Central Berkshire Officials Consider School Resource Officer Grant

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:22AM / Friday, May 05, 2023Print Story | Email Story

DALTON, Mass. — Central Berkshire Regional School Committee has voted to send a letter of support for a school resource officer grant.

A number of committee members had been hesitant to approve adding a school resource officer, saying that there are too many unknown variables and that they need to take more time to null it over.

This vote does not approve adding an officer at Wahconah Regional High School; rather, due to the time restriction for the application, it only approves sending a letter to go along with the town's grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Police Services program.

Police Chief Deanna Strout agreed that there are still a lot of aspects regarding this change that would need to be discussed and clarified that the committee's decision to send a letter could improve the chances of getting the grant.

She has already received a letter of support from the Dalton Select Board and St. Agnes' School.

The town's chances for the federal grant is slim, but if it comes through, the district and Police Department together would determine whether adding a school resource officer is the best thing to do, Strout said.

The district has 90 days to come up with a memorandum of understanding after being selected for the grant.

Some committee members asked where the money would go if they rejected the idea.

If that were to happen, the town could turn down the grant or put a school resource officer in St. Agnes' School, since it did express an interest in having one.

"We don't want to give anyone here the impression that we're trying to force our way into the schools at all. If this isn't something that we all think is a great idea, I respect that," Strout said.

Even if the district doesn't come up with an MOU, Select Board Chair Joe Diver said he is prepared to bring it back to the board to see how the town can leverage the grant with other private schools or juvenile programs in Dalton.

"The board completely supports the chief strategy on this, especially when you look at some of the statistics from [Sept. 1] last year to current. That's what got our attention is that there are some juvenile issues in the town of Dalton that could filter into the schools or vice versa," Diver said.

Tags: CBRSD, Dalton Police,

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Pittsfield Housing Project Adds 37 Supportive Units and Collective Hope

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:01PM / Monday, December 29, 2025

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A new chapter in local efforts to combat housing insecurity officially began as community leaders and residents gathered at The First on to celebrate a major expansion of supportive housing in the city.

The ribbon was cut on Thursday Dec. 19, on nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at The First, located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. The Housing Resource Center, funded by Pittsfield's American Rescue Plan Act dollars, hosted a celebration for a project that is named for its rarity: The First.

"What got us here today is the power of community working in partnership and with a shared purpose," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said.

In addition to the 28 studio units at 111 West Housatonic Street and nine units in the rear of the church building, the Housing Resource Center will be open seven days a week with two lounges, a classroom, a laundry room, a bathroom, and lockers.

Erin Forbush, ServiceNet's director of shelter and housing, challenged attendees to transform the space in the basement of Zion Lutheran Church into a community center. It is planned to operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. year-round.

"I get calls from folks that want to help out, and our shelters just aren't the right spaces to be able to do that. The First will be that space that we can all come together and work for the betterment of our community," Forbush said.

"…I am a true believer that things evolve, and things here will evolve with the people that are utilizing it."

Earlier that day, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus joined Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and her team in Housatonic to announce $33.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funding, $5.45 million to Berkshire County.

He said it was ambitious to take on these two projects at once, but it will move the needle. The EOHLC contributed more than $7.8 million in subsidies and $3.4 million in low-income housing tax credit equity for the West Housatonic Street build, and $1.6 million in ARPA funds for the First Street apartments.

"We're trying to get people out of shelter and off the streets, but we know there are a lot of people who are couch surfing, who are living in their cars, who are one paycheck away from being homeless themselves," Augustus said.

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