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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Dalton Redevelopment Authority Seeks to Attract Veterinarian

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
02:04PM / Monday, March 02, 2026

DALTON, Mass. — The Dalton Redevelopment Authority is looking at revamping zoning to make it easier for a veterinarian to open an office.

This was prompted by resident Kevin Herkelman, an animal nutritionist who worked with veterinarians before retiring and moving to the area about a year ago.

He and his wife have many animals and found that area vet offices weren't accepting new patients or were booked out for a long time.

"When we moved here, we were looking for a vet. We have five dogs and a cat. I used to show dogs and things like that. When we tried to find a vet, we had a hard time even finding people taking new clients. So we ended up going over to Northampton. That's where we still are," he told a recent meeting of the authority.

He said it's more difficult to have to travel far, and even if residents have a veterinarian, it's likely in Pittsfield so they have to leave town.

Currently a veterinary office is only allowed in a B1, R1, or I1 zone and must be 100 feet from a boundary.

Herkelman and Chair John Boyle have been looking for a suitable location to entice a vet to come to the area but zoning has been an issue as it is very restrictive.

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