| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Letter: Hope, Integrity, and the Challenge of Speaking Up in Dalton| 06:00PM / Tuesday, May 20, 2025 | |
 To the Editor:
Over the last three months, I've had the privilege of working closely with Robert Collins as he made a sincere and determined effort to address several of Dalton's long standing needs. One of the greatest gifts he offered our town was hope — hope nurtured by his refreshing, genuine willingness to listen, help and serve with integrity. His weekly office hours — a simple, transparent act of public service not seen in years — became a quiet but powerful symbol of accessibility and good governance.
Robert believes in taking the high road. He consistently avoided misinformation, personal attacks, or political theatrics, and encouraged others to do the
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Dalton Election Results Are Accurate By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:06PM / Tuesday, May 20, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The results of the annual election are not in question, Town Clerk Heather Hunt told iBerkshires, following rumors of nonresidents voting on May 12. "There's so many checks and balances that that would just never happen. I don't think that that happened. I'm not questioning the results of this election, not at all," Hunt said. The well-attended election resulted in Antonio "Tony" Pagliarulo winning one of the two seats in the four-way race with 577 votes for the board, outpolling the other three candidates by 107 votes, and incumbent Marc Strout retaining his seat with 486. Hunt did confirm that a 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Sees Rise in Potential School Committee CandidatesBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:37PM / Tuesday, May 20, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Interest for a seat on the School Committee has boomed as the community continues to ask for more answers on the Pittsfield High School investigation.
Ciara Batory, who filed a public records request that resulted in the secretary of state's office ordering the release of non-exempt parts of Bulkley Richardson & Gelinas' investigation into alleged staff wrongdoing, has taken out papers to represent the Pittsfield Public Schools.
Earlier this month, she filed a second appeal after the School Committee sent the report to the Supervisor of Records, Manza Arthur, for an in-camera review.
"The Pittsfield Public Schools have claimed exemption under
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Pittsfield Announces Community Bike Ride for Berkshire Bike Month| 07:07AM / Tuesday, May 20, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The City of Pittsfield's Department of Community Development Recreation Program, in collaboration with the Berkshire Pike Path Council and Berkshire Bike & Board, will host a Community Bike Ride on Sunday, May 25, at the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. The bike ride will commence at 10 a.m. from the Crane Ave trailhead, located at 886 Crane Ave. Participants are invited to arrive at 9:30 a.m. for bike decorating and safety checks. Riders can choose between a shorter route to the Berkshire Mall trailhead and back, or a longer route to Farnham's Crossing in Cheshire and return. This event is free and open to individuals aged 5 and older. Participants are
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Dalton Safety Facility Committee 'Taps Brakes' on Property DiscussionsBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:08AM / Tuesday, May 20, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — With the failure of Article 13 at the annual town meeting, the First Street site for a proposed police facility is no longer being considered. "At this moment, I would say, unless we hear differently, what we need to do next is start looking at alternate sites," Craig Wilbur, co-chair, at the first meeting of the Public Safety Facility Committee since the vote. "But I think in order to do that, as you mentioned, public engagement is paramount at this point in time." The article on the town warrant would have released the former Dalton High School property from a prior town meeting vote requiring it to be developed for 0 Comments
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BEAT's Kids in Kayaks Program Returns| 06:02PM / Monday, May 19, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) will host its annual "Kids in Kayaks" program at the Westside Legends' Summer Block Party on Saturday, May 24, at Riverway Park in Pittsfield. Youth will have the opportunity to experience the Housatonic River hands-on, learn how to navigate it safely in a kayak, and discover the local flora and fauna found in and along the River. They will also gain insights into important environmental topics such as stormwater runoff and the water cycle. BEAT will be at Riverway Park offering this free program from 1:30 to 3:30 PM. In addition to BEAT's programming, the summer Block Party offers games, 0 Comments
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Devanny-Condron Funeral Home Ending Over 100-Year LegacyBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:31PM / Monday, May 19, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Devanny-Condron Funeral Home will close next week after more than 100 years of serving mourning local families.
On Friday, the announcement that the Maplewood Avenue funeral home will close on May 26 was made on the funeral home's website and in a press statement. A call to the funeral home was directed to a spokesperson, who said the business was closing for economic reasons. The closure is said to mark "the end of an era deeply rooted in the community's history."
"Devanny-Condron has been a pillar of compassionate care and professionalism, helping generations of families commemorate their loved ones with dignity and grace. The decision
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BCC to Hold Mental Health First Aid Training | 10:31AM / Monday, May 19, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC)'s Workforce and Community Education department will hold its Mental Health First Aid Training this month. The training will be held over two days, the first session will be held Wednesday, May 21 from 4-8 p.m., and the second session will be held Wednesday, May 28 from 4-8 p.m. Co-instructors Sarah De Jesus and Jennifer Bishop lead both sessions, available both in person and hybrid. Mental Health First Aid helps assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, students will learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health 0 Comments
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Governor Announces Funding to Enhance Transit in Berkshire County| 07:45AM / Monday, May 19, 2025 | |
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced a portion of the over $14.8 million awarded through MassDOT's Fiscal Year 2025 Community Transit Grant Program (CTGP) will benefit Berkshire County. The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority was awarded funding for two fully accessible vehicles, and the South County Connector received funding for one fully accessible vehicle. These vehicles will enhance mobility for older adults and people with disabilities in the region. "Our administration is committed to increasing travel options for seniors and people with disabilities across the Commonwealth, and this includes ensuring that Berkshire County 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Public Camping Ban Sparks Outrage at Council MeetingBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:12AM / Monday, May 19, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A proposal to ban public camping ran into pushback from residents and councilors last week. The City Council sent a proposed ordinance that bans encampments on any street, sidewalk, park, open space, waterway, or banks of a waterway to the Ordinances and Rules Subcommittee, the Homelessness Advisory Committee, and the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Task Force. Several community members at the meeting asked city officials, "Where do unhoused people go if they are banned from camping on public property?"
"In a place like America, we fetishize the idea of pulling oneself up by the bootstraps, but what if those people have no boots?"
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Teacher of the Month: Melinda GowdeyBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:08PM / Sunday, May 18, 2025 | |
Her students say Melinda Gowdey makes them feel like they're in a 'warm, fuzzy blanket.' HINSDALE, Mass. — Kittredge Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Melinda Gowdey has been selected as the May Teacher of the Month. The Teacher of the Month series, in collaboration with Berkshire Community College, will feature distinguished teachers nominated by community members. You can nominate a teacher here. For the last 21 years, Gowdey has been inspiring students and making them excited to learn by creating a calm, peaceful, inclusive, and safe classroom environment. In addition to being a fourth-grade teacher, she was an adjunct 0 Comments
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MassWildLife: View Peregrine Falcon Cameras| 11:52AM / Sunday, May 18, 2025 | |
Peregrine falcons are the fastest birds on Earth. They live throughout the world, including right here in Massachusetts! Several web cameras allow the public to witness falcons during breeding season. Peregrine falcons are unique and beautiful raptors that are specially adapted to hunt birds in flight. They hunt while soaring high in the sky and waiting for a bird to fly past below. To capture their prey, they fly straight down in a controlled dive called a stoop, where they can reach speeds over 240 miles per hour. Peregrine populations declined during the late 1940s, due to widespread use of the pesticide DDT which caused the birds to lay thin-shelled eggs that could not
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