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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Proposed Pittsfield Tax Rate Would Hike Bills 8.75%By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
11:47AM / Monday, November 27, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The administration is proposing a split tax rate that will increase the average homeowner's bill by 8.75 percent.
City Council will hold a tax classification hearing on Tuesday for the fiscal 2024 tax rate; the meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Mayor Linda Tyer and the Board of Assessors have put forward a residential rate of $18.45 per $1,000 of valuation and a commercial, industrial, and personal property rate of $39.61.
This is based on a residential factor of 0.8151 and a commercial shift of 1.75. The city will utilize a levy of about $109.1 million.
The residential rate for FY23 was $18.32 per $1,000 of valuation and the commercial,
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Pittsfield Man Pleads Guilty to 6 Counts of Raping a Child | 10:54AM / Monday, November 27, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Monday, Nov. 20 Dean Giftos, age 48 of Pittsfield, pled guilty to 2 counts of Rape of a Child with Force and 4 counts of Rape of a Child, Aggravated by Age Difference. Judge Agostini sentenced Giftos to 7 to 10 years in prison for the Rape with Force charges and 3 years' probation from and after for the Aggravated Rape charges. During his probation, Giftos must have no contact with the victim, have no unsupervised contact with minors, and he must attend sex offender treatment. Should he violate his probation, he is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. According to a report from the district 0 Comments
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Strong Little Souls Founder Advocates for Pediatric Cancer Research FundBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
08:08AM / Monday, November 27, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Strong Little Souls founder Madison Quinn headed to the State House two weeks ago to advocate for a bill that would provide funding for pediatric cancer research. "Pediatric cancers are desperately underfunded," said Quinn, now a pediatric nurse. Quinn was showing support for Bill S.2496 An Act Improving Pediatric Cancer Research at a public hearing of the Joint Committee on Public Health. If voted into law the act would establish a Pediatric Cancer Research and Resource Project Trust Fund. The committee was hearing testimony on more than a dozen bills. Also testifying on the need for cancer 0 Comments
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Springside Park Not Viable for Roots Rising FarmBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:51PM / Sunday, November 26, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Arsenic-infected soils and invasive plants have led Roots Rising to pull its farm project from Springside Park.
"Over the past several months we have been studying the site at Springside Park. We found levels of arsenic that require further investigation as well as a number of species of invasive plants," Executive Director Jess Vecchia wrote to the Parks Commission.
"One such plant, cypress spurge, is of particular concern because contact with the latex sap can cause serious burns on skin, as well as permanent corneal damage if it comes into contact with the eyes."
Earlier this year, the nonprofit farming organization came to the commission
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National Grid Submits Comprehensive Performance Investment Plan| 11:29AM / Sunday, November 26, 2023 | |
WALTHAM, Mass. – Massachusetts Electric Company and Nantucket Electric Company, which are part of National Grid, filed with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) a Comprehensive Performance and Investment (CPI) plan, as part of its required Rate Review filing, designed to deliver the fair, affordable and clean energy transition, reinforce the local energy grid, and hold the company accountable to achieving a smarter, stronger, cleaner and more equitable energy future for the 1.3 million customers the company serves across the Commonwealth. "The proposal we've filed today, coupled with our electric sector modernization plan, Future Grid, will deliver 0 Comments
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Outdoor Recreation Contributed Over $11B to Mass Economy | 08:00AM / Sunday, November 26, 2023 | |
BOSTON — New figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) demonstrate the strength of the outdoor recreation economy for Massachusetts. The Massachusetts outdoor recreation economy grew 17 percent in 2022, contributing more than $11.7 billion in value added to the Massachusetts economy and creating 102,687 jobs. Recognizing the importance of outdoor recreation, the Healey-Driscoll Administration launched a new Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation (MOOR) in September 2023, which works across agencies to promote Massachusetts as a welcoming, inclusive, diverse, and accessible place to play outside. "Every Massachusetts 0 Comments
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Dalton Officials Nix Fire District Article at Special Town MeetingBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
03:44PM / Saturday, November 25, 2023 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board voted to remove a question about dissolving the Fire District from the special town meeting warrant. Despite high attendance at last week's meeting from members of the Fire Department and district, no one spoke on the issue. The article was recommended by Select Board Chair Joseph Diver earlier in November following concerns with the delayed ladder truck and anonymous safety complaints made to Diver by members of the Fire Department. It was noted during the meeting that not many residents understand that the Fire District is separate from the town and provides fire protection and water. If approved 0 Comments
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FEMA Awards Funds to Massachusetts for COVID Administrative Costs| 12:22PM / Saturday, November 25, 2023 | |
BOSTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending almost $37 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse it for some of the administrative costs incurred responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) will receive a total of $36,547,871 in federal funding through FEMA’s Public Assistance grant program to reimburse the cost of administering grants FEMA provided to the commonwealth for such expenses as COVID vaccinations and testing, non-congregate sheltering, and providing meals to vulnerable populations. The direct and indirect administrative costs of activities included tracking, charging, and 0 Comments
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Local Athletes Earn League Honors with College TeamsiBerkshires.com Sports,
11:08AM / Saturday, November 25, 2023 | |
 Lee High School graduate Elizabeth Brown was named to the all-Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference first team this fall. Brown, a sophomore at MCLA, led the Trailblazers in digs, with 3.27 per set, and was third on the team in kills with 2.29 per set. She played in all 26 of MCLA's matches, starting 25, and had a season-high 18 kills in a five-set loss to Westfield State. Brown was named second-team all-league last fall after her first season at MCLA. Her former Lee teammate and current MCLA teammate MaKayla Schuerer appeared in 15 matches for MCLA (21-5) in her first year on the squad. Schuerer finished with 23 digs. For the MCLA men's 0 Comments
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Salvation Army, Market 32 Launch Holiday Kettle Program| 08:54AM / Saturday, November 25, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Price Chopper/Market 32 is once again playing host to the Salvation Army's "Red Kettle" holiday campaign at all 130 of its stores in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The Salvation Army and Price Chopper/Market 32 have been collaborative partners in the communities they serve for more than 35 years. "The annual Red Kettle campaign has become integral to the holiday season – both in our stores and in our communities," said Blaine Bringhurst, Price Chopper/Market 32 president. "Being able to extend ourselves and welcome our community partners in support of friends and 0 Comments
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Nightwood Illuminates The Mount for Fourth YearBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
07:03AM / Saturday, November 25, 2023 | |
Created during the pandemic as a safe activity, the outdoors light and sound installation has become a tradition at Edith Wharton's home. LENOX, Mass. — Lights and sounds are bringing The Mount's property alive after hours during the fourth year of Nightwood.
Executive Director Susan Wissler said the show feels like an expanded experience, as there are many new components. The event opened on Friday and will run through Jan. 6.
"Front and center still are the stars, the trees," she said. "But the light and the musical score that accompany them just transformed into a completely different world."
The immersive winter exhibition stretches across
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North Adams Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges | 02:00PM / Friday, November 24, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Nov. 15 Marcus Johnson, age 23 of North Adams, pled guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class A Substance, heroin and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class B Substance, cocaine. The Honorable Judge Agostini sentenced Johnson to 3.5 to 4 years on each charge, to be served concurrent. Additionally, there was a forfeiture of $3,530.00. Johnson pled guilty the day his trial was set to begin. In 2019, the North Adams Police Department was investigating the supplying and dealing of drugs coming into the North Adams area. Marcus Johnson became an identified suspect during the investigation. On Nov. 1, 2019, 0 Comments
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