| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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No Drought Conditions in Berkshire County| 08:00AM / Thursday, June 12, 2025 | |
BOSTON — Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper declared that Western Mass remains at a level 0, normal conditions. The Southeast Region, the Connecticut River Valley, Central, and Northeast Regions are also a level 0. Islands Region remains at Level 1 – Mild Drought, while the Cape Cod Region continues at Level 2. Recent rains have provided relief, but more precipitation is still needed to restore water systems, particularly, groundwater levels in some parts of the state. As outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, a Level 1 – Mild Drought and a Level – 2 Significant Drought require detailed monitoring of 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Health Board Orders Demolition of Morningside HomeBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:40PM / Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The city hopes to remedy an abandoned Morningside home through a demolition order.
Last week, the Board of Health supported a demolition request on 21 Ensign Ave. While the mortgage and taxes continue to be paid, the property is abandoned and has a hole in the roof.
Director of Public Health Andy Cambi explained that it would normally be a slower process, but they were recently able to get success with a Lincoln Street property through an order to demolish.
"It's in housing court right now, and the judge has given the owner 30 days to sell the property or our order sticks to demolish that property. Another option is
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Retired Senior Volunteer Program to Host Open House| 03:59PM / Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) announced an open house on Friday, June 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at their offices located at 16 Bartlett Avenue. At the open house, the public will have the opportunity to meet the RSVP team, explore the services they offer and discover new volunteer opportunities. Light refreshments will be served. 0 Comments
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Pediatric Development Center to Host Fundraising Event at Balderdash Cellars| 08:10AM / Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass.—The Pediatric Development Center (PDC) will host a fundraising event, "Vineyard Vibes for Little Lives," on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 6:00 PM at Balderdash Cellars in Pittsfield. The event aims to raise funds for PDC's Early Intervention programs, which serve children and families in South and Central Berkshire County by providing therapeutic services at no cost. The event is sponsored by Greylock Federal Credit Union, with support from local partners. Tickets are available for $50 and include a glass of wine, food, and live music. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a 50/50 raffle and an auction featuring local items and
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Berkshire Habitat Launches Fundraiser in Memory of Stephen Heller| 07:40AM / Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity announced a tribute in memory of Stephen Heller. Launched by his sister Elaine Cottle and her family, this initiative celebrates Heller's enduring love for community and craftsmanship by raising funds for a central gazebo at Prosperity Way, Habitat's newest 20-home neighborhood in Housatonic. Heller passed away in 2023 at the age of 65, leaving behind a legacy of generosity. A masterful craftsman turned computer programmer, Heller held an admiration for Habitat for Humanity's mission and was particularly drawn to the Housatonic build site near his family home. His values aligned with the core of 0 Comments
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Pittsfield OKs $226M Budget for FY26By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:39AM / Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council passed a $226 million "best that they could" budget for fiscal year 2026.
On Tuesday, the unanimous vote was taken quickly after four nights of departmental budget hearings over the last month. The $226,246,942 spending plan is a nearly 4.8 percent increase from the previous year and includes cost savings from the new trash system and smaller school appropriation.
"There are a lot of positives, and so if the vote goes the same as it did in the committee, this could be a unanimous vote. Some people aren't going to be happy about that, but like I said, it's one of the lowest increases we've had in recent
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Lanesborough Passes Budgets, Leasing Funds for EMS & Gold Star ExemptionBy Tammy Daniels , iBerkshires Staff
09:22PM / Tuesday, June 10, 2025 | |
Town Administrator Gina Dario picks a raffle ticket with Town Counsel Jeffrey Blake of KP Law. Voters were handed tickets for a chance to win one of nearly a dozen Lanesborough history books. LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Town meeting on Tuesday night approved an amended fiscal 2026 budget of $12,565,654, reflecting a $23,858 decrease in the Mount Greylock Regional School District line. It failed to pass an appropriation from stabilization of $45,000 for the public safety building project but approved taking $100,000 from free cash to lease space for the ambulance department. Town meeting also adopted a state law allowing a tax-exemption for gold star families 0 Comments
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Zion Church Apartments, Resource Center Nearing CompletionBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:32AM / Tuesday, June 10, 2025 | |
The church is one of two locations tapped for a supportive housing model. Hearthway is developing 28 other units on West Housatonic Street. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The housing resource center and supportive units at Zion Lutheran Church are nearly complete, and the operators will launch a fundraising campaign to support programmatic expenses.
"We've made the decision to fundraise for the operating funds so the building is covered as far as the construction, 10-year lease, and the operating costs of the space. So we are really fundraising for the staff and some supplies," Hearthway's President and CEO, Eileen Peltier, told the Homelessness Advisory Committee on
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Woodlands Partnership to Host 'How Do Forests Grow?' Webinar| 04:12PM / Monday, June 09, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Woodlands Partnership of Northwest Massachusetts is scheduled to host a free Zoom webinar titled "How Do Forests Grow? (Up, Down & Sideways!)" on Thursday, June 12, from noon to 1 p.m. This event marks the first in a series of educational webinars focusing on forests. Tom Worthley, an Extension Professor in Forestry from the University of Connecticut, will serve as the guest speaker. Worthley is slated to "offer a primer on forest ecology including factors influencing tree growth and forest biomass, changes in forests through time and ecosystem services provided by forests," as stated in the announcement. Individuals 0 Comments
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Overnight Gas Work to Cause Lane Closures on Route 7, Route 20| 03:47PM / Monday, June 09, 2025 | |
LENOX, Mass. — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has announced scheduled overnight gas work on Route 7 and Route 20 in Lenox and Pittsfield. The work, which involves trenching across the highway at four locations, is set to occur from Sunday, June 8, through Thursday, June 26. MassDOT has stated that the work will take place between mile marker 27.7 (481 Pittsfield Road, Lenox) and mile marker 28.2 (1020 South Street, Pittsfield). The operations are scheduled during overnight hours, from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the following morning. All scheduled work is weather dependent and subject to change without notice Lane closures will 0 Comments
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Lanesborough Annual Town Meeting PreviewBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
03:41PM / Monday, June 09, 2025 | |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $12.5 million operating budget, the acquisition of Old Williamstown Road, and some free cash appropriations.
Voters will gather at the Lanesborough Elementary School on Tuesday at 6 p.m. to decide on 24 warrant articles.
The proposed $12,589,512 budget for fiscal year 2026 is a 5.6 percent increase from the previous year. It includes a $6,863,585 Mount Greylock Regional School District assessment and a $317,109 vocational regional assessment. More details can be found here.
At the end of May, the Select Board voted to include a proposed $100,000 free cash appropriation for the ambulance
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Dalton Special Town Meeting PostponedBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
03:03PM / Monday, June 09, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The special town meeting scheduled for Monday, June 9, has been postponed to a tentative date of June 26. Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson explained that the rescheduling is because the warrant was not posted within the state-required 14 business days in advance. There will be a Select Board meeting this Wednesday to sign the warrant so it can be properly posted. The meeting was to decide on six warrant articles, including the contentious police budget and an article to transfer free cash to fund professional and technical work to ensure Berkshire Concrete Corp.'s compliance with its special permit and town orders. The funding 0 Comments
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