News & Notes: City Clerk Stepping Down; Santa on Parade

By Larry KratkaBerkshire News Network
08:21AM / Friday, November 21, 2008Print Story | Email Story

Phillips Leaving Pittsfield City Hall

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City Clerk Jody Phillips will be stepping down from her office on Jan. 1.

This week's edition of the Pittsfield Gazette reports that Phillips decided to accept a position with General Dynamics. Phillips told the Gazette that it was a difficult decision to make but the opportunity happened at just the right time.

Phillips was elected as city clerk in 1998 and voted to a lifetime tenure by city residents in 2005. In the meantime, Mayor James Ruberto is expected to name an interim city clerk and the position will be on the 2009 municipal election ballot.

Santa Parade Tomorrow

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — If you're in the mood for parade, be in downtown Pittsfield tomorrow morning at 10 for the annual Santa Parade to kick off the annual Santa Fund.

Organizers say they have firetrucks, bands including the Excelsior Drum and Bugle Corps from New York, and other marching units. The parade will travel from Edwin Street behind the Crowne Plaza, to Park Square then proceed up North Street to Maplewood Avenue, where they will disband behind St. Joseph's School.

Included in the parade will be a Christmas Stocking Brigade to collect money for the Santa Fund, which has a goal this year of $45,000.

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Lanesborough Hopes for Continued Talks on Mall Sale

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:41PM / Wednesday, November 11, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board is optimistic that talks for the Berkshire Mall sale will continue.

Chair Deborah Maynard and Vice Chair Juli Baker were to meet with mall owner JMJ Holdings, the Baker Hill Road District, and proposed buyer Cypress Equities on Tuesday to discuss next steps. As of Wednesday, iBerkshires had received a "we are optimistic" from Maynard on the talks. The Berkshire Eagle reported a response from a Cypress representative saying talks will continue.

Baker had updated the Select Board on Monday about the status of the sale and the efforts being undertaken by the renamed Baker Hill Business District.

Cypress Equities pulled out of a purchase-and sale-agreement with mall owner JMJ last week for the following reasons.

Not enough water service/pressure to the property to support redevelopment without constructing costly water tanks.
The current septic system and former treatment facility is not acceptable for a project of the scale and magnitude proposed.
There is existing asbestos and bad soil from the treatment system that needs to be remediated off site.
And the current structure and tax assessment of the Baker Hill Road District.

Baker has been working with what is now being called the Baker Hill Business District and said she and the district members are happy that Cypress has decided to leave the door open to more discussions and that they have been working hard to try and address the company's needs.

Last month, the town had asked state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. John Barrett III to support the state Department of Transportation taking over the Connector Road, funding for a mall connection to Pittsfield's wastewater treatment plant and a connection to the town's water main.

Baker said an amendment has been drafted to cap the district's taxes to not grow more than 2.5 percent a year. She noted that, historically, taxes have not grown by more than one percent per year, so it won't be difficult to meet that cap.

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