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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Council Flies Through Short AgendaBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:49PM / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council went through nine agenda items in under an hour on Tuesday.
This included the acceptance of a grant for MassDevelopment to create a possible Innovation District in the William Stanley Business Park and a transfer and appropriation of $200,000 from the Veteran Services Department to the Workers Compensation Department.
Under a project management and grant agreement, MassDevelopment will perform a strategic initiative to look into districting the business park. A communication from the mayor states that there will be no financial outlay involving the city.
Business Development Manager Michael Coakley explained that the conversation began several
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Dottie's Plans Expansion to Former Mission Bar and TapasBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:56PM / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A North Street staple is expanding to the former Mission Bar and Tapas.
On Monday, the Licensing Board approved a transfer of premise, license, and pledge of license from On A Mission LLC to Dottie's Coffee LLC. Owner Jessica Rufo plans to reopen the eatery as "Dorothy's," an expansion of the business that is open later.
The wall between the two spaces will be taken down to allow access between them.
"Initially we're going to keep our regular hours from 7 a.m. until 2 o'clock then our hope once the liquor license transfers is that will be open later until 8 or 9 o'clock," Rufo said.
"Our current offerings at
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PHS Theatre Presents Dark Comedy With 'Little Shop of Horrors'By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
01:16PM / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield High School's spring production will include singing, dancing, and a man-eating plant.
The PHS Proteus Theatre will present "Little Shop of Horrors" on April 28-29 and May 5-6 at 7:30 p.m.
and on April 30 and May 7 at 2:30 p.m.
The dark comedy is based on a 1986 movie by the same name and follows Seymour Krelborn, the protagonist, who discovers a "strange and interesting plant" that he soon realizes needs blood to survive.
"He's kind of down on his luck, he hasn't had the greatest opportunities in life, he works at a flower shop and he's really into strange plants," theater teacher and director Kyla
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2nd Street to Host Berkshire Harm Reduction Mobile Unit| 09:22AM / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — 2nd Street will host the Berkshire Harm Reduction Mobile Unit on Friday, April 28 from 1-2 pm. Supported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Berkshire Harm Reduction Program at Berkshire Medical Center provides vital services to the community, including testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, and Hepatitis C; sharps disposal and syringe service; overdose prevention education and naloxone distribution; and referral to additional community support services. The mobile unit travels across the Berkshires to provide services in a supportive and nonjudgmental manner in areas where transportation is challenging for 0 Comments
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Williamstown Select Board Directs ARPA Funds to Elementary School ProjectsBy Stephen Dravis, iBerkshires Staff
05:25AM / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | |
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday voted to allocate $300,000 of the town's American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover infrastructure needs at the elementary school. Specifically, school officials attended Monday's meeting to ask the town to support an estimated $550,000 to $600,000 project to replace the two playgrounds at the preK-6 facility. "There are two pillars that stand alone in terms of why we should be addressing them," school district Business Administrator Joseph Bergeron told the board. "One is: Neither of the playgrounds is at all accessible — not for people to play on them, not for caregivers to be near them and 0 Comments
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Letter: Ordinance Would Address Police NegligenceLetter to the Editor,
06:30PM / Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | |
 To the Editor:
I want to thank the Pittsfield City Council Ordinance and Rules committee for hearing my two petitions, which would require the police to intervene when another police officer is perpetrating illegal violence against the public, and my other petition creating a duty to report such incidents codified in an ordinance instead of it being an informal police policy subject to change. I have a high opinion of the council, the chief, and the acting city solicitor.
As noted by the Congressional Research Service, "Incidents involving the use of force by law enforcement, such as the 2020 death of George Floyd and the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols, have raised questions regarding
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Pittsfield Seeks Input for Draft CDBG Annual Action Plan| 03:24PM / Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield's Department of Community Development has released the draft Annual Action Plan outlining how federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds will be used to address housing and community development needs in Pittsfield for the 2024 fiscal year. Community Development, in conjunction with the City Council's subcommittee on Community and Economic Development, will hold a public hearing on May 18 at 6 p.m. on its CDBG program budget and draft 2024 Annual Action Plan. The public hearing will be held at City Hall in the City Council Chambers. The hearing is part of a 30-day public review process that is required by the 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Licensing Board: Thistle & Mirth Responded Appropriately to January FightBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:25PM / Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Licensing Board has decided that a popular bar's response to a fight that resulted in injury was appropriate and does not warrant a suspension.
On Monday, the panel filed a show cause hearing for Thistle and Mirth's liquor license related to two disturbances that occurred on Jan. 7 and Jan. 13. It had been continued from February because of the board's objection to the heavily redacted police report.
The first incident was an argument that took place outside of the West Street restaurant and the second, which prompted a referral to the Licensing Board, involved a stabbing and a window being broken.
"The Jan. 7 incident was only brought
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New Holmes Road Bridge On Schedule For August OpeningBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:46AM / Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Crews can be seen at work on the Holmes Road Bridge with an expected opening late this summer. But the state Department of Transportation warns the bridge will be closed for weeks beforehand.
"MassDOT is on schedule with the project and the new bridge is anticipated to be open for travel in August 2023," communications director Kristen Pennucci reported last week.
The bridge has been reduced to one lane for four years after being found structurally insufficient and needs a $3.5 million replacement of the overpass structure. This includes a new structure over the Housatonic Rail line, a restored sidewalk, improved bicycle access, new pavement, and
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One Book, One Community Read Explores Intimate ViolenceBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:50PM / Monday, April 24, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — More than 20 groups across the county learned the story of a woman who breaks the stereotype of an intimate violence survivor during the third One Book, One Community read.
The Berkshire Domestic Violence and Sexual Task Force's annual event culminated this month with a webinar featuring writer and producer Tanya Selvaratnam, author of "Assume Nothing, A Story of Intimate Violence."
Selvaratnam spoke out about being abused by former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in 2018, which led to his resignation. At the time, he was publicly prosecuting celebrity film producer Harvey Weinstein for sexually assaulting his
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BHS 4th of July Road Race Under New Direction| 03:25PM / Monday, April 24, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) and the Berkshire Running Foundation (BRF) are partnering to expand the annual BHS 4th of July Road Race with an enhanced community health focus. The BHS 4th of July Road Race began in 1985 with 250 runners taking to the street to run the out-and-back 5K course before the start of the annual Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade. Since then, a team of BHS employees and volunteers has operated this annual local race for more than three decades, with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic. "By partnering with the Berkshire Running Foundation, an extension of Berkshire Running Center, we aim to create new opportunities for 0 Comments
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Berkshires Jazz Student Art Contest Winners Honored at Pittsfield City HallBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
12:48PM / Monday, April 24, 2023 | |
Maddalina Penna's winning artwork is featured on this year's poster for the Pittsfield City Jazz Festival. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Maddalina Penna had just won one award at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art when she walked into restaurant to seen another of her works prominently displayed. "It's pretty insane that I've seen my art everywhere," the Pittsfield High junior said on Monday after being recognized as this year's first-place winner in the annual Berkshires Jazz Student Art Contest sponsored by the Pittsfield City Jazz Festival. "It's cool to see it around." Jazz Chair Edward Bride noted that Penna's 0 Comments
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