| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity Holiday Donation Match Campaign| 07:36AM / Sunday, December 08, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity has announced a 1-to-1 matching donation campaign for the holiday season, offering donors the opportunity to double their contributions. An anonymous supporter has pledged to match all donations up to $6,000 as part of the campaign, which runs through the holiday season, starting on #GivingTuesday, Dec. 3. Donations made through the campaign's online platform (donorbox.org/home-for-the-holidays-match) will directly support Habitat for Humanity's efforts to build affordable housing in Berkshire County. "This match challenge by a longtime supporter means so much to our team, volunteers, 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Lights Growing Christmas TreeBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:43PM / Saturday, December 07, 2024 | |
Parks manager James McGrath and local children light the tree. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The downtown was bustling with holiday cheer as the city lit its growing Christmas tree on Friday.
The fir has shot up about a foot since being planted in Park Square last year, now standing about 10 feet tall. It will typically reach 30-50 feet tall and 15-25 feet wide when mature.
"Our community has been gathering here at this park for events for hundreds of years,” Parks, Open Space and Natural Resource Manager James McGrath said.
"Fun fact: Did you know that the very first agricultural fair ever held in America was held right here on Park Square in 1810? So Park Square
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Planet Fitness Donates 800 Pounds of Food to Combat Hunger in Western Mass| 12:52PM / Saturday, December 07, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — National Fitness Partners (NFP), a Planet Fitness franchise group operating 175 locations across 13 states, marked Giving Tuesday by donating 800 pounds of food to the Western Massachusetts Food Bank. This contribution equates to approximately 800 meals for local families facing food insecurity. The donation comes from six NFP locations in the region, supporting the Food Bank’s mission to end hunger through partnerships with farms, state and federal programs, and community organizations. In Western Massachusetts, food insecurity affects 12.1 percent of residents, including 17.3 percent of children, with Hampden, Berkshire, and Hampshire 0 Comments
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Carr Hardware Customers Raise Money for Thanksgiving Angels | 12:11PM / Saturday, December 07, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Carr Hardware customers in Lenox and Pittsfield raised $1,856.35 through a round-up campaign benefiting the Thanksgiving Angels program. The funds helped provide Thanksgiving meals for over 2,000 families in Berkshire County. During October, customers at the two store locations were encouraged to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar, with proceeds donated to the South Congregational Church's Thanksgiving Angels program. This initiative ensures that families in need can enjoy traditional holiday dinners. "We are incredibly grateful to our customers for their overwhelming support during this round-up campaign," said 0 Comments
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Market 32 Launches Holiday Food Drive to Aid Local Pantries| 07:56AM / Saturday, December 07, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Market 32 and Price Chopper supermarkets have launched a holiday drive encouraging customers to purchase $10 pre-packed bags of essential food items to support local food pantries. The initiative runs through Jan. 5, with all donations benefiting pantries local to each store. Each bag contains pantry staples such as macaroni, peanut butter, soup, tuna, beans, and chicken. Customers can find the bags on display at store entrances, alongside signage identifying the recipient organizations. The drive aims to provide immediate support to individuals and families experiencing nutrition insecurity in the communities Market 32/Price Chopper 0 Comments
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Toys For Tots Bringing Holiday Cheer to Thousands of Local ChildrenBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:50AM / Saturday, December 07, 2024 | |
Volunteers were fulfilling wishes on Wednesday but coordinator Christopher Keegan says requests from local agencies will be accepted up to Christmas Eve. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Christopher Keegan has coordinated the local Toys For Tots drive for a decade and the need continues to grow.
Last year, it provided gifts to more than 5,700 Berkshire County children. This year, he anticipates that it will be "absolutely more," reaching more than 6,000 kids.
On Wednesday, the Berkshire County House of Correction's storage building looked more like Santa's workshop as volunteers sorted through mountains of toys for newborns to teenagers.
"I’ve been doing this for
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MassHire Workforce Board Thanks Pignatelli For His AdvocacyBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:04PM / Friday, December 06, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board recognized outgoing State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli for supporting workers and employers over the last two decades. Pignatelli assured the panel that he would stay involved in efforts to keep the county moving forward and pointed to several action items, including the importance of continued support in trade education and investments in technology. "I think the Berkshires have a lot of challenges going forward," he said at the virtual meeting on Thursday. "And my big fear is, if we're not careful, we don't continue to work together, that in about five years we're 0 Comments
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@theMarket: The Santa Claus Rally and Money FlowsBy Bill Schmick,
03:49PM / Friday, December 06, 2024 | |
Each year from roughly the end of the second week of December through the second week in January the stock market rises most of the time. This year, expect a similar occurrence. There are plenty of explanations for why this occurs. Many believe it is simply the good cheer the holidays bring to the markets. Others point to the additional spending triggered by holiday shopping, while some argue it is because institutional investors buy stocks before going on their Christmas break. For me, it comes down to the flow of funds in and out of financial markets. Every year, for many reasons the flow of funds into the financial markets increases at the end and the beginning of 0 Comments
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Drought Persists Across State | 02:09PM / Friday, December 06, 2024 | |
 BOSTON – A Level 3-Critical Drought declaration remains in the Western, Connecticut River Valley, Southeast, Central and Northeast regions. As outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, a Level 3-Critical Drought and a Level-1 Mild Drought requires detailed monitoring of drought conditions, continued coordination among state and federal agencies to communicate the implementation of water use restrictions, engagement with municipalities including local Board’s of Health, providing technical outreach and assistance to water suppliers and affected municipalities. The Drought Management Task Force will meet monthly to ensure responsive 0 Comments
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Elementary Chorus Serenades Lanesborough Christmas Tree LightingBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:37PM / Friday, December 06, 2024 | |
Refreshments included hot cocoa and cookies. LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Elementary schoolers serenaded the town's tree lighting with holiday tunes on Thursday evening.
The illuminated evergreen can be seen at the corner of Church Street and Route 7, the site of the former police department. Complimentary hot cocoa, decorated sugar cookies made by Bailey's Bakery in North Adams, and other treats helped attendees get into the holiday spirit.
The 9th annual tree lighting was hosted by a youth-run committee consisting of Mount Greylock Regional High School students Ava Charbonneau, Kiera Kristensen, and Madison Powell.
"It's wonderful. I think we had a great
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Casella Transfer Station Open for Residential Drop-Off| 08:05AM / Friday, December 06, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Casella Transfer Station at 500 Hubbard Avenue will open for residential drop-off for Pittsfield residents on Wednesday, Dec. 18, with limited capacity as construction continues on the facility. Starting Dec. 18, residents can purchase a sticker to drop off trash and recycling. Stickers are valid through Dec. 31, 2025, and are priced as follows: $120 for standard residential stickers $80 for residents aged 65 and older $20 per additional vehicle Additional Fees Bag Rates: $3.00 each for 15-gallon or smaller bags $5.00 each for 32-gallon bags $8.00 each for larger contractor bags Recycling: No extra charge with a resident sticker Yard Waste and 0 Comments
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ServiceNet Hosts Warming Center at The PearlBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:41AM / Friday, December 06, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Housing advocates are considering how to get people off the streets as temperatures drop.
At the beginning of the month, ServiceNet soft opened a warming center at its shelter behind First United Methodist Church. The Pearl opened earlier this year and has a waitlist for one of its 40 beds.
"That warming center is different from a shelter because there's no beds. It is really a space for people to come into, get warm, have something warm to drink, some snacks, that kind of thing, and we will operate that as we did last year from 10 o'clock at night until eight in the morning," Director of Shelter and Housing Erin Forbush told the
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