Pittsfield begins first cultural plan for city

12:00AM / Thursday, November 02, 2006Print Story | Email Story

Mayor James M. Ruberto announced today the creation of a steering committee to guide the community in the formation of a three-to-five-year cultural plan. The Steering Committee members represent a broad spectrum of the community. The committee is co-chaired by Elie Hammerling, Chair of the Cityâ€™s Cultural Development Board and former vice president for planning at the Berkshire Medical Center and Cory Hines, a management consultant specializing in strategy implementation, who has worked with major organizations in the U.S., Canada, and South Africa. â€œAs arts and culture continue to help drive economic revitalization in the City of Pittsfield, it is critical that we plan to establish a firm foundation for continued success and growth,â€ said Mayor Ruberto. â€œThe development of the cultural sector not only improves the quality of life for our residents, it also makes our city more attractive to new businesses and residents, and generates jobs and new income to our economy.â€ â€œThis plan will help us celebrate and expand Pittsfieldâ€™s rich cultural heritage, due in no small part to immigrants past and present, our schools and community groups, and the many excellent artists and cultural institutions we have here.â€ Committee members include Mary Beth Eldridge, an art teacher at Taconic High School; Pam Rich, marketing director for Paul Rich & Sons, a longtime anchor store in downtown Pittsfield; and Hope Sullivan, the executive director of IS183, Art School of the Berkshires. Other members of the Cultural Plan steering committee are Peter Lafayette, Director of the Berkshire Bank Foundation; Shirley Edgerton, Director of the Youth Alive Drum & Dance Group and co founder of the Women of Color Giving Circle; Mary Rentz, a longtime community volunteer and board member of cultural organizations, who chaired 2004â€™s Sheeptacular public art project; and Jenny Hersch, professional musician and interim Artistic Director at the Mahaiwe Theatre. The Cityâ€™s Director of Cultural Development, Megan Whilden, serves as staff support to the committee. All members live and/or work in the city of Pittsfield. â€œWe are looking forward to a broad-based thoughtful approach to putting together a cultural plan that will best serve this wonderful city,â€ commented Hammerling, a Pittsfield resident for over thirty years who also serves on the Board of Directors of Sinai Academy of the Berkshires. â€œThere are a number of other key initiatives moving forward in Pittsfield and the Berkshires," noted Megan Whilden. â€œThey include the Cityâ€™s updating of the Master Plan and the Creative Economy Strategy Project for Berkshire County. We are closely coordinating our work with these initiatives so that they enrich each other and so there is no redundancy." It is believed this will be the first time that a citywide cultural planning process has been done in the city of Pittsfield. The committee has been reviewing plan from other cities, as well as the Downtown Pittsfield Arts & Entertainment District Plan developed in 1999 by Downtown, Inc., a local downtown improvement association. Hammerling added, â€œWe were impressed when we reviewed Downtown Inc.â€™s plan how many of the action items are in progress or have been accomplished. The plan was right on target in many respects and we look forward to continuing and expanding the work they have done.â€ The cultural planâ€™s process is designed to create a â€˜roadmapâ€™ to establish Pittsfield as a center of culture, arts and entertainment in Berkshire County and beyond. The plan will identify strategies to increase access to arts and culture for all Pittsfield residents; foster the continuing vitality and expansion of the City's cultural sector; and attract new individuals and businesses interested in participating and investing in the City's creative economy. The Cultural Plan steering committee is planning to undertake a number of one-on-one interviews, as well as focus groups and a community meeting to gather public input in early 2007. For more information on the committee or the planning process, please contact Megan Whilden, Director of Cultural Development for the City of Pittsfield, at 413-499-9348 or mwhilden@pittsfieldch.com.

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Born and reared in Pittsfield PHS, Class of 50). Joined the service and left Pittsfield and except for leave and later for summer vacation jobs during college, never came back except for short visitsa with reatives and for class reunions. After that , only drove through Pittsfield on way to Vermont, Boston, and vacations in Neew Hampshire. I only got minimal exposure to the deteriorating city I once loved. The tree graced Park Square is uninviting. North, Upper South and much of West street are aged, uninspired vestiges of a once thriving community that cared. Drug and other related crime from neewspaper reorts and conversations with friends and relatives is significant. It would seem that more effort and funding should be allocated to the reductdion of crime and the cleansing/beatification of the downtown area BEFORE EXPENDITURE OF RESOURCES on the desireable goal of becoming an ARTS CENTER. In the sicties and early seventies, we (me, my wife and my two daughters) loved to visit Pittsfield and all it has to offer but since that time it has become increasingly a place we choose to AVOID! We (and many others) will not visit an Arts Center in the existi'ng environment. There is great art to be seen in many other venues! Fix YOUR NEGATIVES, them worry about an Arts Center.
from: Maury Malo	on: 11-12-2006 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Congratulations to Mayor Ruberto and to the city of Pittsfield on the appointment of a steering committee to help the city develop a cultural plan! This is yet another example of the forward thinking and progressive vision of Mayor Ruberto. What a wonderful choice in Elie Hammerling to help lead this committee. Elie is extremely talented in moving forward with great ideas!! If the committee is interested in consultation from the town of Stockbridge, feel free to contact me.
from: Rob Guerette, M.D.	on: 11-19-2006 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Pittsfield Remembers Lives Lost to Overdose, Underscores Harm Reduction

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:33AM / Tuesday, September 01, 2026

Mayor Peter Marchetti reads a proclamation at City Hall encouraging residents to raise awareness and lift each other up.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of people gathered downtown on Monday to remember those lost to overdose and work toward a future of zero deaths from substance use disorder.

The Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative and its partners held a proclamation reading and flag-raising at City Hall, followed by a standout in Park Square with signs promoting the use of naloxone, harm reduction, and reducing associated stigma.

There were 23 fatal overdoses in Berkshire County in 2025, 11 in Pittsfield. This is down 44 percent from the 41 countywide fatalities in 2024.

While it is a significant decrease, advocates want to see that number at zero.

"On the one hand, we're very pleased to see this significant of a decrease. This is actually the lowest number that we've had since [Department of Public Health] started collecting these numbers in 2013, but the goal is still zero," said Andy Ottoson, public health planner with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

August is International Overdose Awareness Month, the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those lost without stigma, and acknowledge the grief of families and friends left behind. September is National Recovery Month, a national observance to educate the public on the importance of substance use treatment and mental health services.

Samantha Kendall of Berkshire Harm Reduction explained that it is truly meeting people where they are, as they are, and when they are, "and I think we all do a really great job at that."

"We also want to remember that we're building a community for everybody, and systems and policies for everybody. That's really important in harm reduction work, so that's also the reason we're here today," she said.

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