| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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@theMarket: Wall Street Forecasts 2024 ReturnsBy Bill Schmick,
05:44PM / Friday, December 29, 2023 | |
As we close out 2023, stocks continue to inch higher. The traditional rally encompassing the last five days after Christmas into the first two days of the New Year is on track. Next week, trading should resume and with it a possible new high in the markets. Low volume, empty desks, and a focus on buying up the laggards of 2023 describe the week's trading action. Macroeconomic news was scarce. In that vacuum, stocks were at the mercy of proprietary traders and the ODTE speculators. The financial media kept investors busy by publishing a forest full of 2024 forecasts by brokers and money managers. Overall, the 2024 S&P 500 Index targets range from 4,200 to 5,500. 0 Comments
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PEDA Awards $9.8M Bid for Redevelopment of Site 9By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:30PM / Friday, December 29, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A contract has been awarded for the redevelopment of Site 9 with an expected completion date in fall 2024.
On Friday, the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority approved William J Keller & Sons Construction's $9.8 million bid. The company was chosen over JH Maxymillian Inc.'s $11.2 million bid due to its lower price.
The Castleton-On-Hudson, N.Y., company plans to have the rough surface ready for development in October and will start in mid-January.
"This is one of the most exciting milestones to happen to PEDA since I've been here," Chair Michael Matthews said.
"This was great support from the local administration,
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Taconic Boys Basketball Was Top Story of '23By Stephen Dravis, iBerkshires.com Sports
06:04AM / Friday, December 29, 2023 | |
 The year started with one high school state championship on the show and ended with another on the hardwood. In between, there were plenty of team titles, tournament runs and individual accomplishments to keep Berkshire County high school and youth sports fans in the seats and on the sidelines. Although not every successful season ended in the ultimate prize, there was plenty to be proud of along the way. And here is a look back at some of the biggest stories we covered in 2023: No. 1 Taconic Boys Basketball Of all the state championships won this year – and there were several – perhaps none was sweeter than that of the Thunder in the Division 5 State 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Welcomes New Mayor, Council on TuesdayBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:17PM / Thursday, December 28, 2023 | |
Peter Marchetti will be sworn in to a four-year term as the new mayor of Pittsfield on Jan. 2. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city will inaugurate a new mayor and swear in city councilors on Tuesday morning at City Hall.
Peter Marchetti will be sworn in for a four-year term as mayor, replacing Mayor Linda Tyer who did not seek a third term. After unsuccessfully running for mayor in 2011, this second time was a charm for Marchetti. In November, he was victorious over John Krol in the general election with 60 percent of the vote. The incoming mayor has a decades-long tenure with the city, serving as council president for the last eight years, and will leave behind a more than
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The Retired Investor: How Ski Resorts Are Surviving Climate ChangeBy Bill Schmick,
04:34PM / Thursday, December 28, 2023 | |
Numerous studies have predicted that climate change will be the death knoll of skiing. That may be true, but year after year, ski resorts large and small seem to eke out one difficult season after another. And not every year has been a disaster. No one is denying that the weather is changing, and winters are getting warmer. This week, which kicks off the 2023-2024 ski season, for example, most of the country is experiencing warm weather, disappointing skiers and resorts alike in the Midwest and New England. And yet, during the 2022-2023 ski season, there had been mammoth snowfalls in some areas of the country. Climate change can do that, dumping extraordinary amounts of 0 Comments
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State Senators Tour Berkshire County Arc Programs| 12:25PM / Thursday, December 28, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — State Sen. Paul Mark and state Sen. Robyn Kennedy of Worcester, chair for the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, recently spent time visiting Berkshire County Arc's programs. Mark is also a member of the joint committee. During their visit, they spent time discussing short- and long-term plans for human services in Massachusetts. BCArc offers a broad range of community-based services to individuals with developmental disabilities, brain injuries and autism. In the photo above, from left: Pam Kight, director of employment and community-based day services; Cybele Kilby, vice president of day & 0 Comments
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Dalton Sees Project Completions, New Initiatives in 2023By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:15AM / Thursday, December 28, 2023 | |
The Select Board moved the polling location to the Senior Center against the recommendations of an ad hoc committee. DALTON, Mass. — The town saw a mixture of change, progress, initiatives, and project completions in 2023. Voting Location Moved During a lengthy and at times heated discussion in August, the Select Board voted in favor of relocating the town's polling station to the Senior Center as of March 5, 2024, against the recommendation of the ad hoc committee. The ad hoc committee — comprised of the police chief, the fire chief, the highway superintendent, and Town Clerk Heather Hunt — recommended staying at the 0 Comments
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Making the Loop | We had some free time this week to walk the 2-mile loop through the downtown. Here's a few of things that caught our eye. (In between taking photos, we were heel-toeing and arm-pumping as prescribed.)
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Let's Go Paperless | This is from Ward 6 Councilor John Krol's eblast today. His switch to digital immediately caught our attention. With the associated costs - nearly $4,000 a year for paper alone! - zipping councilors "the packet" (as we in the know like to call it) over the ether makes loads of sense.
Digital also means the average citizen gets far better access to these public documents than ever before. The city clerk's office has been diligent about posting meeting agendas and, where possible, relevant documents. So in terms of saving money and time and getting information out efficiently, digital is the way to go.
I would like to thank City Clerk Linda Tyer for agreeing to print out one less city council packet, as I have officially gone paperless for council meetings - which I hope will be a trend that can be extended throughout city government.
 The bulky (and often, very bulky) city council packet that councilors use for a reference costs an average of $170 per meeting for paper alone. Add the additional costs of ink/toner, wear and tear on city hall copiers, and the time and energy of staff who put it all together - and a simple transition away from paper benefits everyone.
With the packet now fully digital in pdf form, all councilors, and everyone with an internet
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Berkshire Music School Kicks Off 2012 Classes With Open House | The open house featured a sample class, access to musical instruments, information for parents, refreshments ...and more than a few delighted squeals.
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January 29, 2011
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of youths, many of them under the age of 5, attended an open house at the Berkshire Music School Saturday, as the educational nonprofit enters its 70th year at its 30 Wendell Avenue home.
The open house featured a sample class, access to musical instruments, information for parents, refreshments... and more than a few delighted squeals, proving once again the inherent interest in making a joyful noise is not generational, and will never go out of style.
 The open house featured a Music for Preschoolers class, designed to "children’s awareness of rhythm, ability to sing and move creatively to music," which |
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