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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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BArT Announces Second Quarter Honor Roll | 08:00AM / Thursday, February 06, 2025 | |
 ADAMS, Mass.— Berkshire Arts & Technology (BArT) Charter Public School has announced the students who made the honor roll for the second quarter of the 2024-2025 school year. Students who earned 80 percent or above in all of their classes received the distinction of "Honors". Students who earned 90 percent or above in all of their classes received the distinction of "High Honors." Academic courses at BART are aligned with the Massachusetts State Curriculum Frameworks for the appropriate grade level and include all standards deemed necessary for a complete, college-preparatory, middle and high school education. Students in Grade 6 who 0 Comments
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Dalton Water Department To Undergo Water Rate StudyBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
06:00AM / Thursday, February 06, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Board of Water Commissioners approved contracting with Waterworth, a cloud-based platform, for a water rate study. The study will look at the district's debt, future projects, water infrastructure, inflation, and other factors to provide a guideline on how the district can raise or maintain its water rates in the future, Water Superintendent Bob Benlien said. "I explained to them that we don't want to be extremely aggressive on it, but I do see the need to increase our rates in the future, and this will work good for our asset management," he said. The study will also help communicate to the public the 0 Comments
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'Enough Abuse' Pitches Services to Pittsfield Amid PHS ScandalBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:18AM / Thursday, February 06, 2025 | |
Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Ward facilitated the presentation. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Department is considering a nonprofit's assistance to safeguard children from sexual abuse.
"This is not just your problem," Executive Director of Enough Abuse Jetta Bernier told the School Committee and the City Council on Wednesday.
While awaiting the findings of an investigation on the Pittsfield High School staffing scandal, officials heard how Enough Abuse can help strengthen policies and provide education to protect students in the Pittsfield Public Schools.
"I think for those that have felt almost frozen in terms of 'What do we do? How do we act?' Parents,
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Pittsfield School Building Commission to Review Its CompositionBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:39PM / Wednesday, February 05, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Does the structure of the School Building Needs Commission fit its upcoming role for a school construction project? This will be explored as deadlines for the proposed Crosby/Conte build approach.
On Tuesday, Commissioner Brendan Sheran said he has been thinking about whether the present order will support the group moving forward into a project. It will be further discussed next month.
"A couple of things sparked that in my mind over the last year and a half, one of which is that at times, we've had difficulty getting a quorum," he said. "But also this is an order, not an ordinance. The School Building Needs Commission is not in the city code
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Berkshire Taconic Funding Opportunities Across Four Counties| 03:47PM / Wednesday, February 05, 2025 | |
SHEFFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is offering nearly 20 grant opportunities and 80 scholarship programs in its winter funding cycle, providing support for nonprofits, students, and community organizations across four counties. Eligible applicants in Berkshire County, Mass.; Columbia and northeast Dutchess Counties, N.Y.; and northwest Litchfield County, Conn., are encouraged to explore funding opportunities that address a range of needs, from environmental initiatives and the arts, to education and food security. Berkshire Taconic's streamlined scholarship application process connects students with nearly 80 scholarship funds, offering 0 Comments
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BMC Named to U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity Care | 10:41AM / Wednesday, February 05, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, has named Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) as a 2025 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care. This is the highest award a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News' Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual study. "The exceptional care provided to our maternity patients is exemplified in this national recognition," said Tejas Gandhi, BHS System Vice President and BMC Chief Operating Officer. "The physicians, nurses and staff of the BMC Family Birthplace are prime examples of the outstanding care that BMC's patients can 0 Comments
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Dalton Cable Panel Works to Update ContractBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:40AM / Wednesday, February 05, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Cable Advisory Commission intends to meet with Spectrum representatives to negotiate the terms of its contract. The last time the town had a contract was in 1997 with Time Warner Cable, which was acquired by Charter Communications, doing business as Spectrum, in 2016. The commission plans to negotiate for a share of gross revenue, capital funds, funding for fiber-optic cables to enhance connections, and updated equipment needed to handle this upgrade for Dalton Community Television. "Over the past year, viewership has dropped, and it's reflected in our income. We have an extremely tight budget, and we're able to 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Looking at Median Safety PolicyBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:16AM / Wednesday, February 05, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A conversation about median safety has risen from the grave.
Last week, the City Council referred Mayor Peter Marchetti's request to add a section in the City Code for median safety and pedestrian regulation in public roadways to the Ordinances and Rules Subcommittee.
In 2023, Marchetti requested an ordinance banning people from standing on median strips unless crossing the street. Panhandling has been a prevalent topic since the city's rise in homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this effort was said to be centered around public safety.
"As some of you may remember, I had originally proposed a similar ordinance back in 2023 as a city
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Centuries Old Pittsfield Dam Eyed for RemovalBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:19PM / Tuesday, February 04, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The state is looking into removing a West Pittsfield dam that dates back to the early 1800s.
The Healey-Driscoll administration last week announced $400,000 from the Department of Fish and Game's Division of Ecological Restoration for preliminary design studies on dam removals. Pittsfield was one of eight municipalities to receive funding, which will allocated near-evenly resulting in about $50,000 for the project. The privately owned Shaker Grist Mill Dam, located nearest to 321 Lebanon Ave., is the first dam on the Southwest Branch of the Housatonic River. Its removal would reportedly benefit cold water species in a core aquatic habitat and
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Pittsfield Firefighters Contain Structure Fire on Dawes Ave.| 09:02AM / Tuesday, February 04, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A structure fire at 74 Dawes Ave. remains under investigation. Firefighters responded to a structure fire at 74 Dawes Ave. on Feb. 3 at approximately 5:20 PM, where flames had spread up the exterior of the building into the attic. Crews from multiple engines worked to contain the fire, with Engine 6 deploying the initial handline and additional units conducting searches, establishing water supply, and checking for extension. Due to deteriorating interior conditions, a second alarm was struck, bringing additional manpower. The fire was brought under control in about 60 minutes, with overhaul and extinguishment efforts continuing for 0 Comments
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Committee Recommends Gradually Restructuring Pittsfield Middle SchoolsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:41AM / Tuesday, February 04, 2025 | |
Committee member Sarah Muil goes over a presentation on Monday for a gradual restructuring. PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The Middle School Restructuring Committee recommends a phased approach for a model that creates a districtwide Grade 5-6 school and a Grade 7-8 school and provides universal prekindergarten by the 2026-27 school year. This phased approach could mean keeping Grade 5 in the elementary schools next school year, Grade 6 at one school, and combining 7 and 8 at another.
After eight meetings and about 16 hours of prep work, the committee on Monday voted for this path with gradual implementation beginning in 2026. It was supported 17-4 and will go to the School Committee next
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Collins Wins Select Board Seat in DaltonBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
08:08PM / Monday, February 03, 2025 | |
Robert Collins, left, chats with friends and supporters at a victory party at Dewey's. DALTON, Mass. — Robert Collins will join the Select Board as it's fifth member after winning a four-way special election for the vacant seat by 13 votes. "I'm happy. It's sort of over, a little bit overwhelming, now that we've gotten this far through this process. Now the hard work really begins of putting your platform and information that you've put out there in motion," Collins said. Almost 500 residents cast their votes at Monday's special election to decide on four candidates: Collins, Rich Haley, Levi Renderer, and 0 Comments
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