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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Council to Tackle Tax Rate, Zoning Amendment ProposalsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:03PM / Monday, December 11, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday will take up the fiscal 2024 tax classification and a proposed battery energy storage overlay district.
On the agenda are public hearings for both items, with the tax rate continuing from last month.
The administration has requested a commercial shift of 1.75 that would result in a residential rate of $18.45 per $1,000 of valuation and a commercial rate of $39.61 per $1,000. After several councilors expressed concern about raising taxes, it was tabled.
"You are driving people out of Pittsfield," Councilor at Large Karen Kalinowsky said at the late November meeting.
The residential rate for FY23 was $18.32 per
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Dalton Voters to Decide Funding for Police Details AccountBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
03:26PM / Monday, December 11, 2023 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The town will be having a special town meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. at Wahconah Regional High School to vote on adding additional funds to the police detail fund. The controversial article has been making waves within the community government this past month. The police detail fund is a revolving account that is currently paid up to $25,000 but is drained when a large number of details happen. It stays drained until it is replenished by payments from the private entities that hire the details. When the fund is substantially drained, the payment schedule for officers who work details is unpredictable, Police Chief Deanna 0 Comments
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BCC to Benefit from New MassGrant Financial Aid Program | 08:17AM / Monday, December 11, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) is one of 15 community colleges across the Commonwealth, plus state universities and the University of Massachusetts, that will benefit from a historic financial aid expansion recently approved by Governor Maura Healey's administration. With close to $62 million in new program funding supporting approximately 25,000 students, the MASSGrant Plus Expansion program will cover tuition, fees, books, and supply costs for Pell Grant-eligible students and reduce out-of-pocket expenses for middle-income students by up to half. "For so many Massachusetts residents, higher education can be the ticket 0 Comments
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Radiant Nights at Hancock Shaker Village| 08:02AM / Monday, December 11, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Hancock Shaker Village is back with its multisensory holiday experience with the opening of Radiant Nights on Dec. 15. "We are thrilled to partner again with artist Joe Wheaton to create Radiant Nights with his stunning video projections which will illuminate the Village and several historic buildings, including the iconic Round Stone Barn. We've added some unexpected elements of surprise along the path as our guests stroll through the Village and enhanced the core experience with several new programming components. This has become a unique winter holiday tradition and we look forward to welcoming the community to experience the spectacle that is 0 Comments
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BRTA Offers Free Bus and ADA Paratransit ServicesBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:16AM / Monday, December 11, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.—The sleigh bells are ringing, and so are the coins in Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) Riders' pockets thanks to the Try Transit initiative. Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) has again wheeled out the Try Transit initiative, offering free bus and complementary Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit services until Dec. 31. "So it's a way to really see if this is something that will work during this program, and then again afterward," BRTA Administrator Robert Malnati said. BRTA was granted $179,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to fund this state initiative 0 Comments
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Legislative Hearing in Pittsfield Tackles Inflated Utility RatesBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:50AM / Monday, December 11, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A legislative hearing was held at the Berkshire Innovation Center last week to address rate increases in electricity, gas, and oil with representatives from the Healey-Driscoll administration and utility companies. In the last two years, electricity rates have increased by an average of 12 percent and natural gas prices by 1 percent and Western Mass. communities feel that they are experiencing the brunt of it. The session began with a panel discussion between legislators and the Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper, Commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources Elizabeth Mahoney, and Chair of the 0 Comments
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BCC Announces New Staff | 04:09PM / Sunday, December 10, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces the addition of four staff members. Erica Barreto joins BCC as Coordinator of Student Diversity Programs and Belonging. Born to first-generation immigrant parents from Brazil and Portugal, Barreto grew up in the Hudson Valley, New York, before moving to the Berkshires. In 2019, she returned to her alma mater, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, to coordinate the MCLA Institute for the Arts and Humanities (IAH). In 2022, Barreto was awarded the BCC 40 Under 40 Award to commemorate her work with IAH. She is the vice president of the board of directors for WAM Theatre. In her free time, she likes 0 Comments
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MassWildlife: Avoid decorating with invasive plants| 12:19PM / Sunday, December 10, 2023 | |
During the holiday season, many people use plants to decorate their homes or businesses. If you wish to use plants in your decorations, be sure to select native species such as native pines, spruces, hemlock, American holly, mountain laurel, fir, or winterberry holly. Avoid exotic, invasive plants like Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora). These plants may have attractive berries, but they can cause severe damage to native plants, shrubs, and trees. Invasive plants can spread quickly in open fields, forests, wetlands, meadows, and backyards, crowding out native plants that provide valuable wildlife habitat. Oriental bittersweet can even 0 Comments
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Governor Holds First Regional Cabinet Meeting in Amherst | 12:00PM / Sunday, December 10, 2023 | |
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration held their first regional cabinet meeting at University of Massachusetts Amherst to discuss the administration's priorities in Western Massachusetts. In an effort to promote statewide collaboration, the administration aims to hold a regional cabinet meeting in every region across the state. "Our state is made up of 351 cities and towns, each with their own unique sets of characteristics and needs. By hosting regional cabinet meetings, our administration is doubling down on our commitment to work for the entirety of Massachusetts," said Governor Healey. "Over the last year, we have made 0 Comments
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Governor Releases Plan to Protect and Enhance Access to Farmland| 08:32AM / Sunday, December 10, 2023 | |
DRACUT, Mass. — The Healey-Driscoll Administration released the Massachusetts Farmland Action Plan today, a long-range strategic initiative to address Massachusetts' farmland needs. The plan sets goals and priorities around increasing farmland conservation and protection, addressing farmland access, and preserving and expanding the economic and environmental viability of farms across the state. "Today, nearly 500,000 acres of precious farmland are stewarded by our farmers. But with rising costs and increased extreme weather, our farmers need our help to plan for the future," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "The 0 Comments
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Governor Appoints Veteran Advocate | 04:01PM / Saturday, December 09, 2023 | |
BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey, Attorney General Andrea Campbell anda Auditor Diana DiZoglio announced the appointment of Colonel Robert "Bob" Notch to lead the Massachusetts Office of the Veteran Advocate. In this role, Notch will oversee the newly established independent state agency whose focus is to ensure that veterans in Massachusetts receive humane, safe and dignified treatment and effective services in a timely manner and compliance with existing laws and regulations. "As a retired Army Colonel, Colonel Notch has the life experience and career skills to lead our new Office of the Veteran Advocate," said Governor Healey. "This 0 Comments
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FEMA Awards Nearly $8.3 M to Mass for COVID Vaccination Costs| 12:17PM / Saturday, December 09, 2023 | |
BOSTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending almost $8.3 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse it for the cost of providing vaccinations and preventative treatment to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. The $8,251,189 in Public Assistance grants will reimburse the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for the costs of contracting to both operate a statewide network of mobile vaccination sites and to provide in-home vaccinations and treatments to homebound patients between July 2022 and May 2023. One grant of $3,553,090 will cover the cost of contracting with CDR Health Care to provide 24 Registered Nurses for 6,659 hours, 0 Comments
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