| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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@theMarket: Economic Data Buoys Market GainsBy Bill Schmick,
03:05PM / Friday, January 26, 2024 | |
Strong growth in the economy in the last quarter of 2023 helped support equity markets this week. The U.S. economy grew 3.3 percent in the fourth quarter, which was much higher than the estimates of 2.2 percent growth. For last year overall, the economy grew 2.5 percent. At the same time the core personal consumption expenditure price index, which excludes food and energy, increased by 2.9 down from 3.2 percent from the prior month, and moved below 3 percent for the first time since March 2021. Investors liked those numbers enough to keep the S&P 500 Index making new highs. Technology continued to lead stocks higher. The Magnificent Seven (Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, 0 Comments
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Weekend Outlook: Mass MoCA Free Day, Live Music, and MoreBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
12:04PM / Friday, January 26, 2024 | |
 Berkshire County is hosting a variety of events this weekend including live music, free museum admission, workshops, and more. Editor's Pick Mass MoCA Free Day Mass MoCA, North Adams The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts is opening its doors for free this Saturday. Participate in some of the day's activities including thematic museum tours, art-making in Kidspace, "Firebird" installation viewings, and more. More information here. Friday New Beginnings Stories Dottie's Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield Time: 7 p.m. Local nonprofit WordXWord is holding a story sharing event 0 Comments
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ServiceNet Names Vice President of Strategy & Program Development| 11:29AM / Friday, January 26, 2024 | |
 NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — ServiceNet, a large mental health and human services agency based in Northampton and serving all four counties of western Massachusetts, recently welcomed Michael Kuta as Vice President of Strategy and Program Development. Kuta comes to his new role following 16 years at Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield where he gained a portfolio of progressive management experience. Most recently, he served as the hospital's Manager of Operations for Behavioral Health and Cardiac Services, a position he assumed soon after the start of the pandemic. Prior to 2020, Kuta had been a supervisor in the Partial Hospitalization Program and before that a Behavioral 0 Comments
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BCC Offers Variety of Community Workshops | 10:24AM / Friday, January 26, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Workforce Development and Community Education department at Berkshire Community College (BCC) announced five upcoming workshops open to the public. Preregistration is required; to register for a workshop, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/workshops. All classes will be held on BCC's main campus, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. Life Skills for Pre-Teens & Teens: Cooking, Sewing a Button, Handling Money, Communication and Self-care Monday-Friday, February 19-23, 10 am-2 pm $145 Join us for a fun and educational five-day course designed for preteens and teens, focusing on essential 0 Comments
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Dalton Fire District Seeks to Renegotiate Ladder Truck ContractBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
06:01AM / Friday, January 26, 2024 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Board of Water Commissioners voted on Tuesday to have its internal legal team negotiate a new contract for a fire truck with Northern Fire Equipment. The fire truck was ordered in late 2022 but its delivery date has been changed at least four time. Northern Fire Equipment has said staffing shortages, change orders and unexpected mechanical malfunctions have contributed to the delay. The board, which oversees the Fire District, said the new contract would include the stipulation that the ladder truck must be done by April or May, and monthly reports with photos must be submitted to the Fire District. The contract 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Public Schools Undertake Safety, Security ChangesBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:23AM / Friday, January 26, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD. Mass. — A presentation on emergency and safety practices was made to the school community on Tuesday, showing some changes that have been or will be made in the coming year. The presentation was done over Zoom and open to the public. The new systems are designed to improve security and access to security information and material. The upgrade to the security system started three years ago so it now has interior and exterior cameras in all the schools as well as the buses. Eric Lamoureaux, emergency and safety coordinator, said. "I think we also should share that those cameras are in the common spaces, hallways of our 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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