Pittsfield Hosting Digital Resource Fair

Staff Reports 01:30PM / Wednesday, October 18, 2023Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is hosting a digital resource fair on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Berkshire Athenaeum at 1 Wendell Ave.

The fair will offer a variety of resources that will provide community members with opportunities to learn more about lowering their internet bill, computer literacy programs for adults and children, technology tools for people with disabilities, how to navigate the internet securely, how and where to buy low-cost computers and how to find remote work.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from a variety of organizations including but not limited to: Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, Molari Employment and Healthcare Services, Berkshire County District Attorney's Office, UCP of Western Massachusetts, Can Code and Tech Goes Home.

Representatives from BerkshireJobs also will show how its new website works and offer advice for jobseekers.

"The City of Pittsfield is committed to equitable access to government and community resources including such as online media, telehealth, online payments and banking, emergency alerts, education, etc." said Kevin Zawistowski, chief information officer. "We want to hear from all community members, including those that historically go unheard, regarding access to these resources so that we can dedicate planning and funding to break down any barriers preventing or limiting access."

Ensuring residents can use the internet to conduct activities of daily life from finding a job to reaching their doctor or connecting with family is the focus of the city's work to create a Digital Equity Plan.

"We as a city want to bridge the digital divide and provide access to communities who have historically been at a disadvantage for opportunities. Here is our chance to make it right," said Michael Obasohan, chief diversity officer.

The digital resource fair is free and open to the public.

This event is supported by a grant from the Massachusetts Broadband Institute and co-hosted by Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

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Wahconah Park Grandstand Cost Halved to $15M

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:23PM / Thursday, January 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The price tag for Wahconah Park's new grandstand has been cut in half, and planners are looking at a "less is more" approach that is sustainable for the future.

In 2023, the park's restoration committee recommended a $30.2 million overhaul of the historic grandstand that was condemned the previous year. Now, the city is considering an approximately $15 million, smaller design within the same footprint, along with a staged approach that allows baseball to be played before the project is complete.

"There's some real, practical changes that we're making, which we think will still meet the spirit and intent of what we're trying to do but also recognizing that, hey, you know, we've got to maintain this thing into the future, and it's got to be designed and constructed in such a way that we can do that,"
Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath said.

The Historical Commission OKed the demolition of the grandstand on Monday. The plan is to demolish it in April and immediately make provisions to allow baseball on-site. The Pittsfield Suns will be back at the park this season after a two-year hiatus because of the grandstand.

There is no guarantee that the new grandstand will start to materialize in 2026, but the team is working swiftly to meet timelines.

McGrath described the 2023 proposal as an "all-in" design that met the robust needs of baseball players and the wider city. With some scaling down, material changes, and alterations to seating, it was shaved down to half of the original cost estimate.

A fair portion of the overall cost relates to site work, as the floodplain property is prone to flooding. The original civil engineer was not performing to expectations, and SK Design was brought in to take over the job.