| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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AccessPlus Awarded Grant to Bring Fiber to Affordable Housing UnitsBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
03:15PM / Friday, April 18, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Internet provider AccessPlus was recently awarded the Massachusetts Broadband Institute Retrofit program grant. "We are committed to delivering high-quality, high-speed internet to the Pittsfield community," said Kevin Alward, CEO of AccessPlus in a recent press release. "This grant allows us to further our mission of ensuring that everyone has access to the fast and reliable internet they need." The grant was a part of the Healey-Driscoll administration's $10.4 million initiative to modernize the public housing internet in Massachusetts. This grant will be used to bring high speed fiber internet to 13 multi-unit dwelling properties. This
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@theMarket: Fed Disappoints, Markets Swoon, While Tariff Talks ContinueBy Bill Schmick,
01:41PM / Friday, April 18, 2025 | |
On Thursday, investors hoped that Fed Chair Jerome Powell, speaking in Chicago at the Economic Club, would assure markets that he would backstop any downside from President Trump's policies. They were disappointed. Even worse, he said, "The level of tariff increases announced so far is significantly larger than anticipated, and the same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth." The fact that the leader of the world's most powerful central bank seemed to confirm the worst fears of investors triggered another $1 trillion sell-off in equity markets. The president quickly posted his displeasure at the 0 Comments
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Holiday Hours: Patriots Day| 11:00AM / Friday, April 18, 2025 | |
 Monday, April 21, is Patriots Day, a state holiday marking the anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord that began the American Revolution. The day has been celebrated on the third Monday in April since 1969. This year mark's the 250th anniversary of what many consider the start of the American Revolution with the "shot heard round the world."
It was on the morning of April 20, 1775, that Paul Revere and other riders began the alert across and beyond Massachusetts Colony that troops were planning to advance from Boston to the towns of Lexington and Concord. They were to seize a cache of gunpowder and arms and capture revolutionaries Sam Adams and John
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BCC to Host Women's Volleyball Letter of Intent Signing Press Conference| 10:58AM / Friday, April 18, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will officially launch its new athletics program with its first Women's Volleyball Letter of Intent signing ceremony and press conference on Thursday, April 24, at 3:45 p.m. at the Paterson Field House gymnasium. High school athletes Hannah Burrows from Wahconah Regional High School, Maya Creamer from Miss Hall's School, Jazmine Gregory from Hoosac Valley High School, and Jasmin Aslan from Taconic High School will sign their letters of intent to join BCC's inaugural Women's Volleyball team for the fall 2025 semester. The college will also launch its first Men's Baseball team in spring 2026. Both sports will
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Hancock Shaker Village Announces Plans for New Visitor Center & Center for Shaker Studies| 08:17AM / Friday, April 18, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Hancock Shaker Village has announced plans to begin construction in June 2025 on a redesigned Visitor Center & Center for Shaker Studies. This project follows several years of strategic planning, design work, and fundraising efforts. The new facility will include updated galleries, community event spaces, collection storage, and research areas for the museum's collection of over 22,000 Shaker artifacts and ephemera. The renovated building aims to enhance the visitor experience through improved orientation, expanded program offerings, closer access to collection items, and views of the surrounding landscape. The project has 5 Comments
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Berkshire United Way Recognizes Exemplary VolunteersBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:01AM / Friday, April 18, 2025 | |
The celebration event was held at Wander in Pittsfield. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire United Way raised a craft soda on Wednesday to two community members who embody volunteerism.
Brenda Lee Petell was given the Robert K. Agar Jr. Volunteerism Award and Maria Encalada the Daniel C. Dillon Helping Hands, Caring Heart Award during a ceremony at Wander, an inclusive sober cafe downtown.
"I'm not breaking any news when I tell you all that Maria and Brenda represent the spirit and the legacy of volunteerism in this community that are exemplified by Dan Dillon and Robert Agar, who are the folks these awards are named after," President and CEO Thomas Bernard
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Select Board Conditionally OKs May Carnival at Berkshire MallBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:19PM / Thursday, April 17, 2025 | |
 LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The springtime carnival will return to the Berkshire Mall property in a couple of weeks, if the hosts reach an agreement with emergency medical services.
On Monday, the Select Board approved a community event application for Gillette Shows' carnival from May 1 to May 11, pending a reasonable donation to the Ambulance Gift Account for EMS services. "This isn't a new concept. We discussed this after last year's carnival," EMS Director Jen Weber said.
The department saw an "exponential" increase in the need for services at the event as its attendance continues to rise. In 2024, there were 20 transports to the hospital over
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The Retired Investor: Market Uncertainty Takes Its TollBy Bill Schmick,
04:12PM / Thursday, April 17, 2025 | |
You may have weathered the Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic sell-off, some may even remember the Dot.Com boom and bust, but this time around feels different. That's because it is. In my entire career, I have never seen the stock market move 8.3 percent in 34 minutes on a rumor. That is what happened a few days back. To put that in perspective, the S&P 500 Index gains in minutes an entire year's performance. The following day it gave back half of that. Sure, we can blame these moves on computer-driven trading, algorithms, options, and the like but it doesn't change what happened and could easily happen again. If you feel the markets over the last 0 Comments
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Greylock Federal Promotes Vice President, Business Banking Officer II| 04:06PM / Thursday, April 17, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Greylock Federal Credit Union announced the promotion of Chris Barry to Vice President, Business Banking Officer II. "For nearly two decades, Chris has been a dedicated member of our Greylock team. Through the years, Chris has consistently demonstrated a proven track record of success by listening to our members' needs and supporting them through the process from start to finish," said Jodi Rathbun-Briggs, Senior Vice President, Chief Lending Officer. "One of Chris' strengths is the willingness to educate and help others on their path to entrepreneurship. In his new role, I know that Chris, and his team, will continue to provide this 0 Comments
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CBRSD Aims to Improve Town Meeting Attendance By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
02:35PM / Thursday, April 17, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — As town meeting season approaches, the Central Berkshire Regional School District aims to lower a barrier to residential participation caused by the lack of child care. District Assistant Superintendent Michael Henault informed the School Committee last week that the district plans to offer child care at Kittredge, Beckett-Washington and Wahconah High schools on voting nights, provided by a combination of National Honor Society students and staff volunteers. "We're organizing that right now … we're going to make it work, make it happen. A survey will go out to see the interest, but we're going to try to take away that 0 Comments
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BCC Nursing Programs Integrate Mental Health First Aid Certification| 08:13AM / Thursday, April 17, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) has added Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification as a mandatory component for all students in their final semester of the associate degree in nursing and practical nursing programs. The requirement, based on the curriculum provided by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, aims to equip graduating nursing students with the skills to identify and respond to individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges. Data from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention indicates an average of 130 daily deaths by suicide in the U.S. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that nearly one in 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Health Board Wants Feedback on Tobacco BanBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:24AM / Thursday, April 17, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Board of Health will hear from the community before adding Nicotine-Free Generation guidelines into the tobacco ordinance.
Earlier this month, the panel reviewed a draft update for Pittsfield's tobacco regulations, including a provision that "No retailer or person shall sell or provide a tobacco product to a person born on or after January 1, 2005."
No vote was taken, and discussion is set to pick up at the next meeting. "This is going to be a process that we're going to be involving everyone in and being respectful of everyone's opinions or facts that they have to share with us," Director of Public Health Andy Cambi
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