the first Harry Potter film. 0 Comments
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@theMarket: Markets Enter Last Leg of a Good YearBy Bill Schmick,
02:10PM / Friday, December 19, 2025 | |
Friday was the end of the final full week of trading for the year. The next two holiday-shortened weeks will top off a good year for stocks. Will Santa show up for the finale? The much-vaunted Santa Claus Rally is supposed to begin this coming week and carry us through to the New Year. Does it really matter? For the most part, if you had stayed invested through 2025's ups and downs, you should be pretty happy now. Especially so if you had followed my advice and bought some precious metals and mining stocks. Of course, I won't turn my nose up at an extra percent or two into January if Mr. Claus does visit. Now that the president has made the day before and after 0 Comments
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Capeless Students Raise $5,619 for CharityBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
11:13AM / Friday, December 19, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Students at Capeless Elementary School celebrated the season of giving by giving back to organizations that they feel inspired them. On Monday night, 28 fourth-grade students showed off the projects they did to raise funds for an organization of their choice. They had been given $5 each to start a small business by teachers Jeanna Newton and Lidia White. Newton created the initiative a dozen years ago after her son did one while in fifth grade at Craneville Elementary School, with teacher Teresa Bills. "And since it was so powerful to me, I asked her if I could steal the idea, and she said yes. And so the following year, I began, and I've been able to do
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The Retired Investor: Fed's $40 Billion-per-Month Purchase of Treasuries Is ImportantBy Bill Schmick,
03:55PM / Thursday, December 18, 2025 | |
Last week's half-point interest rate cut by the Federal Open Market Committee, overshadowed what I believe is an even more important development. The Fed has kicked off a series of what they called "reserve management purchases" by committing to buy $40 billion per month in short-term Treasury bills and notes. In essence, the Fed is expanding its balance sheet by buying these securities. They were quick to point out that this was not the beginning of a quantitative easing program, which is aimed at explicitly stimulating economic activity, although it has the same impact on financial markets. In essence, the Fed is providing a steady stream of additional liquidity to 0 Comments
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PEDA Site 9 Preparation, Member RetirementBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
03:40PM / Thursday, December 18, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The redevelopment of Site 9 for mixed-use in the William Stanley Business Park is set to take off. Edward Weagle, principal geologist at Roux Associates, gave an update on the yearlong work to the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority last week. "It's been a real pleasure for me to work on a project like this," he said. "This is kind of like a project of a career of a lifetime for me, and I'm very pleased to see that we're just at the finish line right now. My understanding is that all the documents are in front of the commissioner, waiting for her to sign off." Mill Town Capital is planning to develop a mixed-use
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BCC Welcomes Applicants to Culinary Apprenticeship Program | 03:19PM / Thursday, December 18, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) is accepting applications to its culinary apprenticeship program. Successful program graduates are awarded the industry-recognized ServSafe Food Handler Certificate and are job-ready for a wide range of food service employment opportunities, from school cafeterias and hospital kitchens to restaurants and private households. Student apprentices are paid, and students of all ages may qualify for free tuition and fees. To apply to BCC, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/apply. The 15-week culinary arts apprenticeship program blends hands-on, practical training with systematic accompanying education, 0 Comments
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