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Mayor Daniel Bianchi called teaching children to read 'the greatest gift' someone can give.

Pittsfield Cuts Ribbon On 'Learning Trail' To Promote Literacy

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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Mayor Daniel Bianchi cut the ribbon on the new trail on Monday morning.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Springside Park is now a little more literary.

Mayor Daniel Bianchi cut the ribbon Monday on the new Born Learning Trail, which is a series of 10 signs around the playground outlining activities for children to do.

The effort was headed by Pittsfield Promise, a collaboration of organizations working toward improving early education literacy programs.

"I feel very excited. I feel the buzz has caught on and we're doing a lot of stuff now," Berkshire United Way CEO Kristine Hazzard said of the program.

Pittsfield Promise also involved other programs, such as giving bags of books to parents of newborns, and the Berkshire United Way has granted some $600,000 into early education providers. The coalition was formed after research data showed 40 percent of Pittsfield's third-graders were not proficient in reading.

"We've got a real challenge in Pittsfield and Berkshire County," Bianchi said, adding that as a child he, too, struggled with reading and had to take remedial programs.



"Wouldn't it be nice if we could take the millions of dollars we spend on remedial programs and put that into enrichment programs," he said.

The trail is yet another effort toward reaching the goal of 90 percent proficiency. The activities mix physical activity, reading and hands-on context for the children. Some of the activities include asking children to pretend to be an animal or to find a flower.

"No gift is better than the gift of reading," Bianchi said.

The trail was funded by the state Department of Early Education and Care with federal funds. The park was chosen after speaking with many early education providers, who said it would get the most use there. Berkshire Fence and the city's parks and recreation department installed the signage.


Tags: conservation & recreation,   park,   reading program,   

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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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