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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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State Commemorates National Fix-A-Leak-Week Campaign and World Water Day | 08:00AM / Saturday, March 25, 2023 | |
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration commemorates World Water Day and National Fix-A-Leak Week. It marks the third day of the annual Fix-A-Leak Week campaign spearheaded by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) WaterSense program, as well as World Water Day, which is led by the United Nations (UN). Fix-A-Leak week aims to raise awareness about the importance of finding and repairing water leaks in homes and businesses, while this year's World Water Day theme is accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. "Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental right," said Energy and Environmental Affairs 0 Comments
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Lanesborough Bridge Closed for Next Year| 10:10PM / Friday, March 24, 2023 | |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The state has closed a second Berkshire County bridge because of structural issues. The 20-foot span on Bridge Street was ordered closed by the Department of Transportation at 9 a.m. on Friday, based on an inspection conducted Thursday that identified further structural issues and holes. On Tuesday, the state ordered the Brown Street bridge in North Adams closed because of structural deficiencies. The steel girder bridge over Town Brook was built in 1945 and had most recently a deck rating of 3 and a superstructure rating of 5 and 6. Town Administrator Gina Dario said in a release on Friday that MassDOT had advised 0 Comments
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@theMarket: The Fed Walks a Tightrope.By Bill Schmick,
04:15PM / Friday, March 24, 2023 | |
 In the face of uncertainty over the fate of regional banks, the U.S. central bank hiked interest rates and said they would continue with their program of quantitative tightening. Stocks fell and bonds rose after the FOMC meeting on Wednesday, however, the real drama was elsewhere. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was testifying before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee at the same time as the Fed meeting. She told lawmakers that she has not considered or discussed "blanket insurance" for U.S. banking deposits without approval by Congress. Many traders in the markets had just assumed that since the government had made all depositors whole in both Silicon Valley 0 Comments
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BCC, Sonoco Partner in Mechatronics Apprenticeship Program | 04:00PM / Friday, March 24, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) and Sonoco Plastics have entered into a partnership to encourage those interested in a career in mechatronics to apply for an apprenticeship at Sonoco. Apprentices will receive full tuition at BCC for its associate degree in mechatronics program, provided they complete the apprenticeship. Mechatronics is a growing field that combines technologies of mechanics and electronics. An interdisciplinary field of study, it encompasses sought-after skills in electro-mechanical systems, machine operation, computing, automation, robotics and advanced manufacturing. Mechatronics bridges traditional machine operation 0 Comments
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MOLARI Employment and HealthCare Services Announces Management Team| 08:34AM / Friday, March 24, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Gail Molari, President and Chief Executive Officer of MOLARI Employment and HealthCare Services, announced today that Nicholas Kirchner, Guin Griswold and Lee Rudin together will lead MOLARI as the company's management team. "As MOLARI Employment and HealthCare Services celebrates 40 years of serving Berkshire County this year, we are excited to introduce our management team", said Gail Molari. "Nicholas Kirchner, Guin Griswold, and Lee Rudin bring a wealth of experience and expertise with over 85 years of combined experience, and we look forward to working together to strengthen the services that we provide and lead MOLARI to an even 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Schools Receive Generous Final Donation from Dissolving Education FoundationBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:41AM / Friday, March 24, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The school district received a final boost from the Pittsfield Education Foundation before it dissolves — and it was a big one.
On Wednesday, the School Committee accepted a $17,500 donation from the foundation to support a districtwide, four-day professional development institute this summer. Nationally renowned educational leader Douglas Fisher is expected to come and work with faculty members.
This is PEF's remaining balance, as it is discontinuing operations in the spring after the board of directors determined that it was redundant to the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation's Pittsfield Education Enrichment Fund.
The money was accepted
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The Retired Investor: Gold as a Safe HavenBy Bill Schmick,
05:55PM / Thursday, March 23, 2023 | |
 This week, gold briefly climbed above $2,000 per ounce. The precious metal is commonly thought of as an inflation hedge, but also serves a different function in times of financial stress. Gold can be a safety trade. Gold is a highly speculative asset in the best of times. But, unlike bonds and stocks, it has one redeeming factor in times of economic slowdown, financial instability, and geopolitical tension. It does not carry the risk of an issuing entity collapsing, such as a bank or a government. There have been many examples of this throughout history. The latest example was back in February 2022, during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Gold spiked to $2,078 per ounce 0 Comments
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Pittsfield School Committee Sees $78M Budget ProposalBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:08PM / Thursday, March 23, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The district is seeking a budget increase of more than 8 percent in fiscal year 2024, with a majority of the funding going to special education, career technical education, and contractual obligations.
The School Committee got a first look at the upcoming budget request on Wednesday. The $78,310,016 ask is an 8.17 percent — or $5,911,754 — increase from FY23's budget of $72,398,262.
"Our goal continues to be to create meaningful and most importantly, sustainable change for the children of our city," Superintendent Joseph Curtis told the committee.
"Meaningful and sustainable change takes time. We are impatient because our
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BHS Testing, Vaccine Centers Put COVID-19 Vaccinations on Hold| 12:01PM / Thursday, March 23, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With a significantly diminished demand, Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) will temporarily halt its COVID-19 vaccination clinics at the BHS Vaccine & Testing Centers in Pittsfield and North Adams, effective April 1. A final pediatric COVID-19 vaccine clinic will be held at the Pittsfield center, 505 East St., on Friday, April 7. The number of people in the region seeking COVID-19 vaccination at the BHS centers has fallen dramatically in recent months. In addition, many local pharmacies now provide the vaccine. BHS will continue to monitor COVID-19 infection rates and vaccination needs in the county and will adjust its offerings to meet those 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Parks Commission OKs Pickleball Facility DesignBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:03AM / Thursday, March 23, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pickleball plans at Springside Park have been scaled down to fit the $500,000 budget.
On Tuesday, the Parks Commission approved a plan that includes six pickleball courts and a smaller parking lot.
"What we're finding is that the eight-court facility was beyond the resources that we had in place," Park, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath said, referring to the half million dollars of American Rescue Plan Act funding that was allocated to the project.
The city hopes to get the project out to bid as soon as possible and have the eight to 10-week construction done this year.
There are two alternates built into the base
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Pittsfield Subcommittee OKs Draft Chicken OrdinanceBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:44PM / Wednesday, March 22, 2023 | |
Councilor at Large Karen Kalinowsky speaks in favor of the ordinance change for chickens. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is closer to having an affordable fee for chicken keeping.
On Monday, the Ordinances and Rules subcommittee supported a drafted ordinance that brings the cost of keeping six chickens from more than $500 to $25. The ordinance takes the process out of the Zoning Board of Appeals purview and requires a license similar to that of a dog.
"We've really come a long way from having to have a cost of around $500 to get chickens where this will bring it to a more equitable opportunity for anyone in the City of Pittsfield who meets the setback
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'Assume Nothing' Discussion at the Athenaeum | 01:08PM / Wednesday, March 22, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass.— March is National Reading Month and the Berkshire Athenaeum is participating in the Berkshire Domestic and Sexual Violence Task Force's One Book, One Community county-wide read of "Assume Nothing: A Story of Intimate Violence." The memoir was written by Tanya Selvaratnam about her relationship with former NY State Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, and how she was able to extricate herself from the relationship and his abuse. The library has 12 copies of the book and will be hosting a zoom discussion of it on March 22 from 6:00-7:30 pm. This is one of 20 groups discussing the same book across Berkshire County. Register at 0 Comments
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