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A $25 gift certificate to Berkshire Organics is among the Dream Auction items.

Berkshires Beat: Dream Auction Is Now Open

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Bid on it: The 2016 Berkshires Dream Auction is now open online.

The auction features 200 spa treatments, dinners out, overnight stays and tickets to attractions and performances. The auction is a way to help the Berkshire Visitors Bureau promote the Berkshires as a four-season travel destination, and at the same time have a chance to grab up great deals.

More new items will be added as the auction continues, through 8 p.m. May 19.


Final flushing: The city of Pittsfield’s Department of Public Utilities flushing of the City water system will continue the week of May 9, marking the conclusion to the annual process.  Water main flushing may be expected to affect the following areas between Monday, May 9, and Friday, May 13:

· The area westerly of the Onota Street-Housatonic River-Barker Road axis and southerly from Pecks Road to the Hancock town line, including the western sections of South Mountain Road, Tamarack Road, West Housatonic Street, and West Street.

· The following outer areas of the city:  northwest, west, and south west.

Water mains throughout the city will be flushed through hydrants to remove accumulations of pipeline corrosion products.  Mains will be flushed between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m.


Although flushing may cause localized discolored water and reduced service pressure conditions in and around the immediate area of flushing, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that proper levels of treatment and disinfections are maintained in the system at all times.  If customers experience discolored water, they should let the water run for a short period to clear prior to use.  If discolored water or low-pressure conditions persist, please contact the Water Department at 413-499-9339.



Records destroyed: In accordance with state regulations, all temporary cumulative school and health records for students who graduated from or left Mount Greylock Regional High School during the 2007-2010 school years will be destroyed after Tuesday, May 31.

State regulations require that student records be destroyed no later than seven years after the student graduates. However, the high school transcript that includes the grades for the four years of high school is maintained for 60 years following graduation.

Any student interested in retrieving their records before destruction should contact the Guidance Department at 413-458-9582, ext. 102.

Students who received services from the Special Education Department should contact the special education office at 413-458-9582, ext. 164, for an appointment to pick up any other records.


Preschool registration: Preschool registration in Stamford, Vt., will be Tuesday, May 17, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Stamford Elementary School.

All registrants must be 3 years of age and potty-trained. For more information call 802-694-1379


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Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A few projects are not getting funded by the Community Preservation Committee because of a tight budget.

The projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle.

"It's a tough year," Chair Danielle Steinmann said.

The panel made its recommendations on Monday after several meetings of presentations from applications. They will advance to the City Council for final approval.  

Two cemetery projects were scored low by the committee and not funded: A $9,500 request from the city for fencing at the West Part Cemetery as outlined in a preservation plan created in 2021 and a $39,500 request from the St. Joseph Cemetery Commission for tombstone restorations.

"I feel personally that they could be pushed back a year," Elizabeth Herland said. "And I think they're both good projects but they don't have the urgency."

It was also decided that George B. Crane Memorial Center's $73,465 application for the creation of a recreational space would not be funded. Herland said the main reason she scored the project low was because it didn't appear to benefit the larger community as much as other projects do.

There was conversation about not funding The Christian Center's $34,100 request for heating system repairs but the committee ended up voting to give it $21,341 when monies were left over.

The total funding request was more than $1.6 million for FY24 and with a budget of $808,547, only about half could be funded. The panel allocated all of the available monies, breaking down into $107,206 for open space and recreation, $276,341 for historic preservation, and $425,000 for community housing.

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