| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Fired Dalton Chief Files Lawsuit Against DistrictBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:31AM / Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — Christian Tobin, who was terminated as chief of the Fire Department, wants his position back along with damages in a lawsuit filed against the Fire District and its officials. The case was filed with Berkshire Superior Court on May 14 by attorney Elizabeth Quigley, on behalf of Tobin, who is alleging a breach of contract and wrongful termination. The board unanimously voted to terminate Tobin in January following allegations of sexual harassment, grant overspending, and "employee concerns." The suit is against the district, the three members of the Board of Water Commissioners — Chairman James Driscoll, Camillus 0 Comments
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Dalton Public Safety Officials Emphasize Safe DrivingBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:20AM / Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | |
Sayers Auto Wrecking furnished two vehicles to stage the crash at Wahconah. DALTON, Mass. — With graduation and prom season upon us, the Fire Department wants to remind people to drive safely and make good choices. Last Friday, personnel from the Dalton and Windsor fire departments collaborated with the Dalton Police and Wahconah Regional High School to host a mock car accident, with vehicles from Sayers' Auto Wrecking. "It's just a reality check for the kids and helps them make the right choices," said Fire Deputy Chief Michael Cachat. As students arrived at the school, they were surprised to see two of their peers 0 Comments
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K&M Bowling Opens Mini-Golf Course in Pittsfield By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:17PM / Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | |
The Mathes family and Mayor Peter Marchetti cut the ribbon on the new mini-golf course on Saturday. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city's only bowling alley now has the city's only miniature golf.
K&M Bowling and Family Fun Center cut the ribbon on an 18-hole pirate-themed course on Saturday. The Mathes family opened the Dalton Avenue business two years ago in the former Imperial Bowl.
"It means a great deal for all of us, without a doubt," said Mark Mathes.
"A lot of our employees have put in a lot of hard work to help us get here and continue running our business. We have a lot of family members that have helped out, so we're very
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Concerns Over Screen Time Prompts Parent PresentationBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
04:31PM / Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — Concerns about the effects of digital devices and social media on children has prompted one local parent to bring awareness to her community. Amanda Baumann gave a presentation on the harmful effects of screen usage on kids last week at St. Agnes' Academy. She has a 5-year-old attending the parochial school. She recently read "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness" by Jonathan Haidt, which argues that the use of screen time is affecting the mental health of children. Baumann decided to approach the school's principal about educating the public and what they can 0 Comments
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Housatonic Valley Association Joins International Conservation Program| 03:20PM / Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) has been selected for the Salazar Center for North American Conservation’s Peregrine Accelerator for Conservation Impact 2025 cohort. This international program aims to enhance the impact of strategies addressing biodiversity loss, ecological connectivity, and community resilience. Through this six-month program, which includes funding, mentorship, and collaboration with organizations in the North Atlantic region of the U.S. and Canada, HVA's "Follow the Forest" initiative will be expanded. "Follow the Forest" involves over 50 partners working to protect and connect forests 0 Comments
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Berkshires Gets $200K in State Grants to Boost Housing, Conservation & Development| 07:49AM / Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Healey-Driscoll Administration has awarded over $2.1 million in grant funding through the Planning Assistance Grant Program, with a significant portion benefiting communities in Berkshire County. These grants, administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), aim to improve community land use practices by promoting conservation, sustainable housing and economic development, and climate resilience. The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) is the applicant for most of these local projects, providing crucial support for efficient land use, increased housing options, and climate change initiatives. Specifically, 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Begins Review of $226M Budget for Fiscal 2026By Tammy Daniels , iBerkshires Staff
05:12AM / Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On the second night of fiscal year 2026 budget hearings, the City Council preliminarily approved 11 departmental budgets in 40 minutes. Conversation on Thursday began with a discussion about employee raises. Mayor Peter Marchetti explained that everyone's raises are different, but his, based on the consumer price index, is a 3.1 percent hike from $119,313 to $125,279. The budget was presented on Wednesday, May 21.
"For department heads and some middle managers, they're also with the same CPI index of 3.1 percent. According to the code, the mayor is entitled to give them a merit-based raise if he or she chooses to. I did for all
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Pittsfield's $226M Budget Mostly Personnel, Expenses, Debt ServiceBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:14PM / Monday, May 26, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Peter Marchetti said the $226 million fiscal year 2026 budget is mostly personnel, expenses, and debt services.
The total for city and school personnel is $110.6 million, health insurance is $33 million, the retirement contribution is $18 million, and debt service is $19.8 million. This represents $181.7 million, or 80 percent of the spending plan.
"So as we begin the conversation, we're talking about people, we're talking about benefits, and we're talking about debt service for the most part," he said to the City Council on Wednesday, the first day of hearings for the FY26 budget.
The proposed $226,246,942 budget is a nearly 4.8
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Berkshire County Towns Remember the Fallen on Memorial DayStaff Reports, iBerkshires Staff
02:50PM / Monday, May 26, 2025 | |
Dalton holds its annual Memorial Day parade. More photos here. DALTON, Mass. — Daniel Sargent's cousin inspired him to serve his country and he'll be off to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point this fall to join the class of 2029. "When I was young my cousin served in Afghanistan. At that time I didn't fully comprehend what he was doing. When he was home I would try to get his attention even if he was sleeping, I looked up to him and believed he was one of the coolest people. I didn't truly understand what he was willing to do, make the ultimate sacrifice for this country. As I got a little older I wanted to be a soldier just like him," the 0 Comments
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State Fire Marshal Highlights Summer Fire Safety| 08:23AM / Monday, May 26, 2025 | |
 STOW, Mass. — As Massachusetts approaches Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine is asking residents to practice outdoor fire safety in the weeks and months ahead. "As the weather gets warmer and we start spending more time outside, outdoor fires also start to increase," State Fire Marshal Davine said. "Unfortunately, many of these fires cause serious injuries and property damage – but almost all of them can be prevented." Grilling Safety About two-thirds of grilling fires in Massachusetts occur between May and August. About 75 percent take place on residential properties — most often one- and
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BEAT Queries Residents on Future of Pittsfield Peaker PlantBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:32AM / Monday, May 26, 2025 | |
Participants indicated their feelings about the plant and its future. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Environmentalists continue to push for the decarbonization of the last peaker plant in Berkshire County.
On Tuesday, the Berkshire Environmental Action Team solicited feedback about the future of Pittsfield Generating Co. at Allendale Elementary School, which neighbors the power plant.
Talks about transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy with battery storage are underway between the owners, state agencies, and other stakeholders. BEAT will present data from this meeting to inform the conversation.
"The reason we're holding meetings like this is to let
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Eversource Recognizes National Electrical Safety Month with life-saving tips| 12:16PM / Sunday, May 25, 2025 | |
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. With warmer weather returning and many people turning their attention to outdoor projects and seasonal home maintenance, it's critical to keep safety top of mind—especially when working around electricity. In recognition of National Electrical Safety Month, Eversource is reminding customers that without proper precautions, contact with electric lines or equipment can be dangerous or even fatal. "Safety isn't just something we do—it's who we are," said Eversource Vice President of Safety, Training and Fleet Operations Cliff Williams. "It's built into every step of our work and every decision we make. Our crews are trained
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