Pittsfield Saw Two Mini-COVID Surges This Fall

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city has seen ups and downs with COVID-19 cases this fall and is currently on the lower end of case counts.

Health officials now say sewage testing is the truest indicator of the virus's impact on the community because it accounts for at-home tests.

"We did experience in the past two months a couple of mini surges throughout the city," Director of Public Health Andy Cambi said to the Board of Health on Wednesday.

"It's hard to gauge it from the active tests we have received because a lot of it, as I mentioned before, is done through at-home test kits."
 
On Tuesday, Biobot sewage testing showed 1.3 million copies per liter. The recent peak of sewage concentration occurred in mid-October when there were 2.7 million copies per liter and last week, the city saw a low of around 988,000 copies per liter.

The percent positivity rate is about 11, down from over 13 percent in mid-October, and there are around 31.5 average cases per 100,000. The city has around 68 estimated actively contagious cases and remains in the red incidence rate, having more than 10 average cases per 100,000 and a positivity rate over 5 percent.

COVID hospitalizations at Berkshire Medical Center have not exceeded 20.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.