| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Celebrates Century-Old Red Oak on Arbor DayBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:13PM / Thursday, April 24, 2025 | |
The Rev. Michael Denton says the world needs more 'rootedness' and that the oak has provided shade for many in need over the years. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city celebrated Arbor Day with a birthday party for a 100-year-old red oak tree outside United Church of Christ.
This included a cake and singing "Happy Birthday" to the stately organism that challenges the height of the adjacent buildings.
"The thing that always amazes me about trees is that when you look at the network of branches above it, that same thing is mimicked in the ground underneath it. When I think about that, it amazes me," the Rev. Miichael Denton said to a crowd in the
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The Retired Investor: Tax-Deferred Retirement Account? Don't PanicBy Bill Schmick,
04:07PM / Thursday, April 24, 2025 | |
Victor R. What to do in times of uncertainty? Trillions of dollars in hard-earning savings have been erased from retirement accounts in what seems to be a blink of an eye. One year's worth of savings gone in a matter of weeks. The decision to sell, buy, or hold has never been more difficult. In the private sector, more than 50 percent of Americans own stocks in their tax-deferred retirement accounts. That total has been increasing, thanks to the market gains since the pandemic and new federal and state rules that require more companies to offer employees access to 401(k)s through the workplace. Congress has also authorized a new rule that goes into effect this year 0 Comments
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BArT Announces Third Quarter Honor Roll | 07:33AM / Thursday, April 24, 2025 | |
ADAMS, Mass. — Berkshire Arts & Technology (BArT) Charter Public School has announced the students who made the honor roll for the third quarter of the 2024-2025 school year. Students who earned 80 percent or above in all of their classes received the distinction of "Honors". Students who earned 90 percent or above in all of their classes received the distinction of "High Honors." Academic courses at BArT are aligned with the Massachusetts State Curriculum Frameworks for the appropriate grade level and include all standards deemed necessary for a complete, college-preparatory, middle and high school education. Students in Grade 6 0 Comments
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Dalton Select Board Candidate Forum Set ThursdayBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
02:48PM / Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | |
 DALTON, Mass. — iBerkshires.com is hosting a Select Board candidate forum at the Senior Center on Thursday, April 24, at 6 p.m. Pittsfield Bureau Chief Brittany Polito will ask the candidates questions curated from voter submissions. The number of questions will be limited by the 90-minute time limit. Each candidate will begin with a two-minute opening statement. Following this, Polito will ask questions. For every question, the candidates will each have up to 1 1/2 minutes to answer, followed by 30 seconds each to rebut or follow up. The moderator can allow for further debate on a particular question if needed. At the conclusion of 0 Comments
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Letter: Working for You, Keeping PromisesLetter to the Editor,
01:00PM / Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | |
 To the Editor:
Hello everyone, the last couple months have certainly flown by quickly. So, once again another campaign is upon us. I am looking forward to again getting your valued support for a three-year term so I can continue serving the people of Dalton. I am very pleased with what has been started in my brief time in office. Each item that was started was a promise made during my campaign, and I would really like to make sure these things happen. And best of all, together I know we can make sure they do.
Over the last couple months I have been busy keeping my campaign promises: I promised to listen. I have continued my weekly office hours at the Town Hall and also meet with people
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Pittsfield Council Wants Promised Transparency Around PHS InvestigationBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:20PM / Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council doesn't want promises of transparency around the Pittsfield High School investigation to be backtracked.
On Tuesday, it urged the School Committee to release a public summary of the findings from the independent investigation into staff misconduct at PHS. Councilors reported that they have been left in the dark along with the general public, so much so that Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren submitted a public records request.
"I want to be clear that we on the council haven't received a secret briefing on what happened. We are being left in the dark, too. It's not acceptable," Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi
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Graphic Novelist James Spooner to Speak at BCC| 11:22AM / Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will host graphic novelist, filmmaker, and tattoo artist James Spooner for a free talk on Wednesday, April 30, at 2 p.m. The event, titled "The Ripple Effect Is Wild: How Small Projects Can Have Huge Unexpected Impacts," will be held in the Connector on BCC's main campus at 1350 West Street. Spooner's presentation will focus on the value of community engagement over social media metrics. His debut graphic novel, "The High Desert," was recognized as a top book of 2022 by Publishers Weekly, The Washington Post, and The New York Public Library. He also co-edited "Black Punk Now," an anthology of
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Dalton Board & Police Facility Panel Emphasizes Need for Community EngagementBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:46AM / Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — Several aspects surrounding the proposed police facility are unclear, but one thing is for certain: the need for community engagement and education. The Select Board and the Public Safety Advisory Committee attended the presentation. Although they did not fully agree on public engagement methodologies, they acknowledged the importance of public engagement and education in gaining community support and ensuring the project's smooth progression. There will be another joint meeting in the next two weeks to a month, so the board can discuss next steps and ways to engage voters. Select Board member Dan Esko emphasized that when other 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Highlights Tourism Induced by Steel Rail RacesBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:38AM / Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Competitive running brings people from more than 20 states to the city, a tourism sector that officials want to enhance.
On Tuesday, Mayor Peter Marchetti gathered with the Berkshire Running Foundation, MountainOne Insurance Agency, and Downtown Pittsfield Inc. to push the upcoming Steel Rail races on May 18, now in its 13th year.
"The Steel Rail marathon attracts visitors from across the country and residents from our community who use this event to qualify for marathons in Boston and New York City. Currently, there are participants signed up from 22 different states and from Canada, all to spend the weekend in Pittsfield and the Berkshires," he
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Pittsfield Street Improvement Project: April 22 to 25| 02:59PM / Tuesday, April 22, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. The following street improvements are scheduled from April 22 to April 25: On April 22, the first course of paving will take place on Backman Avenue and Jason Street (from Friar Drive to West Street). On April 23, the first course of paving will take place on Joseph Drive. In addition, structures will be raised on: Orlando Avenue Ridge Avenue Backman Avenue Jason Street Joseph Drive On-street parking is prohibited during this work between the hours of 6 a.m.- 6 p.m. Use caution when traveling on these roads. This schedule is subject to change based upon weather conditions. 0 Comments
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Old Dalton High Ranked Highest in Site Assessment By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
12:45PM / Tuesday, April 22, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The lot next to the Senior Center, the old Dalton High, is a viable location out of the four assessed for the proposed police facility, but it's not without challenges. The site assessment by Brian Humes, owner of Jacunski Humes Architects LLC of Berlin, Conn., showed that the lot had the highest ranking of the four submitted for study. "This is a first introduction into what we've looked at, how we've looked at it, how we come about with our recommendations, and then a further conversation as to whether this satisfies your site investigations, or whether you feel we need to do something further with these site 0 Comments
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Berkshire Music School Hosts Matt Cusson Performance| 11:32AM / Tuesday, April 22, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Music School (BMS) will present a performance featuring Grammy-nominated alumnus Matt Cusson on April 26, 2025, at the St. Germain Stage. The event will also include performances by BMS scholarship recipients and community group classes. The event aims to celebrate community and support BMS's outreach programs. BMS reports serving 1,900 students through community outreach in Berkshire County schools and providing financial aid to 51 students, totaling over $35,000 annually. Additionally, 60 percent of the 250 students enrolled in BMS's "pay-what-you-wish" group classes do not pay for the classes. Matt Cusson, a 0 Comments
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