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Register of Probate Francis Marinaro, Spring Jajjar, Dalia Banevicius, Riley Nichols, Kayla Johnson, Emma Sullivan, Judge Richard Simons, and Chief Probation Officer Amy Koenig.
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Judge Richard Simons said he finds comfort in viewing the art.
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Register Francis Marinaro said the court was able to accept all of the art submitted.
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Chief Probation Officer Amy Koenig said art can change perceptions.
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Emma Sullivan's piece.
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Kayla Johnson's piece.

Student Art to Hang in Berkshire Family and Probate Court

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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Riley Nichols was one of 15 local artists submitting pieces to hang in the courthouse.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Probate and Family Court can be a traumatic time for those who have to attend.
 
But local students are providing a little bit of comfort. For the better part of the year, 15 pieces of student art will hang throughout the halls and in the courtrooms.
 
"I personally can start my day and look at your pieces of art and it comforts me," Judge Richard Simons told the students attending a ceremony on Thursday commemorating the first year of the program.
 
According to Register Francis Marinaro, the court received a grant through the state Creating Community Connection Through Arts program, which provided frames for the art. A call for artists was sent out to the local high schools and 15 students from Taconic, Pittsfield High School, and Berkshire School applied.
 
"We tried to choose as many as we could and luckily we were able to accept them all," Marinaro said.
 
The work will be given back to the art teachers at the end of the exhibit and the frames kept for next year's program. 
 
"We are absolutely delighted to be a partner with the school system in Berkshire County," Simons said.
 
Chief of Probation Officer Amy Koenig echoed sentiments said by Simons and Marinaro that the work not only brightens up the courtrooms, making it less of such a dreary place for families and the workers who deal with difficult situations, but also communicates feelings and senses.
 
"Art does communicate with us in a number of ways," she said. "It can change the way we see things."
 
About a half dozen students were able to attend the short reception Thursday. All students will receive certificates of appreciation for the participation as will the schools. 
 
The program was started in 2015 and this year is being expanded all across the state. A total of 10 courthouses will feature art from local students. 
 
"It was in Essex County as a pilot and it went really well," Marinaro said. "You artists have created a little sunshine in this courthouse."
 
Essex and Middlesex counties also held receptions on Thursday and the rest are scheduled later this month and into June. 

Tags: juvenile court,   probate court,   student art,   

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MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

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