News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Schools Receive Generous Final Donation from Dissolving Education FoundationBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff 05:41AM / Friday, March 24, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The school district received a final boost from the Pittsfield Education Foundation before it dissolves — and it was a big one. On Wednesday, the School Committee accepted a $17,500 donation from the foundation to support a districtwide, four-day professional development institute this summer. Nationally renowned educational leader Douglas Fisher is expected to come and work with faculty members. This is PEF's remaining balance, as it is discontinuing operations in the spring after the board of directors determined that it was redundant to the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation's Pittsfield Education Enrichment Fund. The money was accepted
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The Retired Investor: Gold as a Safe HavenBy Bill Schmick, 05:55PM / Thursday, March 23, 2023 | | This week, gold briefly climbed above $2,000 per ounce. The precious metal is commonly thought of as an inflation hedge, but also serves a different function in times of financial stress. Gold can be a safety trade. Gold is a highly speculative asset in the best of times. But, unlike bonds and stocks, it has one redeeming factor in times of economic slowdown, financial instability, and geopolitical tension. It does not carry the risk of an issuing entity collapsing, such as a bank or a government. There have been many examples of this throughout history. The latest example was back in February 2022, during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Gold spiked to $2,078 per ounce 0 Comments Read More >> |
Pittsfield School Committee Sees $78M Budget ProposalBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff 12:08PM / Thursday, March 23, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The district is seeking a budget increase of more than 8 percent in fiscal year 2024, with a majority of the funding going to special education, career technical education, and contractual obligations. The School Committee got a first look at the upcoming budget request on Wednesday. The $78,310,016 ask is an 8.17 percent — or $5,911,754 — increase from FY23's budget of $72,398,262. "Our goal continues to be to create meaningful and most importantly, sustainable change for the children of our city," Superintendent Joseph Curtis told the committee. "Meaningful and sustainable change takes time. We are impatient because our
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BHS Testing, Vaccine Centers Put COVID-19 Vaccinations on Hold12:01PM / Thursday, March 23, 2023 | | PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With a significantly diminished demand, Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) will temporarily halt its COVID-19 vaccination clinics at the BHS Vaccine & Testing Centers in Pittsfield and North Adams, effective April 1. A final pediatric COVID-19 vaccine clinic will be held at the Pittsfield center, 505 East St., on Friday, April 7. The number of people in the region seeking COVID-19 vaccination at the BHS centers has fallen dramatically in recent months. In addition, many local pharmacies now provide the vaccine. BHS will continue to monitor COVID-19 infection rates and vaccination needs in the county and will adjust its offerings to meet those 0 Comments Read More >> |
Pittsfield Parks Commission OKs Pickleball Facility DesignBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff 05:03AM / Thursday, March 23, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pickleball plans at Springside Park have been scaled down to fit the $500,000 budget. On Tuesday, the Parks Commission approved a plan that includes six pickleball courts and a smaller parking lot. "What we're finding is that the eight-court facility was beyond the resources that we had in place," Park, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath said, referring to the half million dollars of American Rescue Plan Act funding that was allocated to the project. The city hopes to get the project out to bid as soon as possible and have the eight to 10-week construction done this year. There are two alternates built into the base
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Pittsfield Subcommittee OKs Draft Chicken OrdinanceBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff 05:44PM / Wednesday, March 22, 2023 | |
Councilor at Large Karen Kalinowsky speaks in favor of the ordinance change for chickens. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is closer to having an affordable fee for chicken keeping. On Monday, the Ordinances and Rules subcommittee supported a drafted ordinance that brings the cost of keeping six chickens from more than $500 to $25. The ordinance takes the process out of the Zoning Board of Appeals purview and requires a license similar to that of a dog. "We've really come a long way from having to have a cost of around $500 to get chickens where this will bring it to a more equitable opportunity for anyone in the City of Pittsfield who meets the setback
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'Assume Nothing' Discussion at the Athenaeum 01:08PM / Wednesday, March 22, 2023 | | PITTSFIELD, Mass.— March is National Reading Month and the Berkshire Athenaeum is participating in the Berkshire Domestic and Sexual Violence Task Force's One Book, One Community county-wide read of "Assume Nothing: A Story of Intimate Violence." The memoir was written by Tanya Selvaratnam about her relationship with former NY State Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, and how she was able to extricate herself from the relationship and his abuse. The library has 12 copies of the book and will be hosting a zoom discussion of it on March 22 from 6:00-7:30 pm. This is one of 20 groups discussing the same book across Berkshire County. Register at 0 Comments Read More >> |
Warmer Temperatures With Rain Later This WeekStaff Reports, 12:00PM / Wednesday, March 22, 2023 | | Expect some spring-like weather this week. According to Accuweather, Today, Wednesday, March 22, Temperatures will near 60 degrees with mostly cloudy skies. On Thursday temperatures will be a little cooler, and there will be some showers throughout the day. On Friday expect cloudy skies with temperatures in the high 40s. On Saturday, March 25, expect temperatures in the low 40s with a mix of snow, sleet, and rain. Accuweather predicts that it will get breezier as the day goes on. Expect slightly warmer temperatures Sunday with snow flurries in the morning. 0 Comments Read More >> |
Pittsfield Council to Tackle Snow Removal DesignationBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff 07:08AM / Wednesday, March 22, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — To plow or not to plow? That is what the City Council will determine after Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales recommended an ordinance to designate streets for snow removal. The Public Works subcommittee last week referred the request to the Ordinances and Rules subcommittee to start the process. Pittsfield adopted a statute in 1945 that allows the council to designate private ways for snow and ice removal if it is within city limits and open to public use, though Morales says this definition is ambiguous. "In our city code it is silent as to how we do the adding of a private way to be plowed," he said. He recommends that a
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Dalton Town Hall Renovations On Time, On BudgetBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff 05:23AM / Wednesday, March 22, 2023 | | DALTON, Mass.—The renovation off Town Hall is running on time and on budget, Building Grounds Superintendent Patrick Pettit told the Select Board on Monday night. The construction team did have to shut down for a day because of last week's storm. The building was expected to be completely sealed by this past Tuesday and workers will also be setting up the staging in the opera house, or attic area, to commence work there. The remainder of the week will consist of removing all of the ceiling tiles, installation, and lights. Next week, crews will start removing the plaster in the opera house. The drywall contractor was in Town Hall on 0 Comments Read More >> |
Driver Arrested in Accidents in Dalton, PittsfieldBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff 09:59PM / Tuesday, March 21, 2023 | | PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A motorist who allegedly caused two accidents and led police on high-speed chase on Tuesday was to be charged in the incidents. Police say Kevin Reale was operating with a suspended license when he fled the scene of the first crash on Main Street and then collided with two other vehicles near the Coltsville intersection in Pittsfield. Dalton Sgt. Bustin Buzzella flagged a light gray Chevrolet Malibu for driving 52 in a 35 on West Housatonic Street at around 6:09 p.m. on Tuesday. When he flashed his lights in an attempt to pull over the vehicle, the Malibu picked up speed and went through a red light at West Housatonic and Main 0 Comments Read More >> |
Governor Names Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure 01:18PM / Tuesday, March 21, 2023 | | BOSTON — Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kimberley Driscoll announced that they have named Quentin Palfrey as Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure. Palfrey is charged with working across all secretariats to drive the administration's competitive efforts around federal funding for key infrastructure, climate and economic development projects. As part of this, Palfrey will form an interagency task force dedicated to pursuing these funding opportunities. "Massachusetts has a unique opportunity to aggressively compete for billions of federal dollars to support crucial infrastructure, climate and economic development 0 Comments Read More >> |
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