BCC to Hold Series of Three Culinary Classes for Alumni

11:06AM / Thursday, June 08, 2023Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC), as part of its Workforce Development and Community Education program, is offering a series of three culinary classes to BCC alumni: handmade pasta making, basic poultry butchery skills and basic bread-making skills.

All classes will be taught in BCC's Berkshire Culinary Institute, located in the Susan B. Anthony Building Annex on the main campus.

Classes are free for BCC alumni with a donation to the Alumni Board Student Scholarship. To register for classes, or for more information, contact Caterina Penna, Director of Alumni Relations & Events, at (413) 236-3071 or cpenna@berkshirecc.edu.

Area chef and farmer Jeremy Stanton leads the handmade pasta making class on Monday, June 26 at 10 am. The class, which will be approximately three hours in duration, will focus on Italian varieties of pasta that showcase the creative ways in which delicious pasta can be made with simple techniques. Stanton, former owner and operator of The Meat Market, Fire Roasted Catering and Stellar Pasta Company, will teach participants how to make brightly colored pastas using fresh, local ingredients.

Participants should wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Upcoming classes include basic poultry butchery skills on Monday, August 28 at 10 am and basic bread making skills on Monday, September 18 at 10 am. Both courses will be led by chef and butcher Aaron Oster, who is the Instructional Program Manager for Food, Culture & Local Economy at BCC.

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Rename

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to rename the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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