| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Dalton Select Board OKs Concrete Sidewalks for Orchard RoadBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:18AM / Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board voted to have concrete sidewalks for the Orchard Road reconstruction. The anticipated start date of the project, according to the town manager, is April 1, Select Board member Marc Strout said on his selectman's Facebook group. The base bid of $923,807.36 does not include a full sidewalk. The base bid included a small center area to be paved with bituminous asphalt, Town Manager Tom Hutcheson said during the Select Board meeting last week. To have sidewalks, the board had to accept from the alternates proposed that had additional cost estimates. The board voted to have the entire sidewalk to be 0 Comments
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Gov. Healey Touts Transportation Bill in LenoxBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:16PM / Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | |
Gov. Healey speaks to the press on Tuesday at Lenox Town Hall after a closed meeting with town and state officials. LENOX, Mass. — Gov. Maura Healey believes Berkshire County deserves a "better deal" from the state than it has gotten for decades.
"I accepted on the outset that we need to do a better job as a state of making sure that we take care of Berkshire County and Western Massachusetts," she said, adding that she feels the state has not done this over time.
On Tuesday, she and other state officials touted the state's proposed $8 billion transportation plan that includes support for rural roads, culverts, and small bridges. The visit began at
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Mill Town Foundation and Pittsfield Public Schools Announce Core Impact Awards| 03:38PM / Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass — Mill Town Foundation, in partnership with Pittsfield Public Schools and with support from the Feigenbaum Foundation, has announced the inaugural Core Impact Awards. The Core Impact Awards will recognize educators and school staff members in the Pittsfield Public School District who have demonstrated a significant impact on student learning, innovation in education, and community engagement. The awards will honor one full-time teacher or staff member from each of the 14 schools in the Pittsfield Public School District. The nomination period will close March 21, 2025. Nominations can be submitted by community members, students, parents, and 0 Comments
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1Berkshire and MassCEO to Host Regional Symposium| 03:35PM / Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — 1Berkshire, in partnership with the Massachusetts Center on Employee Ownership (MassCEO), will host the Western MA Regional Employee Ownership Symposium at the Berkshire Innovation Center on March 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The symposium will provide information about MassCEO and employee ownership models, and will address effective succession planning, pay equity, and wealth building. Regional employee-owned firms will share their experiences. Attendees will learn about potential state and federal funding to support employee ownership and will have the opportunity to participate in a round-table discussion with subject matter experts. The event 0 Comments
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Dalton Residents Petition for Action on Berkshire Concrete DustBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
01:17PM / Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | |
 DALTON, Mass. — Several hundred residents have petitioned the Planning Board and Board of Health to take action regarding complaints surrounding Berkshire Concrete Corp. On Wednesday, the Planning Board will be providing an update on the organization's dust mitigation plan and the petrographic test results expected to determine the dust's composition. The meeting will take place at the Senior Center starting at 7 p.m. During an update on the situation at a February Select Board meeting, the Board of Health said it is actively working with the state Department of Environmental Protection on air sampling from the sand dust to understand its 0 Comments
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Lanesborough Voters Will Be Presented 2 Police Station OptionsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:36AM / Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board will present two public safety facility designs to voters — though one appears more feasible.
This conversation was continued at last week's joint meeting with the Public Safety Building Committee. The board again voted to advance a $7.3 million combined police/emergency medical services facility and a $6.5 million separate build.
Before it goes to town meeting, there will be another round of community input.
"When we get to town meeting, we don't have to present both of them if we're overwhelmed with people saying, 'Hey, let's just get the Police Department and EMS done," Select Board member Deborah
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CBRSD School Committee OKs $36M BudgetBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:15AM / Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School Committee approved a gross final budget of $36,643,001 for fiscal 2026, an increase of 2.70 percent over this year. The biggest cause of the increase is from insurances. The district's active health insurance premiums increased by 16 percent; retirees had an increase of 20 percent, and a 3 percent increase in dental, said Gregory Boino, director of finance and operations. Another large increase was for special education transportation costs, which increased $135,000, "and it's just to meet the actual expenditures where we're living right now," Boino said. The district's 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Celebrates 'Twinning' With Irish Sister CityBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:31PM / Monday, March 17, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Last week, the city celebrated St. Patrick's Day early with officials from Sister City Ballina, Ireland.
There was music, dancing, gift exchanges, and a lot of green.
"If you're wondering, what does a Sister City do?" Pittsfield Sister City Committee Chair Francis Curley said.
"We've had art exchanges, we had a female basketball team from Ballina come over and play here, we had a semi-pro basketball team from Ballina come here. So it's not just sports; it's like cultural exchanges. Every time I speak with someone from Ireland, I learn something new."
Pittsfield and Ballina have been "twinning" for 27 years,
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Berkshire County Historical Society Lecture on Pittsfield Brewing History| 03:33PM / Monday, March 17, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.—The Berkshire County Historical Society will present a lecture on the history of beer making in Pittsfield and the surrounding Berkshire region. The free lecture, titled "Thirsty in the Berkshires: Brewing from the 18th Century to Prohibition," will be delivered by historian and educator Cynthia Brown. The event is scheduled for March 20 at 7 p.m. at Hot Plate Brewing in downtown Pittsfield. The lecture will examine the historical context of commercial and private brewing in Pittsfield, dating back to the 18th century. Brown will discuss the evolution of brewing practices and the role of beer in the region's culture, leading up to the 0 Comments
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Annual Fabric Swap Set in Lenox| 03:22PM / Monday, March 17, 2025 | |
LENOX, Mass. — The Lenox Community Center holds its annual fabric swap on Saturday, April 26, from noon to 3. Bring a bag to take material even if you don't bring any. Dropoff for materials is Friday, April 25, from 3 to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 10:30 to 12:30. Early dropoff available beginning on April 7 on the LCC back porch or anytime at American Garage Door at 1 Main St., Lanesborough. A great way to clear out the clutter, repurpose and recycle. Fabric, notions, yarn, needles and arts and crafts accepted. For more information: Sharon Walker at 413-637-9941 or s-walker@adelphia.net. Anyone interested in 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Has Spent 70% of ARPA FundsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:30PM / Monday, March 17, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city's nearly $41 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds are committed and almost 70 percent has been spent.
"That full amount of funding has been allocated to 84 projects for the city and we have expended $28.1 million to date as of December 31, 2024, that's 69 percent of the ARPA funding," Special Project Manager Gina Armstrong said last week.
"And 50 percent of those projects have been completed."
Of the $25 million allocated for negative economic impacts, only about $16 million has been spent. Armstrong explained that these funds are obligated for housing projects, the redevelopment of Site 9 at the William Stanley
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Pittsfield Inaugural Artist-In-Residence at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts| 11:25AM / Monday, March 17, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts' inaugural Artist-in-Residence program offers an opportunity for an artist to gain creative space and exposure while engaging with the local arts community. The program not only provides a free 6-month studio space starting in April 2025, but also includes a culminating group exhibition in October 2025, giving the resident artist a platform to showcase their work alongside the other artists at the Lichtenstein. This residency is designed to foster artistic development and collaboration, allowing the artist to focus on creating new work or refining existing pieces while interacting with arts professionals, stated a press
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