| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Board Advances Short-Term Rental OrdinanceBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:27PM / Thursday, March 20, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city has established an accessory dwelling unit ordinance and now, will tackle short-term rentals.
On Tuesday, the Community Development Board supported a zoning amendment that allows short-term rentals and provides operational regulations. It will advance to the City Council with the board as petitioner.
"The fact that we don't have any legislation in the city regarding short-term rentals, it makes it very difficult for the building inspector to act on something that doesn't legally exist," Chair Sheila Irvin explained.
Proposed draft language was continued last month and a working group then ironed out the details. Changes were
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The Retired Investor: Foreign Money Going Home as American Market Dominance Begins to FallBy Bill Schmick,
04:38PM / Thursday, March 20, 2025 | |
The Trump administration's economic policies have placed a target on the back of most foreign nations. As for the economy, a slowdown, if not a recession, seems to be around the corner. As such, overseas investors have little reason to remain in America's financial markets. Foreign investors represent about 17 percent of the overall holdings in the U.S. equity market and about the same in the bond market. Over the last 15 years, as I wrote in my previous column, American markets were the only game in town. While our share of the world's economy was only 27 percent, our share of the world's total investments was 70 percent. America was perceived as being the 0 Comments
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Bianchi/Barbarotta Foundation Supports Youth Sports | 03:37PM / Thursday, March 20, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass.—The Bianchi/Barbarotta Foundation, following its 11th Annual Beer Tasting event on March 8, distributed $1,000 checks to 11 youth house league basketball organizations in Berkshire County. The foundation allocated $11,000 to youth sports, with each of the 11 basketball organizations receiving $1,000 The beer tasting event, held at the Berkshire Hills Country Club, featured selections from multiple breweries and included food and music. Proceeds from the $30 admission fee supported the foundation's activities. The Bianchi/Barbarotta Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on supporting children's initiatives. 0 Comments
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Co-op Bank Promotes Senior Vice President| 03:24PM / Thursday, March 20, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Cooperative Bank (Co-op Bank) announced the promotion of Jennifer L. Parsons to Senior Vice President, Human Resources. In her new elevated role, she will lead all aspects of the Bank's human resources strategy, including talent acquisition, employee engagement, professional development, and organizational culture. "Jennifer's promotion reflects her outstanding contributions to the organization and her unwavering commitment to our employees," said Michael P. Daly, CEO, of Pittsfield Cooperative Bank. "Her leadership and passion are invaluable as we continue to invest in our people — the heart of our 0 Comments
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Greylock Federal to participate in Lift Up Homeownership Program| 08:23AM / Thursday, March 20, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Greylock Federal Credit Union has been approved to participate in the Lift Up Homeownership program, a special purpose credit program offered by Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBank Boston) to provide financial assistance to people of color purchasing their first home. Through Lift Up Homeownership, people of color earning up to 120 percent of the area median income are eligible to receive up to $50,000 in down-payment closing-cost assistance on a first-come, first-served basis to purchase their first home in New England. Participating homebuyers are required to complete a homebuyer counseling program prior to receiving a program 0 Comments
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Dalton Student to Plant Trees in PittsfieldBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:24AM / Thursday, March 20, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A prospective marine biology student will plant 20 trees in the city as part of a school project.
Wahconah Regional High School junior Brodie Kelly-Smith is doing a research project on recent fires across the state. To complete the project, Kelly-Smith had to take the initiative to address the issues and he chose Pittsfield as a recipient.
Planting trees can act as natural fire breaks and increase humidity while providing a habitat for wildlife. Berkshire County is no stranger to wildfires, as a November's Butternut Fire in Great Barrington expanded to consume 1,670 acres.
"I decided that I want to do more than just write a letter to somebody and
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Pittsfielders Protest 'Median Safety' Rule at Park SquareBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:45PM / Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Passion was high at Park Square on Tuesday as several dozen community members protested a proposed ordinance that would ban "loitering" in medians. Mayor Peter Marchetti is asking that the council approve the "Median Safety and Pedestrian Regulation in Public Roadways" ordinance that would make loitering in a median strip illegal as a public safety measure. "The city of Pittsfield has experienced an increase in public safety issues relating to pedestrian use of and entry into the public roadways," the mayor's office said in a statement. There have been numerous complaints about panhandling in medians, 0 Comments
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Zion Lutheran Church to Host German Dinner in Pittsfield| 11:41AM / Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Zion Lutheran Church will host a German community dinner on Friday, March 21, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The menu will feature goulash with egg noodles and red cabbage, and chocolate cherry cake for dessert. Tickets are $20 per person and $12 for children 12 and under. Take-out will be available. Beer and wine will be available for dine-in patrons. Due to ongoing construction at Zion Lutheran Church, the dinner will be held at the First United Methodist Church, located at 55 Fenn St. Tickets can be purchased online at www.zionlutheranpittsfield.org or at the door. Reservations are encouraged. The phone number provided for more 0 Comments
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St. Agnes Academy to Hold Informational Session in Pittsfield| 10:43AM / Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — St. Agnes Academy (SAA) in Dalton will hold a meet-and-greet informational session at Sacred Heart Parish in Pittsfield on Sunday, March 23, following the 10:30 a.m. Mass. The event will be held in the Sacred Heart Parish Center. The gathering will provide an opportunity for parents and guardians to learn more about the pre-K through eighth-grade Catholic school, which is currently enrolling for the 2025-2026 school year. SAA teachers, the principal, and parents will be available to provide information and answer questions. Refreshments will be available. More information is available by calling 684-3143, emailing rfleury@saintagnescc.com, or visiting
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BCC and Partners to Hold Second Chances Job Fair on Apr. 30 | 08:08AM / Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass —Berkshire Community College (BCC), in collaboration with Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction, Berkshire District Attorney’s Office, MassHire Berkshire Career Center and Berkshire Innovation Center, will hold the Second Chances Job and Resource Fair on Wednesday, April 30, from 4-6 pm. The job fair will be held at Berkshire Innovation Center, located at 45 Woodlawn Avenue, Pittsfield. The job fair is free and open to the public. Formerly incarcerated individuals, including those who may have been justice involved and/or who have a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) file, are particularly encouraged to attend. 0 Comments
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Dalton Select Board OKs Concrete Sidewalks for Orchard RoadBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:18AM / Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board voted to have concrete sidewalks for the Orchard Road reconstruction. The anticipated start date of the project, according to the town manager, is April 1, Select Board member Marc Strout said on his selectman's Facebook group. The base bid of $923,807.36 does not include a full sidewalk. The base bid included a small center area to be paved with bituminous asphalt, Town Manager Tom Hutcheson said during the Select Board meeting last week. To have sidewalks, the board had to accept from the alternates proposed that had additional cost estimates. The board voted to have the entire sidewalk to be 0 Comments
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Gov. Healey Touts Transportation Bill in LenoxBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:16PM / Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | |
Gov. Healey speaks to the press on Tuesday at Lenox Town Hall after a closed meeting with town and state officials. LENOX, Mass. — Gov. Maura Healey believes Berkshire County deserves a "better deal" from the state than it has gotten for decades.
"I accepted on the outset that we need to do a better job as a state of making sure that we take care of Berkshire County and Western Massachusetts," she said, adding that she feels the state has not done this over time.
On Tuesday, she and other state officials touted the state's proposed $8 billion transportation plan that includes support for rural roads, culverts, and small bridges. The visit began at
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