image description — Parks and Open Space Manager Jim McGrath shows a map last spring of the city's riverside projects at the cleared site for the Westside Riverway Park.

Pittsfield's Riverway Project Awarded $75K NEA Grant

09:23AM / Thursday, May 10, 2018Print Story | Email Story

NEA's Jane Chu in one of the Masthead project's mobile writing studios in Pittsfield last June.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Westside Riverway Park project is receiving a grant of $75,000 through the National Endowment of the Arts' Our Town program.

The award was announced Wednesday by NEA Chairman Jane Chu. It is one of 60 awards totaling $4.1 million for projects across the nation.

The City of Pittsfield's Office of Cultural Development is one of the recommended organizations for a grant of $75,000 to use for the design of the Westside Riverway Park in Pittsfield.

"The variety and quality of these Our Town projects speaks to the wealth of creativity and diversity in our country," Chu said in a statement. "Through the work of organizations such as the Cultural Development Office in Pittsfield, NEA funding invests in local communities, helping people celebrate the arts wherever they are."

The site of the future Westside Riverway Park is located five blocks west of North Street, at the intersection of Dewey Avenue and Bradford Street, along the west branch of the Housatonic River. This grant will fund community design and planning sessions with the Westside Neighborhood Initiative and Working Cities Pittsfield Initiative, ultimately leading to the design of the park and related outdoor pavilions, including a pedestrian bridge, river overlook, open-air gathering spaces and a walking loop from North Street.

"The City of Pittsfield is home to both a vibrant arts and culture community and amazing natural resources," said Mayor Linda Tyer in a statement. "The NEA's award will continue the development of the Westside Riverway Park, a space that will offer our residents and visitors a dedicated and accessible space to enjoy Pittsfield’s natural beauty."

The vision for the Westside Riverway Park was first outlined in 2007, when Pittsfield took part in UrbanRiver Visions 2, a program through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to study the reuse of vacant and underutilized riverfront areas along the west branch of the Housatonic River.

Since that plan, the city has advanced preparatory work at the site through federal Community Development Block Grants and funds from the Environmental Protection Agency. Contaminated soils have been remediated and the land is ready to be developed.

The NEA Our Town Grant for the design of the park was spearheaded by local architects Tessa Kelly and Chris Parkinson in collaboration with the city's Office of Cultural Development and Office of Community Development. This is the second NEA Our Town grant that the Office of Cultural Development has received in partnership with Kelly and Parkinson — in 2014, the program launched The Mastheads writers residency, which features five mobile writing studios and ongoing community programming surrounding local literary heritage. Chu visited with the architects and viewed one of the writing studios last summer.

Tags: federal grants, Housatonic, NEA, public parks, river walk,

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

RIBCO Supply

Check out our great lineup of Boss Plows, and spreaders. 2 Locations Clarksburg & Pittsfield!

ribcosupply.com

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

View Full Story