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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield School Committee Votes to Adopt Language & Literacy programBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:21PM / Friday, February 24, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee voted to pilot the "Imagine Learning: Language & Literacy" program last week. This is a supplemental computer-based English language program for multilingual students that is available in 12 languages for kindergarten through eighth grade. It was piloted at Morningside Community and Williams Elementary schools but has since been integrated into all the elementary schools and expanded into the middle schools. The program does not include the Afghan language Dari but the Curriculum Department has applied for a grant for some resources that are geared toward Dari speakers in the school 0 Comments
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@theMarket: Bond Yields Weighing on StocksBy Bill Schmick,
03:11PM / Friday, February 24, 2023 | |
 There is a discrepancy growing between bond and stock markets. The bond vigilantes are betting the Fed is nowhere near done hiking rates. Stock jockeys disagree. Which camp will prove correct? A look at the government's U.S. Treasury bond auctions this week resulted in most yields going higher. Buyers insisted on higher returns to purchase the billions of dollars in U.S. Treasury notes, bills, and bonds that are a weekly occurrence in the financial markets. Overall sentiment in the markets has turned cautious and, for some, downright bearish once again after the January rally in stocks. Recession fears are once again taking center stage for many although there is still not 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Shows Some Love With 10x10 Fest Ice SculptureBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
02:15PM / Friday, February 24, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The sound of power tools could be heard in downtown Pittsfield as two artists crafted icy letters in front of the Berkshire Museum.
Peter Vacchina and Robert Markey spent hours on Thursday creating a large frosty display that reads "Love 10x10" as part of this past week's 10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival.
"We feel like love is all around and love is what everyone needs," the city's Cultural Development Directo Jennifer Glocker said. "So it's just a simple message of love and it's going to be here as long as Mother Nature cooperates and it stays cold, which looks very good." With temperatures dipping into the 20s on
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Affordable Housing Trust Talks Preservation of Pittsfield UnitsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:07AM / Friday, February 24, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Affordable Housing Trust member Michael McCarthy asked his colleagues: How do we leverage trust fund monies for quality affordable housing?
"I represent a lot of people and I've spoken with a lot of people about this issue and I'm thinking that one of the things that we should focus on as our trust is to figure out how our money can be a catalyst for developers or current owners of rental properties to make it affordable for them to make their properties nice while still keeping rents affordable and low," the attorney said last week.
"I think that's where we would get the most bang for our buck."
Conversation was centered
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Pittsfield Expands Downtown Public Wi-Fi Network| 06:10PM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — As part of its ongoing commitment to advancing digital equity, the city of Pittsfield has expanded its downtown public Wi-Fi network. Free Wi-Fi is now available via the network name "Pittsfield_Free_WiFi" from the intersection of East and West Housatonic streets and South Street north to the intersection of Linden Street and Maplewood Avenue, as well as North Street. The network also includes The Common, a city park located at 100 First St. The expansion was made possible through the commonwealth's Community Compact Cabinet Information Technology Grant Program. "The expanded network provides free wireless internet to 1 Comment
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The Retired Investor: U.S. Treasuries Beginning to Look Attractive.By Bill Schmick,
04:40PM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
 It may not be the 1970s when interest rates offered investors double-digit returns, but 5 percent on a six-month U.S. Treasury bill isn't bad. We last saw that kind of return in 2007. To be sure, the rate still comes up short when compared to the 6.4 percent annual rate of inflation right now. Yet inflation is declining and has fallen for seven months in a row. The dilemma investors faced last year was that there simply was no haven to park their cash. The stock market was treacherous and falling. The Federal Reserve Bank was hiking interest rates on an almost monthly basis to combat inflation, and most bond prices were falling almost as much as equities. This year 1 CommentRead More >> |
Community Group Holding 'Walk-Out' on Pittsfield's West Street| 02:36PM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Community Design Center will host a "West Street Walk-Out" event this Saturday, Feb. 25, from 1 to 2 p.m. Participants will gather at Dorothy Amos Park at 310 West St. and walk a loop crossing through the streets and over crosswalks to show presence in a section of the city's streets that many fear crossing. This event comes in response to the death of Pittsfield resident Shaloon Milord, who was hit, along with her 3-year-old daughter, while leaving the park on Jan. 30. Milord succumbed to her injuries on Feb. 5. The design center, a community-driven group, believes this intersection is a danger, with car 0 Comments
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Weekend Outlook: Snakes, Festivals, and MoreBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
12:06PM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
 Berkshire County is having a variety of events this weekend including festivals, concerts, and more. Thursday Hissing Booth Bash Witch Slapped, Pittsfield Start your weekend early with snakes brought by circus and sideshow performer Opal Raven Cirque from 5 to 7 p.m. at Witch Slapped at 78 North St. Participants between the age of 10 and 18 can learn about snakes and spells using snakeskin with this hands-on educational experience. Registration is required. Tickets are $15 and can be found here. Friday Kids Terrariums Workshop North Adams Public Library Join local plant experts from the Plant Connector starting at 2 p.m. to 0 Comments
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Dalton Select Board, Finance Committee Making Final Budget ApprovalsBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
10:28AM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board approved a $4,300 increase to the forest warden budget during its meeting last week. This projected increase brings the department's total budget up to $6,300. The salary line item is projected to increase from $1,895 to $2,500 due to the department's increased workload. The wardens are in "constant" communication and training with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and other trail organizations to set up appropriate training for emergency first responders. This training includes, but is not limited to, wilderness search, rescue and recovery, fire suppression, 0 Comments
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Berkshire Humane Offers Wellness Checks at Former Vet ClinicBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:08AM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Humane Society is responding to a boom in pet ownership and a dearth in veterinary care by offering basic wellness appointments. "The more I talk to our local veterinarians I hear that they are just overwhelmed," Executive Director John Perreault explained. "There are only so many hours in the day, they can't make everybody happy." The society is setting up in the former Allen Heights Veterinary Hospital on Dalton Avenue. The goal is to provide affordability and accessibility while keeping local dogs and cats healthy and relieving bottlenecking at local providers. Within this calendar 14 Comments
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Pittsfield Parks Commissions OKs New, Returning EventsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:56AM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
The 'missing soldier table' as a memorial to POW/MIA at last year's Park of Honor. This year, it will be used at the ceremony for Vietnam veterans in September. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Parks Commission approved a dozen park event requests on Tuesday, ushering in a year of diverse happenings. Among the approvals is a seemingly new event in the fall: the Mayflower Portuguese Water Dog Trial that will be held on Sept. 16 and 17 at Burbank Park from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"We're trying to keep the water dog instinct alive in our breed," said Patrice Lattrell, vice president of the Mayflower Portuguese Water Dog Club. "They were bred to work on the fishing boat
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Berkshire Music School Welcomes Four New Faculty Members| 03:29PM / Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Music School (BMS) announced four new faculty members: Jonathan Comisar on piano; Ryan LaBoy on vocal instruction; Matthew Thomas on piano; and Carol Yahr on vocal instruction. In addition, BMS welcomes Andrew Smith, to their staff as an Administrative Associate. Headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the Berkshire Music School is a non-profit organization that provides music education activities, community collaborations, and performance opportunities. "We are pleased to welcome some of the best teaching musicians in our community to the BMS faculty to help fulfill the increased demand for private lessons and 0 Comments
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