Berkshire Business and Professional Women Hold 2021 Woman of Achievement Gala

04:57PM / Monday, October 04, 2021Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Business and Professional Women's 2021 Woman of Achievement Gala raised $29,000 in funds for local scholarships at its annual event held in late September.

The gala, which featured a hybrid model, honored the women of the Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative.

"We were thrilled to be able to shine a spotlight on the hardworking, caring women of the Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative for this year’s Women of Achievement celebration. Through the generous support of our donors, sponsors, and supporters, we were able to exceed our fundraising goals with this event, and continue to increase the positive impact of our Career Advancement Scholarship Program in the Berkshires," said Vice-President Hannah DeLisle-Stall, of the event held on Sept. 20. "An event like this allows us to lift up women in multiple ways - by honoring and celebrating the hard work of these women in our community, and by raising funds to help more women grow in their careers."

Sponsors organizations included: 1 Berkshire, Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Community College, Berkshire Eagle (in kind), Berkshire Health Systems, Berkshire Inns, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Blue Spark Capital Advisors, BRIDGE, Canna Provisions, Celia Clancy Associates, Community Health Programs, Dalton CRA – Mill + Main (in kind), Dan Bosley Consulting, Doc’s Signs and Truck Outfitters, Dulye & Co., Generating Autonomy, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Home Sweet Home Real Estate, Interprint, Jacob’s Pillow, Katalyst/Harnessing the Power of Change, Methuselah Bar and Lounge, Lee Bank, MCLA, Mildred Elley, Milltown Capital (in kind), MountainOne, Mountain View Home Care, Inc., NAACP, Neenah Technical Materials, October Mountain Financial Advisors, Onyx Specialty Papers, Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, Radius Financial Group, Toole Insurance, and Willow Investments.

Individual sponsors included: Hannah DeLisle-Stall, Shirley Edgerton, Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Joe and Tracy Finnegan, Amalio Jusino, Sheryl Lechner, Ellen Kennedy, Linda Tyer, and Karen Zink.

For more information about BBPW, please visit berkshirebpw.org.

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Crane Park's Mini-Pitch is Open for Fun

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:18AM / Wednesday, October 21, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City officials celebrated the opening of the new Crane Parks mini-pitch on Tuesday.

Players from several local soccer programs, community leaders, and project partners gathered to kick the ceremonial first pitch into the goal on the new facility.

Back in May, the Parks Commission endorsed a project to place a mini-pitch over the aging, cracked concrete surface of Crane Park's former rink. A mini-pitch is a compact, modular field typically used for soccer, and it can also accommodate inline skates.

"The mini-pitch system will create a space that encourages physical activity and welcomes play through teamwork. The space will serve as a location for the community to gather for outdoor fun and recreation for many years ahead. They'll be able to put their cell phones down for a few minutes and actually engage in some great outdoor entertainment," Mayor Peter Marchetti said.

The project was funded entirely by grants. In June, the City Council accepted the gift of the mini-pitch facility, valued at over $100,000, and $10,000 from the Mill Town Foundation to ready the site.

The facility has a galvanized steel border with built-in goals and a rubber plastic surface that is clicked together. Cleats are not allowed on the surface, but sneakers and other sports shoes are.

The mini-pitch system came with a light tower and two LED lamps, but Crane Park does not have power, so it won't be illuminated. That could change in the future, officials said.

The pitch is open for the community every day, but Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath reminded users to be mindful as they play as well as to respect the pitch and the neighborhood it resides in.

McGrath said the idea grew out of conversations with Andy Wrba, program director for the Mill Town Foundation.

"There's been a deep, deep soccer community in Pittsfield and throughout the Berkshires for a long time. I've seen it as a multi-generational way for communities to connect and pass down lessons and connect families and everyone. And a big part of that has been the West State Soccer League," Wrba said.

He said the goal is to keep the space active and encourage outdoor recreation and youth engagement.

McGrath said that with the partnership from Mill Town and the city's park commission they were able to bring the pitch to the finish line.

"It's a testament to our ability to bring new and unique facilities into our city that accommodate youth sports. And it really, at the end of the day, is about promotion of soccer. And we are just so pleased that our partners all came together and that we were able to get this mini-pitch completed," McGrath said.

Other contributors as well were the U.S. Soccer Foundation, who provided the mini-pitch system, surface materials, and installation assistance at no cost to the city, as well as Massachusetts Youth Soccer who partnered with Pittsfield to bring the system to the city.

"All these contributions made this project possible, and highlights how our community continues through public and private partnerships to provide new facilities and amenities for all to enjoy," Marchetti said.

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