Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative Holding Additional Vaccination Clinics

04:28PM / Tuesday, January 04, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems and the Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative are holding additional community vaccination clinics to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the Berkshires.

A clinic will be held in Pittsfield on Saturday, Jan. 8, and a Williamstown clinic will be held on Friday, Jan. 14.

"The Omicron variant continues to spread across the state and nation, and the Berkshires has seen a dramatic rise in positivity," said James Lederer, MD, BHS Chief Medical Officer/Chief Quality Officer. "While Omicron is more transmissible than its predecessors, the best defense is still full vaccination, including the booster. Breakthrough cases are occurring in the community, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Massachusetts Department of Public Health, initial vaccination doses and boosters have been shown to significantly lessen the severity of the illness in those cases, preventing hospitalization."

Pittsfield Clinic: Saturday, Jan. 8, 9 am to 2 pm, Berkshire Community College Patterson Field House: Open to anyone now eligible for vaccines and boosters. This includes adults, children 12 and older and the newest age group to be cleared for vaccination, those aged 5 to 11 years old. The clinic will offer Pfizer and Moderna vaccine and boosters for adults and first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine for those aged 5-11.

Williamstown Clinic: Friday, Jan. 14, 8 am to 10 am, Williams College Field House, 82 Latham Street: This clinic is for those 12 and over, including adults and provides Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The hours may be extended depending on registration.

Pre-registration is required for both vaccine clinics. To register, visit www.getvaccinatedberkshires.org.

Tags: BHS, BMC, COVID-19, vaccinations,

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Rename

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to rename the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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