2022 Pittsfield Photo Challenge Winner Announced

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The photo has won her a prize package donated by local downtown businesses, and her photo will be featured in Pittsfield’s 2023 Downtown Guide and a Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. social marketing campaign.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The first-place winner of the 2022 Pittsfield Photo Challenge, as determined by a panel of local judges, is Brittany Hunter with her photo "Fountain Flowers."

The photo has won her a prize package donated by local downtown businesses, and her photo will be featured in Pittsfield’s 2023 Downtown Guide and a Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. social marketing campaign. 

"Many evenings I will walk North Street with my family," Hunter said. "While we were enjoying watching the sun go down at Park Square both my son and daughter noticed the beautiful flower gardens. They enjoyed looking at them and smelling them. That is where I took my photo Fountain Flowers." 

The second-place winner, Jason Stimpson, will also take home a prize package donated by local downtown businesses. The winning photo is composed of 17 photographs taken over the course of an hour and forty-five minutes while the camera remained on a tripod. 

Honorable Mentions: Nicole March, "Love always reflects back to you" (3rd Place), Julia Beth Kaplan, Jason Crane, and Susan Geller. 

The winners of the Pittsfield Photo Challenge were decided by an esteemed panel of Pittsfield judges: 

  • Alex Reczkowski, Director, Berkshire Athenaeum 
  • Arri Better, Executive Administrator, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. 
  • Branden Huldeen, DPI Board President and Artistic Producer/Director of New Play Development, Barrington Stage Company 
  • Jessica Rumlow, DPI Board Chair and Executive Director/CEO, Berkshire Family YMCA 
  • Mayor Linda Tyer, City of Pittsfield 
  • Lindsey Schmid, 1Berkshire VP of Tourism & Marketing and DPI Board Member 
  • Michael J. Wynn, Chief of Police, Pittsfield Police Department 
  • Rebecca Brien, Managing Director, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. 
  • Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier 

The first and second place winners will win an assortment of prizes donated by the following businesses: 101 Restaurant & Bar, Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Fitness and Wellness Center, Berkshire Yoga Dance & Fitness, Otto’s Kitchen & Comfort, and Soma’s Aromas. 

Featured images: 

1st Place Winner: "Fountain Flowers” by Brittany Hunter 

2nd Place Winner: Jason Stimpson 


Tags: Pittsfield Photo Challenge,   

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Environmentalists Push for Climate Legislation

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Local environmentalists joined statewide rallies for climate legislation on Tuesday, pushing the passage of four bills for cleaner air and energy.

A dozen people gathered in Park Square holding signs with pleas such as “Let our grandchildren have a future” and “We need clean air.”  The Berkshire Environmental Action Team urged attendees to advocate for S.2135 for a gas moratorium, HD.2474/ SD.1180 and HD.2474/ SD.1108 for clean air, and HD.4024/ SD.505 for just energy citing.

“The whole point of this is Mass legislative sessions last for two years. For the last three sessions, bills have always stalled out until the very last minute,” said Rosemary Wessel, program director for No Fracked Gas in Mass.

“Some of you may remember two years ago we were here 11 days before the session because they were saying ‘Meh, we might not pass an energy bill, things aren't working out for us,’ So we want to make sure that they're on the ball earlier this year.”

Executive Director Jane Winn emphasized that No Fracked Gas in Mass, BEAT, the 350 MA Berkshire Node, and Mass Power Forward joined ten simultaneous rallies for climate legislation with this event.

“This is happening all across the state,” she said.

It is now 60 days until the end of the session and Wessel said there are many bills that need to be resolved, reconciled, or put into an omnibus energy bill.  She pointed to a spat between chairs of the state Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Committee earlier this year that divided the panel for separate hearings and resulted in less communication.

“They've resolved their differences but things still aren't going through that fast and we're now 93% of the way through this legislative session,” she said.

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