| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Wahconah Park Restoration Committee Launches Survey| 08:10AM / Friday, September 15, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In spring 2022, the Wahconah Park grandstand had to be closed to fans due to structural concerns. The City of Pittsfield and Wahconah Park Restoration Committee is considering how best to proceed with a project that returns fans to a safe grandstand structure that meets handicapped accessibility requirements while providing a better fan, player and overall experience. The Wahconah Park Restoration Committee has launched a short survey to gather feedback around various aspects of the project. This survey is now available to the public and can beaccessed through the city's website: 0 Comments
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Pittsfield's Site 9 Work Going to Bid This SeasonBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:25AM / Friday, September 15, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Work is expected to begin on Site 9 this winter, depending on weather. Edward Weagle, principal geologist at Roux Associates reported on Wednesday to PEDA plans to award the $10 million redevelopment to a successful bidder in October. The concrete slab and foundations left from the former buildings can begin to be cracked up and crushed during the winter if there is not too much snow, he said. The Pittsfield Economic Development Authority also went into executive session to discuss a real estate opportunity on the site. "We're very excited. This is a huge milestone for us," member Michael Matthews said, adding that it will create a lot of
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Pittsfield Homeless Committee Details Accomplishments, GoalsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:24PM / Thursday, September 14, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Homelessness Advisory Committee over the last year has worked to understand the many layers of homelessness and how to address service gaps.
To connect housing-insecure community members with services, the panel launched housing resource fairs and plans to continue them on a quarterly basis.
Last week, the HAC approved a 2023 annual report to be sent to Mayor Linda Tyer. Five priority actions have been identified for fiscal 2024: a flow chart for housing services, quarterly housing resource fairs, supportive services paired with housing, increased winter shelter capacity, and future planning for housing development.
Established in 2020
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Lanesborough Residents Want a Senior ParkBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:56PM / Thursday, September 14, 2023 | |
 LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — A group of seniors who are not yet ready to retire from physical activity want to create a "senior park" at Bridge Street Park.
The Select Board on Monday voted to form a Lanesborough Senior Park Initiative after it was approached by resident Linda Pruyne with a proposal to add senior-friendly recreation facilities to the site. Members will be recruited through a citizen's interest form and are planned to be appointed at the next meeting.
"Our population is aging. Seventy-year-olds, we don't feel old and we're not ready to go to the senior center and play bingo," she said, adding that older residents need outdoor activities
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LitNet Hires First-Gen College Coordinator| 08:33AM / Thursday, September 14, 2023 | |
 LEE, Mass. The Literacy Network (LitNet) announced the addition of Deisy Escobar to its staff as the organization's First-Generation College Coordinator. In this newly created role, Escobar will serve as a community ambassador for LitNet by helping to develop programming, outreach, and partnerships centered around supporting and educating first-generation college applicants and their families about the college application process and related opportunities. With Escobar's support, LitNet hopes to launch its first First-Generation College-Goer Fair in spring 2024. Escobar, a second-generation immigrant and first-year college student, graduated from 0 Comments
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District Attorney Reveals Identity of Hancock Man Killed by State Police Staff Reports ,
08:19AM / Thursday, September 14, 2023 | |
HANCOCK, Mass. — The District Attorney's Office identified Phillip Henault as the man shot and killed by a State Police officer responding to a domestic incident. The identity of the single State Police officer involved has not been made public. According to State Police, and a statement from the Berkshire District Attorney's Office, the officer was called to a Hancock residence about 7 a.m. on Sept. 9 and was confronted by Henault, age 64, who was armed. The preliminary investigation involving crime scene analysis, civilian interviews, body and dash camera footage and 911 recordings corroborate that the Massachusetts State Police officer retreated a 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Council Airs Frustrations With Overgrown WaysBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:49AM / Thursday, September 14, 2023 | |
A company was contracted to maintain the medians and borders but has apparently not been able to do so. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City councilors are appalled at the condition of some public ways and have called for action.
On Tuesday, the council sent multiple petitions to the Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales concerning walkways, medians and planter boxes that appear to be lacking maintenance.
These include a request to have the center median and all adjacent flower boxes from the intersection of Reed Street and South Street to the intersection of Linden Street and North Street cleared of all debris; a request for information on the schedule of emptying
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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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