Berkshire Benchmarks Releases State of the County Update

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Benchmarks data team recently released a State of the County Update for 2023. 
 
This brief report builds on the Berkshire Benchmarks State of the County Report published in May 2022 and highlights notable changes in regional indicators over the past year. The berkshirebenchmarks.org website has also been updated to reflect the most current available data. 
 
The purpose of the Benchmarks initiative and report is to highlight the region's successes and challenges.
 
The 2022 Berkshire Benchmarks State of the County report provided a comprehensive overview of our region's performance across eight sectors: Economy, Education, Environment, Government, Health, Housing, Social Environment, and Transportation.  
 
In the future, the Berkshire Benchmarks team will continue to monitor these and other indicators to aid with the regional understanding of changes in these sectors and whether the work happening throughout the region is having the intended impact. 
 
Berkshire Benchmarks is a collaborative initiative managed through Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC). Our sources are publicly available data, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the American Community Survey, various Massachusetts data sets, and periodic surveys of Berkshire County residents. 
 
Berkshire Benchmarks aims to work with the community to understand priorities and help inform the region on how we are doing and if we are improving. Berkshire Benchmarks enhances the region's access to quality data and analysis. 

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Halloween-Themed Travel Softball Tournament Set for This Weekend

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Fastpitch softball returns to the Berkshires this weekend as Pittsfield Girls Softball hosts the “Nightmare on the Dirt” tournament on Saturday and Sunday.
 
The two-day, Halloween-themed competition will take place at Gerald S. Doyle Memorial Park, located at 561 Benedict Road in Pittsfield. The event features 15 youth travel softball teams from across New England competing in the 10-and-under and 12-and-under divisions, bringing more than 200 fastpitch players and over 300 total attendees -- including coaches, families, and supporters -- into the Berkshires.
 
Action begins Saturday morning with competitive pool play matchups to determine division seeding, followed by single-elimination championship rounds on Sunday. In the spirit of the season, players and teams will also take part in Halloween festivities and costume celebrations alongside the games on the dirt.
 
“We are thrilled to welcome 15 outstanding programs from all over New England to Pittsfield,” Tournament Director David Demary said in a news release. “Nightmare on the Dirt combines high-energy fastpitch competition with a fun, festive atmosphere for the kids. Doyle Field is ready to roll, and we’re looking forward to hosting great games for all of our visiting athletes and families.”
 
Full tournament game schedules, pool play results, and live championship brackets will be hosted through Fastpitch Nation. Spectators and members of the local community are welcome and encouraged to attend.
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