Forum Slated for Pittsfield Mayoral Candidates

08:02PM / Sunday, September 13, 2009Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College will host a mayoral forum for all 10 Pittsfield mayoral candidates on Monday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m.

The event in the Boland Theatre is free and open to the public. Pittsfield Community Television will provide a live telecast.

Ten candidates are on the Sept. 22 preliminary election ballot. The two finalists will compete in the Nov. 3 general election.

Radio personality Larry Kratka will host Monday's event, which is part of a series of election debates and forums hosted by BCC, televised by PCTV and coordinated by The Pittsfield Gazette.

The event will feature tight time limits, with an on-stage clock for the candidates and a display of the countdown via graphics for home viewers. Kratka will alternate between quick-response and more detailed questions.

"Given the large field of candidates, we're utilizing a rigid format to ensure that all the candidates receive equal opportunities and that the pacing doesn't suffer," said Pittsfield Gazette publisher Jonathan Levine. "The quick-response questions will be asked to everyone, with some replies limited to just a few words. The remaining questions will be posed to smaller groups of candidates, rotating who responds first."

The series at BCC will include a follow-up mayoral debate on Oct. 26 as well as School Committee and at-large council debates on Oct. 20. The Gazette and PCTV will also sponsor in-studio ward council debates on Oct. 19.

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Neal's Office Among Those Targeted by Suspicious Mailings

Staff Reports12:28PM / Wednesday, October 21, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal was among congressmen apparently targeted by someone mailing suspicious envelopes.

According to a report in The Berkshire Eagle, an envelope containing a powdery substance was discovered by postal inspectors before reaching Neal's Pittsfield office in the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building.

Nearly 40 members of Congress have received envelopes containing white powder, according to The Guardian. More than 100 letters are thought to be in the U.S. mail system and the FBI, Capitol Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were investigating the mailings that have also been sent to elections officials in various states.

The mailings have been sent to both Republican and Democrat officeholders and several congressional district offices had to be evacuated in the last week or so after envelopes were opened in them.

Earlier today, my Bronx district office received an envelope delivered by mail that contained a suspicious substance. Local law enforcement responded swiftly and, after investigating, determined the substance to be non-hazardous.
— Rep. Ritchie Torres (@repritchie.bsky.social) October 16, 2026 at 3:10 PM

The Guardian reported that the FBI is warning officials to look for envelopes processed through a north Texas center and that carry a postmark or stamp stating "Thinking of You."

The Eagle states that Neal's office was alerted on Saturday that it might be getting a suspicious package; inspectors seized the envelope at the Fenn Street post office on Monday.

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