| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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State Historical Commission Favors Wahconah Park PreservationBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:35PM / Monday, January 29, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Massachusetts Historical Commission wants to see the Wahconah Park grandstand preserved. This was announced to the historic park's restoration committee on Thursday, months after it supported a razed and elevated design. Planners had been trying to get in touch with the state commission for some time and received a formal response after filing a project notification form.
The commission said it "encourages consideration of project alternatives that would preserve the historic grandstand."
Planners said they are are willing to work with Mass Historic and are considering hiring a historic preservation consultant to work as a
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BHS Relaxes Masking and Updates Visitor Guidelines| 10:49AM / Monday, January 29, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass — As respiratory illnesses begin to wane, Berkshire Health Systems is relaxing its masking policy for patients and visitors and has instituted changes in its visitation policy, effective on Monday, Jan 29. The updated masking and visitation guidelines impact all BHS care settings across the county, including Berkshire Medical Center, Fairview Hospital, the North Adams and Hillcrest Campuses of BMC, provider clinics, and the Berkshire Visiting Nurse Association. "While the end of the holiday season saw a significant increase in documented respiratory illnesses in the Berkshires, recent weeks have shown an improving trend, which allows us to 0 Comments
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National Grid Encourages Customers to Enroll in Heating Assistance Programs| 04:01PM / Sunday, January 28, 2024 | |
WALTHAM, MA – As winter weather and colder temperatures persist, National Grid is reminding Massachusetts customers to take advantage of energy programs that can help them manage their energy bills. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), commonly referred to as Fuel Assistance, provides eligible households with help in paying a portion of winter heating bills. Enrollment for LIHEAP is free and open through April 30, 2024, and covers energy usage from Nov. 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024. LIHEAP is open to both homeowners and renters, including households whose cost of heat is included in rent, and eligibility is based on household size and the gross annual 0 Comments
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State Unemployment and Job Estimates for Dec. 2023| 12:39PM / Sunday, January 28, 2024 | |
BOSTON, Mass. — The state's December total unemployment rate was 3.2 percent, up 0.3 percentage point from the revised November estimate of 2.9 percent, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced. The Massachusetts unemployment rate was 0.5 percentage points lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Over-the-year, the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 0.5 percentage points. The labor force grew by an estimated 13,900 from the revised estimate of 3,729,000 in November, the largest single month increase since January 2022. The increase is a result of 1,300 more 0 Comments
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Local Firefighters Graduate from Firefighting Academy| 12:37PM / Sunday, January 28, 2024 | |
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy recently graduated Class S35 consisting of 27 firefighters representing 16 fire departments including North Adams and Pittsfield. State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said the graduates completed the 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program. "Massachusetts firefighters are on the frontlines protecting their communities every day, and today's graduates are needed now more than ever," said Davine. "The hundreds of hours of foundational training they've received will provide them with the physical, mental, and technical skills to perform their jobs effectively and 0 Comments
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Office of Climate Innovation and Resiliency Welcomes Director of Strategic Initiatives| 08:08AM / Sunday, January 28, 2024 | |
BOSTON — Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer welcomed Nick Black as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience. In this role, Black will work directly with Chief Hoffer on special initiatives like the Healey-Driscoll Administration's Corporate Climate Challenge and develop and execute Massachusetts' long-term climate initiatives, including implementing key EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant deliverables. "I created the Climate Office on my very first day as Governor and ever since, Chief Hoffer and her team have consistently delivered results that advance Massachusetts' whole-of-government approach to 0 Comments
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PHS Students Showing Love With Art Show and FundraiserBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
07:36AM / Sunday, January 28, 2024 | |
Students in teacher Lisa Ostellino's class work on their projects. 'For the Love of Art' will also include senior portfolios, drawings, paintings, photography and other ceramic work. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield High School students are spreading the love with an art show and fundraiser before Valentine's Day.
The "For the Love of Art" exhibit will debut at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts on Friday, Feb. 2, from 5 to 7 p.m., showcasing students' midway senior portfolios, drawings and paintings, photography, and ceramic works. The show will stay up for one week.
It is the artists' way of showing their passions while helping
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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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