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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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@theMarket: Financial Contagion Spooks MarketsBy Bill Schmick,
04:04PM / Friday, March 17, 2023 | |
 The global banking sector took center stage as three U.S. banks bit the dust and a fourth large bank in Europe floundered. This puts the Fed between a rock and a hard place. The Federal Open Market Committee meets this coming Wednesday and, before the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank, was expected to raise interest rates by 25 to 50 basis points. Today, expectations are split between no rate hikes at all, and maybe one more hike of 25 basis points and then a pause. Investors large and small held their breath last weekend in the wake of three bank failures. Fears of financial contagion swept the country throughout the week. Regulators acted on several fronts to contain the 0 Comments
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North Street Three-hour Parking Rule Goes Into effect March 27| 03:37PM / Friday, March 17, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. In the wake of advocacy efforts from the downtown business community, a three-hour limit for paid on-street parking will be in effect on North Street beginning Monday, March 27. Signage reflecting the new parking rule will be installed throughout the downtown corridor. The amended parking regulations were approved by City Council at the June 28, 2022 meeting. The boundary for three-hour metered parking on North Street will be from Park Square to Madison Avenue. The meters will be updated to reflect the time limit. The parking zone, 1012, will remain the same. Commissioner Ricardo Morales, of the city's Department of Public Services and Utilities, 25 Comments
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Pittsfield Airport Projects Still Underway Despite Challenges By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
02:35PM / Friday, March 17, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Oak Leaf Energy Partners has been working to resolve a couple of challenges it ran into for the Earhart Solar Project near the Pittsfield Municipal Airport. Oak Leaf has been working with the city, airport, the state Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration to identify the constraints crossing the connection between Doolittle 1 and Doolittle 2. There are two different parts of the array: one near Barker Road and the other closer to the water tower near Tamarack Road, Oak Leaf representative Michael McCabe told the Airport Commission last week. "We're kind of doing our best to stay as close as possible 0 Comments
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Dr. Valizadeh Joins Adams Internists, Providing Primary Care Services| 12:37PM / Friday, March 17, 2023 | |
 ADAMS, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) announced the appointment of Guity Valizadeh, MD, a board certified primary care physician to the medical staff of Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) and the provider staff of Adams Internists of BMC. Dr. Valizadeh is accepting new patients in need of primary care services and is partnered with Drs. Chi Cheung and Benjamin Rudin, and Jeffrey Bialobok, NP, and Caitlin Roberts, FNP-C at Adams Internists of BMC. Dr. Valizadeh came to the Berkshires from East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, and previously provided care at the Veteran's Administration, Quincy, MA, Boston Medical Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 0 Comments
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Donations Sought For Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade| 08:12AM / Friday, March 17, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade is nearing and as organizers put the event together, they are still in need of donations. A check may be mailed to the Parade Committee at PO Box 1738, Pittsfield 01202. They also may be mailed to the Berkshire Eagle at 75 South Church St. Pittsfield 01201. Donations also may be dropped off at the Eagle building. Online users may go to the parade web site, pittsfieldparade.com, clicking Support, scrolling down and clicking Donate. The parade committee uses PayPal. The same page shows ways to become a sponsor. Donations of $25 or higher will receive a free 0 Comments
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Berkshire Athenaeum Seeks to Expand Social Support AdvocacyBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:30AM / Friday, March 17, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Athenaeum has been doing working on providing a lot of advocacy for more social support in the library, Director Alex Reczkowski said during the meeting last week The result of this has "borne fruit" he said, so the library has a stronger infrastructure. It has been collaborating with community organizations to provide these type of services. Recently, a case worker from ServiceNet has spent a lot of time doing direct care and getting people into housing. And Berkshire Harm Reduction's van, Better Life Partners, and the the Community Health Program's Mobile Health Unit are at the library on a rotating 0 Comments
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The Retired Investor: U.S. Treasuries Not Risk FreeBy Bill Schmick,
04:11PM / Thursday, March 16, 2023 | |
 The recent calamity in the banking sector is complicated, but one issue stands out. Even the safest of investments have risk. Understanding the relationship between bond prices and interest rates is extremely important. Bonds, overall, are considered safer investments than stocks and history indicates that bonds have been less volatile than stocks most of the time. However, when interest rates rise, bonds can get hurt for a variety of reasons, and credit risk is at the top of the list. Credit risk refers to the possibility that a corporation (or a government entity) could default on a bond they have issued. That happens when the issuer fails to pay back the principal or cannot 0 Comments
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Pittsfield School Committee Split on Future of ChromebooksBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
03:13PM / Thursday, March 16, 2023 | |
See the full presentation here. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee is split on whether to continue to supply students Chromebooks after taking a $1 million hit in lost devices. Superintendent Joseph Curtis wants the discussion sooner rather than later because the district will need $500,000 to continue the one-to-one program. The school district purchased 2,500 Chromebooks in 2020 as schools shifted to online learning during the pandemic. The laptops were purchased with federal and state grants that have now ended. Curtis reported the cost of the lost and damaged devices last month. This school year, the district has already 3 Comments
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Vibe North Street Storefront Recruitment Grant | 08:17AM / Thursday, March 16, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass — The Berkshire Black Economic Council (BBEC) will lead the "Vibe North Street" storefront recruitment grant program in collaboration with Downtown Pittsfield Inc. (DPI). The grant, which is funded by Mass Development's Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), will offer businesses the opportunity to receive TDI Local funds in amounts between $7,500 and $25,000 to help cover the costs of relocating to currently vacant storefronts in the North Street district. On March 15, businesses interested in moving to the North Street district can apply for the grant, which will be awarded to businesses that demonstrate the passion and capability 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Affordable Housing Trust Looks to ResourcesBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:31AM / Thursday, March 16, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Established last year with an initial $500,000, the Affordable Housing Trust soon expects to see additional resources to aid its mission.
"There are a few pieces that are coming into play," Director of Community Development June Dodds said to the panel on Wednesday.
Pittsfield received a technical assistance grant for three years through MassHousing's Neighborhood Hub program for the effort and will kick off a public input process next month. The trust is seeking $150,000 in Community Preservation Act funds this year with an aim to determine priority housing needs by July and award project funding in the fiscal year 2024.
Trust members have
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Dalton Police Officers to Go Live With Body CamerasBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:01AM / Thursday, March 16, 2023 | |
The cameras which look like smart phones, are worn on the front of the uniform and can communicate with each other. DALTON, Mass. —The police force is expected to go live with body-worn cameras once the officers are ready. Officers could be ready to use the cameras in the field at the end of next week and on Wednesday, officers got hands-on training in the high-tech devices. Chief Deanna Strout said the cameras will provide transparency and the ability to have video documentation of what happens on a call, which is helpful to the department. She has been looking into body cameras since taking over leadership two years ago. The chief feels there is no downside to the 0 Comments
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Dalton Finance Committee Amends Police Department Budget By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:56PM / Wednesday, March 15, 2023 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Finance Committee voted last week to amend the Police Department expenses line item decreasing it from $190,741 to $183,541. Following the amendment the committee voted to approve the new budget total in the amount of $1,501,152, a 11.4 percent increase from the previous year. The amendment removed a $900 a month line item for fiber connectivity so that it can be placed in the proper budget. American Rescue Plan Act funds were used to upgrade the dispatch system because dispatch could not hear the Police Department. "We worked hard to upgrade their system so we could communicate with them because it was an 0 Comments
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