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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Construction Grant Changes No Longer Align with Berkshire Atheneum's GoalsBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
04:18PM / Monday, March 20, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass — The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has adjusted this round of its construction grant program, no longer aligning with the Berkshire Athenaeum's goals. This grant round is really no longer a renovation program, library Director Alex Reczkowski said during a trustees meeting last week. Interested applicants need at least two locations that they would be interested in pursuing as possible libraries or locations, not just the current library, he said. Acceptance of the award is once every 30 years. Although the library has some physical upgrades to the building in its strategic plan, it does not have enough data 0 Comments
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FEMA Awards Nearly $1.4 M to BMC for COVID-19 Testing Costs| 03:49PM / Monday, March 20, 2023 | |
BOSTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will send almost $1.4 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse the Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) for the cost of of testing the public and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. The $1,390,865 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the private 302-bed teaching hospital in Pittsfield affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School for the cost of contracting to administer 22,968 COVID-19 tests between September 2020 and January 2021. The hospital also purchased supplies such as lab coats, masks, gloves, and propane for the testing tent, and contracted to provide security and cleaning 0 Comments
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Registrations Open for 2nd Street Workshops| 01:05PM / Monday, March 20, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — 2nd Street has opened registrations for free workshops focused on drawing, creative writing and poetry. The workshops, open to formerly incarcerated men and women in Berkshire County, are associated with the new programs Insight Out and Using Our Outside Voices, created by 2nd Street in partnership with Berkshire Museum and Berkshire Community College. All workshops will be held at 2nd Street, located at 264 Second Street in Pittsfield. To register, call (413) 443-7220, ext. 1275. Drawing workshops: Tuesdays, April 4 through May 23, 4:30-6 pm. Workshops will be led by Phyllis Kornfeld, who has taught art in correctional facilities 0 Comments
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Berkshire Planning Commission, Senator Talk Rural AffairsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
09:35AM / Monday, March 20, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — State Sen. Paul Mark and the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission say the governor's creation of a statewide director of rural affairs is a good sign for the region. The senator was thanked for his support of rural communities over the years.
"I think that's a very big step for our small towns across Massachusetts," Executive Director Thomas Matuszko said at last week's meeting. The position, which is housed in the Executive Office of Economic Development, will cultivate rural economic development and coordinate with secretariats and state agencies to ensure that state government is attuned
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BCHS Lecture on Early History of Brewing in Pittsfield | 08:42AM / Monday, March 20, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On March 23 at 5:30 pm, the Berkshire County Historical Society (BCHS) explores the city's brewing history as well as contemporary Berkshire brewing with a lecture by Cynthia Brown, historian and BCHS President. The presentation will be followed by a tasting from Berkshire Brewing Co., Hot Plate Brewing Co., and Shire Breu-Haus at Berkshire Theatre Festival's "The Garage" at 111 South Street. Additional flights and full pours will also be available for purchase. Tickets are $25 for BCHS, $30 for non-members and can be purchased in advance at https://berkshire-county-historical-society.square.site/events; you must be 21 0 Comments
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Two Car, Tractor Trailer Collision Closes South Street in PittsfieldStaff Reports ,
08:27AM / Monday, March 20, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A two-car accident involving a tractor-trailer truck left two with minor injuries On March 18, at approximately 12:44 p.m., the Pittsfield Police Dept., Pittsfield Fire Dept., and County Ambulance responded to the area of 639 South St for a motor vehicle vs tractor-trailer crash. A 2018 Toyota Rav 4 operated by a. Demitryia Sweener of Pittsfield, was traveling southbound on South St when she lost control of her vehicle. The vehicle entered into the left southbound lane where it struck a 2022 Honda HR-V operated by Robert Wilcox of Pittsfield, before crossing into the northbound lane and colliding with a 2018 Kenilworth tractor- trailer. This vehicle was operated
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Chair, Commissioner of State Department of Public Utilities Named| 12:37PM / Sunday, March 19, 2023 | |
BOSTON — Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca L. Tepper appointed Jamie Van Nostrand to be Chair of the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) and Staci Rubin to Commissioner. Cecile Fraser will continue her tenure as Commissioner in the Healey-Driscoll Administration. These appointments will be charged with carrying out the directive of creating a "21st Century DPU." "For the past eight years, our team in the Attorney General's Office, including Secretary Tepper and Chief Hoffer, served as the ratepayer advocate by standing up for Massachusetts residents struggling to pay their utility bills," said Governor Healey. 0 Comments
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Governor Announces Update on Search Process for State Police Colonel | 10:02AM / Sunday, March 19, 2023 | |
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced an update on the search process to identify the next Massachusetts State Police Colonel. The Administration has formed a six-member search committee, composed of diverse public safety professionals and community leaders with wide-ranging expertise, to guide a robust process to identify the new executive and administrative leader of the State Police. The Committee will guide the search process and partner with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the world's largest professional association for police leaders with experience identifying prospective applicants for 0 Comments
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State Officials Tour MEMA Logistics and Distribution Warehouse | 02:56PM / Saturday, March 18, 2023 | |
BOSTON — State officials from the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the Joint Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Management, and members of the Massachusetts National Guard toured the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) warehouse in Franklin to view storage operations and learn about the Agency's logistic capabilities. During the tour, participants including Representative William J. Driscoll, Jr., Senator Rebecca L. Rausch, and Senator Michael D. Brady, discussed MEMA's disaster logistics program and reflected on the many lessons learned from the global health emergency. At the beginning of 2020, before the full emergence of 0 Comments
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MassHire Helps Expand Career Readiness, Plans In-Person Annual MeetingBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
01:44PM / Saturday, March 18, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board has assisted more than 1,000 students with career-connecting activities across multiple sectors during the past year.
"So far, we've had 14 career awareness activities take place serving about 902 students and we've had five career exploration activities take place serving around 482 students," Youth Director Heather Shogry-Williams reported at the quarterly meeting last week.
"We have a lot of great career awareness and exploration activities set to take place within the next couple of months so those numbers will definitely increase."
This included work readiness workshops and career
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Governor's Budget Has 12.15% Hike for Pittsfield SchoolsBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
11:49AM / Saturday, March 18, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The school district is expecting a 12.5 percent boost in Chapter 70 state education aid as laid out in Gov. Maura Healey's proposed budget. The governor's local aid proposal increases Chapter 70 by $586 million, a 9.8 percent increase over fiscal 2023. That puts Pittsfield in line for $6,592,719 more in aid, for a total of $60,847,530 for fiscal 2024. Chapter 70 is based in part on a community's ability to fund the education of its students, taking a number factors into account. Pittsfield's local share for Chapter 70 is 34 percent in FY 24. Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Kristen Behnke told the 0 Comments
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Lanesborough's New Administrator Brings Federal Experience to Small TownBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:30AM / Saturday, March 18, 2023 | |
 LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Lanesborough's new town administrator brings nearly two decades of worldly experience to the small Berkshire community.
Gina Dario came into the position about a month ago — in time for the town's anticipated public safety complex vote and budget season — and has jumped right into municipal government.
The Adams native is a former state manager with the Australian Electoral Commission in Perth, Western Australia, and before that, she worked as an assistant commissioner with the Australian Electoral Commission in Canberra, the county's capital.
"Obviously municipal government is very special to New England, to Massachusetts, and
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