Taconic Students Raise Awareness For Anti-Bullying Campaign

09:45AM / Thursday, January 19, 2012Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Taconic High School students Kirsten McNeice, Makenzie Astore, Quinton Cookis and Alex Carusotto will be raising awareness about bullying at Monday's basketball game (Jan. 23.) between Taconic and Pittsfield in the home of the Braves.

The four students joined the school's Business Professionals of America chapter with the hopes of gaining some insight on what it takes to be successful in the workforce.

Ambition, leadership, and citizenship are all points that are emphasized. The four Braves student-athletes will be putting these life skills into action during half-time of Monday's game for an anti-bullying campaign with Western Massachusetts ties.

In 2009, 11-year-old Carl Walker of Springfield took his own life as a result of severe bullying at school. The story caught the attention of Ty Pennington, host of the popular ABC series "Extreme Home Makeover." Inspired by the Walker family, Pennington assisted Carl's mother in creating www.standtogether.tv, designed to register commitments from people pledging to take a stand against bullying.

With a goal of registering one million people, the website keeps a running tab on the number of pledges and provides people the opportunity to upload a photo of themselves showing their support for the cause. In recent weeks, close to 200,000 individuals have stood up for the cause, including a wide variety of people from the world of entertainment and professional sports.

"With PHS and Taconic playing each other, this will be an opportunity for our entire community to support the cause," said McNeice, a sophomore who is also a member of the girls' basketball team.

McNeice, Astore, Cookis and Carusotto took on the project as a service-learning initiative associated with Taconic's BPA chapter. Business department director Lynn DiSimoni said the students have worked diligently to prepare for Monday's city series boys' basketball game between Pittsfield High and Taconic.

"They plan to be onsite educating attendees about the 'Stand Together' commitment and distributing printed pledge numbers in anticipation of half-time, when all in attendance will be asked to rise from their seats with their pledge numbers in hand as they are filmed recognizing their desire to join the ranks of people who believe in respect for all," said DiSimoni.

Community members interested in being part of the event are encouraged to attend. The game begins at 7:30 p.m.

Tags: bullying, community service, Taconic,

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Pittsfield Housing Project Adds 37 Supportive Units and Collective Hope

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:01PM / Monday, December 29, 2025

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A new chapter in local efforts to combat housing insecurity officially began as community leaders and residents gathered at The First on to celebrate a major expansion of supportive housing in the city.

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. The Housing Resource Center, funded by Pittsfield's American Rescue Plan Act dollars, hosted a celebration for a project that is named for its rarity: The First.

"What got us here today is the power of community working in partnership and with a shared purpose," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said.

In addition to the 28 studio units at 111 West Housatonic Street and nine units in the rear of the church building, the Housing Resource Center will be open seven days a week with two lounges, a classroom, a laundry room, a bathroom, and lockers.

Erin Forbush, ServiceNet's director of shelter and housing, challenged attendees to transform the space in the basement of Zion Lutheran Church into a community center. It is planned to operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. year-round.

"I get calls from folks that want to help out, and our shelters just aren't the right spaces to be able to do that. The First will be that space that we can all come together and work for the betterment of our community," Forbush said.

"…I am a true believer that things evolve, and things here will evolve with the people that are utilizing it."

Earlier that day, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus joined Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and her team in Housatonic to announce $33.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funding, $5.45 million to Berkshire County.

He said it was ambitious to take on these two projects at once, but it will move the needle. The EOHLC contributed more than $7.8 million in subsidies and $3.4 million in low-income housing tax credit equity for the West Housatonic Street build, and $1.6 million in ARPA funds for the First Street apartments.

"We're trying to get people out of shelter and off the streets, but we know there are a lot of people who are couch surfing, who are living in their cars, who are one paycheck away from being homeless themselves," Augustus said.

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