| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Marchetti Details Housing Efforts in State of City AddressBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:02AM / Tuesday, January 21, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Upcoming housing projects aim to bring new life into underutilized properties and improve neighborhoods. Mayor Peter Marchetti's first State of the City address emphasized housing, one of the greatest struggles Pittsfield and the nation face. He outlined the administration's efforts to find opportunities for additional units in the city while addressing the growing unhoused population. Running parallel to this is the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Task Force created upon Marchetti's inauguration.
"The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the housing challenges we face, not only in Pittsfield but across the state and nation. There's a
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Volunteers Build Community During MLK Day of ServiceBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:21PM / Monday, January 20, 2025 | |
Rachel Melendez Mabee, speaker at BCC's opening breakfast, says her great-grandmother's journey through racism and injustice sets the tone for the work still ahead. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Despite a snowstorm that filled the Berkshires with nearly 8 inches of snow, community members turned out for a "day of service" in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. — and a reminder that the work against injustice is ongoing. The holiday kicked off in Pittsfield with an opening breakfast featuring keynote speaker Greylock Federal Credit Union's Rachel Melendez Mabee, who oversees its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, culture and 0 Comments
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Helping Hands in Pittsfield on MLK DayBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:20PM / Monday, January 20, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There were four volunteer initiatives for the Berkshire Community College Day of Service: crafting Valentine's Day cards for Hillcrest residents, office organization with Western Mass Labor Action, cleaning the Harvest Table (a local food pantry and meal site), and sorting clothing and toy donations with the Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center, in partnership with Berkshire United Way. The Harvest Table is run by First United Methodist Church, located at 55 Fenn St., where the day's opening breakfast was held. It serves approximately 300 people every week. The pantry offers a hot breakfast every Tuesday from 8 to 9:30 and dinner from 3:30 to 0 Comments
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Letter: Dalton Must Be Allowed to VoteLetter to the Editor,
05:00PM / Monday, January 20, 2025 | |
 To the Editor:
On Jan. 18, a Friday evening, the Select Board was advised of a date error on the instructions only for the mail-in ballots for the Feb. 3 election. On Saturday, Jan. 19 (after being advised by the town manager on Friday evening), Dalton Town Clerk Heather Hunt with the assistance of Patti Mele-Nichols — and at their own expense, including personally supplying USPS stamps — spent the day notifying in writing the 28 eligible Dalton residents (of which I am one) who had received the incorrect instruction sheet. On Tuesday, Jan. 21, she will follow up with phone calls to fulfill any commonwealth voting requirements.
Our Dalton town clerk is to be commended for her
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Dalton Candidates Talk Fire District, Green Initiatives By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
04:17PM / Monday, January 20, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — Dalton voters will choose from four candidates at the Feb. 3 special election to decide who will fill the vacant Select Board seat. The four candidates on the ballot, Robert Collins, Rich Haley, Levi Renderer, and Patrick Carsell appeared at a forum Wednesday night to highlight their perspectives on issues including transparency and collaboration, the condition of the police station, and roads and sidewalks. The previous article covered the discussion on the police station and the town's infrastructure, including roads and sidewalks. Here's a quick summary of the other topics covered during the 0 Comments
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Berkshire Athenaeum Launches Reader Leaders Program for Teens and Kids| 03:30PM / Monday, January 20, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Athenaeum has announced its new "Reader Leaders" program, inviting teens aged 14-18 to volunteer as reading mentors for children aged 5-8. This initiative pairs youth to read together, fostering literacy and leadership skills. A mandatory training session for teen mentors will take place on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. Following the training, monthly reading sessions are scheduled for Feb. 28, March 21, and April 11, from 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. Participants will read together, enjoy crafts, and share snacks during these sessions. Interested teens can register by picking up a form at the library's Young Adult or Children's
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Downtown Pittsfield Cigarette Butt Containers Help Beautify CorridorBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:17PM / Monday, January 20, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Cigarette waste recycling boxes have contributed to the beautification of North Street.
In the fall, TerraCycle containers were installed between the intersection of Maplewood Avenue and the Berkshire Family YMCA. This was done by Downtown Pittsfield Inc. with funding from Downtown Blooms and support from Pittsfield Beautiful and Mill Town Foundation.
It is working, as the corridor has fewer cigarette butts on the sidewalks and in its landscaping.
Managing Director Rebecca Brien explained that the pilot program was brought forward by Pittsfield Beautiful, whose volunteers realized there was a need when finding cigarette butts in planter boxes.
"As they
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Berkshire Bach Society Hosts Exploration of Bach's Spirituality| 11:56AM / Monday, January 20, 2025 | |
 GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Berkshire Bach Society (BBS) will present the third event in its quarterly BBS Portals series, Bach and God: Troubling Voices, featuring musicologist Michael Marissen. The program will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, at the Kellogg Music Center on the campus of Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, and at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 25, at The Koussevitsky Arts Center at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield. Marissen, an expert on the music and religious beliefs of Johann Sebastian Bach, will explore the foundations of the composer's spirituality and the social norms of Lutheran Germany. Drawing on his books "Bach
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Pittsfield Considering Nonprofit for School InvestigationBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:51AM / Monday, January 20, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council and School Committee will consider a children's advocacy nonprofit to audit the Pittsfield Public Schools.
On Tuesday, the council supported a petition from Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren requesting to schedule a joint meeting to receive a presentation from Jetta Bernier, executive director of Enough Abuse.
"The object is, we're trying to address a serious problem of sexual abuse in the schools," Warren said. "And I want to get this off the ground and I want to get us moving."
On Dec. 11, PHS Dean of Students Lavante Wiggins was arrested and charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for allegedly conspiring to
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Westfield State Study Makes Local EMS RecommendationsBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:40AM / Monday, January 20, 2025 | |
Emergency responders participate in a drill in 2018. A study done in a Westfield State University course offered recommendations for stabilizing and sharing EMS services. DALTON, Mass. — A research project of Westfield State University made several recommendations to enhance emergency medical services within Berkshire County, including more regionalization and stable funding sources. "Currently, EMS services are provided to the county's 128,000 residents through a patchwork system that results in unpredictable response times and inconsistent quality of emergency care from one community to another," the research project 0 Comments
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Community Hero: Abigail AllardBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:20PM / Sunday, January 19, 2025 | |
Abigail Allard also coaches boxing, chairs the Berkshire Leadership Program and is involved in the city's cultural organizations. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Abigail Allard wears many hats within the Berkshire County community, which gained her the recognition of our January Community Hero of the Month. The Community Hero of the Month is a 12-month series that honors individuals and organizations that have significantly impacted their community. This year's sponsor is Window World of Western Massachusetts. Nominate a hero here. Allard is the development and communications manager at the Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center, which is the home of Girls 0 Comments
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Market 32 Customers Donate Over 50K Food Bags to Local Pantries| 04:08PM / Sunday, January 19, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Market 32 customers donated over 50,000 pre-packed food bags to local food banks and pantries between Nov. 10, 2024, and Jan. 4, 2025. A total of 50,902 $10 food bags filled with essential items such as elbow macaroni, peanut butter, canned tuna, and kidney beans were collected to support neighbors in need. Each store selected a local organization to benefit from the donations, helping address nutrition insecurity in their communities. The initiative, part of the chain's ongoing commitment to community support, directly impacted individuals facing hunger during the holiday season. "The holiday season brings our blessings to mind 0 Comments
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