image description

Sunshine, Warm Temps Finally Arrive in the Berkshires

Print Story | Email Story
After a rainy spring, this weekend might finally feel like summer in the Berkshires.
 
By the way, the feeling that it was raining all the time was not in your head: The National Weather Service out of Albany, N.Y., reports that "the last time Albany had three days or more of dry weather without a minimally a trace of precipitation was March 24-27." And preliminary data for Pittsfield shows that there was measurable rainfall nearly every day of the month of May.
 
But that's in the past.
 
The Weather Channel — which has ironically changed its logo to say "The Water Channel" because of all the rain and flooding in the South and Midwest — predicts Friday, Saturday and Sunday all will be sunny with highs around 80. Everyone else seems to agree that this weekend is going to be beautiful.
 
So this would be a good weekend to catch up on mowing the lawn or finally planting the garden. Or catch a baseball game; the North Adams SteepleCats are home Friday night at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. and the Pittsfield Suns are home Friday at 6:30 p.m. The region's farmers markets are all open now on Saturday mornings (North Adams, Williamstown, Pittsfield and Great Barrington).
 
And there are some fun outdoor events scheduled for this weekend, including the First Fridays ArtsWalk on Friday night in PIttsfield, the Rhubarb Festival in Lenox and Matthew Noble Day in Sheffield on Saturday, and the Old Mill Trail celebration in Hinsdale on Sunday. Check out our calendar of events page for all the details.
 
Get out and enjoy the gorgeous weather — and don't forget the suncreen!

Tags: weather,   

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

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.
 
More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.
 
Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.
 
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 
 
"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."
 
Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.
 
Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC. 
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories