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Wahconah Welding used its crane to lift the tree into place.
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The tree is 33 feet tall.
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It had a little too much at the base though.
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The tree will be decorated on Tuesday and lit up next Friday.
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Park Square is still filled with flags.
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The tree was transported via East Street.

Pittsfield Installs 2014 Christmas Tree

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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The tree was transported to Park Square on Tuesday morning.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Standing about 33 feet tall and weighing 1,400 to 1,500 pounds, the city's Christmas tree was placed in Park Square on Tuesday morning.
 
City workers started bright and early cutting and hauling the tree from an anonymous donor in the city to Park Square.
 
The tree will be decorated on Tuesday night to prepare for next Friday's tree lighting ceremony.
 
"It is an anonymous donor this year and they've elected to have a veteran light it," said Recreation Activities Coordinator Rebecca Manship.
 
This is the second time in four years the donor has been anonymous. In 2012, an anonymous donor asked the same thing and Air Force Medic Carmen Provenzano — who had just returned from Afghanistan — was chosen to light it.
 
Last year, Bruce Ryan donated the tree in honor of his mother and his grandson lit the tree.
 
Manship said the city's Veterans Services will find a veteran to light this year's tree.
 
Annually, the city seeks out a tree to be the city's official one but it is getting more and more difficult. The city pushed back the deadline this year when it had difficulty finding a tree inside city limits suitable. 
 
Nonetheless, a donor did come forward so the annual tree lighting is planned for Friday, Dec. 5. The lighting will start a 6 p.m. and will feature the Taconic High School chorus and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. Free hot chocolate will be available courtesy of Patrick's Pub and the Christian Center's food pantry will be accepting non-perishable food items.
 
"The tree lighting is a Pittsfield holiday tradition. I encourage those attending to bring food items for the Christian Center’s pantry. The holiday season is an important time for us all to give to those in need," Mayor Daniel Bianchi said in a statement announcing the tree lighting.
 

 


Tags: park square,   tree lighting,   

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Dalton Man Accused of Kidnapping, Shooting Pittsfield Man

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Dalton man was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly kidnapping and shooting another man.

Nicholas Lighten, 35, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday on multiple charges including kidnapping with a firearm and armed assault with intent to murder. He was booked in Dalton around 11:45 p.m. the previous night.

There was heavy police presence Thursday night in the area of Lighten's East Housatonic Street home before his arrest.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Dalton dispatch received a call from the Pittsfield Police Department requesting that an officer respond to Berkshire Medical Center. Adrian Mclaughlin of Pittsfield claimed that he was shot in the leg by Lighten after an altercation at the defendants home. Mclaughlin drove himself to the hospital and was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries. 

"We were told that Lighten told Adrian to go down to his basement, where he told Adrian to get down on his knees and pulled out a chain," the police report reads.

"We were told that throughout the struggle with Lighten, Adrian recalls three gunshots."

Dalton PD was advised that Pittsfield had swabbed Mclaughlin for DNA because he reported biting Lighten. A bite mark was later found on Lighten's shoulder. 

Later that night, the victim reportedly was "certain, very certain" that Lighten was his assailant when shown a photo array at the hospital.

According to Dalton Police, an officer was stationed near Lighten's house in an unmarked vehicle and instructed to call over the radio if he left the residence. The Berkshire County Special Response Team was also contacted.

Lighten was under surveillance at his home from about 7:50 p.m. to about 8:40 p.m. when he left the property in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. Another officer initiated a high-risk motor vehicle stop with the sergeant and response team just past Mill Street on West Housatonic Street, police said, and traffic was stopped on both sides of the road.

Lighten and a passenger were removed from the vehicle and detained. Police reported finding items including a brass knuckle knife, three shell casings wrapped in a rubber glove, and a pair of rubber gloves on him.

The response team entered Lighten's home at 43 East Housatonic before 9:30 p.m. for a protective sweep and cleared the residence before 9:50 p.m., police said. The residence was secured for crime scene investigators.

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