PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Clapp Park will soon have a community-led sled library to spread the joy of winter activities.

Last week, the Parks Commission granted resident Lindsey Marion permission to place a free sled box near the scoreboard at the park. It will hold a collection of sleds that visitors can borrow and use on the property's impressive hill while fostering community engagement.

Now, the city just needs snow.

"It's just a box that we would put sleds in. They would be labeled to return for the sled library. Volunteers would go by and make sure that the sleds are picked up and put in the box a couple of

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. —  A fire that started on Christmas Eve burned a Partridge Road home to the ground while its occupants were out.

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries but the house, which is largely charred down the foundation, is a total loss and remains under investigation.

The Fire Department initially responded around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday night to a call about a blaze at 301 Partridge Road. Fire was showing through the roof of the single-story structure when firefighters arrived and a second alarm was called.

"So that brought the other remaining two engines and then that also brought the Lenox and Dalton fire departments to cover Pittsfield," Chief

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BOSTON —?The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources' (MDAR) Division of Animal Health is advising dog owners of a canine parvovirus (commonly called "parvo") outbreak in Franklin County.

At least one dog, recently purchased from Jason Whitmore at 35 Daniel Shay's Highway in Orange, Massachusetts, has been affected. The property is currently under quarantine. Anyone who may have purchased a puppy or dog from this source on or after December 1, 2023, should contact their veterinarian immediately if their animal exhibits any symptoms. 

Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that spreads easily between dogs and can be fatal. Severe vomiting,

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BOSTON —  The state's November total unemployment rate was 2.9 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from the revised October estimate of 2.8 percent, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Friday.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts gained 3,200 jobs in November. This follows October's revised loss of 500 jobs. The largest over-the-month private sector job gains were in Leisure and Hospitality, Financial Activities, and Government. Employment now stands at 3,786,200. Massachusetts gained 724,600 jobs since the employment low in April 2020.

From November 2022 to November 2023, BLS

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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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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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The open house featured a sample class, access to musical instruments, information for parents, refreshments ...and more than a few delighted squeals. 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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Video taken on Jan. 2, 2012, by Joe Durwin of Daniel Bianchi being sworn in for his first term as mayor of Pittsfield.

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Check out the action between the Pittsfield Generals and the Lee Wildcats on Tuesday night. Pittsfield at Lee High - Boys Basketball 12/20/2011 from iBerkshires on Vimeo.

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