Pittsfield North Pole Calling Program This Week

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:14PM / Monday, December 12, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Parks and Recreation Department is continuing its long-standing tradition with the North Pole Calling Program, and Santa Claus will give city children a jingle this week.

"You never know what someone or their families may be going through. It may be a tough time of year, or they may have had a tough time this year, or just recently, you never know so just providing a little bright spot and some joy and laughter," Recreation & Special Events Coordinator Becky Manship said.

Pittsfield children in pre-k, kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 can sign up to get a phone call from Santa or Mrs. Claus thanks to the assistance from the Parks and Recreation Program elves.

Older children who wish to receive a call from Chris Kringle or Mrs. Claus are also encouraged to submit a request form.

Forms can be downloaded here and emailed to northpolecalling@cityofpittsfield.org or call 413-499-9368 to request a form.

Children should register by Tuesday, Dec. 13 by submitting the form online or by dropping it off at the City Clerk’s Office, located at 70 Allen St in room 103.

Santa and his team will be wishing children happy holidays this Wednesday, Dec. 14, and Thursday, Dec. 15 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

This year the Parks and Recreation workshop is hoping to have 170 to 180 children register for the chance to interact with Mr. Claus.

Manship said volunteers often enjoy the experience just as much as the children receiving the calls.

"It's a long-standing program for a reason, and I think it is because of the volunteers and how much they love it. It's something they look forward to every year as well," Manship said.

Based on the historical parks and recreation scrapbooks, the North Pole calling Program began in 1981 under the Parks and Recreation Department Park, Open Space and Natural Resource Program Manager Jim McGrath and Manship said.

For 41 years the program has withstood the test of time, overcoming a global pandemic and spreading Christmas cheer during generational highs and lows.

Tags: holiday event,

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DA Provides Updates on 4 Pittsfield Summer Shootings

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:11PM / Thursday, November 05, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— District Attorney Timothy Shugrue delivered updates on a string of gun violence incidents over the summer and said even one is too much.

"This summer was extremely upsetting to people living in Pittsfield and our entire Berkshire community. While we live in a safe community, it is always disheartening to hear these gunshots. In the past four years, there has been a remarkable reduction in gun violence," he said during a press conference at the Berkshire DA's office on Thursday.

"Since January 2023, there has been a 62 percent reduction of validated shootings in the City of Pittsfield."

There were four separate incidents involving gunfire in Pittsfield this past summer. Some suspects were charged, and some are still being sought by police.

On June 18, a person died after being shot in the area of Tyler Street and Pleasure Avenue, and another person was injured. Following an extensive investigation, the Pittsfield Police Department applied for and was granted an arrest warrant for Terry Martizna, wanted for murder.

Shugrue reported that his office is working with various authorities, including federal, to secure Martizna's return to the Berkshires. He said he was involved the whole weekend of the incident after being "immediately" contacted by the PPD.

"My office was on notice, and we continued to work with them throughout the night. I can tell you that they worked all night long; they never stopped working. I was really pleased with the amount of effort that was going into it, and by the next day, we had a pretty good clue of where we were going. But the amount of surveillance that they had to go through was incredible, and it was just commendable," he added.

"The amount of support we got from the community, from the Pittsfield residents, and from the work that these officers put in all weekend long, they were able to identify certain locations where this individual was, and that continued all the way in through Monday morning. By that Saturday, I was informed that we had a suspect that we were just producing the probable cause reports, and that was all which led to the warrant coming out."

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