2022 Pittsfield Photo Challenge Winner Announced

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The photo has won her a prize package donated by local downtown businesses, and her photo will be featured in Pittsfield’s 2023 Downtown Guide and a Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. social marketing campaign.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The first-place winner of the 2022 Pittsfield Photo Challenge, as determined by a panel of local judges, is Brittany Hunter with her photo "Fountain Flowers."

The photo has won her a prize package donated by local downtown businesses, and her photo will be featured in Pittsfield’s 2023 Downtown Guide and a Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. social marketing campaign. 

"Many evenings I will walk North Street with my family," Hunter said. "While we were enjoying watching the sun go down at Park Square both my son and daughter noticed the beautiful flower gardens. They enjoyed looking at them and smelling them. That is where I took my photo Fountain Flowers." 

The second-place winner, Jason Stimpson, will also take home a prize package donated by local downtown businesses. The winning photo is composed of 17 photographs taken over the course of an hour and forty-five minutes while the camera remained on a tripod. 

Honorable Mentions: Nicole March, "Love always reflects back to you" (3rd Place), Julia Beth Kaplan, Jason Crane, and Susan Geller. 

The winners of the Pittsfield Photo Challenge were decided by an esteemed panel of Pittsfield judges: 

  • Alex Reczkowski, Director, Berkshire Athenaeum 
  • Arri Better, Executive Administrator, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. 
  • Branden Huldeen, DPI Board President and Artistic Producer/Director of New Play Development, Barrington Stage Company 
  • Jessica Rumlow, DPI Board Chair and Executive Director/CEO, Berkshire Family YMCA 
  • Mayor Linda Tyer, City of Pittsfield 
  • Lindsey Schmid, 1Berkshire VP of Tourism & Marketing and DPI Board Member 
  • Michael J. Wynn, Chief of Police, Pittsfield Police Department 
  • Rebecca Brien, Managing Director, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. 
  • Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier 

The first and second place winners will win an assortment of prizes donated by the following businesses: 101 Restaurant & Bar, Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Fitness and Wellness Center, Berkshire Yoga Dance & Fitness, Otto’s Kitchen & Comfort, and Soma’s Aromas. 

Featured images: 

1st Place Winner: "Fountain Flowers” by Brittany Hunter 

2nd Place Winner: Jason Stimpson 


Tags: Pittsfield Photo Challenge,   

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Crosby/Conte Statement of Interest Gets OK From Council

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Architect Carl Franceschi and Superintendent Joseph Curtis address the City Council on Tuesday.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With the approval of all necessary bodies, the school district will submit a statement of interest for a combined build on the site of Crosby Elementary School.

The City Council on Tuesday unanimously gave Superintendent Joseph Curtis the green light for the SOI to the Massachusetts School Building Authority by April 12.

"The statement I would make is we should have learned by our mistakes in the past," Mayor Peter Marchetti said.

"Twenty years ago, we could have built a wastewater treatment plant a lot cheaper than we could a couple of years ago and we can wait 10 years and get in line to build a new school or we can start now and, hopefully, when we get into that process and be able to do it cheaper then we can do a decade from now."

The proposal rebuilds Conte Community School and Crosby on the West Street site with shared facilities, as both have outdated campuses, insufficient layouts, and need significant repair. A rough timeline shows a feasibility study in 2026 with design and construction ranging from 2027 to 2028.

Following the SOI, the next step would be a feasibility study to determine the specific needs and parameters of the project, costing about $1.5 million and partially covered by the state. There is a potential for 80 percent reimbursement through the MSBA, who will decide on the project by the end of the year.

Earlier this month, city officials took a tour of both schools — some were shocked at the conditions students are learning in.

Silvio O. Conte Community School, built in 1974, is a 69,500 square foot open-concept facility that was popular in the 1960s and 1970s but the quad classroom layout poses educational and security risks.  John C. Crosby Elementary School, built in 1962, is about 69,800 square feet and was built as a junior high school so several aspects had to be adapted for elementary use.

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