DALTON, Mass. — The Board of Health on Monday approved working with Tri-Town Health Department to update the town's tobacco regulations better comply with the state regulations.
Health Agent Agnes Witkowski brought the topic to the board after her most recent inspections on March 17, when she found violations at the Citgo gas station (which has since changed hands), Greenridge Variety & Liquor and Dave's Country Corner.
While reviewing the current regulations in place, she determined that the town's were outdated so she asked the board if she could work with Tri-Town to update them.
"So I'm asking if the Board of Health would mind if I would work with a Tri-Town person who does the regulations with writing up something," Witkowski said. "It's gonna take a couple months writing up stuff for the town of Dalton then come back and propose it to you."
Tri-Town, which comprises the health boards of Lee, Lenox and Stockbridge, has run a tobacco program that covers compliance checks, retailer training, community education and regulation development for more than 25 years. It has worked with a number of Berkshire communities.
The Board of Health approved to have the funeral director licensing fee be $50, which has been in motion since last year. The town will not start charging until April 2023. If the paperwork becomes more intense, the board will revisit increasing the fee in the future.
The cost of this licensing fee varies for different areas. The range starts at $50 and the state caps it at $100. Pittsfield charges $75 dollars.
"It's for [funeral directors] to be sending in their state license and making sure that they're committed to do what they're doing," Witkowski said.
In other news:
• The Berkshire Public Health Alliance is working with the board on getting the permits online through the software Full Circle. The board approved a motion for staying up with technology and other communities that use software like this.
The Health Alliance gave the town a grant for $10,000 to cover the startup fee of $6,000 and the yearly software fee. The yearly fee is $4,000 and goes up about $100 to $200 a year.
The Select Board will have to approve the cost for the new system. The town is currently using this software for permitting and found that it has saved a lot of time.
"Right now, I'm using Access, PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Access is not as reliable as it should be. So this is something that is going to be more standardized," Witkowski said.
She said the new online system will save time and mailing because it allows people to do the permitting online and print out their appointments.
Several other towns are also using Full Circle through the alliance, including Hinsdale, Middlefield and Savoy.
• The Board of Health office is expected to move out of Town Hall on June 17 because of the planned renovations in the building.
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Pittsfield 2025 Year in Review
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city continued to grapple with homelessness in 2025 while seeing a glimmer of hope in upcoming supportive housing projects.
Founders James Shulman and his wife, Jackie, offered it to the city through a conveyance and donation of property, which was met with some hesitation before it was withdrawn.
Now, a group of more than 50 volunteers learned everything from running the ride to detailing the horses, and it is run by nonprofit Berkshire Carousel Inc., with the Shulmans supporting operating costs.
Median and Camping Petitions
Conversations about homelessness resumed in Council Chambers when Mayor Peter Marchetti proposed a median standing and public camping ban to curb negative behaviors in the downtown area. Neither of the ordinances reached the finish line, and community members swarmed the public comment podium to urge the city to lead with compassion and housing-first solutions.
"If you look at this as a public safety issue, which I will grant that this is entirely put forward as a public safety issue, there are other issues that might rate higher that need our attention more with limited resources," said former Ward 7 councilor Rhonda Serre.
Protesters and public commenters said the ordinance may be framed as a public safety ordinance, but actually targets poor and vulnerable community members, and that criminalizing activities such as panhandling and protesting infringes on First Amendment rights and freedom of speech.
Some housing solutions came online in 2025 amidst the discourse about housing insecurity in Pittsfield.
The city celebrated nearly 40 new supportive units earlier in December. This includes nine units at "The First" located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. A ceremony was held in the new Housing Resource Center on First Street, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
These units are permanent supportive housing, a model that combines affordable housing with voluntary social services.
Pittsfield supported the effort with $750,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds and some Community Development Block Grant funds. Hearthway, formerly Berkshire Housing Development Corp., is managing the apartments and currently accepting applications.
After the Wahconah Park Restoration Committee completed its work with a formal recommendation in 2024, news about the park was quiet while the city planned its next move.
The ice rink was originally proposed for Clapp Park, but when the project was put out to bid, the system came back $75,000 higher than the cost estimate, and the cost estimates for temporary utilities were over budget. The city received a total of $200,000 in donations from five local organizations for the effort.
Last year, there was $18 million committed between grant funding and capital borrowing.
The Parks Commission recently accepted a negotiating rights agreement between the city and longtime summer collegiate baseball team, the Pittsfield Suns, that solidifies that the two will work together when the historic ballpark is renovated.
It remains in effect until the end of 2027, or when a license or lease agreement is signed. Terms will be automatically extended to the end of 2028 if it appears the facility won't be complete by then.
William Stanley Business Park
Site 9, the William Stanley Business Park parcel, formerly described to have looked like the face of the moon, was finished in early 2025, and the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority continues to prepare for new tenants.
Mill Town Capital is planning to develop a mixed-use building on the 16.5-acre site, and housing across Woodlawn Avenue on an empty parcel. About 25,000 cubic yards of concrete slabs, foundations, and pavements had to be removed and greened over.
There is also movement at the Berkshire Innovation Center as it begins a 7,000-square-foot expansion to add an Advanced Manufacturing for Advanced Optics Tech Hub and bring a new company, Myrias, to Pittsfield.
Voters chose new City Council members and a largely new School Committee during the municipal election in November. The council will be largely the same, as only two councilors will be new.
Earl Persip III, Peter White, Alisa Costa, and Kathleen Amuso held their seats as councilors at large. There were no races for wards 1, 3, and 4. Patrick Kavey was re-elected to Ward 5 after winning the race against Michael Grady, and Lampiasi was re-elected to Ward 6 after winning the race against Walter Powell.
Nine candidates ran to fill the six-seat committee. Ciara Batory, Sarah Muil, Daniel Elias, Katherine Yon, Heather McNeice, and Carolyn Barry were elected for two-year terms.
Katherine Nagy Moody secured representation of Ward 7 over Anthony Maffuccio, and Cameron Cunningham won the Ward 2 seat over Corey Walker. Both are new to the council.
In October, Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre stepped down to work for the Pittsfield Public Schools.
In 2025, the city remained challenged by the homelessness crisis, though the development of new supportive housing offered a promising outlook. click for more
The ribbon was cut on Thursday Dec. 19, on nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at The First, located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. click for more
Disrepaired houses at 154 Francis Ave. and 224 Fourth St. will be demolished as part of the city's yearly efforts to address condemned properties. click for more
Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 100 Northumberland Road.
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