image description — The paint on the Fitch-Hoose House is in need of refreshing. The exterior was restored six or seven years ago.

Fitch Hoose House Museum in Need of a Paint Job

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
04:23PM / Saturday, August 05, 2023Print Story | Email Story

DALTON, Mass. — The Fitch-Hoose House museum is in need of a paint job.

Historical Commission co-Chair Louisa M. Horth said at Wednesday's meeting that the paint is starting to peel and weather, and would need to be repainted this year or next year.

Commissioners are unsure how much the project would cost but will approach Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson to inquire on the best way to get funding for the project.

In 2014, the Historical Commission got a grant from the "Promoting Community Development and Tourism in Central and Western Massachusetts" program in the amount of $180,000 grant to restore the 1840s-era house.

The back addition with its kitchen and bedroom had been taken off several years ago because of its condition but was added back on during the restoration.

Over the years, the home has gone through a variety of changes, from the color to the now gone vinyl siding and the commission has worked to make the exterior as historically accurate as possible.

In 2019, the Fitch-Hoose House's restoration received the Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Award.

In other news:

• The commission announced that the historic home has had a lot of visitors this summer.

• The commission approved another donation of $500 to First Congregational Church to demonstrate appreciation for allowing it to store items there at no cost.

This is the third time the commission approved a donation to the church, donating a total of $1,500 using its Friends account.

Tags: historical building, historical commission,

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Pittsfield School Committee Sees Budget Calendar, Chapter 70 Concerns

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:28AM / Monday, January 19, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Public Schools kicked off its fiscal year 2027 budget calendar, and are again facing uncertainties with state Chapter 70 funding.

During the first meeting of the new term on Wednesday, the School Committee OK'd an FY27 budget calendar that plans the committee's vote in mid-April. Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips stressed the importance of equity in this process.

"It's really important for us through these next couple of months to look at our different schools, our different needs, different student demographics, and really understand, are we just assigning resources equally, or are we really assigning them based on what different groups of students need?" she said.

The district could lose up to $5 million in Chapter 70 funding from declining enrollment, specifically of low-income students. This is a similar issue that PPS saw in 2024, when the discovery of 11 students meeting those income guidelines put the district in the higher funding category and added $2.4 million to the school budget.

"We are in a funding category, Group 11, for a district with a large percentage of low-income students, and that number could fluctuate depending on who exited the district," Phillips explained.

"So we're going to do our best to understand that, but ultimately, these numbers will impact the budget that is proposed to us by the governor."

According to the budget calendar, a draft budget will be presented in March, followed by a hearing in early April, and the School Committee is set to vote on the budget in mid-April. The City Charter requires it to be adopted before May 1, and a meeting with the City Council must occur no later than May 31.

Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Bonnie Howland provided an overview of the Chapter 70 funding and budget process. The budget calendar, she said, is designed to really support transparency, coordination, and legal compliance.

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