New Workshop beginning at The Berkshire Writers Room

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As part of Berkshire Writers Room's ACROSS THE ARTS program, The Berkshire Writers Room Artistic Director, Richard Way, will host a series of monthly workshops at Chapters Bookstore, 54 North St. in Pittsfield, on the third Tuesday of every month  from 7-9pm.

Way will discuss his self-published chapbook, "The Wrinkling Bath," at Chapters on Tuesday November 18th.

The Wrinkling Bath" series-- eight paintings paired with eight poems-- was first exhibited at Le Petite Muse in 2006. Readings followed at Ramsdell Public Library in Housatonic as guest-poet in Berkshire Writers Room's "Poetry and Pastry" program, and at Wild Sage in Pittsfield for BWR's "The Creative Experience" program.
 
In 2007, Way's second exhibit at Le Petite Muse, "Eight Days to Never," combined base-relief sculpture with accompanying poems.

"Not all my art has a built-in narrative," Way said, "But I have noticed similarities in the creative process of painting and
sculpture with that of poetry. They really are branches of the same tree. In a sense, all our muses are collaborating."

ACROSS THE ARTS workshops interpret visual art through collaborative poetry. "My hope is to showcase local artists' works to stimulate the works of local writers," Way said, "The surrealists used techniques of collaboration in their written and visual art. We'll incorporate some of the ideas of the surrealists, we'll explore some of the similarities between poetry and the plastic arts, and we'll collaborate on poetry inspired by local artists."

For more information call (413) 236-2191.
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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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