Women of Color Giving Circle Virtual Kwanzaa Celebration

08:11AM / Wednesday, December 29, 2021Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Women of Color Giving Circle, Berkshire Branch of the NAACP, and the Rites of Passage and Empowerment Program (R.O.P.E.) will present its annual community Kwanzaa Celebration virtually at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 29.

Kwanzaa is a non-religious celebration held Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. The holiday celebrates African and African-American culture, with an emphasis on seven principles geared towards uplift and empowerment.

This year’s theme, "Young, Gifted, and Black: Where Do We Go from Here?"

The keynote speaker will be Mayor Kamal Johnson of Hudson, N.Y. The event lineup will also include youth speaker, Sierra Boyd, and include performances by Wanda Houston and Samirah Evans.

The ceremony can be viewed via one of the following options:

· Access Pittsfield (cable channel 1301)

· PCTV Select, available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and PittsfieldTV.org

· facebook.com/pittsfieldtv

· youtube.com/onlyonpctv

· facebook.com/pittsfieldtv

· facebook.com/NAACPBerkshires

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MassDOT, CSX Agree on Improvements to Support Berkshire Flyer, Passenger Rail

Staff Reports iBerkshires
06:01AM / Thursday, October 08, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The state Department of Transportation and CSX have reached an agreement for local infrastructure improvements that will be a "major step" to making the Berkshire Flyer a permanent seasonal service.

Gov. Maura Healey's administration said the improvements will also help toward the years-long project of expanding passenger rail in Western Massachusetts.

"People in Western Massachusetts have been clear that they want better rail connections, and we're delivering," Healey said in a statement released on Thursday. "This agreement puts the Berkshire Flyer on a path toward permanent seasonal service and invests in the infrastructure we need to keep expanding West-East passenger rail service between Boston and Albany. Combined with new federal funding for modern trains, we're giving people more choices, supporting local businesses and better connecting Western Massachusetts to opportunities across the Northeast."

Mayor Peter Marchetti said the Berkshire Flyer is an important asset to the city and that he was grateful for the investment to make it permanent.

The Berkshire Flyer was established in 2022, connecting the Berkshires directly to New York City for the first time in a half-century. The Amtrak service was based on the seasonal Cape Cod Flyer with the goal to increase tourism opportunities. The 2026 season expanded service with an additional round-trip, including new opportunities for Berkshire County residents to travel to New York City.

The administration also announced that new federal funding awarded to Amtrak for additional modern trainsets will support Compass Rail services, including the Berkshire Flyer and the future Inland Route between Boston, Springfield and New Haven.

Under the new agreement with CSX, MassDOT will fund construction of a siding and other track improvements in the Pittsfield area to increase rail capacity and reduce conflicts between passenger and freight operations. MassDOT will also explore the feasibility of a new platform at the Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center.

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