| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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The Retired Investor: For Whom the Tariffs TollBy Bill Schmick,
04:38PM / Thursday, May 01, 2025 | |
As the flow of container ships to the U.S. slows and the number of trucks needed to distribute Chinese goods declines, retail shelves will soon begin to empty. Unless the tariff war is reversed, consumers should expect shortages. Tariffs (so the story goes) will fuel a U.S. manufacturing renaissance, leading to higher middle-class wages and more stable families and communities. This manufacturing resurgence will promote research, development and innovation leading to economy-wide productivity gains. History and most economists indicate that tariffs will not deliver the desired benefits. But let's not be naysayers. After all, most Americans believe that our trade relations 0 Comments
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BCC Invites Public to Student Art Show | 08:04AM / Thursday, May 01, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will hold a student art show Thursday, May 8 from 4-7 p.m. in the Koussevitzky Art Gallery, located on BCC's main campus at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. The event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served. The student art show, a BCC Visual Arts department tradition that began in the early 1980s, is held every spring. All students enrolled in a studio art class show their artwork, and the event is run like a professional gallery, explained Professor of Fine Arts Lisa Griffith. "Each art major must assist in the installation of their 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Subcommittee Supports Short-Term Rental Zoning Amendment By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:38AM / Thursday, May 01, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is closer to defining its regulations on short-term rentals and, in turn, being able to keep track of them.
On Monday, the Ordinances and Rules supported a zoning amendment for short-term rentals that outlines basic requirements. It was amended to include a nine-month grace period for existing short-term rentals, rather than six months.
"The zoning amendment will outline the physical requirements for short-term rentals, stuff like occupancy, parking, days per calendar year that you can rent one out, units that it can be in, and units that it can't be in. For example, income-restricted units can't be rented as short-term rentals. If you have
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Dalton Fire District Approves Tentative Budget By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:09AM / Thursday, May 01, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Fire District's Prudential Committee approved an anticipated budget of more than three million during its meeting last week. The district's projected budget amounts to $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 The Board of Water Commissioners voted to recommend utilizing $375,000 from the funds raised by the ambulance to offset the amount to appropriate. The district's Board of Water Commissioners and Prudential Committee collaborated during the budgeting process to mitigate increases. The Fire 0 Comments
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Lanesborough Picks Information Panel for Public Safety ProposalBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:34PM / Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town has a public safety building proposal to present to taxpayers, and now, an informational committee will help move the process forward.
On Monday, the Select Board voted to form a public safety building informational outreach committee and re-appointed four members: Dean Clement, Daniel MacWhinnie, Mark Siegars, and Lisa Dachinger.
"The Public Safety Building Committee has done their job. Now we need, hopefully with some of those same bodies, to form a new committee of some type and move forward," Select Board member Timothy Sorrell explained.
Earlier this month, the town officials voted to advance a $7.3 million combined police/emergency
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GE Plans for PCB Removal Gets OK| 03:46PM / Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | |
BOSTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved, with several conditions, the General Electric Company's Revised On-Site and Off-Site Transportation and Disposal Plan. GE's revised plan maximizes the use of rail and hydraulic pumping for the transport of sediments and soils in and along the Housatonic River that are contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls. Approximately 75 percent to 80 percent of the material to be removed from the river will be transported hydraulically without the need for any trucks. Approximately 17 percent of the material can be transported by rail (combined with trucking). As little as approximately 5 percent of the material 0 Comments
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May Day Protests Planned in Berkshires| 03:17PM / Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Residents in Berkshire and Bennington County, Vt., are planning to join thousands of others in May Day protests across the nation. More than 1,000 rallies have registered with the platform Mobilize but more are expected to pop up this weekend. The Berkshires has seen a number of protests over the past several weeks, including the "Hands Off" rallies of April 5 when hundreds stood in the rain with signs and others traveled to Boston where more than 50,000 people turned out to criticize the administration's actions. May Day is International Workers Day and is celebrated as a holiday to celebrate the labor movement in many 0 Comments
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Berkshire HorseWorks Equine-Assisted Reading Program for Children| 03:09PM / Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | |
 RICHMOND, Mass. — Berkshire HorseWorks, Inc. will launch a new program this spring called "Book Club at the Barn," offering an equine-assisted reading experience for children. The after-school program aims to enhance literacy, reading comprehension, and vocabulary through discussions and interactions with horses. The program will be facilitated by Eagala-certified practitioners Hayley Sumner, an Equine Specialist, and Caitlin Scott, a Speech-Language Pathologist, at the Berkshire HorseWorks campus in Richmond. Two series will be offered on Mondays from 4:00 PM to 5:15 PM: Graphic Novel Series (Ages 7 and up): May 5 –by Judd Winick May 19 –by Kay 0 Comments
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Truck Crashes Into Pittsfield's Samel's DeliBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
10:55AM / Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | |
Elm Street will be partially closed as cleanup continues. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Wednesday morning was busy for Pittsfield first responders, as a pickup truck crashed into Samel's Deli & Catering and a fire broke out on First Street.
Around 9:45 a.m., the police reported that the street in front of Samel's Deli & Catering would be closed or down to one lane as a result of a two-car collision that sent the truck careening into the deli.
The department posted two photos on Facebook, one depicting the 2008 silver truck with New York license plates crashed through the glass of the front entrance and another of a white Honda CR-V with significant damage to the
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Pittsfield Firefighters Respond to Two-Alarm Structure Fire on First Street| 10:43AM / Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Fire Department responded to a report of a possible structure fire at 233-235 First St. Upon arrival, Engine 3 reported heavy fire and smoke from the 235 side of the five-apartment building. First St. Command was established, and a Second Alarm was called, bringing all on-duty apparatus and personnel to the scene. Engine 3 and Engine 2 initiated an interior attack, while Engines 6 and 5 conducted search and rescue operations. It was unknown if the building was occupied at the time. Engine 1 was assigned as the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). The fire was brought under control in approximately one hour. No civilian or 0 Comments
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Lanesborough Facing Over 6% Budget IncreaseBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:51AM / Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget is a 6.27 percent increase from this year. On Monday, Town Administrator Gina Dario presented a $12,669,203 operating budget to the Select Board, noting that it is subject to minor changes before the annual town meeting on June 10. Looking at the current local and national environment, she recognized "a lot of surprises," but didn't want that to reflect in the town's spending. "We are dealing with a bit of the unknown, but within that, we really try to operate with as much fiscal responsibility and with as much fiscal diligence as we can," Dario 0 Comments
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Community Hero: Retired Senior Volunteer ProgramBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:41PM / Tuesday, April 29, 2025 | |
Administrative assistant Sherry Reardon, Director Lisa Torrey and volunteer coordinator Diane Monterosso. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — For more than 50 years, generations of seniors have donated their time to community organizations in the Berkshires through the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. In 2024, its 305 volunteers committed 40,699 hours across 44 stations. It is this commitment to the community that has earned the organization and its volunteers the title of April's Community Hero of the month. The Community Hero of the Month is a 12-month series that honors individuals and organizations that have made a significant impact on their community. This 0 Comments
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