| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Community Development Board Continues to Study Battery Storage ProposalBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:59AM / Monday, October 23, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The Community Development Board last Tuesday got a deeper look at the city's proposal for a battery energy storage zoning amendment.
This would allow Pittsfield to embrace greener energy sources while protecting the interests of residents.
"They are basically just an energy system that uses batteries to store and distribute energy in the form of electricity," City Planner Jacinta Williams explained.
"We are kind of familiar with them already. We have seen them and have probably encountered in solar power installations, smart homes, and even our electric vehicles if we have them but at the most basic level battery energy storage systems may
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Greylock Branch Designated 'Juntos Avanzamos'By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:00AM / Monday, October 23, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There was music and celebration at Greylock Federal Credit Union's Kellogg St. branch on Friday as it marked a feat in diversity.
A ceremony was held for its achievement of "Juntos Avanzamos" status, a national designation for credit unions committed to serving and empowering Hispanic and immigrant consumers by helping them navigate the U.S. financial system and providing safe, affordable, and relevant financial services.
The phrase translates to "Together We Advance."
"The whole team at Greylock, including our board, is committed to a concept that we call IDEA, which stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility,"
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Governor Files Legislation Unlocking $800M to Compete for Federal Funding | 04:14PM / Sunday, October 22, 2023 | |
BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey filed legislation and signed an executive order to enhance the administration's aggressive approach to competing for the historic amounts of federal funding made available to Massachusetts by the Biden Administration. Massachusetts has the chance to compete for and win up to $17.5 billion in federal funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act. To support the administration's federal funds strategy, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is filing An Act to Provide for Competitiveness and Infrastructure in Massachusetts to create a Capital 0 Comments
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DFS Launches Tool to Track Lithium-Ion Battery Fires| 11:57AM / Sunday, October 22, 2023 | |
STOW—State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine announced that the Department of Fire Services will begin tracking fires involving lithium-ion batteries, which are increasing in frequency nationwide and have killed more than a dozen people in New York City this year. "Across the country, and most visibly in New York City, fires caused by or involving lithium-ion batteries are on the rise, and often with deadly consequences," State Fire Marshal Davine said. "One of the greatest challenges in addressing the increase in these fires is quantifying them. We are launching a new effort to gather more and better data on lithium-ion battery fires in 0 Comments
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BCArc's Golf Classic Raises $45K for Individuals with Disabilities| 08:00AM / Sunday, October 22, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire County Arc raised $45,500 at its 28th Annual Golf Classic held this summer at Berkshire Hills Country Club. The funds raised from the event go directly to individuals with disabilities for activities such as art classes, medical equipment, wheelchair swings, concerts, assistive technology, and dream trips to places like Disney, Celtics games, and deep-sea fishing. The money also goes to scholarships to areas high school students planning to pursue human service careers. The lead supporters of the event this year were Berkshire Bank, Health New England, Greylock Federal Credit Union, SourcePass/CompuWorks, and the Notch Insurance 0 Comments
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Wheels Moving on Springside Pump TrackBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:56AM / Sunday, October 22, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Wheels are once again spinning on the proposed Springside pump track with a hopeful completion in 2025.
On Tuesday, the Parks Commission heard an update from Alison McGee of the Berkshire New England Mountain Biking Association, which is leading the project.
The panel voted to add two other organizations, the Shire Shredders and the Berkshire Mountain Bike Training Series, to the memorandum of understanding to better support NEMBA's maintenance responsibilities. The addendum will go to City Solicitor Stephen Pagnotta and then return to the commission for approval.
The organizations have been in support of the pump track and bike skills park
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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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Berkshire Music School Kicks Off 2012 Classes With Open House | The open house featured a sample class, access to musical instruments, information for parents, refreshments ...and more than a few delighted squeals.
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January 29, 2011
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of youths, many of them under the age of 5, attended an open house at the Berkshire Music School Saturday, as the educational nonprofit enters its 70th year at its 30 Wendell Avenue home.
The open house featured a sample class, access to musical instruments, information for parents, refreshments... and more than a few delighted squeals, proving once again the inherent interest in making a joyful noise is not generational, and will never go out of style.
 The open house featured a Music for Preschoolers class, designed to "children’s awareness of rhythm, ability to sing and move creatively to music," which |
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