| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Councilors Discuss Ban on Median StandingBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:38AM / Thursday, October 05, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City councilors feel that people standing in roadway medians — from panhandlers to protesters — is a public safety hazard and want to find a solution. On Tuesday, the Ordinances and Rules subcommittee mulled a petition from Council President Peter Marchetti requesting to create an ordinance to ban people from standing on median strips unless crossing the street. It was tabled to gather input from interim Police Chief Thomas Dawley, City Solicitor Stephen Pagnotta, Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales and City Engineer Tyler Shedd.
Marchetti cited the city of Framingham's ordinance enacted about a year
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Man Found Guilty of Motor Vehicle Homicide in Becket | 03:42PM / Wednesday, October 04, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Tuesday, Oct. 3, Stanley Kardys, 70 of West Granby Conn., was found guilty in Central Berkshire District Court of Motor Vehicle Homicide Negligent Operation. Judge Tyne sentenced Kardys to 90 days in the House of Corrections. The Commonwealth requested 18 months in the House of Corrections, one year direct, and a balance suspended for one year. The Defense requested one year's probation. On April 23, 2021, at approximately 3:22 pm the Massachusetts State Police were dispatched to the 14.8 mile Eastbound marker on the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). There was a report of a collision involving a Freightliner 0 Comments
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MCLA Announces Theatre, Music Productions for 2023-2024 Season | 02:00PM / Wednesday, October 04, 2023 | |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) Theatre and Music departments announced the 2023-2024 season of performances with four productions including visiting performing artists, guest directors, and student directors in addition to two student concerts. The fall season opens on Nov. 3 with a MainStage production titled "Antigone by Sophocles" translated by Anne Carson and guest director Rudy Ramirez. The show is scheduled to run on Nov. 3-4, 10-11 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. in Venable Theatre. Rudy Ramirez, Benedetti Teaching Artist in Residence, is a director, writer, and teaching artist specializing in 0 Comments
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Krol 'Moving On' From Money Accusations After More Charges FoundBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
10:43AM / Wednesday, October 04, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayoral candidate John Krol says he is done addressing allegations of improperly spending a nonprofit cat rescue's funds after more charges against the account were discovered by The Berkshire Eagle.
Four of the charges were attempted business excise tax payments and were found in documents that Krol provided the newspaper in order to "clear his name."
"There are very powerful interests in this city that do not want me to be mayor," he said on his podcast earlier this week, later stating that he is moving on from the situation and will no longer be speaking to The Eagle about it.
On Sept. 20, The Eagle published allegations that
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Lanesborough Public Safety Panel Explores VariablesBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:24AM / Wednesday, October 04, 2023 | |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Public Safety Building Committee continues to chip away at the planning of the town's public safety facility project. There are a lot of unknown variables that the committee is attempting to make clearer including the cost and scope of the project to the most feasible funding options available to them. During its most recent meeting, committee members agreed to establish task forces to visit other public safety buildings to learn from their experiences in the design and community approval process. The composition of the task force subcommittees will be decided during the October meeting. The key components of getting a 0 Comments
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Berkshire Census Shows Small, Aging But More Diverse PopulationBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:03AM / Wednesday, October 04, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The 2020 U.S. Census shows that the county's population is decreasing and aging but is getting more diverse.
Last week, the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission was presented with a summary of data released in May. More than 63 percent of Berkshire County residents self-responded and the remaining were visited by Census takers and eventually subject to an administrative records review.
"I know is three years after the Census occurred but the Census Bureau just over the last several months have released the bulk of their data," GIS, Data and IT Manager Mark Maloy explained.
In 2020, the population was 129,026, down from 131,219. This represents a
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Lanesborough Senior Park Initiative Sees First MembersBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:47PM / Tuesday, October 03, 2023 | |
 LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town's Senior Park Initiative is shaping up with four official members.
Last week, the Select Board voted to appoint Linda Pruyne, James Neureuther, William Cook, and Preston Repenning to the committee. The deadline for citizens' interest forms was extended to give more residents a chance to join the effort.
Pruyne told the board that they would love to start working on the project, which proposes the addition of senior-friendly activities to the underutilized Bridge Street Park.
"Just to keep it simple and have it available and start getting some use out of it," she said.
A couple of weeks prior, the board voted to form a
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PCTV Hosts 36th Annual Meeting and Celebration | 04:00PM / Tuesday, October 03, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Community Cable Broadcasting, Inc., which operates Pittsfield Community Television (PCTV) and WTBR-FM, held its 36th Annual Meeting and Celebration on Thursday, Sept. 21 at the Polish Falcons Club on Belair Avenue. New board members were elected, and recognitions of achievement in programming and community service were awarded. More than 50 people attended the event. The annual meeting began with PCTV's Executive Director Shawn Serre championing a successful year. Serre advocated for modernizing the funding models for community media and highlighted a bill currently in committee in the state legislature that would 0 Comments
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Hudpuckers Gets Entertainment License, Extended Hours on Opening DayBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:00AM / Tuesday, October 03, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On its opening day, the Licensing Board granted Wahconah Street's new restaurant an extension of hours and entertainment license.
Hudpuckers Pub and Grill opened on Monday in the former Tahiti Takeout. The name is a nod to Bobby Hudpuckers, a popular eatery that closed more than 10 years ago.
"It's going smoothly," manager Justin Martin said to the board about five hours into the first day.
The eatery was approved for alcoholic beverage service until midnight. Currently, it is open daily at 11 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. on weekdays and at 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The board also OKed an entertainment license for
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Making the Loop | We had some free time this week to walk the 2-mile loop through the downtown. Here's a few of things that caught our eye. (In between taking photos, we were heel-toeing and arm-pumping as prescribed.)
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Let's Go Paperless | This is from Ward 6 Councilor John Krol's eblast today. His switch to digital immediately caught our attention. With the associated costs - nearly $4,000 a year for paper alone! - zipping councilors "the packet" (as we in the know like to call it) over the ether makes loads of sense.
Digital also means the average citizen gets far better access to these public documents than ever before. The city clerk's office has been diligent about posting meeting agendas and, where possible, relevant documents. So in terms of saving money and time and getting information out efficiently, digital is the way to go.
I would like to thank City Clerk Linda Tyer for agreeing to print out one less city council packet, as I have officially gone paperless for council meetings - which I hope will be a trend that can be extended throughout city government.
 The bulky (and often, very bulky) city council packet that councilors use for a reference costs an average of $170 per meeting for paper alone. Add the additional costs of ink/toner, wear and tear on city hall copiers, and the time and energy of staff who put it all together - and a simple transition away from paper benefits everyone.
With the packet now fully digital in pdf form, all councilors, and everyone with an internet
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Berkshire Music School Kicks Off 2012 Classes With Open House | The open house featured a sample class, access to musical instruments, information for parents, refreshments ...and more than a few delighted squeals.
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January 29, 2011
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of youths, many of them under the age of 5, attended an open house at the Berkshire Music School Saturday, as the educational nonprofit enters its 70th year at its 30 Wendell Avenue home.
The open house featured a sample class, access to musical instruments, information for parents, refreshments... and more than a few delighted squeals, proving once again the inherent interest in making a joyful noise is not generational, and will never go out of style.
 The open house featured a Music for Preschoolers class, designed to "children’s awareness of rhythm, ability to sing and move creatively to music," which |
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