| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Homeless Committee Gets Look at Hub ProgramBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:39AM / Thursday, November 02, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Hub is said to be effective for both the people it treats and service providers.
Established last year, it is a pooling of social services and police that meet virtually every other week to review cases of mental illness, substance abuse, poverty, and other issues that plague the area.
Sgt. Lindsey Maynard of the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office has been running the program for about a year and said that when used correctly it is an effective tool. She gave a presentation of the program to the Homelessness Advisory Committee at its Wednesday morning meeting.
"The individuals that we discuss at the Hub table are people who we
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Clock Tower Artists Open Studios| 03:56PM / Wednesday, November 01, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Clock Tower Artists Open Studios will be held this month on Friday, Nov. 3 from 5-8 for First Friday Arts Walk, and Saturday, Nov. 4 from 11-4 for Open Studios. The public, including families and children accompanied by adults, are invited to explore the studios, see original artworks, learn about the processes, observe artist's tools and techniques, and engage in good conversation in his unique, light-filled space. The artwork ranges from realistic to abstract, and includes wearable art, oil painting, acrylic painting, encaustic, sculpture, performance art, and mixed media. There is ample parking, an elevator, and handicap 0 Comments
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District Attorney Charges Two Men With Enticing Children Staff Reports ,
02:04PM / Wednesday, November 01, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The District Attorney's office reported that in two separate cases, two men allegedly attempted to entice children in North Adams. On Oct. 25, James Wojtkowski, 82 of Pittsfield, was arraigned in Berkshire Superior Court. Wojtkowski was charged with: Dissemination of Matter Harmful to a Minor Enticing a Child Under 16. According to a report, between April 29 and 30, 2023, Wojtkowski allegedly contacted a 14-year-old girl living in North Adams through Facebook. The defendant asked the girl where she went to school, where she lived, and if she could sneak out of her house. During their conversation, Wojtkowski asked about her sexual 0 Comments
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Ins and Outs of a Locked Ward: An Evening with Kevin O'Hara| 08:00AM / Wednesday, November 01, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Ins and Outs of a Locked Ward: An Evening with Kevin O'Hara, a presentation by the local author will take place Monday, Nov. 6, 7pm at the Zion Lutheran Church. Live at The Common Room at Zion Lutheran Church, local author Kevin O'Hara relays stories and answers questions about his book "Ins and Outs of a Locked Ward: My 30 Years as a Psychiatric Nurse." Light refreshments will be provided and copies of Kevin O'Hara's books will be for sale. Tickets are $5 at the door or online at acommonroom.org Kevin O'Hara, a retired R.N. following a 30-year career at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, is 0 Comments
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Nursing Scholarships Provide Free Tuition at BCC| 08:00AM / Wednesday, November 01, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Nursing students planning to enroll at Berkshire Community College (BCC) may now receive free tuition, thanks to a grant from the Commonwealth. The Community College Nursing Scholarship program is designed for students who intend to enroll in and complete a credential or degree in nursing. The program provides "last dollar" financial assistance to ensure that all eligible students have adequate resources to fully cover the direct costs of tuition and fees towards a certificate or associate degree at a public community college. An allocation for books and supplies is also provided. Those eligible for the program 0 Comments
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Dalton's Orchard Road Expected to be Repaved this SummerBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:55AM / Wednesday, November 01, 2023 | |
 DALTON, Mass. — After approximately six years of planning and navigating funding options, the reconstruction of Orchard Road is approaching. The town hopes to start construction by summer. The road, which is often used as a connector to Route 9, has had flooding for many years due to undersized drainage pipes, Highway Superintendent Edward "Bud" Hall said. “This is one of the worst roads in town and also one of the most heavily used. We’ve been trying to deal with the drainage for years—it’s at a low point and collects rainwater from a large area, and the outlets are not big enough to handle major storms, so water backs up 0 Comments
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Kiwanis Club Unveils 2023 Park of Honor By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:21PM / Tuesday, October 31, 2023 | |
Real Gadoury, former chair of the project, says its 'the most beautiful project in the Berkshires. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An army of American flags sway in the wind on Park Square as a part of the Kiwanis Club of Pittsfield's annual fundraiser.
The Park of Honor had its opening ceremony on Saturday. More than 100 flags were sold, totaling over $2,500 raised for scholarships that support children and grandchildren of veterans.
"This is just an amazing opportunity for all of us to recognize our veterans, past and present," President Curtis Janey said.
He pointed out that there are veterans serving everywhere whether they are first responders, bankers, lawyers,
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PHS Proteus Theatre, Shakespeare & Company Present 'As You Like it'| 08:16AM / Tuesday, October 31, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield High School's Proteus Theatre and Shakespeare and Company presents "As You Like It" as part of the 35th Annual Fall Festival of Shakespeare. Performances will be held on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 both at 7:30 pm. There will be another showing on Nov. 11 at 2:30 pm. The performance will be at the Pittsfield High School Proteus Theatre at 300 East St. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students (K-12). Tickets may be purchased here or at the door. Only cash or checks will be accepted at the door. 0 Comments
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Drury's McGrath Leads Springfield College OffenseiBerkshires.com Sports,
06:40AM / Tuesday, October 31, 2023 | |
 Drury High graduate Kayla McGrath has a team-high eight goals for the Springfield College women's soccer team this fall. Last week, she scored both Pride goals in a 2-0 win over Wellesley. McGrath's two game-winning goals this season is currently seventh in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference. She has played 29 games and has 10 starts over the last two seasons for Springfield, which was 8-4-5 overall (6-2-3 in the NEWMAC) in the regular season and opens the conference tournament on Tuesday against Smith. Westfield State senior Michaella Moncecchi (Wahconah) has appeared in three games with one start in goal for the Owls, stopping 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Councilors at Large Candidates Debate Blight, Mosquitos, PolicingBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
05:28AM / Tuesday, October 31, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Monday's debate between the seven candidates for the four councilor at large seats offered some substantive dialogue and disagreements that were largely in degree. Incumbents Peter White and Earl Persip III and challengers Craig Benoit, Kathy Amuso, Daniel Miraglia, Alisa Costa and Lucas Marion spent 90 minutes taking questions from moderator Shawn Serre at Berkshire Community College. The debate was the third that night, after Wards 2 and 3, sponsored by Pittsfield Community Television in collaboration with iBerkshires. The candidates took turns selecting a numbered envelope with a random question that three candidates 0 Comments
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Making the Loop | We had some free time this week to walk the 2-mile loop through the downtown. Here's a few of things that caught our eye. (In between taking photos, we were heel-toeing and arm-pumping as prescribed.)
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Let's Go Paperless | This is from Ward 6 Councilor John Krol's eblast today. His switch to digital immediately caught our attention. With the associated costs - nearly $4,000 a year for paper alone! - zipping councilors "the packet" (as we in the know like to call it) over the ether makes loads of sense.
Digital also means the average citizen gets far better access to these public documents than ever before. The city clerk's office has been diligent about posting meeting agendas and, where possible, relevant documents. So in terms of saving money and time and getting information out efficiently, digital is the way to go.
I would like to thank City Clerk Linda Tyer for agreeing to print out one less city council packet, as I have officially gone paperless for council meetings - which I hope will be a trend that can be extended throughout city government.
 The bulky (and often, very bulky) city council packet that councilors use for a reference costs an average of $170 per meeting for paper alone. Add the additional costs of ink/toner, wear and tear on city hall copiers, and the time and energy of staff who put it all together - and a simple transition away from paper benefits everyone.
With the packet now fully digital in pdf form, all councilors, and everyone with an internet
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