| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield School Committee Delays Flag Policy VoteBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:33PM / Friday, July 25, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee needs more time with the proposed flag policy before a vote.
On Wednesday, they forwarded it back to the policy subcommittee for more discussion. Legal counsel was concerned that allowing "flags commemorating significant events or causes consistent with the school district's official sentiments" could open the doors for a lawsuit.
"We can say this isn't a public forum, but if the School Committee gets to put up whatever it wants to, and nobody else can, I think we're open to charge that we're giving preferential treatment to certain political or policy perspectives," Chair William Cameron
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@theMarket: Japanese Trade Agreement Keeps Markets Climbing to New HighsBy Bill Schmick,
01:50PM / Friday, July 25, 2025 | |
Markets have made significant progress since April. The announcement by the White House that Japanese tariffs would only be levied at 15 percent instead of 25 percent sent U.S. markets on a tear. Imagine if they were 10 percent. "The largest deal ever made," according to the president, means that Japan will pay a 15 percent tariff to sell goods to us, while we will pay nothing to sell goods to them. In reality, Americans will pay 15 percent more to buy goods from Japan, and the Japanese will pay nothing to purchase goods from us. Japan exported $141.52 billion to the U.S. last year. President Trump's tariff deal will therefore cost American corporations 0 Comments
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Weekend Outlook: Baseball, Carousels & MoreBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
12:32PM / Friday, July 25, 2025 | |
Check out some of the events happening in the Berkshires this weekend, including music, comedy, and taking a ride on the carousel. Editor's Pick LaFesta Baseball Exchange Joe Wolfe Field, North Adams Time: Saturday 6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. The 34th annual youth baseball exchange between North Adams and Boston's North End kicks off in the city this weekend. Founder George Canales has collaborated with his friend John Romano of the North End Athletic Association to provide North County ballplayers the opportunity to play against The Hub's squad and give the big city kids a chance to visit the rural Berkshires. The two teams will meet up again Aug. 0 Comments
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Comments Accepted on Kirvin Park Ecological Improvements| 10:29AM / Friday, July 25, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city of Pittsfield, Housatonic River Natural Resources Trustees, and General Electric Co. are working together on a significant floodplain and habitat restoration and enhancement project at Kirvin Memorial Park, 974 Williams St. The project will improve the conditions of approximately 17 acres in the floodplain of Sackett and Ashley Brooks in the south end of Kirvin Memorial Park by removing invasive plant species and establishing native vegetation. In addition, existing wetlands will be expanded into a portion of the floodplain area. The invasive plants collectively impair the overall habitat diversity and functions of the ecosystem. The 0 Comments
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BCC to Offer AI Essentials Training Course | 08:03AM / Friday, July 25, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) presents a hands-on, beginner-friendly AI course on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Aug. 26 through Nov. 13. Sessions will be held from 5:45-8:45 p.m. To apply for the course, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/ai and complete a workforce trainings application form. The course is designed for adults looking to develop career-ready skills by effectively integrating AI into learning and work. Participants will explore the evolving world of artificial intelligence in an accessible and practical way, gaining a strong foundation in AI concepts while focusing on safe and responsible AI usage. Throughout the course, 0 Comments
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New England Regional, La Festa Exchange to Delight Area Baseball FansiBerkshires.com Sports,
06:31AM / Friday, July 25, 2025 | |
 A busy weekend of youth baseball is on tap for two historic county venues. The action gets underway at 10 a.m. on Friday morning when Westfield takes on Vermont State Champion Essex Junction in the first game of the 13-year-old Babe Ruth New England Championship at Wahconah Park. It will be the first of 17 games over five days to determine who will represent New England in the World Series that gets underway in Jamestown, N.Y., on Aug. 14. Host Pittsfield will play in the final game on Friday, a planned 7 p.m. first pitch against Connecticut State Champion Stamford. Pittsfield will then play its next two pool play games at 7 p.m. on Saturday and 0 Comments
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Federal Grants Withheld from Pittsfield SchoolsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:09AM / Friday, July 25, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Several hundred thousand dollars in federal grant allocations are being withheld from the Pittsfield Public School District.
