Williamstown Harvest Supper Cancelled

Second Congregational Church in Williamstown Harvest Supper Cancelled

Second Congregational Church in Williamstown will not be holding its annual Harvest Supper this year. The mid-October event is the latest activity the congregation has been forced to cancel because of the pandemic, including the strawberry festival and the church auction and pot-luck supper fundraiser. The church has, however, resumed worship services outside, weather permitting, and indoors if necessary.

North Adams Public Library Storywalk

The Dot Storywalk will be on display on the grounds of the North Adams Public Library on Thursday, Oct. 1 from 3:30 to 5:30 PM.  

StoryWalk is an interactive way for people to enjoy reading while being outside at the same time. Participants follow a designated path around the library where laminated 2-spread pages from the children's book "The Dot" by Peter Reynolds will be displayed in intervals. 

Children who participate in the Storywalk will receive a bag of books and an opportunity to sign up for a library card.  Families interested in registering for a library card are asked to please bring a photo ID and a piece of mail with a current address.

Registration is required as space is limited. Call 413-662-3133 or email naplyouth@northadams-ma.gov with questions.

October First Fridays Artswalk

The First Friday Artwalk continues through October with a mural unveiling Oct. 2 ay 5 pm.  

Pittsfield’s Artscape will unveil the mural "THE SUN WILL RISE" at 443 North Street. "THE SUN WILL RISE" is a 20 x 16 foot mural created by Jesse Tobin McCauley along with Jay Tobin and Stephanie Quetti.

The Artswalk starts at 2 pm and ends at 5 pm.

Be sure to maintain a physical distance of 6 feet from other individuals and wear your mask.

Click here for a map of all indoor and outdoor locations, including hours for the indoor shows.

Sharing Stories: The Importance of Oral Histories and Listening in These Unprecedented Times

Join the Berkshire Museum online on Friday, Oct. 2 at 5:30 pm for a live panel discussion to open an updated, virtual version of the 2019 exhibition Their Stories: Oral Histories from the NAACP.

Judith Monachina will lead a conversation about the Housatonic Heritage Oral History Center as featured in the exhibit and the ways oral histories and sharing and listening to each other can help communities meet the unique challenges of today including the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing fight for social justice.

Panelists for the evening will include community activist, educator, and Founder of the Rites of Passage and Empowerment Program, Shirley Edgerton, and NAACP Berkshires President, Dennis Powell.

Learn more and register at explore.berkshiremuseum.org.

Andrew Erdman To Lecture For Ventfort Hall On "Eva Tanguay, The I Don’t Care Girl."

Historian and author Andrew Erdman will present for Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum a visual presentation via Zoom on "Eva Tanguay, the I Don’t Care Girl or Lady Gaga of the Gilded Age." He will give his talk from his home in New York City on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 3:30 pm.  He originally gave this talk before an audience at the museum on July 28 without Zoom.  

Erdman’s latest book "Queen of Vaudeville:  The Story of Eva Tanguay," is the first-ever biography of the performer. Showbiz circles of her day nicknamed her the "I Don’t Care Girl" after her trademark song "I Don’t Care," which she first introduced as part of a vaudeville act in 1905. 

Erdman served as a staff reporter at Fortune magazine where he wrote a weekly human-interest column and profiles of the world’s billionaires. He also has written for National Lampoon, Diversions, Women.com and LifetimeTV.com.

Tickets for the Erdman lecture are $20 per person. To view him on Zoom register at https://ventfort10032020.eventbrite.com

Reservations for viewing him at Ventfort Hall on Zoom are strongly recommended as seating will be strictly limited. For reservations to attend at the mansion call us at (413) 637-3206. Tea cannot be served until further notice due to the coronavirus.

Healey Announces Housing Development Supports at Former Pittsfield Bank

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:29PM / Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Gov. Maura Healey poses with the bank's old safe. The building is being refurbished for housing by Allegrone Companies. The project is being supported by a commercial tax credit and a $1.8M MassWorks grant for infrastructure improvements. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Gov. Maura Healey stood in the former Berkshire County Savings Bank on Tuesday to announce housing initiatives that are expected to bring more than 1,300 units online. 

"People come here from all over the world. We want them to stay here, and we want kids who grew up here to be able to afford to stay here, but the problem is that for decades, we just weren't building enough housing to keep up with demand," she said. 

"And you guys know what happens when there isn't enough supply: prices go up. We have among the lowest vacancy rates in the country, so against that challenge, we made it our priority from day one to build more homes as quickly as possible." 

Approximately $8.4 million from the new Commercial Conversion Tax Credit Initiative (CCTCI) is designed help communities transform empty or rundown commercial buildings into new homes along with $139.5 million in low-income housing tax credits and subsidies through the Affordable Housing Development grant program. 

The historic 24 North St. with a view of Park Square has been vacant for about two years, and Allegrone Companies plans to redevelop it and 30-34 North St. into 23 mixed-income units. The administration announced its Commercial Conversion Tax Credit Initiative (CCTCI) and the Affordable Housing Development grant program as ways to aid housing production, both of which Pittsfield will benefit from. 

The state is partnering with Hearthway for the construction of 47 affordable units on Linden Street, utilizing the former Polish Community Club and new construction, and Allegrone for its redevelopment of the block. 

The Linden Street project is one of the 15 rental developments the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is supporting through $25.7 million in federal low-income housing tax credits, $32.4 million in state low-income housing tax credits, and $81.4 million in subsidies. 

Allegrone's project is supported by the commercial tax credit and was recently awarded $1,800,000 from the MassWorks Infrastructure Program. 

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said she fully comprehends the importance of housing and how crushing it is in communities that need it and want to build, but face difficulties with high construction costs. 

"Housing is the key to keeping people in the community in a safe way and giving them an opportunity to fill those many roles that we need throughout the Commonwealth in cities and towns, large and small, urban and rural, these are all important work. Having somebody fix your boiler, fix your car, we want those individuals to be able to live in our communities as well, particularly in our gateway cities," she said.