Pittsfield Announces Internet Speed Test Day

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Earlier this year, the City of Pittsfield was selected to participate in the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program launched by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI).
 
As a part of the digital equity planning effort, the city is seeking to gain insight into any internet disparities within the community and if residents are experiencing widespread problems with their internet connections through an internet speed test.
 
On Wednesday, Nov. 1,  community members are asked to join the Speed Test Day. To participate, visit: https://www.cityofpittsfield.org/speedtest/ on the device you use to connect to the internet.
 
Following completion of the speed test, please send us your results using the form on the city's website. The city will use this information to better understand and identify the challenges residents may experience when connecting to the internet. The feedback received by residents will be included as part of the city's Digital Equity Plan. An internet speed test is a great tool to identify if there is a problem with internet speed. 
 
However, more work must be done if a problem is discovered as many things can affect internet speed. Often the Internet Service Provider (ISP) is not the cause of the problem but can help identify a solution.
 
Poor performance can affect a user's experience on the internet, at times making it impossible to do things like participate in online classrooms or attend a telehealth appointment.
 
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Pittsfield Council Says 'Yes' to Soccer at Crane Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

The pitch will have the logos of the city and the US. and Massachusetts soccer associations. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is gladly accepting a "mini-pitch" from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring games back to Crane Park. 

Fueling excitement around the World Cup, U.S. Soccer has been working with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer League to make these facilities available to 20 communities — one of which will be at the park at the intersection of Benedict Road and Springside Avenue. 

The City Council accepted the gift on Tuesday during its regular meeting. 

A mini pitch is a compact, modular field typically used for soccer, and it can also accommodate inline skates. It has a galvanized steel border with built-in goals and a rubber plastic surface that is clicked together; installed on the existing inline hockey court. 

Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham said he has gone door to door speaking with nearby residents, and they are "really excited" about the upgrade. He also sees it as a great addition. 

"They say that nobody really uses the court a ton now, and they are excited to see kids back on there playing," he said. 

Decades ago, the Crane Park facility was a wading pool. It closed in 1980, and before the turn of the century, it was filled in and marked for hockey. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained that the wooden border around the rink is showing its age, has been vandalized and tagged, and the facility is seeing a "real decline" in use. 

"This would seem to be an appropriate spot for us to remove the board system that's in place and install the mini pitch system through this grant," he said. 

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