On Wednesday, interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips told the School Committee that the district will know if they are receiving the funds in August or September. For now, school officials are "in a holding pattern" and hoping the Title grants come through.
"When you all adopted the district budget, we had an expectation of what the federal allocations would be, and we have recently been notified that there are federal grant allocations being withheld," Phillips said.
Current federal grant
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Repairs Planned for Silver Lake's Underwater CapBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:27AM / Friday, July 25, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Starting next month, a thinning portion of Silver Lake's underwater cap will be repaired.
During a public hearing on Tuesday, members of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's New England Region 1 and General Electric detailed the three-week-long project beginning in August. An additional 6 to 9 inches of cap material will infill a three-quarter acre area of the lake, totaling about 810 cubic yards.
In 2023, monitoring required by the 2000 Consent Decree revealed that a southern area of the cap along East Street reduced to a thickness of 9.4 inches, down from 14. Work will be done behind the site of the former Kentucky Fried
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Taconic High School Opens New Track With Ribbon CuttingBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
05:35PM / Thursday, July 24, 2025 | |
Improper drainage had been a serious concern of the old track and the school could not hold track meets there. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Taconic High School track is officially open for the community and Pittsfield High and Taconic athletes. On Thursday morning, track coaches from both high schools got to cut ribbons with their respective school colors to symbolize the opening of the new track. "This is amazing. It's beautiful. It finishes our campus. We were so fortunate that Pittsfield is invested not only in Taconic, but in this whole site. So, this was one of the last things we were looking at to upgrade," said Taconic Principal Matthew Bishop, who's been
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The Retired Investor: A Government-Controlled Fed Will Impact Financial Assets DifferentlyBy Bill Schmick,
03:57PM / Thursday, July 24, 2025 | |
It is 2026. A new Fed chief has been installed after committing to follow the president's demands to cut interest rates and keep them low. The Fed's first act is a one percent cut in interest rates. How will the markets react? If history is any guide, the stock market would roar. Bond yields across the board might plummet. The economy would catch on fire. Home prices in the real estate market could climb as buyers take advantage of falling mortgage rates. It would be a time to break out the champagne because good times are here again. However, history may not be an accurate reference point. In the above scenario, we would be living in a macroeconomic environment 0 Comments
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Briefs: Motorcyclist Dies From Accident; NYC Man Sentenced in Child Rape| 02:57PM / Thursday, July 24, 2025 | |
Motorcyclist Succumbs to Accident Injuries LENOX, Mass. — A Lee man involved in a motorcycle accident on Sunday has died from his injuries. Gustavo Bernal, 49, was found by a state trooper in the northbound lane of Route 7 at the Plunkett Street intersection. Local first-responders were on their way after getting a 911 call reporting of a single-vehicle collision about 9:33 p.m. Bernal was unconscious and in critical medical condition. Lenox Emergency Medical Services transported him to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield. He succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday. The incident is being investigated by local and State 0 Comments
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Ninth Annual 'Moby-Dick' Read-A-Thon| 10:50AM / Thursday, July 24, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. —The Berkshire County Historical Society's annual "Moby-Dick" Read-a-Thon will begin July 31 at 10 am, continuing daily until the book is finished. Participants will read aloud for 15 minutes with the next participant picking up where the prior reader left off. The event is held at Melville's historic home Arrowhead where the novel was written. Advanced sign up is required by using the BOOK NOW button at berkshirehistory.org. Participation is free, but a $5 donation is suggested. The annual event commemorates Melville's birthday Aug. 1, 1819. On Aug. 3 beginning at 9 a.m., hikers are invited to celebrate the day (Aug. 0 Comments
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