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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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PHS Students: Be Kinder About Our School Amid ScandalBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:34AM / Thursday, January 09, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Pittsfield High School students are keeping their heads up despite the scandal that's embroiled the school.
Their ask? Think twice before making negative comments as an outsider.
"Right now, our school is going through, obviously, a lot but from what I have personally seen, I don't think our community has ever been stronger and I just don't think people are getting that," 10th-grader Benjamin Glockner said, reporting that it has been "negative after negative" when hearing from community members.
There was the usual feedback from residents at Wednesday's School Committee meeting but this time, it was matched by testimony
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'Poor' Pontoosuc Avenue Bridge to Be ReplacedBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:43PM / Wednesday, January 08, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The Pontoosuc Avenue bridge has been in poor condition for a decade and will be replaced next year with improved pedestrian access.
Officials assure the public that it is not in danger of failing before construction begins. A detour will use Briggs Avenue for through traffic between Wahconah Street and Pontoosuc Avenue.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation held a 25-percent design hearing virtually on Tuesday. Located next to the former Harry's Supermarket, the bridge extends over the West Branch of the Housatonic River and provides access from North Street to Wahconah Street.
"In November 2015, the bridge superstructure was determined to be
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Berkshire Schools Awarded Early College Program Grants| 08:22AM / Wednesday, January 08, 2025 | |
BOSTON — Bard College at Simon's Rock was awarded a $60,000 Early College Capacity Grant and Pittsfield High School and Taconic were both awarded $50,000 Early College Planning Grants with Berkshire Community College. The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that it is awarding $8 million in designated Early College grants to allow high school students to take college classes and earn college credit at no cost to them or their families. These funds will be used to support schools and higher education institutions as they design new Early College programs, as well as expand existing programs to provide an estimated additional 2,300 seats, increase staffing and 0 Comments
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Elder Service Providers Push for More State Funding in Home CareBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:49AM / Wednesday, January 08, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Elder Services of Berkshire County Inc. fears that state budget deficits for fiscal year 2025 will negatively impact home care.
The agency joins others in the sector asking for additional funding in a supplemental budget to avoid consumers being put on a waitlist, or managed intake, for the state Home Care Program.
"We have been fortunate not to run under managed intake for a long time but it can be really challenging for the staff because that's not why we come to work every day," Client Services Director Maureen Tuggey said.
"Our case management staff, our nursing staff, we want to help people, we want to keep people in the home, and
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Dalton Fire Chief Christian Tobin Terminated By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:16AM / Wednesday, January 08, 2025 | |
Members of the Fire District attend the meeting at the Stationery Factory, where Christian Tobin was sworn in on Jan. 29, 2024. DALTON, Mass. — The Board of Water Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously voted to terminate Fire Chief Christian Tobin just a year after hiring him. The decision comes after an investigation by Kerry Gilpin of Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting, which began when the board announced Tobin's paid suspension in August over allegations of sexual harassment, grant overspending, and employee concerns. The suspension was originally for a month but was indefinitely extended in September until the investigation into 0 Comments
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Bus Organized to People's March| 06:26PM / Tuesday, January 07, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — State Reps. Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Leigh Davis, state Sen. Paul Mark, and the Rural Freedom Network are organizing a motorcoach bus from the Berkshires to Washington, D.C., for the 2025 People's March. Rural Freedom Network is a federally registered political action committee and as a grassroots media organization it supports Democratic candidates and issues such as civil rights. The People's March is a rebranding of the Women's March that first occurred in 2017 and broadened to include such rights to free speech, health care and economics. The bus departs on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 2 a.m. from the parking lot of The 0 Comments
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Letter: Issues & Topics of Upcoming Dalton Special ElectionLetter to the Editor,
01:00PM / Tuesday, January 07, 2025 | |
 To the Editor:
The focus of the upcoming election, like all elections, is about how best to prepare for the future of our town while minimizing the impact on taxpayers. One of those future issues that is a huge need and we are presently struggling with is a new police station. If one has seen the videos or read the description of the working conditions our Police Department is working under, I am sure they are at minimum concerned if not completely appalled. I am amazed Chief Strout, her officers and staff manage to perform their jobs so professionally and adequately in light of the space in the Town Hall basement falling short in so many ways that impact running an effective police
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Pittsfield to Decide Crosby/Conte Feasibility Study in OctoberBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:45PM / Tuesday, January 07, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City and school officials are expected to vote on a feasibility study for the Crosby Elementary School rebuild by Halloween.
On Monday, Superintendent Joseph Curtis gave an overview of the study's timeline and components. It would determine the feasibility of rebuilding Conte Community School and Crosby on the West Street site with shared facilities.
"We at this point, do not know the feasibility study will actually occur," he told the Middle School Restructuring Committee.
"There has to be discussions of the School Building Needs Commission, who is actually meeting [Tuesday night], there has to be discussion with the School Committee, and
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Berkshire Organizations Celebrate Sucessess, New Locations in 2024By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:28AM / Tuesday, January 07, 2025 | |
Second Street Second Chances in Pittsfield celebrates renovated and expanded space to provide resources and training for people who've done their time and are trying to reintegrate into the community. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In 2024, Berkshire County organizations saw new locations and successes in their fields.
Downtown Pittsfield saw some new tenants — in fact, Downtown Pittsfield Inc. even relocated to North Street to be right on the pulse of activity.
Last month, 1Berkshire announced that it had sold its property at 66 Allen St. after 12 years and will move to the second floor of Crawford Square on North Street.
"It was not for lack of a fondness of the
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CBRSD to Reconvene Regional Agreement PanelBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:13AM / Tuesday, January 07, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — After an outcry of concern from residents in several small towns in the Central Berkshire Regional School District, the district will investigate how to adjust its proposed update of the regional agreement. The district has been functioning without an approved regional agreement since 1968. The agreement was updated in 1997 but received approval only from the towns, not the state commissioner. For over a year, the district has been working to bring the agreement up to date with state law. "It's been a long time we've been operating without approval. State law is we're supposed to be operating with approval," 0 Comments
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Five Local Firefighters Graduate From Massachusetts Firefighting Academy| 05:32PM / Monday, January 06, 2025 | |
Cody Doyle, left, and Owen Hoffman of Dalton hold their axes after graduating from the academy on Monday. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Five local firefighters were among the 20 graduates of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy on Monday. Jahyde Bullard, Phourasamy Din and Matthew Tobin, all of Pittsfield, and Cody Doyle and Owen Hoffman of Dalton completed the academy's 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program. Bullard, Din and Tobin were appointed permanent firefighters by Mayor Peter Marchetti last July. "Massachusetts firefighters are on the frontlines protecting their communities every day, and today’s graduates are 0 Comments
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New Bedford Installing Sculpture of Melville Based on 'Moby-Dick'| 11:48AM / Monday, January 06, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — New Bedford's installing a statue of Herman Melville based on his epic "Moby-Dick," the story of a whaling captain and his nemesis the white whale, inspired by Mount Greylock. An illustration of the statue titled "Melville and Jonah's Journey" was unveiled on Friday morning at the Seaman's Bethel in New Bedford, where it will be installed on the grounds. The work by sculptor Stefanie Rocknak shows Melville amidst waves and three whale ribs "representing Melville's own journey into and out of the whale. Yet, Melville rises above them, his mouth open, as though beginning to speak — to tell the 0 Comments
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