| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Weekend Outlook: Warblers, Farmers Markets & Hot RodsBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
12:49PM / Friday, May 16, 2025 | |
Check out the events in the Berkshires this weekend, including a school musical, a car show, plant and nature events, and more. Editor's Pick Ventfort Hall Community Day 104 Walker Street, Lenox Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission into Ventfort Hall is free, giving community members the chance to see inside the mansion and walk its grounds. At noon, visitors will see the newly unveiled green and white striped awnings. There will also be hourly presentations on the history of Ventfort Hall in the mansion's library from 10 to 3. More information here. Multiple 0 Comments
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Downtown Pittsfield Announces 'Hey Neighbor!' Summer Marketing Grants| 10:33AM / Friday, May 16, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. (DPI) is offering the 2025 "Hey Neighbor!" Summer Marketing Grant for downtown storefront businesses. Funded by MassDevelopment's Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), the grant aims to support businesses through coordinated cinema and radio marketing campaigns. Ten businesses in downtown Pittsfield will be awarded marketing grants. Recipients will receive custom video advertisements to be shown before films at the Beacon Cinema and radio advertisements to air on WUPE/WBEC FM from June through August 2025. The initiative seeks to increase foot traffic, raise community awareness, and highlight the 0 Comments
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UNICO of Pittsfield to Hold Mother's Day Community Drive| 08:00AM / Friday, May 16, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— UNICO of Pittsfield will conduct a Mother's Day Community Drive for Families in Need on Saturday, May 17. The drive will collect new pillows, new twin sheet sets, diapers (size 6 and Pull-Ups), diaper wipes or hand wipes, and personal care items such as body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant. They will also be collecting blank calendar planners, adult coloring books, and color pencils. All collected items will be donated to the Elizabeth Freeman Center's families. Donations will be accepted from 9 a.m. to noon at the Elizabeth Freeman Center, located at 66 Allen Street, Pittsfield, and from noon until 6 p.m. at Balderdash Cellars, 0 Comments
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Local Women Writers to Present 'Defy: Words in Bloom' at WANDER| 07:34AM / Friday, May 16, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — WANDER Berkshires will host "Defy: Words in Bloom," an evening of new work by five local women writers, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 7 p.m. The event is part of ArtWeek Berkshires and will feature poetry and creative nonfiction performances by Deirdre McKenna, maayan nuri héd, Nichole Dupont, Alÿcia Bacon, and Elizabeth Nelson. Paper flower sculptures by Elizabeth Nelson, who also curated the event, will be on display at WANDER from May 16–26. Deirdre McKenna is a writer and visual artist based in the Berkshires. maayan nuri héd is an antidisciplinarian artist and community organizer. Nichole Dupont is a writer, columnist,
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Taconic High School Stages 'Hadestown: Teen Edition' By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:48AM / Friday, May 16, 2025 | |
Junior Brendan Bayles, as Hades, dancing with senior Ryley Schwarz, who plays Persephone. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After six transformative months of preparation and an exciting opening weekend, the Taconic High School theater department will conclude its spring musical, "Hadestown: Teen Edition." This Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., the students will be hitting the stage to perform the family-friendly adaptation of Anaïs Mitchell's Tony-winning Broadway musical "Hadestown." Tickets are $13 for adults and $8 for students. The jazz-inflected folk opera follows Orpheus' mythical quest to overcome Hades and regain the love 0 Comments
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Western Mass Remains at Level 1 Mild Drought Despite Some Relief| 06:00PM / Thursday, May 15, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — While recent rainfall has brought some improvement to drought conditions across Massachusetts, the Western Region remains under a Level 1 – Mild Drought declaration. This announcement comes from Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper, who reported that the Central, Northeast, Islands, Connecticut River Valley, and Southeast Regions have been lowered to Level 0 or Level 1 drought status. The Cape Cod Region continues to experience a Level 2 – Significant Drought. Secretary Tepper acknowledged the positive impact of recent precipitation on streamflow and other indicators in several parts of the state. However, she also noted that
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The Retired Investor: Turning Around Finances of Vatican's Holy See a Difficult TaskBy Bill Schmick,
03:55PM / Thursday, May 15, 2025 | |
As America's Pope Leo XIV begins his reign at the head of the world's smallest country, this Catholic sovereign city-state's financial and economic challenges wait to be addressed. It may take more than American ingenuity to accomplish that. Located in Rome, the Vatican encompasses 110 acres with a population of under 1,000 souls. However, despite its size, the Vatican has had an outsized impact and influence on the financial world thanks to its investments in real estate, banking, and private enterprises. Those new to the inner workings of the Catholic Church should know there is a difference between the Vatican and the Holy See. The Vatican is the 0 Comments
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Latifah Phillips Selected as Pittsfield's Interim SuperintendentBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:16PM / Thursday, May 15, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Community members and officials overwhelmingly favored Latifah Phillips for interim superintendent, citing her vision, vibe, and experience as tools that can make positive change.
