| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Letter: DaltonDalton Police Budget for Special Town MeetingLetter to the Editor,
05:00PM / Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | |
 To the Editor:
I have immense respect for the work performed by our Police Department. It is certainly a great comfort for the town's people that they can feel safe. However, reviewing the police budget was still necessary and appropriate to assure the townspeople that the department's budget was the best it could be. The Finance Committee did not target the police budget; instead, all departments underwent the same objective process. The misinformation presented by the Police Department at the May 19 Select Board meeting was very unfortunate. Each year Dalton, town departments submit their anticipated budgets to the Select Board for the next fiscal year, based on current
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BCC to Host Berkshire State of Work Summit on June 18 | 03:37PM / Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will host the 2025 Berkshire State of Work Summit, "From Hiring to Thriving: A New Era of Workplace Culture," on Wednesday, June 18 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. The event, presented by BCC, MassHire, Berkshire Innovation Center, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and 1Berkshire, will take place at BCC's main campus, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. Tickets are $75 and may be purchased at www.berkshirecc.edu/worksummit. The one-day conference will focus on the workforce challenges and opportunities facing Berkshire employers, from attracting the right talent to ensuring their 0 Comments
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Dalton National Guard Airman Receives New Rank, New Responsibilities| 02:08PM / Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | |
LATHAM, N.Y. — A Dalton, Mass., airman has been promoted in rank in the New York Air National Guard. Charlotte Weiskotten, assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing, received the promotion April 15 to the rank of airman, first class. She is a cybersecurity analyst and a graduate of Wahconah Regional High School and the Community College of the Air Force and is currently attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Bank, the commander of the New York Air National Guard, announced the recent promotion of members of the Guard in recognition of their capability for additional responsibility and leadership. Promotions are 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Preliminarily OKs 5-Year Capital Improvement PlanBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
01:37PM / Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city's capital improvement plan for the upcoming fiscal year services the roads and sidewalks, school buildings, and more.
On Wednesday, the City Council preliminarily approved the five-year capital improvement plan, running from FY26 to FY30, with no discussion. Forty-five percent of $65 million in FY26 expenditures are going to school maintenance, such as boiler replacements, roof repairs, and HVAC system upgrades.
Twenty-two percent will go to road improvements, and 18 percent to stormwater and culvert improvements.
"I think every year, when I was council president, I really didn't know what to do with the five-year capital improvement plan.
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Lever and BIC Awarded Climatetech Startup Grants from MassCEC| 10:49AM / Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | |
BOSTON — Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today announced $1.4 million in funding for 12 organizations through its Innovation Ecosystem Program, which provides critical funding to support Massachusetts’ growing network of climatetech Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs). These grants will empower ESOs to expand services, strengthen infrastructure, and increase support for early-stage climatetech startups. "The world looks to Massachusetts for innovative solutions to our planet's toughest challenges,” said Governor Maura Healey. That’s because we value the groundbreaking work and the significant economic impact of entrepreneurs and 0 Comments
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BCC to Host Berkshire State of Work Summit on June 18| 08:01AM / Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will host the 2025 Berkshire State of Work Summit, "From Hiring to Thriving: A New Era of Workplace Culture," on Wednesday, June 18 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. The event, presented by BCC, MassHire, Berkshire Innovation Center, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and 1Berkshire, will take place at BCC’s main campus, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. Tickets are $75 and may be purchased at www.berkshirecc.edu/worksummit. The one-day conference will focus on the workforce challenges and opportunities facing Berkshire employers, from attracting the right talent to ensuring 0 Comments
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Fired Dalton Chief Files Lawsuit Against DistrictBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:31AM / Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — Christian Tobin, who was terminated as chief of the Fire Department, wants his position back along with damages in a lawsuit filed against the Fire District and its officials. The case was filed with Berkshire Superior Court on May 14 by attorney Elizabeth Quigley, on behalf of Tobin, who is alleging a breach of contract and wrongful termination. The board unanimously voted to terminate Tobin in January following allegations of sexual harassment, grant overspending, and "employee concerns." The suit is against the district, the three members of the Board of Water Commissioners — Chairman James Driscoll, Camillus 0 Comments
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Dalton Public Safety Officials Emphasize Safe DrivingBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:20AM / Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | |
Sayers Auto Wrecking furnished two vehicles to stage the crash at Wahconah. DALTON, Mass. — With graduation and prom season upon us, the Fire Department wants to remind people to drive safely and make good choices. Last Friday, personnel from the Dalton and Windsor fire departments collaborated with the Dalton Police and Wahconah Regional High School to host a mock car accident, with vehicles from Sayers' Auto Wrecking. "It's just a reality check for the kids and helps them make the right choices," said Fire Deputy Chief Michael Cachat. As students arrived at the school, they were surprised to see two of their peers 0 Comments
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K&M Bowling Opens Mini-Golf Course in Pittsfield By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:17PM / Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | |
The Mathes family and Mayor Peter Marchetti cut the ribbon on the new mini-golf course on Saturday. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city's only bowling alley now has the city's only miniature golf.
K&M Bowling and Family Fun Center cut the ribbon on an 18-hole pirate-themed course on Saturday. The Mathes family opened the Dalton Avenue business two years ago in the former Imperial Bowl.
"It means a great deal for all of us, without a doubt," said Mark Mathes.
"A lot of our employees have put in a lot of hard work to help us get here and continue running our business. We have a lot of family members that have helped out, so we're very
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Concerns Over Screen Time Prompts Parent PresentationBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
04:31PM / Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — Concerns about the effects of digital devices and social media on children has prompted one local parent to bring awareness to her community. Amanda Baumann gave a presentation on the harmful effects of screen usage on kids last week at St. Agnes' Academy. She has a 5-year-old attending the parochial school. She recently read "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness" by Jonathan Haidt, which argues that the use of screen time is affecting the mental health of children. Baumann decided to approach the school's principal about educating the public and what they can 0 Comments
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Housatonic Valley Association Joins International Conservation Program| 03:20PM / Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) has been selected for the Salazar Center for North American Conservation’s Peregrine Accelerator for Conservation Impact 2025 cohort. This international program aims to enhance the impact of strategies addressing biodiversity loss, ecological connectivity, and community resilience. Through this six-month program, which includes funding, mentorship, and collaboration with organizations in the North Atlantic region of the U.S. and Canada, HVA's "Follow the Forest" initiative will be expanded. "Follow the Forest" involves over 50 partners working to protect and connect forests 0 Comments
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Berkshires Gets $200K in State Grants to Boost Housing, Conservation & Development| 07:49AM / Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Healey-Driscoll Administration has awarded over $2.1 million in grant funding through the Planning Assistance Grant Program, with a significant portion benefiting communities in Berkshire County. These grants, administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), aim to improve community land use practices by promoting conservation, sustainable housing and economic development, and climate resilience. The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) is the applicant for most of these local projects, providing crucial support for efficient land use, increased housing options, and climate change initiatives. Specifically, 0 Comments
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