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City Hall is bathed in blue and yellow on Tuesday night.

Pittsfield Lights Up With Blue & Yellow to Support Ukraine

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City Hall and other buildings downtown were lit up in blue and gold on Tuesday night, the colors of the flag of Ukraine. 
 
Mayor Linda Tyer said the lightings were an expression of solidarity with the "courageous men and women of Ukraine" who are currently under attack by the neighboring nation of Russia. 
 
Russian forces began a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 and is currently shelling its major cities. The United States and the European Union have placed sanctions on Russia and provided some help to Ukraine, but not troops. Ukraine is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. 
 
"For days, the eyes of the world have been transfixed to the atrocities inflicted upon the sovereign country of Ukraine and her people. These unjust acts of war reflect the very worst of humanity, leaving a trail of devastation that will reverberate long after the invasion is over," Tyer wrote. "At the same time, we bear witness to the indomitable strength, courage, and resolve of the Ukrainian people who refuse to give up their country without a fight. Their tenacious resolve stands as a glimmer of hope in the midst of unspeakable horror unfolding in real-time."
 
Blue and yellow also bathed the exteriors of 100 North St., Barrington Stage, the Colonial Theatre, Crawford Square, the Shipton Building, and Persip and Sotille parks.
 
The mayor said it was a spark of light that "symbolizes a hope that cannot be extinguished."

 


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Pittsfield Seeks CPA Funds for Bike Racks, AED

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city plans to apply for Community Preservation Act funds for park bike racks and an AED machine at the pickleball fields. 

On Tuesday, the Parks Commission endorsed Pittsfield’s applications for CPA funds. 

"Both of those projects are certainly, relative to CPA funds, low cost but high benefit," Commissioner Anthony DeMartino said. 

Through CPA, bike racks are proposed for a few city parks, and the Berkshire Mountain Pickleball league is looking to place an automatic external defibrillator at the Benedict Avenue pickleball fields. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath and Recreation & Special Events Coordinator Jennifer VanBramer presented the two small project applications, which will go through an eligibility period before full consideration in the spring of 2027. 

During the city’s free, six-week, summer playground program, it was observed that many kids access parks by bicycle. The plan is to buy between six and eight racks to be placed at Durant Park, the Common, and Clapp Park; other parks are being considered as well. 

McGrath explained that the three parks hosting the playground program don’t have bike racks, and they wind up on the ground and sometimes become a distraction. 

"The ancillary benefit to having bike racks is that it encourages that mode of transportation for folks that want to come to the park on their bike," he said. 

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