Michael Cassin, leading a series of four lectures, at the Clark

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Michael Cassin, Curator of Education at the Sterling and Francine Clark Institute in Williamstown, MA, is leading a series of four lectures entitled Art and The Muses. The series, sponsored by The Clark, in association with the Osher Institute of Lifetime Learning(OLLI), will be held on four consecutive Thursdays on March 6, 13 20, 27 from 1:00 pm to 2:30pm. at the Clark Institute.

The lectures will examine the various ways in which the visual arts inter-connect with history, astronomy, poetry, and the performing arts, with reference to paintings and sculpture from classical times to the 20th century. Works from the Clark’s collection and from museums elsewhere will be shown through slide presentations. After each of the lectures, participants are welcome to spend time in the galleries looking at some of the great works in the Clark’s collection ‘in the flesh’.

The lecture schedule is:

March 6- Art and History;

March 13- Art and Poetry; 

March 20- Art and Drama  

March 27 -Art and Music

The cost to OLLI members is $20 for the series or $5 per lecture. Non-members pay $30.00 for the series or $7.50 per lecture. For information on this program and to register, call the OLLI office at 413-236-2190 or visit www.BerkshireOLLI.org. You may pay at the door.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Council Passes $232.7M Budget

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council unanimously approved a $232.7 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year. 

It is a modest, almost 2.9 percent increase from FY26. 

"I do want to give the community kind of a heads up as we move forward on budgets. What we see coming out of the federal government that's trickling down to the states, it's going to be harder and harder for us as a community to meet our needs under the Proposition 2 1/2," Councilor at Large Alisa Costa said. 

"We're going to have challenges, as we've seen communities across the state trying to override the Proposition 2 1/2, because we have dwindling amounts of money coming from the state and federal government." 

She pointed out that, at the same time, utility bills are going up for both residents and the city, as are the costs of pavement and other items. 

The amended budget of $232,777,720, down from the $232,782,090 originally proposed, includes cuts to the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the restoration of funds for councilors to attend the annual Massachusetts Municipal Association conference. 

The Pittsfield Public Schools' $86,855,061 budget includes $68,886,061 in state Chapter 70 funding and $18 million from the city. With $345,000 in school choice and Richmond tuition revenues, it totals $87,200,061 and is an approximately $300,000 increase from the Pittsfield Public Schools' FY26 budget of $86.9 million. 

The district's budget will fund 13 schools, as Morningside Community School will retire in the fall, and includes the middle school restructuring. 

Councilors also approved the use of $2 million in certified free cash to reduce the tax rate, and appropriated $450,551 for parking-related expenditures. 

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