June's 3rd Thursday celebrates health and fitness with the running of the 10th annualGreen Mile Road Race to benefit the Pittsfield Parade Fund at 5:30 p.m. At Persip Park, enjoy drumming with the Berkshire Rhythm Keepers, an interactive dance party with Berkshire Salsa, and a special performance from Berkshire Theatre Group's Shrek. These performances will move into the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in the event of inclement weather.Micaela Taylor's TL Collective will perform in front of St. Joseph's Church in the Jacob's Pillow Dance Zone. In case of rain, the performance will move into Zion Lutheran Church. Enjoy free outdoor classes all evening with Berkshire Yoga Dance & Fitness at Palace Park or, in case of rain, in the BYDF studio on North Street.
The Bread & Roses Coffee House at South Congregation Church welcomes The Hoping Machine and friends. These talented local musicians will be performing the songs of Pete Seeger in celebration of his 100th birthday. 7-9 p.m. Donations accepted at the door. Proceeds benefit the Church's Solar Energy Project.
Cantarella School of Dance invites children ages 3-5 to dance their way through the Magic Garden full offlowers, birds and butterflies. Join Miss Destiny for dancing, arts and crafts and music. Dance experience is not necessary! 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Join Rachael Plaine and Lawrence Carroll for a special FREE yoga class on The Common to celebrate International Day of Yoga, from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. If it rains, the class will move into the Berkshire Yoga Dance & Fitness studio on North Street.
Barrington Stage Company presents a world premiere by Stacey Rose. America v. 2.1: The Sad Demise & Eventual Extinction of The American Negro is a day in the life of a troupe of Black actors who are charged with re-enacting the revised history of the once-thriving American Negro. It quickly becomes a day of reckoning. This is a provocative, funny and dark look at Black Americans in post-apocalyptic America. At the St. Germain Stage through June 30.
The Pittsfield Irish Sister City Committee will host a cultural exchange music bingo fund raiser at Friends Grille from 7-9 p.m. There is a $20 donation, with prizes and raffles. Funds raised go to support a concert at the Colonial Theater featuring the 12-member men's singing group The Troubadours from Ballina and County Mayo, Ireland, with The Berkshire Concert Choir and the Brefny Irish Dancers from the Terpsichore Dance Center. A special corned beef and cabbage dinner will be available for purchase, along with Friends' regular menu.
This multi-use basket is perfect for serving bread or can be used as a handy counter catch-all. Using an oak base, weave your basket using natural and multi-colored dyed reed, add a sturdy rim and leather handles. Advance registration is required. Hancock Shaker Village. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
This is an unflinching look at the #FeesMustFall student movement that burst onto the South African political landscape in 2015 as a protest over the cost of education. It morphed into the most militant national revolt since the country's first democratic elections in 1994. The story is told by four student leaders at Wits University and their Vice Chancellor, Adam Habib, a left-wing, former anti-apartheid student activist. When Habib's efforts to contain the protest fail, he brings 1,000 police on to campus. One young leader is arrested and charged with serious offenses, another is shot 13 times with rubber-coated bullets; others, fearing the involvement of the state security agencies, go into hiding.
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Ordinances and Rules subcommittee on Monday unanimously supported a pay raise for election workers, free downtown parking for veterans, and safeguards to better protect wetlands.
Workers will have a $5 bump in hourly pay for municipal, state and federal elections, rising from $10 an hour to $15 for inspectors, $11 to $16 for clerks, and $12 to $17 for wardens.
"This has not been increased in well over a decade," City Clerk Michele Benjamin told the subcommittee, saying the rate has been the same throughout the past 14 years she has been in the office.
She originally proposed raises to $13, $14 and $15 per hour, respectively, but after researching other communities, landed on the numbers that she believes the workers "wholeheartedly deserve."
Councilor at Large Kathy Amuso agreed.
"I see over decades some of the same people and obviously they're not doing it for the money," she said. "So I appreciate you looking at this and saying this is important even though I still think it's a low wage but at least it's making some adjustments."
The city has 14 wardens, 14 clerks, and 56 inspectors. This will add about $3,500 to the departmental budget for the local election and about $5,900 for state elections because they start an hour earlier and sometimes take more time because of absentee ballots.
Workers are estimated to work 13 hours for local elections and 14 hours for state and federal elections.
The Ordinances and Rules subcommittee on Monday unanimously supported a pay raise for election workers, free downtown parking for veterans, and safeguards to better protect wetlands.
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A parking study of North Street will be presented at Tuesday's City Council meeting. The design maintains parallel parking while expanding pedestrian zones and adding protected bike lanes. click for more
Amy Schirmer was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year for creating a weekly therapeutic art class at the George B. Crane Center to help those in recovery from substance use. click for more