"The mayor wanted to express that all three candidates shared some great answers during the interview process. However, one candidate stood out with her vision, and that is [Phillips]," Director of Administrative Services and Public Information Officer Catherine Van Bramer read on behalf of Mayor Peter Marchetti, who was unable to attend Wednesday's meeting.
"[Phillips] provided well-rounded responses and highlighted an understanding of what our district and
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Steel Rail Races Return SundayCommunity submission,
10:31AM / Thursday, May 15, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. – The MountainOne Steel Rail Races will be held on Sunday, May 18, beginning at 7:30 a.m. with a Boston Qualifying Marathon followed by a Half Marathon at 8:30 and an 8K race at 9. The events will start and finish at the Crane Avenue entrance to the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. Route 8 access to the Route 8 Connector Rd will be closed from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The runners begin in Pittsfield following the rail trail north, then will cross Route 8 in Cheshire as they continue to Adams and back. Race directors ask the community to expect delays in traffic. More than 650 registered runners from 23 states including runners traveling over 2,600 miles 0 Comments
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Berkshire County Historic Buildings Receive Preservation Grant Funding| 07:42AM / Thursday, May 15, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Two historic preservation projects in Berkshire County have been awarded matching grants through a program administered by Preservation Massachusetts in partnership with The 1772 Foundation. The grants, totaling a portion of the $125,000 awarded statewide, will support exterior work on significant historic buildings in the region. The Elizabeth Freeman Center in Pittsfield will receive funding for work on the Old Central Fire Station. Additionally, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington has also been selected as a grant recipient. 15 grants have been awarded in total throughout the state. Jessica Rudden-Dube, 0 Comments
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Dalton Fire District Voters OK All Articles at Annual MeetingBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
07:20PM / Wednesday, May 14, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Fire District's annual meeting passed quickly, with nearly 50 voters approving all articles on the warrant, including one to expand the Board of Water Commissioners from three to five seats. During the meeting that lasted nearly 40 minutes, 49 voters approved all 23 warrant articles on the warrant, several unanimously and with little discussion. Several of the articles make up the district's $3,569,222.44, comprising the budgets for the commissioner, treasurer, Water Department, and Fire and Ambulance services. This is an increase of $44,542.44 Article 23, a citizen petition to increase the number of Board of Water Commissioners 0 Comments
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Letter Carriers' Hunger Campaign Brings in Thousands of Pounds of FoodBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:49PM / Wednesday, May 14, 2025 | |
Berkshire United Way and other volunteer groups aided postal workers in unloading the bags of food and sending them off to local food pantries. See more photos here. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — For a second weekend in a row, volunteers aided Berkshire United Way in its effort to gather food for local pantries. This year saw the effort more than double the amount of food collected. This past Saturday, volunteers throughout the county participated in the Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, which is sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers. Berkshire United Way has been supporting this effort since 2003. "I am proud of the 0 Comments
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