Joanne Passing on Ownership of Elm Street Luncheonette

Evelyn Szelest and Joanne Longton on their last day at the Elm Street Luncheon. Longton joked that Szelest 'came with the place.'

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Joanne Longton's been behind the counter at her Elm Street diner for nearly a half century. But not after Monday. 

She's handing over her spatula and heading to retirement after 48 years. 

Joanne's Elm Street Luncheonette will be under new ownership but she expects it will stay much the same as the hometown eatery that has fed many Pittsfield residents from childhood to adulthood. 

Longton announced the news of her retirement over Facebook on Friday. 

"After 48 years in business, it's time for me to lay down my spatulas and enjoy life. It's been an amazing journey, I've made great friends during my time here and will never forget you all," the post read. 

"So many amazing memories. Please stop in to say hi and share a story." 

And apparently, a lot of people have been in to say goodbye to Longton and waitress Evelyn, her longtime "best employee ever," who's also retiring. 

Their last day of work will be on Monday before an employee, whom she declined to identify, takes over the operation. She said the only change is that diner will now be open on Sundays. 

Longton said she wasn't open on Sundays because it is traditionally a day of rest and family. 

She bought the Elm Street Luncheonette in 1974, adding her name later, and filling it with hundreds of photos of her customers over the decades. 

When asked what she will miss the most, she pointed to the nearly 50 years of returning and new customers. 

"It's very hard. It's not easy for me to do it but I need to do it.  It's time," Longton said. "It's been an amazing experience." 

Joanne's Elm Street Luncheonette, located at 123 Elm St., is currently open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays and 6 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays. 

Pittsfield Council Says 'Yes' to Soccer at Crane Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:35AM / Saturday, June 13, 2026

The pitch will have the logos of the city and the US. and Massachusetts soccer associations. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is gladly accepting a "mini-pitch" from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring games back to Crane Park. 

Fueling excitement around the World Cup, U.S. Soccer has been working with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer League to make these facilities available to 20 communities — one of which will be at the park at the intersection of Benedict Road and Springside Avenue. 

The City Council accepted the gift on Tuesday during its regular meeting. 

A mini pitch is a compact, modular field typically used for soccer, and it can also accommodate inline skates. It has a galvanized steel border with built-in goals and a rubber plastic surface that is clicked together; installed on the existing inline hockey court. 

Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham said he has gone door to door speaking with nearby residents, and they are "really excited" about the upgrade. He also sees it as a great addition. 

"They say that nobody really uses the court a ton now, and they are excited to see kids back on there playing," he said. 

Decades ago, the Crane Park facility was a wading pool. It closed in 1980, and before the turn of the century, it was filled in and marked for hockey. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained that the wooden border around the rink is showing its age, has been vandalized and tagged, and the facility is seeing a "real decline" in use. 

"This would seem to be an appropriate spot for us to remove the board system that's in place and install the mini pitch system through this grant," he said.