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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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The Retired Investor: U.S. Treasuries Beginning to Look Attractive.By Bill Schmick,
04:40PM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
 It may not be the 1970s when interest rates offered investors double-digit returns, but 5 percent on a six-month U.S. Treasury bill isn't bad. We last saw that kind of return in 2007. To be sure, the rate still comes up short when compared to the 6.4 percent annual rate of inflation right now. Yet inflation is declining and has fallen for seven months in a row. The dilemma investors faced last year was that there simply was no haven to park their cash. The stock market was treacherous and falling. The Federal Reserve Bank was hiking interest rates on an almost monthly basis to combat inflation, and most bond prices were falling almost as much as equities. This year 1 CommentRead More >> |
Community Group Holding 'Walk-Out' on Pittsfield's West Street| 02:36PM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Community Design Center will host a "West Street Walk-Out" event this Saturday, Feb. 25, from 1 to 2 p.m. Participants will gather at Dorothy Amos Park at 310 West St. and walk a loop crossing through the streets and over crosswalks to show presence in a section of the city's streets that many fear crossing. This event comes in response to the death of Pittsfield resident Shaloon Milord, who was hit, along with her 3-year-old daughter, while leaving the park on Jan. 30. Milord succumbed to her injuries on Feb. 5. The design center, a community-driven group, believes this intersection is a danger, with car 0 Comments
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Weekend Outlook: Snakes, Festivals, and MoreBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
12:06PM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
 Berkshire County is having a variety of events this weekend including festivals, concerts, and more. Thursday Hissing Booth Bash Witch Slapped, Pittsfield Start your weekend early with snakes brought by circus and sideshow performer Opal Raven Cirque from 5 to 7 p.m. at Witch Slapped at 78 North St. Participants between the age of 10 and 18 can learn about snakes and spells using snakeskin with this hands-on educational experience. Registration is required. Tickets are $15 and can be found here. Friday Kids Terrariums Workshop North Adams Public Library Join local plant experts from the Plant Connector starting at 2 p.m. to 0 Comments
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Dalton Select Board, Finance Committee Making Final Budget ApprovalsBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
10:28AM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board approved a $4,300 increase to the forest warden budget during its meeting last week. This projected increase brings the department's total budget up to $6,300. The salary line item is projected to increase from $1,895 to $2,500 due to the department's increased workload. The wardens are in "constant" communication and training with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and other trail organizations to set up appropriate training for emergency first responders. This training includes, but is not limited to, wilderness search, rescue and recovery, fire suppression, 0 Comments
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Berkshire Humane Offers Wellness Checks at Former Vet ClinicBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:08AM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Humane Society is responding to a boom in pet ownership and a dearth in veterinary care by offering basic wellness appointments. "The more I talk to our local veterinarians I hear that they are just overwhelmed," Executive Director John Perreault explained. "There are only so many hours in the day, they can't make everybody happy." The society is setting up in the former Allen Heights Veterinary Hospital on Dalton Avenue. The goal is to provide affordability and accessibility while keeping local dogs and cats healthy and relieving bottlenecking at local providers. Within this calendar 14 Comments
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Pittsfield Parks Commissions OKs New, Returning EventsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:56AM / Thursday, February 23, 2023 | |
The 'missing soldier table' as a memorial to POW/MIA at last year's Park of Honor. This year, it will be used at the ceremony for Vietnam veterans in September. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Parks Commission approved a dozen park event requests on Tuesday, ushering in a year of diverse happenings. Among the approvals is a seemingly new event in the fall: the Mayflower Portuguese Water Dog Trial that will be held on Sept. 16 and 17 at Burbank Park from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"We're trying to keep the water dog instinct alive in our breed," said Patrice Lattrell, vice president of the Mayflower Portuguese Water Dog Club. "They were bred to work on the fishing boat
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Berkshire Music School Welcomes Four New Faculty Members| 03:29PM / Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Music School (BMS) announced four new faculty members: Jonathan Comisar on piano; Ryan LaBoy on vocal instruction; Matthew Thomas on piano; and Carol Yahr on vocal instruction. In addition, BMS welcomes Andrew Smith, to their staff as an Administrative Associate. Headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the Berkshire Music School is a non-profit organization that provides music education activities, community collaborations, and performance opportunities. "We are pleased to welcome some of the best teaching musicians in our community to the BMS faculty to help fulfill the increased demand for private lessons and 0 Comments
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Some Midweek Flurries, Ice in Store | 12:16PM / Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | |
The National Weather Service has declared a Winter Weather Advisory in the Berkshires from Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 4 p.m. until Thursday, Feb. 23, at 1 pm. Snow will begin Wednesday afternoon and will transition into sleet and freezing rain at night. Precipitation should taper off Thursday morning. Expect mixed precipitation with total snow accumulations of a light glaze of up to two-tenths of an inch. Plan for slippery road conditions. Accuweather predicts 2 to 4 inches of snow with a high of 39 degrees. Accuweather predicts a high of 31 Thursday On Friday, Feb. 24, expect temperatures in the low 30s with mostly sunny 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Cable Committee Recommends Attorney for Spectrum Contract RenewalBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
11:50AM / Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An enthusiastic legal counsel interview won over most of the Cable Advisory Committee.
On Thursday, the panel recommended Stoneham attorney William Solomon for the city's Spectrum contract renewal. At a rate of $200 per hour, he gave a $19,000 cost estimate and the committee voted to recommend $25,000 for funding to provide a buffer.
Solomon and Boston attorney William Hewig were interviewed last week and a special meeting was called for the decision so that it has a chance of being on the next City Council meeting agenda.
Pittsfield's 10-year contract ends in September 2024 and it is recommended that the contract negotiations take place over 12 months.
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MassWildlife Biologist to Speak at Berkshire Green Drinks| 11:44AM / Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | |
 DALTON, Mass. — Wildlife biologist Nathan Buckhout will present at the March Berkshire Green Drinks gathering on Wednesday, March 8, at 6:00 PM in person at Shire Breu-Hous inside The Stationery Factory, 63 Flansburg Ave. and online via Zoom. Buckhout will talk about Mustelids, otherwise known as the weasel family, and go over some common characteristics of the diverse group. Mustelids are a family of carnivorous mammals, which include weasels, minks, otters, fishers, martens, and wolverines, among others. Buckhout will briefly discuss each species presently in Massachusetts, as well as species that have disappeared from the region. He will also discuss some 0 Comments
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Two Sentenced On Drug Charges| 08:17AM / Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.– Oasis Hason and Ahmed Shabazz were found guilty of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and sentenced to one to two years in state prison. On Thursday, Feb. 16 Hasan, age 25 of Yonkers, N.Y., and Shabazz, age 27 also of Yonkers, were both found guilty of Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute. Both men were acquitted of charges relating to items found in a locked safe found inside the residence (Trafficking in Heroin (18-36 grams), Possession of a Large Capacity Firearm, Possession of a Large Capacity Firearm during the Commission of a Felony, and 2 counts of Possession of Ammunition). The defendants had been arrested
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Pittsfield School Committee Pilots New Special Ed ProgramBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:14AM / Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee last week voted to pilot the Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge Relational Training System. For the past seven years, teachers have been looking at different programs to assist in educating children with disabilities. The program is designed to be used with students in "substantially separate" classrooms to teach basic and advanced language skills to students diagnosed with autism. Many of these students have severe cognitive needs, some of which are nonverbal, in the classroom. Teachers requested to pilot the PEAK system because they were struggling meeting the needs of these students 0 Comments
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