PITTSFIELD, Mass. — State Sen. Paul Mark and state Sen. Robyn Kennedy of Worcester, chair for the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, recently spent time visiting Berkshire County Arc's programs. Mark is also a member of the joint committee.
During their visit, they spent time discussing short- and long-term plans for human services in Massachusetts.
BCArc offers a broad range of community-based services to individuals with developmental disabilities, brain injuries and autism.
In the photo above, from left: Pam Kight, director of employment and community-based day services; Cybele Kilby, vice president of day & employment services; state Sen. Paul Mark; state Sen. Robyn Kennedy; President & CEO Maryann Hyatt; Erin Manson, Department of Developmental Services residential services director; CFO Blanca Durant; Jessica Russo, director of family support & advocacy; and Scott Barschdorf, director of brain injury services.
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Access Stairs Planned at Pontoosuc Lake
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is planning to enhance access to Pontoosuc Lake's south shoreline with a staircase from the boardwalk and a couple of stair sets to the water.
Pittsfield plans to build a set of stairs from the end of the boardwalk to the grassy area near the shoreline and is seeking additional feet of bank stabilization. The city's request for an amendment to the project's order of conditions was continued to July 23, as there were some explanatory presentation slides missing.
"I've already got permissions from the original notice of intent, orders of condition, to bring a stair set off of the boardwalk down to this grassy area," Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath told the commission.
"So, when you're on the boardwalk, if you want to utilize this stair set, which we're proposing, you come down the boardwalk stair set, onto the grass, over to the bank, into the water."
Last year, community members argued that erosion control plantings impeded access at Pontoosuc Lake; four easy access points were proposed, and a site visit with the Conservation Commission revealed that some of the bank erosion was worse than they believed.
Stairs were then proposed for that area instead. They will be about 3 1/2 feet wide.
The city is planning to enhance access to Pontoosuc Lake's south shoreline with a staircase from the boardwalk and a couple of stair sets to the water.
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The Pittsfield Public Schools have released start and end times for the 2026-2027 academic year with the middle school restructuring in place.
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The effort is supported by $5.2 million from the state, and another $2 million was earmarked through an economic development bond bill. Pittsfield has also committed $1 million in GE Economic Development Funds.
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The town moved to dismiss two of the counts filed against it by Berkshire Concrete — breach of contract and promissory estoppel, a legal doctrine that allows someone to recover damages when a promise is broken, even if a formal contract does not exist. Weisheit had not come to a determination at... click for more