PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Ty Allan Jackson is running for City Council.
The local businessman and children's author announced his candidacy for an at-large position on John Krol's "Good Morning, Pittsfield" show on Thursday morning. The New York native and author has grown to be a significant figure in the city for his work in promoting literacy among the city's youth. He has also become prominent in the business and social realms.
Jackson is the founder of Big Head Books, which he launched in 2012. His career started in 2009 when he wrote his first book to teach his son about entrepreneurship. The book, "Danny Dollar, Millionaire Extraordinaire: The Lemonade Escapade," has since taken off and has been particularly notable in the African-American community for its approach toward youth about business and finance. It has been reproduced on a number of mediums since.
He has won citations from former Gov. Deval Patrick, former state Sen. Benjamin Downing, and the state House of Representatives. He was the recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Content of Character Award and a Berkshire Trendsetter Award.
Most recently, he launched the Read or Else movement focused on shedding light on the issue of illiteracy. The movement tries to instill a love of reading in children while raising awareness of the connection between illiteracy and poverty, incarceration, unemployment, dropout rates, teen pregnancy, poor health, and more.
Jackson says he stands for supporting and promoting small, local businesses and placing a greater emphasis on arts and entertainment.
Jackson's announcement came just two days after Councilor at Large Kathleen Amuso announced she would not be seeking re-election, opening the door for at least one newcomer to the council. He is the only candidate thus far to announce intentions to seek public office.
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Pittsfield School Committee OKs $82M Budget, $1.5M Cuts
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The school budget is less grim than the original proposal but still requires more than $1.5 million in cuts.
On Thursday, the School Committee approved an $82.8 million spending plan for fiscal year 2025, including a city appropriation of $80.4 million and $2.4 million in Chapter 70 funds.
The cuts made to balance the budget include about 50 staff reductions — some due to the sunsetting of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.
"The final version does not answer all needs. It will be unacceptable to some or to many but I must say that tonight's final proposal is very different than where we started when we believed we would have a $3,600,000 reduction. I want to assure everyone that every effort has been made to minimize the impact on both students, families, and staff members while also ensuring that our district has the necessary resources to progress forward," Superintendent Joseph Curtis said.
"Nevertheless, there are incredibly passionate, dedicated staff members who will not be with us next year. This pains me as I've been a part of this organization for now 30 years so I want to assure everyone that our team, this has weighed very heavily in our hearts, this entire process. This is not a group of people that is looking at a spreadsheet saying ‘Well that can go and this can go’ and take that lightly."
Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Kristen Behnke and other officials worked with the state Department of Secondary and Elementary Education to rectify an error in the Chapter 70 funding formula, recognized 11 more low-income students in the district, and added an additional $2.4 million to the FY25 budget.
Curtis commented that when he first saw the governor’s FY25 budget, he was "rather stunned."
"The extraordinary circumstances we face this budget season by the conclusion of the substantial ESSER federal grant and a significant reduction in Chapter 70 allotment caused challenges for this team and our school principals and our educators and our staff that have been nothing short of all-consuming," he said.
Downtown Pittsfield Inc. proposed angled parking on North Street and was pleasantly surprised that the city responded with an in-depth study and new plans — even if they don't include angled parking.
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Officials celebrated Arbor Day on Friday by installing a commemorative plaque next to the American elm sapling. This is a tree that James McGrath, the city's park program manager, said Presutti would have been particularly proud of.
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Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.
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