Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative Launches Website

Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative has announced the launch of a new website containing comprehensive information on how to access the Berkshire area COVID-19 vaccination clinics.

The new site, www.getvaccinatedberkshires.org, was developed to provide a consolidated resource with information about the COVID-19 vaccines, to provide resources on the state's Vaccination Phases and vaccine availability, and to aid the public in making appointments at the three large mass vaccination clinic sites in the Berkshires.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative has established vaccination sites in Pittsfield at the Berkshire Community College Field House, in Great Barrington at the WEB Du Bois Middle School and in North Adams at St. Elizabeth of Hungary's Parish Center. Vaccine clinics are now scheduled for early February to begin vaccinations for the first part of Phase 2, which includes anyone aged 75 and older.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative estimates that there are approximately 18,000 Berkshire residents who are 75 and older, and based on the current distribution of vaccine by the State of Massachusetts, it is likely to take several weeks before completion of Phase 2-A. Clinics will be held weekly based on availability of the vaccine from the Commonwealth.

The website will be updated regularly as more clinics are scheduled throughout February and the coming months and as the state continues to move through Phase 2 and into Phase 3, which is estimated to run through the remainder of winter and into the spring.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative is a partnership between Berkshire Health Systems, Community Health Programs, the Berkshire County Boards of Health Association and public health nurses.

The website is www.getvaccinatedberkshires.org.

 


Tags: BHS,   CHP,   COVID-19,   


More Coronavirus Updates

Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 news:


If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Wahconah Park Grandstand Cost Halved to $15M

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The price tag for Wahconah Park's new grandstand has been cut in half, and planners are looking at a "less is more" approach that is sustainable for the future. 

In 2023, the park's restoration committee recommended a $30.2 million overhaul of the historic grandstand that was condemned the previous year. Now, the city is considering an approximately $15 million, smaller design within the same footprint, along with a staged approach that allows baseball to be played before the project is complete. 

"There's some real, practical changes that we're making, which we think will still meet the spirit and intent of what we're trying to do but also recognizing that, hey, you know, we've got to maintain this thing into the future, and it's got to be designed and constructed in such a way that we can do that," 
Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath said. 

The Historical Commission OKed the demolition of the grandstand on Monday. The plan is to demolish it  in April and immediately make provisions to allow baseball on-site. The Pittsfield Suns will be back at the park this season after a two-year hiatus because of the grandstand. 

There is no guarantee that the new grandstand will start to materialize in 2026, but the team is working swiftly to meet timelines. 

McGrath described the 2023 proposal as an "all-in" design that met the robust needs of baseball players and the wider city. With some scaling down, material changes, and alterations to seating, it was shaved down to half of the original cost estimate. 

A fair portion of the overall cost relates to site work, as the floodplain property is prone to flooding. The original civil engineer was not performing to expectations, and SK Design was brought in to take over the job. 

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories