| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Students Have a Blast at Rocket CampBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
07:18AM / Saturday, August 16, 2025 | |
Flying Cloud education coordinator Christian Drake leads the camp through some engineering and scientific principles on Wednesday at the Berkshire Innovation Center. More photos here. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Learners had a literal blast this week during Flying Cloud Institute's Rocket Camp. During a four-day workshop, students collaborated with volunteer David Doyle and education coordinator Christian Drake to explore scientific concepts and, of course, build rockets. In three days, the students learned about the engineering behind rockets, propulsion, aerodynamics, space, and more. "I believe rocketry is an excellent way to teach kids 0 Comments
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Berkshire Museum Announces New Chief Development Officer| 08:22AM / Friday, August 15, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Museum is set to welcome Lori Eastman as its new Chief Development Officer. Eastman has spent her career at private liberal arts colleges, including the last 25 years at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, which she also attended as an undergraduate. At Skidmore, she served as the Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff in the college's Office of Advancement, where she acted as a frontline fundraiser, building relationships with donors and prospects, overseeing staff and teams engaged in fundraising, and managing larger fundraising projects. Before that, she spent ten years working at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, as a Director of 0 Comments
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Brien Center Hires Ethics and Compliance Officer| 08:05AM / Friday, August 15, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services announced the appointment of Dr. Bella Mironovna Guner as Ethics and Compliance Officer, a key leadership position supporting the agency's mission to deliver high-quality, community-based behavioral health and addiction services throughout Berkshire County. Guner brings to the role over 20 years of experience spanning child welfare, developmental psychology, and higher education. Her career began in the nonprofit sector, where she dedicated 15 years to improving outcomes for children and families, rising through the ranks from direct care staff to clinician and ultimately to Director of 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Council Continues Camping Regs, Files OML Complaints By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:25AM / Friday, August 15, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A failed motion to continue Tuesday's City Council meeting past 10 p.m. meant the controversial "Camping on Public Property" ordinance was pushed to another date. But the body determined that they were not in violation of the Open Meeting Law during a "Homes not Handcuffs" advocacy meeting in July. People spilled out of the council chambers and into the hallway while they waited for hours for a turn to speak during open microphone. The proposed ban on camping in public places has sparked a large turnout to several meetings, with some comparing it to actions taken by President Donald Trump.
Veteran Yolanda Hoffman,
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Lanesborough Seeking $2.5M From State for Public Safety BuildingBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:06AM / Friday, August 15, 2025 | |
Preston Repenning addresses the board, which discuss whether to remove him from town boards for his statements and actions at the last meeting. LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town is seeking an additional $2.5 million from the state to support its public safety facility initiatives.
On Monday, the Select Board agreed to send a request to state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. John Barrett III for the additional funds. In 2022, the effort was allocated $1 million in state bonds. Now, the town must work to fill funding gaps in the $7.4 million combined police/EMS proposal.
"We, through our deliberations, learned the reason that most of these facilities are
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The Retired Investor: Trump Accounts Could Be Seed Money for America's Future GenerationsBy Bill Schmick,
04:04PM / Thursday, August 14, 2025 | |
About 3.6 million babies are born in the U.S. every year. Imagine that at birth, each one was given $1,000 to invest. Any ideas how much that would be worth by retirement age? The short answer is $1,029,500, assuming you invested the money in the S&P 500 Index at an annual average return of 6 percent and were not allowed to touch it until you retired at age 68. In one fell swoop, that could solve the Social Security issue facing future U.S. generations. Hats off to the president on this one. This new kind of savings account was part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and this "Trump Account" may turn out to be one of the most beautiful pieces of legislation in 0 Comments
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Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Awards Scholarships| 10:59AM / Thursday, August 14, 2025 | |
LUDLOW, Mass. — The Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corporation (BWPCC) has selected two students from the Lanesborough/Hancock area, one from the Mount Greylock Regional High School class of 2025 and one from the McCann Technical School class of 2025, to receive $1,000 scholarships. The scholarships are awarded to qualifying seniors at select schools in the Berkshires who are planning to attend either a two- or four-year college or trade school program. This is the third year of the BWPCC scholarship program. The BWPCC owns and operates the Berkshire Wind Power Project, a 12-turbine, 19.6-megawatt wind farm located on Brodie Mountain in Hancock and Lanesborough. 0 Comments
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State Rep. Davis Emphasizes Collaboration Through Uncertain FutureBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:31AM / Thursday, August 14, 2025 | |
State Rep. Leigh Davis says feedback from constituents has informed the bills she filed in her first year in office and she will continue to hold 'min town halls' to discuss to solutions to pressing issues. DALTON, Mass.— Collaboration and creative thinking will light the way forward through an uncertain future. This sentiment was demonstrated by Berkshire Third District's Rep. Leigh Davis during her community conversation event at the Stationery Factory on Monday. "I think with the next 3 1/2 years, there's going to be a lot of change, and there's going to be a lot of transition … we can come together as a 0 Comments
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The Hidden Toll: When Poverty Undermines Mental HealthBy Deborah Leonczyk, Guest Column
04:07PM / Wednesday, August 13, 2025 | |
When we talk about mental health, we often think of therapy, medication, or access to counselors. But just as important, especially in communities like ours, are the everyday stressors that slowly chip away at a person's ability to cope: constant worry over heating bills, empty cupboards, children without winter clothing, and the shame of having to ask for help again. These challenges create more than financial strain, they take a serious toll on emotional well-being. For thousands of Berkshire County residents, programs like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) provide a fragile line of defense against 0 Comments
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Half-Million Unpaid Mall Bills Could Fall on Lanesborough TaxpayersBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
01:10PM / Wednesday, August 13, 2025 | |
Town officials and road district representatives are working on how the town will plug the $500,000 hole in the fiscal 2026 budget. PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The Berkshire Mall's unpaid bills to the Baker Hill Road District could fall on taxpayers.
The Select Board has agreed to an executive session with the road district and Finance Committee, if possible, to discuss how they will account for more than $500,000 missing from the approved fiscal 2026 budget.
The road district will sue the mall owners for more than $1 million in unpaid taxes for the Routes 7-8 Connector road and, regarding this year's balance, attorney Mark Siegars advised the town to "treat
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BHS Holding Community Health Stakeholders Meeting| 08:09AM / Wednesday, August 13, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — As Berkshire Health Systems works to update its Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), the organization has scheduled a public meeting to seek input from the community on key health issues. The Community Health Stakeholder Meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, from noon to 1:30 pm at the Berkshire Innovation Center, 45 Woodlawn Ave., Pittsfield. The Community Health Needs Assessment is updated every few years and highlights the numerous significant areas of focus for Berkshire Health Systems as an important part of its continual planning to provide care services across the region. The Stakeholder meeting will gather comments from 0 Comments
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Lt. Governor Tours Innovation Center, Talks State InvestmentBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:29AM / Wednesday, August 13, 2025 | |
BIC Executive Director Benjamin Sonse discusses the center with the lieutenant governor and local leaders. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll toured the Berkshire Innovation Center on Tuesday for a look at Pittsfield's technology sector and the future of William Stanley Business Park.
She then sat down with local leaders to discuss possible avenues for state investment. Late last year, Gov. Maura Healey signed off on a billion dollars in climate tech and life sciences initiatives over the next 10 years.
"We have a lot of innovation happening as part of our economic development bill, the Mass Leads Act, and that bill was adopted with a strong
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