White Cane Day Celebration Planned at PHS

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:03PM / Saturday, October 01, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The school district will recognize White Cane Day at Pittsfield High School in two weeks with an event to celebrate the accomplishments of visually impaired people.

On Friday, Oct. 14, students of all ages with visual impairments will participate in activities, join a virtual presentation through the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, walk to City Hall to be greeted by Mayor Linda Tyer, and have lunch at PHS's culinary restaurant.

The national day of awareness is on Oct. 15 and has been celebrated since 1964. The cane is an essential tool used by this population to move around freely and safely.

"It’s a day to really recognize the accomplishments and the independent skills of those that are visually impaired," Lynn Shortis, a schoolteacher for the visually impaired, said about White Cane Day.

The event will run from about 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and include around 50 people. Students from the Gateway Regional School District in Huntington will also join.

Shortis said people who are blind or visually impaired can do anything they want to do and it is important to present this. She is in her 23rd year with the school district and has seen a great deal of success with the students over the years.

There are about 35 visually impaired students in the district right now. Several are high achievers with straight As and many former students have continued on to college.

"It's all a matter of what people's perception is," she explained. "So we try to educate the public on just the overall perception."

The district has a great relationship with the state Commission for the Blind, she said, and it does a lot for the students and to make Pittsfield more aware.

Shortis said the event is really to give the kids an empowering moment to be themselves and feel proud and important. It will also allow the students to meet and bond over shared experiences, as the pandemic has previously hindered gatherings.

Additionally, she said it is important to highlight the visually impaired in Pittsfield, as the city is often forgotten because it is the farthest west in the state.

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Healey Files Legislation to Suspend Gas Tax

06:33PM / Wednesday, September 23, 2026

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday filed legislation to lower costs at the gas pump, when buying concert and sports tickets, and on electric bills, while also making investments to strengthen health care, maternal health, food assistance and public safety.

The legislation includes Healey's proposal to suspend the state gas tax for two months. The war in Iran has driven up prices over 50 percent since February. It also includes her Great Divide Act, which caps ticket resale prices and fees and bans speculative tickets, as well as $2.25 million to strengthen postpartum care and mental health support for mothers and families across Massachusetts.

The bill includes changes to how utility companies purchase electricity for customers on basic service, which is estimated to save ratepayers $610 million, as well as $41.5 million for the Department of Transitional Assistance for caseworkers and technological upgrades to help people stay enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) despite President Donald Trump's cuts.

The legislation also provides critical funding for MassHealth, public safety and other state services. In total, it will enable the state to close Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) with a balanced budget by appropriating $2.24 billion in gross spending, at a net cost to the state of $1.46 billion after revenue offsets.

"While President Trump is driving up costs with his war and tariffs, in Massachusetts, we're doing everything we can to make life more affordable for people and businesses," said Healey in a statement. "This budget will lower costs at the gas pump, when buying concert and sports tickets, and on energy bills, while also making sure families can continue to access the health care, food assistance and services they rely on."

If passed, the legislation would suspend the state's 24-cent-per-gallon gas tax for two months, providing immediate relief for residents and truckers. The law will require gas stations to lower prices to reflect the suspended tax and ensure that drivers see the savings at the pump. The estimated $120 million in revenue will be replaced with a portion of unbudgeted, surplus fiscal year 2027 Fair Share surtax collections. For reference, in FY26 there was nearly $1 billion in Fair Share surplus funds available. This means that no ongoing or planned transportation projects financed through the Commonwealth Transportation Fund will be impacted. The Commonwealth will also remain compliant with its CTF bond obligations.

Great Divide Act

The Great Divide Act caps the resale price of concert tickets at 110 percent of the price of the face value of the original ticket. It also limits the service fees and charges that can be imposed by ticket resellers like StubHub and SeatGeek to no more than 10 percent of the total price of the ticket for resale. It prohibits the sale of speculative tickets, which are tickets that are not in the possession of the seller when they are listed for sale. Finally, it implements additional consumer protections measures, including prohibiting the use of deceptive websites by ticket resellers and misleading consumers about the availability of tickets.

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