image description — The city broke ground this week on the new pickleball court near the Doyle Softball Complex. The six courts are expected to be ready for play this fall.

Pickleball Coming to Springside Park in the Fall

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:14PM / Sunday, August 13, 2023Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new pickleball facility is coming this fall.

Located in the northeast corner of Springside Park near the Doyle Softball Complex on Benedict Road, it will feature six courts and a small parking lot.

A groundbreaking scheduled for Monday was cancelled due to inclement weather but there are plans to unveil the finished project with a ribbon cutting in the fall.

Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong and is suitable for singles and doubles. It has recently grown in popularity with the Sports and Fitness Industry Association estimating 4.8 million current players, which is almost double the number of players five years ago.

Last year, a Springside pickle ball proposal rose from the grave after it the City Council scrapped its funding in 2019.

This time, it is supported by $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act monies and is positioned farther away from residential homes on Bossidy Drive.

A site selection committee was appointed last summer and, starting with nearly 50 possible locations, chose the park out of six.

It began by considering all parks, conservation properties, and school grounds.

Schools and conservation areas were almost immediately disqualified and six possible sites remained: Lebanon Park on Lebanon Avenue, Springside Park on Benedict Road, Lakewood Park on Newell Street, Burbank Park on Valentine Road, Marchisio Park on Dalton Division Road, and the East Street Softball Complex.

Members considered the surrounding neighborhood, co-location compatibility, availability of parking, and environmental aspects of the location.

The Parks Commission voted in favor of the location in November after being presented with a pickleball site study report.

In March, the commission OKed a scaled-down design to fit the $500,000 budget. Construction is estimated to take eight to ten weeks.

Users will be welcomed by a plaza area that has a bike rack, a trash can, and possibly a bulletin board kiosk. It will be fully accessible from the 23-space parking lot with three handicapped-accessible spots.

Four pickleball courts comfortably fit within one tennis court, making the proposed playing area about the size of two tennis courts.

Tags: pickleball,

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Pittsfield Accepts Grant for Domestic Violence Services

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:43PM / Thursday, January 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Police Department received more than $66,000 from the state to assist survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in collaboration with the Elizabeth Freeman Center.

On Tuesday, the City Council accepted a $66,826.52 Violence Against Women's Act STOP Grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. The longtime Civilian Advocate Program is described as "the critical bridge between victims and law enforcement."

"The Civilian Advocate Program brings law enforcement and victim services together to reach survivors sooner and respond more effectively to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Through a collaboration between the Pittsfield Police Department and Elizabeth Freeman Center, this program bridges critical service gaps in our rural community, increasing safety and recovery for victims," the program summary reads.

Founded in 2009, the program focuses on creating an integrated and trauma-informed response, ensuring access that meets the needs of vulnerable and marginalized populations, cross-training, and making a community impact.

The Freeman Center has received more than 3,500 hotline calls in fiscal year 2025 and served nearly 950 Pittsfield survivors. In the past year, 135 clients came through the program, but there was limited capacity and reach, with only part-time hours for the civilian advocate.

According to court reports, Berkshire County's rate of protection order filings is 42 percent higher than the state average.

"Violence against women is an incredibly important topic, and when you read through the packet, it highlights that here in Berkshire County, our protection rates are 40 percent higher than the national rate," Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi said.

Divya Chaturvedi, executive director of the Freeman Center, said there is a "crying need" for these services in Berkshire County.

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