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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Council Refers FY24 Budget Items to Committee of WholeBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
03:46PM / Wednesday, May 10, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The fiscal 2024 budget season has been kicked off with nine orders from Mayor Linda Tyer referred to the Committee of the Whole.
The proposed operating budget for FY24 is $205,634,497 — almost $17,000,000 or 8.9 percent higher than last year's budget of $188,822,018.
This breaks down into $109,350,895 for city operations, $78,088,016 for the School Department, and $18,195,586 for the enterprise which includes the Department of Public Utilities water treatment, sewer, and wastewater.
On May 17, there will be the first public hearing on the 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan, the budget, and nine departments. There will also be budget hearings on May 24,
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Provider Profile – Suzanne Childs, BHS Occupational Therapist| 12:21PM / Wednesday, May 10, 2023 | |
 Across the country, there are nearly 135,000 Occupational Therapists, and Suzanne Childs, who provides this specialized care at the Center for Rehabilitation at BMC, says OT goes beyond helping someone regain their functions for work. "We promote functional independence for people and help restore not only vocational skills, but also homemaking and daily living skills," said Childs. "Occupational Therapy covers the full range of activities people of all ages do to live functional, meaningful lives." Suzanne has been with BMC since 1994 and has served as an Occupational Therapist in the Berkshires for nearly 30 years, most of that time in the outpatient 0 Comments
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Granola for Good: Healthy Granola Collection| 12:06PM / Wednesday, May 10, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In celebration of the Jewish festival of Shavuot, Jewish Federation of the Berkshires invites residents to donate packaged whole grain granola or granola bars for distribution to local shelters and food pantries. The drive will be held through the month of May. Drop-off locations: The Berkshire Food Co-op (34 Bridge Street, Great Barrington) Hevreh of Southern Berkshire (270 State Road, Great Barrington) Concepts of Art (65 Church Street, Lenox) Jewish Federation of the Berkshires (196 South Street, Pittsfield) Williams College Bookstore, (Williamstown) 0 Comments
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BHS Relaxing COVID-19 Infection Control GuidelineStaff Reports ,
11:30AM / Wednesday, May 10, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In recognition of this progress and after careful review of all relevant public health data and information, Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) is relaxing many of its COVID-19 infection control guidelines effective Thursday, May 11, 2023, when both the state and federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency declarations will expire. It has been more than three years since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Berkshire County. Over the past three years, Berkshire Health Systems and the healthcare community at-large have evolved in their understanding of the virus and how best to support the community. BHS stated in a press release that they know 0 Comments
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Market 32 Campaign Supports Local Food Banks| 08:23AM / Wednesday, May 10, 2023 | |
 Albany, N.Y. — Price Chopper/Market 32 launched its two-month-long "Fill A Glass with Hope/Fill a Plate with Promise" campaign in partnership with the Northeast American Dairy Association, Garelick Farms, and local food banks. From May 1 to June 30, customers will be given the opportunity to round up their totals at the register to help provide local food banks with the means to purchase milk and other nutritious foods for the families they serve. "The American Dairy Association continues to go above and beyond in its efforts to bring fresh milk to those in need," said Mona Golub, Price Chopper/Market32's vice president of public relations 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Health Department Seeks Renaming to Reflect Human ServicesBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:24AM / Wednesday, May 10, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Health Department is seeking a rebrand to represent the scope of services that it offers.
Director of Public Health Andy Cambi revealed an effort to rename it the Department of Health and Human Services.
"We have really been expanding our human services part of the department and it's great that we have these great staff that are doing this work," he said to the Board of Health. "So it gives us an opportunity to rebrand ourselves, I think." With support, Cambi could move forward with the process of renaming the department in the city charter.
Community health worker Gabrielle DiMassimo reported that the department has served more
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Dalton Fire District's $3M Budget Approved By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
04:48AM / Wednesday, May 10, 2023 | |
The Prudential Committee takes questions during the meeting. DALTON, Mass. — Voters approved all 24 articles on the warrant at the annual Fire District meeting on Tuesday night at the Stationary Factory. Around 45 voters attended the hourlong meeting to approve the budget and various money articles for salaries, equipment, and operating costs. Multiple residents asked questions regarding the pay increases for the water district's staff. District voters approved the appropriation of $705,841, a 4 percent increase for the Water Department's operating budget bringing its total to $704,841. A driving force of this is 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Health Board Accepts Mosquito Control Plan Without SprayingBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:11PM / Tuesday, May 09, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There were again no isolations of West Nile virus or eastern equine encephalitis in Pittsfield last year.
The Board of Health last week accepted a plan from the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project that includes minor changes but continues to exclude spraying.
Changes include mechanical source reduction and the addition of two products for larval and adult control: a multi-brood controlled release granule and Merus 3.0.
"If I have mosquito surveillance numbers that are above our threshold I will make a recommendation to the board," the project's Superintendent Chris Horton said in terms of spraying.
The board has been tasked
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Dalton Historical Commission Gets a Fireproof CabinetBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
02:52PM / Tuesday, May 09, 2023 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Historical Commission voted to purchase a two-drawer fireproof cabinet during its meeting last week. Commissioner Thomas Synder said he went to BBE Office Interiors and found the cabinet for $1,995 including delivery. The commission also has to allocate money to cover the cost of an alarm and electricity so it should not wipe out the budget, Commissioner Bonnie Eastwood said. The commission has $3,074.15 remaining in the town account and $2,291.51 remaining in its donations account. It currently has five five-drawer file cabinets but they are not fireproof. Although the two-drawer cabinet will not be able to 0 Comments
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Newest Submarine Christened USS Massachusetts | 12:11PM / Tuesday, May 09, 2023 | |
 WASHINGTON — The Navy christened one of its newest Virginia-class fast-attack submarines, the future USS Massachusetts (SSN 798), during a ceremony on Saturday at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va. In a time-honored Navy tradition, the submarine's sponsor, Sheryl Sandberg, christened the boat by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. Sandberg is the founder and chair of the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to build a more equal and resilient world through three key initiatives: LeanIn.org, OptionB.org, and the Dave Goldberg Scholarship Program. "The 0 Comments
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BUW to Present Awards at Live United Community Celebration| 12:00PM / Tuesday, May 09, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire United Way (BUW) will honor three community members with volunteer awards at the Live United Community Celebration on May 16. Alex Reczkowski will receive the Daniel C. Dillon Helping Hands, Caring Heart Award, given to an individual or group who shows up time and time again for those in need. Reczkowski, director of the Berkshire Athenaeum, is active in local and international service as a member and president of the Rotary Club of Pittsfield, volunteers with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and has served on several boards and committees. Vannessa Guess Slaughter and Manny Slaughter will receive the Robert K. Agar 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Subcommittee Looks at Noise Ordinance's EffectivenessBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:33AM / Tuesday, May 09, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Residents believe that the city's noise control regulations are thorough — they just need better enforcement.
Last week, a number of community members attended the Public Health and Safety subcommittee to air grievances on audio disruptions and asked for the police to amp up citations.
The panel referred the matter to the full City Council and requested that the city comply with its noise control code, continue and step up its response to violations, and redirect resources to address it.
"We all want the same thing," Ward 3 Councilor Kevin Sherman said. "We all want safe streets and health."
Councilor at Large Peter White brought
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