| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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BMC Named to U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity Care | 10:41AM / Wednesday, February 05, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, has named Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) as a 2025 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care. This is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News' Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual study. "The exceptional care provided to our maternity patients is exemplified in this national recognition," said Tejas Gandhi, BHS System Vice President and BMC Chief Operating Officer. "The physicians, nurses and staff of the BMC Family Birthplace are prime examples of the outstanding care that BMC's patients can 0 Comments
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Dalton Cable Panel Works to Update ContractBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:40AM / Wednesday, February 05, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Cable Advisory Commission intends to meet with Spectrum representatives to negotiate the terms of its contract. The last time the town had a contract was in 1997 with Time Warner Cable, which was acquired by Charter Communications, doing business as Spectrum, in 2016. The commission plans to negotiate for a share of gross revenue, capital funds, funding for fiber-optic cables to enhance connections, and updated equipment needed to handle this upgrade for Dalton Community Television. "Over the past year, viewership has dropped, and it's reflected in our income. We have an extremely tight budget, and we're able to 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Looking at Median Safety PolicyBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:16AM / Wednesday, February 05, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A conversation about median safety has risen from the grave.
Last week, the City Council referred Mayor Peter Marchetti's request to add a section in the City Code for median safety and pedestrian regulation in public roadways to the Ordinances and Rules Subcommittee.
In 2023, Marchetti requested an ordinance banning people from standing on median strips unless crossing the street. Panhandling has been a prevalent topic since the city's rise in homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this effort was said to be centered around public safety.
"As some of you may remember, I had originally proposed a similar ordinance back in 2023 as a city
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Centuries Old Pittsfield Dam Eyed for RemovalBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:19PM / Tuesday, February 04, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The state is looking into removing a West Pittsfield dam that dates back to the early 1800s.
The Healey-Driscoll administration last week announced $400,000 from the Department of Fish and Game's Division of Ecological Restoration for preliminary design studies on dam removals. Pittsfield was one of eight municipalities to receive funding, which will allocated near-evenly resulting in about $50,000 for the project. The privately owned Shaker Grist Mill Dam, located nearest to 321 Lebanon Ave., is the first dam on the Southwest Branch of the Housatonic River. Its removal would reportedly benefit cold water species in a core aquatic habitat and
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Pittsfield Firefighters Contain Structure Fire on Dawes Ave.| 09:02AM / Tuesday, February 04, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A structure fire at 74 Dawes Ave. remains under investigation. Firefighters responded to a structure fire at 74 Dawes Ave. on Feb. 3 at approximately 5:20 PM, where flames had spread up the exterior of the building into the attic. Crews from multiple engines worked to contain the fire, with Engine 6 deploying the initial handline and additional units conducting searches, establishing water supply, and checking for extension. Due to deteriorating interior conditions, a second alarm was struck, bringing additional manpower. The fire was brought under control in about 60 minutes, with overhaul and extinguishment efforts continuing for 0 Comments
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Committee Recommends Gradually Restructuring Pittsfield Middle SchoolsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:41AM / Tuesday, February 04, 2025 | |
Committee member Sarah Muil goes over a presentation on Monday for a gradual restructuring. PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The Middle School Restructuring Committee recommends a phased approach for a model that creates a districtwide Grade 5-6 school and a Grade 7-8 school and provides universal prekindergarten by the 2026-27 school year. This phased approach could mean keeping Grade 5 in the elementary schools next school year, Grade 6 at one school, and combining 7 and 8 at another.
After eight meetings and about 16 hours of prep work, the committee on Monday voted for this path with gradual implementation beginning in 2026. It was supported 17-4 and will go to the School Committee next
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Collins Wins Select Board Seat in DaltonBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
08:08PM / Monday, February 03, 2025 | |
Robert Collins, left, chats with friends and supporters at a victory party at Dewey's. DALTON, Mass. — Robert Collins will join the Select Board as it's fifth member after winning a four-way special election for the vacant seat by 13 votes. "I'm happy. It's sort of over, a little bit overwhelming, now that we've gotten this far through this process. Now the hard work really begins of putting your platform and information that you've put out there in motion," Collins said. Almost 500 residents cast their votes at Monday's special election to decide on four candidates: Collins, Rich Haley, Levi Renderer, and 0 Comments
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Dalton Public Safety Starts Discussion on Draft Needs AssessmentBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:45PM / Monday, February 03, 2025 | |
 DALTON, Mass. — The Public Safety Advisory Committee has started discussing the draft of the space needs assessment for the town's police department. "I want to stipulate that this is a draft until everybody in the building committee knows what it says, understands what it says, and understands the requests that are being made have to satisfy both the Police Department and the town of Dalton," said Brian Humes, owner of Jacunski Humes Architects LLC of Berlin, Conn. The committee will meet again on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 4:30 in the Senior Center to discuss the document further after fully reviewing its contents and determine whether to approve the 0 Comments
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George Haddad Joins Pittsfield Co-op Board of Directors| 03:41PM / Monday, February 03, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Cooperative Bank (Co-op Bank) is announced that George Haddad, a business leader and community advocate, has been elected to its Board of Directors. George Haddad serves as the President of Haddad Auto Group, a family-owned business established in 1933. Under his leadership, the company has expanded to include multiple dealerships across Massachusetts and Vermont, representing brands such as Toyota, Subaru, Hyundai, and GMC. Beyond his business acumen, Haddad is renowned for his unwavering commitment to community service. He has been a longtime supporter and board member of the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires, actively 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Subcommittee Mulls Elected Official PayBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:31PM / Monday, February 03, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Peter Marchetti, and others, feel the city should take a holistic approach to raising the pay of elected officials rather than looking at one governing body.
The Ordinance & Rules subcommittee last week referred a request from Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren and Ward 4 Councilor James Conant to increase the compensation of the School Committee members back through the City Council to the Charter Review Commission. The commission meets on Monday night.
"If we're going to do this, I think it should be a holistic approach and look at what we want as a community in terms of equity and fairness and what can we put into play that would make
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State Fire Marshal Offers Prevention, Safety Tips for Burn Awareness Week| 10:32AM / Monday, February 03, 2025 | |
STOW, Mass. — Burn Awareness Week is underway, and State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine is reminding residents that more than two-thirds of severe burns happen at home. "Burn injuries contribute to about 5,000 emergency room visits in Massachusetts each year, and many of the most serious burns involve young children," State Fire Marshal Davine said. "Burn Awareness Week is an opportunity to promote safety and prevention – especially at home, where the most severe injuries are likely to take place." Coordinated by the American Burn Association, Burn Awareness Week is observed in the first full week of February. This year's theme is "Burn Prevention
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Scholars Day at BCC| 08:00AM / Monday, February 03, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces that its first annual Scholars Day will be held Tuesday, Feb. 11. The conference-style event is designed to honor and learn from the scholarly and creative work performed by faculty, staff and students. Scholars Day is a combination of the Undergraduate Scholars Conference, which the College has held for many years, with presentations from the staff and faculty. It aligns with the College's mission and strategic plan in that it fosters lifelong learning, supports a culture of assessment, and showcases student undergraduate research. Faculty and staff will share their scholarly or creative 0 Comments
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