| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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UMass, EMA to Establish Open Access R&D Facility for Advanced Optical Components| 11:30AM / Thursday, October 19, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — UMass-Amherst will partner with Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) business Electro Magnetic Applications Inc. (EMA) with a $5 million grant from Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech) to help create an open-access additive manufacturing and design/testing facility on campus. The grant, from the Collaborative Research and Development Matching Grant Program, will augment UMass-Amherst's capabilities in the advanced manufacturing space and increase its collaboration with universities across Massachusetts around R&D for advanced optical technologies, which have applications in biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental 0 Comments
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Berkshire Selectmen's Association Hosts Annual Meeting In PersonBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:45AM / Thursday, October 19, 2023 | |
Ilana Steinhauer, director of the Berkshire chapter of Volunteers in Medicine, was presented the Charles Kusik Award for her efforts in making the Berkshires a better place to live. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The state's new director of rural affairs says she wants to hear from the residents of Western Massachusetts. "I need you to be honest with me," Anne Gobi told the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and Berkshire County Selectmen's Association at their recent annual meeting. "If I screw up, you tell me." Massachusetts has more than 180 rural communities with fewer than 7,000 people, or less than five people per square mile. 0 Comments
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Lanesborough Police Implementing Body Cameras with State GrantBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:28AM / Thursday, October 19, 2023 | |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town's police will join several other Berkshire communities using body cameras.
On Monday, Police Chief Robert Derksen told the Select Board that the department received a nearly $40,000 grant for the initial purchase and implementation of the surveillance devices.
"The money we were awarded will cover the program but obviously moving forward next budget year and beyond, there is going to be software and storage fees, things like that," he said.
The town will be looking at roughly $3,500 yearly for software storage, though estimates are still being collected. The grant covers the initial purchase and first year of body cameras. To
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Governor Touts Billions in Housing Efforts at Morningstar ApartmentsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Sports
06:12PM / Wednesday, October 18, 2023 | |
Gov. Maura Healey announced her $4 billion housing act in Chelsea on Wednesday morning and traveled to Pittsfield to talk about its benefits for gateway cities. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Gov. Maura Healey touted her administration's fight against the housing crisis at the Morningstar Apartments on Wednesday.
"As you know, housing costs are maybe our greatest challenge in the state. It's an issue no matter where I go, certainly here and in Northern Berkshire County, but honestly, across the entire state it's housing," she said on the steps of the converted church.
"And whether you're looking at the vacancy rates, which right now I think are among the
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Pittsfield Hosting Digital Resource FairStaff Reports ,
01:30PM / Wednesday, October 18, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is hosting a digital resource fair on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Berkshire Athenaeum at 1 Wendell Ave. The fair will offer a variety of resources that will provide community members with opportunities to learn more about lowering their internet bill, computer literacy programs for adults and children, technology tools for people with disabilities, how to navigate the internet securely, how and where to buy low-cost computers and how to find remote work. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from a variety of organizations including but not limited to: Central Berkshire Habitat 0 Comments
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Pittsfield First Church to Seek CPA Funds for Boiler ReplacementBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:04PM / Wednesday, October 18, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With an OK from the Historical Commission, the city's first church intends to seek Community Preservation funds for a boiler restoration.
"For the last three or four years we've been limping along with our one of our boilers," the First Church of Christ's moderator Jennifer Kerwood explained.
"The building is serviced by two gas boilers, one for the parish house side, which thankfully works beautifully, and one for the sanctuary side, which does not work beautifully."
Due to financial constraints, the church is merging with South Congregational Church down the street and gifting the historic Park Square parish to the Price
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Berkshire Athenaeum Announces HalloTEEN Event| 08:14AM / Wednesday, October 18, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Teens 12 – 18 can join the Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield's Public Library, for a spooktacular party with food, music, and fun activities. HalloTEEN will occur Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, from 3 – 5 pm in the Berkshire Athenaeum Auditorium. Participants will enjoy bag decorating, slime making, pumpkin painting, creating a scary story, cornhole, cookie decorating, and a photo booth station. Costumes are encouraged and the winner of our costume contest will win a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble. This event is planned by the Teen Advisory Board (TAB) and sponsored by the Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum. 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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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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