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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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2024 Year in Review: Lanesborough's Elmer Becomes KingBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:23AM / Thursday, December 26, 2024 | |
Select Board member John Goerlach, left, and Michael Murphy at a board meeting. Goerlach did not stand for election this year after serving 18 years on the board. LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town became home to royalty in 2024. King Elmer, an American elm at the corner of Route 7 and Summer Street, became a statewide celebrity in July. The more than 100-foot tall tree was deemed the largest of its species by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. The king is believed to be more than 250 years old and is 107 feet tall with an average canopy spread of 95.5 feet. It scored 331.88 points with the state based on a 201-inch circumference, which is a
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Outdoor Activities, Cultural Classes Offered by Tamarack Hollow| 08:00AM / Wednesday, December 25, 2024 | |
 WINDSOR, Mass. — Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center will host a First Day Snowshoe/Hike on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Participants will explore the Boreal forests, newly conserved land, and a trail featuring Georgie's Falls. The program, led by Director and Naturalist Aimee Gelinas, M.Ed, will include winter tree identification, wildlife tracking, and forest ecology. Registration is required by emailing aimee@gaiaroots.com. The program fee is $20 per person, with a $5 snowshoe rental fee (or participants can bring their own). The event will proceed as a hike if snowshoes are not needed. More details are available at 0 Comments
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Pittsfield City Council Weighs in on 'Crisis' in Public SchoolsBy Stephen Dravis, iBerkshires Staff
08:59PM / Monday, December 23, 2024 | |
A half-dozen people addressed the City Council from the floor of Monday's meeting, including Valerie Anderson, right. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After expressing anger and outrage and making numerous calls for accountability and transparency, the 11 members of the City Council on Monday voted to support the School Committee in seeking an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct by staff members at Pittsfield High School that have come to light in recent weeks. At the close of a month that has seen three PHS administrators put on administrative leave, including one who was arrested on drug trafficking charges, the revelation that the district is facing a civil 4 Comments
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Dalton Green Committee Selects CAP LogoBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:30PM / Monday, December 23, 2024 | |
 DALTON, Mass. — The Green Committee selected its logo for its Climate Action Plan during its meeting on Wednesday. The committee is developing a climate action plan with Blue Strike to achieve net zero by 2050 by seeking strategies to decrease the town's dependence on fossil fuels for homes, businesses, municipal facilities, and vehicles. Part of this process is community engagement, which involves informing residents about the climate action plan, gathering community input for its development, and answering people's questions. A picture is worth 1,000 words, committee member Antonio Pagliarulo. The logo helps reflect 4 Comments
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Pittsfield Council Sets Special Meeting Amid PHS Staff ScandalBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
11:28AM / Monday, December 23, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council will vote on a statement in solitary with the School Committee amid Pittsfield High School's staff scandal.
Over the last week and a half, three PHS staff members were put on administrative leave for allegations of misconduct — one of them under federal arrest for drug charges. A special City Council meeting has been called on Monday at 6 p.m. to support, or not support, the School Committee’s request for an independent, third-party investigation.
A petition put forward by Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre, Councilor at Large Kathy Amuso, Ward 2 Councilor Brittany Noto, Councilor at Large Alisa Costa, and Ward 6 Councilor Dina
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Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest Opens for Submissions| 04:00PM / Sunday, December 22, 2024 | |
BOSTON — Students in Massachusetts have the chance to showcase their artistic talents and deepen their understanding of nature through the MassWildlife's Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) art contest. Open to students from kindergarten through grade 12, the competition invites young artists to create original artwork featuring ducks, geese, or swans in their natural wetland habitats. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 15, 2025. The JDS contest blends art and science, encouraging participants to explore waterfowl conservation and the importance of wetlands while expressing their knowledge creatively. The program includes a curriculum designed to support educators in teaching about
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Pittsfield Firefighters Battle Early Morning Blaze in Extreme ColdiBerkshires.com Staff,
10:19AM / Sunday, December 22, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. – No injuries were reported after firefighters extinguished a fire in a two-story detached barn and garage at 566 South St. early Sunday morning. The Pittsfield Fire Department just after 2 a.m. responded to reports of a building “fully involved” with the blaze. “All personnel battled the blaze under extreme cold conditions with the main body of fire being brought under control within an hour,” according to a news release from the department. The two-alarm fire brought all on-duty personnel to the scene, where they remained until about 6 a.m. to extinguish all remaining hot spots. Hinsdale Fire Department was asked 4 Comments
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Berkshire Public Health Nurses Launches Newsletter| 10:12AM / Sunday, December 22, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Public Health Nurses Collaborative is announced the launch of a new quarterly newsletter "Public Health Pulse." This newsletter will provide regular updates on reminders from public health nurses including ways to protect your health including during the height of the winter season, events such as wellness and vaccination clinics, information on public health initiatives and more. View current and archived editions by visiting the city’s website at: https://www.cityofpittsfield.org/departments/health_and_inspections/newsletters.php To sign up to receive the quarterly newsletter directly in your inbox, visit 4 Comments
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BRTA Announces New Pilot Pittsfield Paratransit Evening Service| 08:09AM / Sunday, December 22, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) received funding from Massachusetts Department of Transportation for pilot evening Paratransit service through June 30, 2025. This pilot evening service is for BRTA Paratransit customers travelling to or from: Adams, North Adams, Williamstown, Cheshire, Lanesborough, New Ashford, Pittsfield, Dalton, Hinsdale, Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, and Great Barrington, Monday – Saturday, 7 PM-10 PM. The launch date was Dec 18, 2024. This project aims to enhance and expand the ability for eligible BRTA Paratransit customers, that require an accessible vehicle for travel in the evenings to 4 Comments
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Holiday Hours: Christmas & New Year's| 01:02PM / Saturday, December 21, 2024 | |
You once could be fined for celebrating Christmas in Massachusetts. (Massachusetts State Library) Businesses, schools and government offices will be taking breaks next week as the nation celebrates Christmas and New Year's. Christmas falls on Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, and New Year's Day on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.
Christmas is now a state holiday but it wasn't always. The General Court under the control of the Puritans outlawed the holiday in 1659.
There was too much eating, drinking, wassailing and other festiveness for the colony's righteous rulers. Even after the ban was lifted, Christmas was treated as a regular day until its popularization during the
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MassWildlife: Avoid Decorating With Invasive Plants| 11:28AM / Saturday, December 21, 2024 | |
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 6 Comments
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