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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Subcommittee Votes Down 'Redundant' Police PetitionsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:53PM / Thursday, April 27, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Ordinances and Rules subcommittee tackled police-related proposals on Monday, ultimately finding them unnecessary.
Committee members voted against two petitions from local attorney Rinaldo Del Gallo on police intervention when a colleague is using unlawful violence because they were seen as redundant or in conflict with state law. It will go back to the full body with a negative recommendation.
Del Gallo requested any on-duty Pittsfield Police officer intervene when another officer engages in unlawful violence against any person and for a local policy on reporting abuse by other law enforcement personnel without fear of retaliation.
"I think the
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The Retired Investor: Secret Behind Low Interest-Bearing Checking AccountsBy Bill Schmick,
04:48PM / Thursday, April 27, 2023 | |
 The bankruptcies and financial contagion among regional banks have spotlighted a question point among many consumers. Why is it that banks are getting away with paying zero interest on billions of dollars in checking accounts? The interest on savings accounts isn't much better. In a recent survey by Bankrate, a consumer financial services company, nearly 80 percent of U. S. savers say they earn less than 3 percent in their savings accounts. Today, with interest rates yielding between 4-5 percent (and inflation topping 7 percent), a mere 7 percent of Americans are getting the prevailing rates. What is worse, only a relative few are taking advantage of the opportunity to earn money 0 Comments
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BCC to Hold Alumni Field Day| 08:20AM / Thursday, April 27, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College will hold an Alumni Field Day on Saturday, May 13 from 9 am-4 pm at the Gene Dellea Community Turf Field and Paterson Field House. Activities include the inaugural BCC Alumni Soccer Game and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Falcon's Perch Concession Stand (pre-registration required). All BCC alumni and friends are invited to attend. The Falcon's Perch Concession Stand ribbon cutting will feature special guests and speakers Susan and David Lombard, Gene Dellea, Aaron Robb and BCC President Ellen Kennedy. To RSVP, contact the Alumni Association at (413) 236-3071 or alumni@berkshirecc.edu by 0 Comments
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Potency Cannabis Dispensary Opens in PittsfieldBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:30AM / Thursday, April 27, 2023 | |
Potency owners Owen Martinetti, left, Tim Mack, and Chris Abbenda PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Local cannabis enthusiasts lined the door of the new dispensary, Potency, located at 1450 East St. to celebrate its opening on Monday afternoon. "I think what sets Potency apart is our focus on quality and our store aesthetic. We put a lot into in the interior and exterior of the space. Also having a local partner [Mack] Mass Yield Cultivation to provide high quality flower that a lot of other retailers around here don't have," Chris Abbenda said. For the last few years, Berkshire County businessman Tim Mack and New York entrepreneurs Abbenda and Owen 0 Comments
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Pittsfield School Committee OKs $78M Fiscal 2024 BudgetBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:12AM / Thursday, April 27, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee on Wednesday approved a $78 million budget, which is a 7.86 percent increase over this year. About $220,000 was cut from the initial draft budget after a conversation with Mayor Linda Tyer, bringing the ask from $78,310,016 to $78,088,016. With school choice and Richmond tuition funds, the total is $78,558,016.
Reductions include the $100,000 line item to replace Chromebook computers, $22,000 from the Career Technical Education supplies, $5,000 from the curriculum and instruction account, and the relocation of a $95,000 social emotional learning coordinator to Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III
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Pittsfield Council Flies Through Short AgendaBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:49PM / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council went through nine agenda items in under an hour on Tuesday.
This included the acceptance of a grant for MassDevelopment to create a possible Innovation District in the William Stanley Business Park and a transfer and appropriation of $200,000 from the Veteran Services Department to the Workers Compensation Department.
Under a project management and grant agreement, MassDevelopment will perform a strategic initiative to look into districting the business park. A communication from the mayor states that there will be no financial outlay involving the city.
Business Development Manager Michael Coakley explained that the conversation began several
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Dottie's Plans Expansion to Former Mission Bar and TapasBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:56PM / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A North Street staple is expanding to the former Mission Bar and Tapas.
On Monday, the Licensing Board approved a transfer of premise, license, and pledge of license from On A Mission LLC to Dottie's Coffee LLC. Owner Jessica Rufo plans to reopen the eatery as "Dorothy's," an expansion of the business that is open later.
The wall between the two spaces will be taken down to allow access between them.
"Initially we're going to keep our regular hours from 7 a.m. until 2 o'clock then our hope once the liquor license transfers is that will be open later until 8 or 9 o'clock," Rufo said.
"Our current offerings at
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PHS Theatre Presents Dark Comedy With 'Little Shop of Horrors'By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
01:16PM / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield High School's spring production will include singing, dancing, and a man-eating plant.
The PHS Proteus Theatre will present "Little Shop of Horrors" on April 28-29 and May 5-6 at 7:30 p.m.
and on April 30 and May 7 at 2:30 p.m.
The dark comedy is based on a 1986 movie by the same name and follows Seymour Krelborn, the protagonist, who discovers a "strange and interesting plant" that he soon realizes needs blood to survive.
"He's kind of down on his luck, he hasn't had the greatest opportunities in life, he works at a flower shop and he's really into strange plants," theater teacher and director Kyla
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2nd Street to Host Berkshire Harm Reduction Mobile Unit| 09:22AM / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — 2nd Street will host the Berkshire Harm Reduction Mobile Unit on Friday, April 28 from 1-2 pm. Supported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Berkshire Harm Reduction Program at Berkshire Medical Center provides vital services to the community, including testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, and Hepatitis C; sharps disposal and syringe service; overdose prevention education and naloxone distribution; and referral to additional community support services. The mobile unit travels across the Berkshires to provide services in a supportive and nonjudgmental manner in areas where transportation is challenging for 0 Comments
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Williamstown Select Board Directs ARPA Funds to Elementary School ProjectsBy Stephen Dravis, iBerkshires Staff
05:25AM / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | |
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday voted to allocate $300,000 of the town's American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover infrastructure needs at the elementary school. Specifically, school officials attended Monday's meeting to ask the town to support an estimated $550,000 to $600,000 project to replace the two playgrounds at the preK-6 facility. "There are two pillars that stand alone in terms of why we should be addressing them," school district Business Administrator Joseph Bergeron told the board. "One is: Neither of the playgrounds is at all accessible — not for people to play on them, not for caregivers to be near them and 0 Comments
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Letter: Ordinance Would Address Police NegligenceLetter to the Editor,
06:30PM / Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | |
 To the Editor:
I want to thank the Pittsfield City Council Ordinance and Rules committee for hearing my two petitions, which would require the police to intervene when another police officer is perpetrating illegal violence against the public, and my other petition creating a duty to report such incidents codified in an ordinance instead of it being an informal police policy subject to change. I have a high opinion of the council, the chief, and the acting city solicitor.
As noted by the Congressional Research Service, "Incidents involving the use of force by law enforcement, such as the 2020 death of George Floyd and the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols, have raised questions regarding
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Pittsfield Seeks Input for Draft CDBG Annual Action Plan| 03:24PM / Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield's Department of Community Development has released the draft Annual Action Plan outlining how federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds will be used to address housing and community development needs in Pittsfield for the 2024 fiscal year. Community Development, in conjunction with the City Council's subcommittee on Community and Economic Development, will hold a public hearing on May 18 at 6 p.m. on its CDBG program budget and draft 2024 Annual Action Plan. The public hearing will be held at City Hall in the City Council Chambers. The hearing is part of a 30-day public review process that is required by the 0 Comments
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