Election 2009: Malumphy Sets Central Block Party

11:48AM / Tuesday, September 08, 2009Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayoral candidate Pam Malumphy is hosting a "get out the vote" Central Block party on Tuesday, Sept. 8, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

The "2nd Tuesday" party at 75 North St. includes music by Annie and the Hedonists and is free and open to the public.

Malumphy invites residents to listen to great music and hear why she is perfect for Pittsfield.

Malumphy was a member of the Pittsfield City Council when the Office of Cultural Development was created and was quickly appointed to its search committee. With past positions with Boston Symphony Orchestra and the nationally renowned Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, she says she loves the business of art and the art of business.

Metroland 2008 named Annie and the Hedonists the Best Acoustic Band in the New York Capital District: "What's your pleasure, folkie? Country blues? Bluegrass? Celtic music? Current singer-songwriters? With Annie Rosen's world-class vocals topping off layers of fine instrumental work, this local quartet offers one-stop listening in more tasty genres than you can shake a pick at. That's why they take the acoustic cake."

Paid for by The Committee to Elect Pam Malumphy

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Pittsfield Wants People to Know Where Free Public Wifi Is

By Brittany PolitoiBerkhshires Staff
04:46AM / Friday, September 18, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city wants it to be clear where people can connect to free public wifi— which expands beyond downtown.

On Tuesday, the Parks Commission approved "Free Wifi" signage at The Common, Riverway Park, and Durant Park. Community members can access the internet without charge in these locations, as well as in downtown areas.

Two years ago, Pittsfield received a $99,972 Digital Equity Implementation Grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. This allowed the city to take a comprehensive look at digital equity and determine where to focus attention.

"That was a lengthy process that we worked on, and there was a lot of public input. We did some surveying. We met with a lot of focus groups; [Berkshire Regional Planning Commission] was the group that spearheaded that for us, and one of the things that came up was the lack of accessible wifi," Director of Community Development Justine Dodds reported. "Particularly in the westside."

Throughout this process, residents also wanted to see connectivity at the nearby Westside Riverway Park.

In 2023, Pittsfield was selected to participate in the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program launched by the state and MBI, focused on ensuring residents can use the internet to conduct day-to-day activities. A digital equity plan also qualifies Pittsfield for additional grant funding.

Around 16,000 city households qualified for the Federal Communications Commission's affordable internet program that ended in 2024.

Dodds said adding Wi-FI and signage to Durant and Riverway Parks is a small piece of the larger digital equity project. Signage is already downtown, and the city plans to hire the same designer for the expanded wayfinding so it is cohesive.

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