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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Senator Markey Headlines Pittsfield Democratic RallyBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
08:52PM / Sunday, March 09, 2025 | |
The Progressive Democrats of American were among the groups represented at the rally. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Democratic leaders rallied against the Republican administration on Sunday and urged residents to take action — but offered little on what their strategy is to oppose President Trump's agenda. "Trump doesn't want to make America great again," U.S. Sen. Ed Markey told hundreds at the Colonial Theatre. "He wants to make America hate again." Markey headlined the "No Kings in America" rally for Democracy on Sunday brought forward by the local Four Freedoms Coalition. (President Trump had described himself as 0 Comments
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Letter: A Prescription for Survival: Solving Western Mass Physician CrisisLetter to the Editor,
07:00PM / Sunday, March 09, 2025 | |
 To the Editor:
In the shadow of the Berkshires' rolling hills, a quiet calamity unfolds. Rural western Massachusetts — Berkshire, Franklin, and parts of Hampden and Hampshire Counties — teeters on the edge of a health-care abyss. Primary care physicians (PCPs), the bedrock of community wellness, are vanishing. With wait times stretching six to 12 months and ratios dipping to 60-70 doctors per 100,000 residents — half the state's average — this is no mere inconvenience. It's a crisis of equity, economics, and survival, demanding bold, bipartisan action now.
The numbers are stark. Berkshire County, home to 125,000 souls, has lost a third of its PCPs
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Gov, AG Issue Guidance on Equal Access to Education| 03:45PM / Sunday, March 09, 2025 | |
BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued updated joint guidance to support Massachusetts' higher education and K-12 institutions in their work to further equal access and representation in education in response to recent Executive Orders by President Trump and a U.S. Department of Education "Dear Colleague" letter dated Feb. 14, 2025. Under the joint guidance, Massachusetts educational institutions should continue their work to foster diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility among their student bodies. Longstanding legal precedent has established that educational institutions may take steps to build student 0 Comments
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MassWildlife: Discover animal tracks| 12:31PM / Sunday, March 09, 2025 | |
Wild animals are experts at staying out of sight. Yet the winter snow and mud can reveal a detailed account of the comings and goings of even the most secretive animals. Whether you're wandering secluded forests and fields or taking a walk in your suburban neighborhood, watch for tracks to learn about wildlife in the area. As with birdwatching, tree identification, or any other area of nature study, learning to identify tracks takes some practice. Start by getting familiar with common animal tracks. Use MassWildlife's animal track card as a guide to tracks you may encounter here in Massachusetts. Identifying animal tracks is much easier if the conditions are right. Tracks
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Lt. Gov. Touts Rural Grant Awards in CummingtonBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
08:14AM / Sunday, March 09, 2025 | |
Cummington welcomes Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao for an announcement on state grants for rural communities. CUMMINGTON, Mass. — A state grant has boosted the Berkshire Trail Building revitalization by $400,000, a project that has been in the works for over six years.
"Make sure to get a look at it on your way out," Selectman Brian Gilman told a crowd at the Community House. "The next time you pass this way, you might not recognize it because of all the new life that is breathed into it."
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll traveled to Cummington on Friday to celebrate $10 million in Community One Stop for Growth funding for rural
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Dalton Hires Executive Assistant to the Town ManagerBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:52PM / Saturday, March 08, 2025 | |
 DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board has appointed Lori Venezia as the new executive assistant to the town manager. She started her role on Monday. Venezia grew up in Dalton and still has family in the area. She said she has a strong childhood connection to the community and is interested in making sure it remains a safe and caring community. "I think it'll help me be in their shoes and put myself in their position and share their feelings and share their concerns," she said. In this role, Venezia expressed her commitment to supporting the town manager by assisting them to ensure they are successful and meeting deadlines. She said she 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Short on Snow PlowersBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:18PM / Friday, March 07, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city has half the number of snow plowing contractors it had in 2020.
Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales talked snow removal during Monday's public works subcommittee meeting. This year, the city only has 23 contractors compared to five years ago when there were more than 50.
"I think we have good contractors," he said. "We just don't have enough and especially, we don't have enough of the good contractors out there."
Contractor pay went up 2.44 percent in 2025, now between $85 per hour for a three-quarter-ton pickup truck with a push plow and $203 per hour for a 10-wheel truck with a wing and
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@theMarket: Tariff Talk Trashes Stocks as Stagflation Fears RiseBy Bill Schmick,
04:20PM / Friday, March 07, 2025 | |
The latest worry to plague Wall Street is lower growth and rising inflation. What is worse, the tariff war that President Trump insists will lead to a "golden age" for America is proving to be a nightmare for financial markets. "There will be a little disturbance, but we are OK with that," the president admitted Tuesday evening in his address to Congress. His mission that night was to sell America on his vision of a new economy of high tariffs, low immigration, low taxes, and low regulation. Main Street is buying that message, with approval ratings of almost 70 percent of those who watched the address. Unfortunately, global financial markets are not so 0 Comments
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State Fire Marshal: Daylight Saving Time Reminder| 03:42PM / Friday, March 07, 2025 | |
STOW, Mass. —With daylight saving time beginning on March 9, Massachusetts fire officials are reminding residents to check their smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms when they change their clocks. "Working smoke and CO alarms are your family's first line of defense against an emergency at home," said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. "As we spring forward this weekend, remember to check your alarms when you change your clocks. Be sure they're present on every level of your home and within their useful lifespan. And unless you have newer alarms with sealed, long-life batteries, this is a great time to replace the alkaline batteries in all your
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Lenox Fire Douses Garage Blaze, Cause Under InvestigationBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
12:10PM / Friday, March 07, 2025 | |
 LENOX, Mass. — Firefighters made swift work of a garage fire that could have turned into a conflagration on Friday morning. The report of smoke in the area of 5 Crystal St. came in at 10:51 a.m. According scanner reports, the owner alerted authorities that the fire was in a garage behind the home and at least 20 gallons of waste oil was on the premises. Fire Chief Chris O'Brien said the fire was brought under control and extinguished within 30 minutes. The windy conditions didn't hamper firefighters' efforts. "We didn’t run into any trouble — we are experiencing oil in the runoff," said O'Brien. 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Awarded Grant to Plant Native Shade Trees| 10:48AM / Friday, March 07, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Healey-Driscoll Administration has awarded the City of Pittsfield $68,500 through the Cooling Corridors program. "Investing in green spaces is vital for the health and well-being of our residents," said Governor Maura Healey. "By planting trees and creating more parks, we ensure that everyone – especially those in environmental justice communities – has access to cleaner air and a better quality of life." This funding will enable the city to plant 40 native shade trees in a middle-income neighborhood that currently lacks sufficient street tree cover, located outside of the designated Greening the Gateway 0 Comments
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Stearns Staff Accused of Using Bathroom to 'De-Escalate' StudentsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
09:59AM / Friday, March 07, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Several Stearns Elementary School staff were put on leave at the end of February for allegations of using a bathroom to "de-escalate" students.
A report was filed with the state Department of Children and Families and separate investigations are being conducted by DCF and the Pittsfield Public Schools.
On Thursday, Superintendent Joseph Curtis sent a communication to PPS families reporting that on Feb. 26, Stearns Principal Sara Luciani received an allegation that staff members in Room 7 and Room 1 were using a classroom bathroom in Room 7 as a place for students to de-escalate.
"Principal Luciani investigated immediately and then informed
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