Pittsfield Cultural Council Extends Invitation to Join Committee

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Cultural Council (PCC) is extending an invitation to Berkshire County residents to apply to join the committee.  
 
Those who join in the summer will be on board in time to participate in reviewing of the fall grant applications.  The committee invites potential members to come to a meeting, ask questions and see how they can be involved. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 8, 7pm, Pittsfield City Hall, Room 203.
 
Funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, each year the PCC reviews grant applications from artists, cultural groups and organizations in Pittsfield and surrounding communities and decides if those applications meet the criteria for funding. With limited funding available each year and working with the priorities established by the council, the members of PCC collaborate to fund projects that best serve the needs and interests of the residents of Pittsfield.
 
There is a limit of two three-year terms that members may serve, and new member recruitment is ongoing throughout the year.  Membership on the PCC offers a great opportunity for anyone interested in supporting the arts and culture in Pittsfield. Members participate in one of the largest grassroots cultural funding networks in the nation with other like-minded volunteers who are passionate about the local cultural program and the positive impact it has on the community.
 
The PCC meets once a month from July through February, and are meetings are typically no more than an hour in length. There are no special qualifications to join the council, and it offers an opportunity to meet new people, share skills and support an important program that contributes to the quality of life. For more information about the PCC or to attend the next meeting, contact PCC at pittsfieldculture@yahoo.com or visit www.mass-culture.org/Pittsfield.

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Pittsfield ConCom OKs Wahconah Park Demo, Ice Rink

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Conservation Commission has OKed the demolition of Wahconah Park and and the installation of a temporary ice rink on the property. 

The property at 105 Wahconah St. has drawn attention for several years after the grandstand was deemed unsafe in 2022. Planners have determined that starting from square one is the best option, and the park's front lawn is seen as a great place to site the new pop-up ice skating rink while baseball is paused. 

"From a higher level, the project's really two phases, and our goal is that phase one is this demolition phase, and we have a few goals that we want to meet as part of this step, and then the second step is to rehabilitate the park and to build new a new grandstand," James Scalise of SK Design explained on behalf of the city. 

"But we'd like these two phases to happen in series one immediately after the other." 

On Thursday, the ConCom issued orders of conditions for both city projects. 

Mayor Peter Marchetti received a final report from the Wahconah Park Restoration Committee last year recommending a $28.4 million rebuild of the grandstand and parking lot. In July, the Parks Commission voted to demolish the historic, crumbling grandstand and have the project team consider how to retain the electrical elements so that baseball can continue to be played. 

Last year, there was $18 million committed between grant funding and capital borrowing. 

This application approved only the demolition of the more than 100-year-old structure. Scalise explained that it establishes the reuse of the approved flood storage and storage created by the demolition, corrects the elevation benchmark, and corrects the wetland boundary. 

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