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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Sets Public Meeting on Mosquito ControlBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:29AM / Wednesday, April 17, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Following clashing viewpoints from the former City Council and Board of Health on mosquito spraying, the city has set a community meeting on April 29 to discuss its management plan.
The 6 p.m. presentation at the Berkshire Athenaeum will include the city's current mosquito management plan, a brief history, and an overview of regional mosquito management practices. Residents will have an opportunity to speak afterward.
Mosquito control has been a controversial topic over the last few years after adulticide spraying was discontinued in 2021. A request to repeal that action failed at the council level last year.
In April 2021, the subcommittee on
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Local Runners Compete at Boston Marathon| 09:16AM / Tuesday, April 16, 2024 | |
 BOSTON, Mass. -- Laura Stephen of Great Barrington finished 26th in the women's 60-64 age group at Monday's Boston Marathon, the top Berkshire County finisher in their division at the 128th running of the event. Stephen crossed the finish line in 3 hours, 42 minutes, 52 seconds, 12,633rd in the overall field of more than 30,000 runners who made the trek from Hopkinton to Copley Square in Boston. More than a dozen Berkshire County residents are listed among the finishers on the Boston Athletic Association website. The fastest of that group was Dalton's Alex White, who finished in 2:38:34 to place 358th overall and 291st among men aged 18 to 39. The 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Firefighters Rescue Woman From Burning Home| 05:58AM / Tuesday, April 16, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A woman was saved from the second floor of a structure fire on Marlboro Drive on Monday evening. Two search teams had to work through a hoarding situation inside the single-family home at 1 Marlboro after the blaze was called in at about 6:45 p.m. The woman was found by the Tower 1 team at the top of the stairs about 15 minutes after the first unit arrived on scene. She was taken to Berkshire Medical Center by County Ambulance. Neighbors first reported smoke coming from the house with fire alarms sounding. Engine 6 confirmed smoke coming from the house and were met with serious hoarding conditions making access inside the 0 Comments
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Chapter 70 Fix Adds $2.4M to Pittsfield School BudgetBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:29AM / Tuesday, April 16, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Local and statewide advocacy has led to a correction in Chapter 70 funding, adding another $2.4 million in aid for fiscal year 2025. Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Kristen Behnke reported last week that the state Department of Secondary and Elementary Education has recognized 11 more low-income students in the district, bumping the district back into a higher reimbursement group. She said it is "very welcome news given this budget situation."
The School Department had missed the cut by 0.04 percent, or two students, costing the district millions in state education aid but this was found to be a technical error.
"Because
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MassWildlife: Black bears are active and searching for food| 12:01PM / Monday, April 15, 2024 | |
BOSTON — MassWildlife officials are reminding the public that hungry bears are emerging from their winter dens and seek out food.? If you live in northern Middlesex County, Worcester County, western Massachusetts, or other areas where bears have been spotted, take these steps to prevent conflicts with black bears: Take down your bird feeders. Natural foods, such as acorns and other nuts, are usually available on the ground, but last year's fall hard mast crop was meager.?Bears will often ignore seasonally available natural foods, like skunk cabbage, in favor of an easy meal at a backyard bird feeder.?Other species, including wild turkeys and coyotes, may also 0 Comments
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Mass Cultural Council Festivals, Projects Grants Available | 11:00AM / Monday, April 15, 2024 | |
BOSTON — The next grant round of Festivals and Projects will fund activities that provide public benefit using the arts, humanities, or sciences and take place between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. These awards of $2,500 will support cultural celebrations, concert series, film festivals, public art projects, art workshops, pop-up markets, art and nature hikes – and more – across the Commonwealth. Eligible festivals, projects, and programs are publicly available or community-based. Funds will be available to support activities that are open to the general public, or focused on serving the needs of a particular community. This could be a geographic 0 Comments
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Dalton Board of Health Approves Green Burial VerbiageBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:18AM / Monday, April 15, 2024 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Board of Health approved wording for the green burial guidelines during its meeting on Wednesday. The guideline stipulates that "Ebola or any other diseases that the CDC or Massachusetts Department of Public Health deem unsuitable for green burials can not be approved by the town Board of Health." The board has been navigating how to include communicable diseases in its guidelines to prevent them from spreading. Town Health Agent Agnes Witkowski has been working to clarify the state's guidelines regarding infectious diseases and green burials. She attended a presentation on green burials and 0 Comments
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No Drought Conditions in Berkshire County| 04:01PM / Sunday, April 14, 2024 | |
BOSTON — Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper declared that Berkshire County remains at a level 0 drought designation. As outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, Level 0-Normal Conditions?status warrants continued monitoring of drought conditions, close coordination among state and federal agencies, and technical outreach and assistance to the affected municipalities if drought conditions return.? Tepper added that following several months of above normal rainfall, the Islands Region will be downgraded from Level 1-Mild Drought to Level 0-Normal Conditions. All other regions of the state remain in Level 0-Normal 0 Comments
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Pittsfield ConCom OKs Zebra Mussel TreatmentBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:43PM / Sunday, April 14, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Conservation Commission has OKed a zebra mussel pesticide treatment in Onota Lake if the invasive species are confirmed.
On Thursday, the panel approved a notice of intent application for the use of EarthTec QZ within a specified treatment area of the lake.
"We're not entirely 100 percent sure that there is an infestation of zebra mussels at Onota Lake. Last September, a water sample was taken and the DNA of zebra mussel was detected in that water sample. This was a water sample taken near the boat ramp at Burbank Park. Subsequent water samples were taken later in the fall and very early this spring, there were still non-detects in those
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Market 32 Raises Funds to Benefit Muscular Dystrophy Association | 03:51PM / Saturday, April 13, 2024 | |
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — Price Chopper and Market 32 customers and teammates raised $182,990 to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) during its annual March fundraiser where customers were encouraged to round up their change at the register. Combined with a $10,000 corporate match, the total gift of $192,990.36 -- nearly $78,000 more than last year's campaign -- directly benefits MDA's mission to empower the people they serve to live longer, more independent lives. The Muscular Dystrophy Association is committed to saving and improving the lives of kids and adults living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related life-threatening neuromuscular 0 Comments
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West Side Residents Build Ideal Neighborhood At Zoning SessionBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:39PM / Saturday, April 13, 2024 | |
Program manager James McGrath opens the session at Conte Community School. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Residents mapped out a West Side they would like to see during an input session this week, utilizing multi-use properties to create robust density. Held at Conte Community School on Monday, this was the second meeting of a project to examine zoning in the neighborhood. The Department of Community Development, in partnership with Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, has been working with an urban planning and design consulting team on the effort that will conclude on June 30.
"This is a really important project for your neighborhood," Park, Open Space, and Natural
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Marchetti Announces Jazz Art Contest WinnersBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:22PM / Friday, April 12, 2024 | |
Brooklyn Duck is this year's winner of the contest and her work will be used for the Pittsfield City Jazz Festival. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield High School has 75 jazzy artworks in City Hall, one of which was chosen to represent the 2024 Pittsfield City Jazz Festival.
Mayor Peter Marchetti on Thursday congratulated the winners of the annual Berkshires Jazz Student Art Contest. PHS junior Brooklyn Duck won first place followed by senior Nye Stedman and sophomore Karalin Melendez.
Duck's artwork features a colorful array of musical instruments and musicians with piano keys winding down the center. She said that she was inspired by her teacher Lisa
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