In recognition of Mental Health Month

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. - In recognition of Mental Health Month, The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Berkshire County announces that Alex N. Sabo, M.D. will speak on Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Medical Arts Complex at Berkshire Medical Center, 5th floor classroom, 510 North St. The program is free and open to members, professionals, and anyone interested in mental health issues.

Whether you walk, run, pedal or paddle, this event will be fun for everyone. You can stretch your legs on the three mile course as you stretch your minds and hearts and help raise awareness about mental illness. Registration begins at 10:00 a.m. Honorary Champion, Alex Sabo M.D., Department Chair, Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, Berkshire Medical Center, will conduct the ribbon cutting ceremony to start the walk at 11:00 a.m. Finish line activities will include an awards ceremony with trophies for the family, team and individual who raises the most money for NAMI, followed by a barbecue lunch and entertainment by Robin O'Herin, blues and gospel singer, and many other surprises.

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is a non-profit grassroots self-help, support and advocacy organization of consumers, families and friends of people with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety disorders.

NAMI-BC is dedicated to eradicating the stigma of mental illness and to the improvement of the quality of life of all those whose lives are affected by mental illness in Berkshire County through education, advocacy and support and is a member agency of the Berkshire United Way and Northern Berkshire United Way. For further information about this event and NAMI-BC please contact Bonnie Brace, Executive Director, at (413) 443-1666 or e-mail: namibc@namibc.org.
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Pittsfield Council Passes $232.7M Budget

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council unanimously approved a $232.7 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year. 

It is a modest, almost 2.9 percent increase from FY26. 

"I do want to give the community kind of a heads up as we move forward on budgets. What we see coming out of the federal government that's trickling down to the states, it's going to be harder and harder for us as a community to meet our needs under the Proposition 2 1/2," Councilor at Large Alisa Costa said. 

"We're going to have challenges, as we've seen communities across the state trying to override the Proposition 2 1/2, because we have dwindling amounts of money coming from the state and federal government." 

She pointed out that, at the same time, utility bills are going up for both residents and the city, as are the costs of pavement and other items. 

The amended budget of $232,777,720, down from the $232,782,090 originally proposed, includes cuts to the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the restoration of funds for councilors to attend the annual Massachusetts Municipal Association conference. 

The Pittsfield Public Schools' $86,855,061 budget includes $68,886,061 in state Chapter 70 funding and $18 million from the city. With $345,000 in school choice and Richmond tuition revenues, it totals $87,200,061 and is an approximately $300,000 increase from the Pittsfield Public Schools' FY26 budget of $86.9 million. 

The district's budget will fund 13 schools, as Morningside Community School will retire in the fall, and includes the middle school restructuring. 

Councilors also approved the use of $2 million in certified free cash to reduce the tax rate, and appropriated $450,551 for parking-related expenditures. 

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