Man Charged for Beacon Cinema Robbery

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A man has been charged for allegedly robbing the Beacon Cinema over the weekend.
 
On Monday, Kyle Richard Wilbur, 32, was arraigned in Pittsfield District Court for Armed Robbery after being identified as the perpetrator of a robbery at the movie theater on Friday around 10:18 p.m.
 
Police responded to a reported armed robbery at 57 North Street where a man claimed to have a weapon and demanded money from a staff member.  After receiving the money, he reportedly fled the scene and was later located by law enforcement based on a provided description and direction of travel.
 
"Due to the initial reports along with witness information, officers were able to obtain a description of the suspect and a direction of travel in which he fled following the incident," the Pittsfield Police Department wrote in a press release.
 
"A short time later, officers came upon a person matching the description at the corner of Francis Ave. and Bradford St. This party, Kyle Richard Wibur, age 32, was subsequently identified as the perpetrator by the victim."
 
Wilbur was charged with Armed Robbery, arrested, and transported to the Pittsfield Police Department after being identified.  No weapon was found on him but cash was recovered and seized as evidence.
 
Earlier this month, PPD arrested Joseph Demary, age 48-year-old of St. Petersburg, Fla., who allegedly broke into the Nissan of Pittsfield Auto Dealership and stole a safe the night before.
 
According to a report, on Feb. 4 at approximately 7:05 p.m., the Nissan of Pittsfield Auto Dealership on West Housatonic Street was broken into and a safe was stolen.
 
Demary was transported to the Pittsfield Police Department where he was booked and charged with Breaking and Entering in the Nighttime for a Felony and Larceny from a Building along with an outstanding warrant. He was transported to the Pittsfield District Court on Feb 6 for his arraignment.
 

Tags: robbery,   

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Pittsfield ConCom OKs Wahconah Park Demo, Ice Rink

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Conservation Commission has OKed the demolition of Wahconah Park and and the installation of a temporary ice rink on the property. 

The property at 105 Wahconah St. has drawn attention for several years after the grandstand was deemed unsafe in 2022. Planners have determined that starting from square one is the best option, and the park's front lawn is seen as a great place to site the new pop-up ice skating rink while baseball is paused. 

"From a higher level, the project's really two phases, and our goal is that phase one is this demolition phase, and we have a few goals that we want to meet as part of this step, and then the second step is to rehabilitate the park and to build new a new grandstand," James Scalise of SK Design explained on behalf of the city. 

"But we'd like these two phases to happen in series one immediately after the other." 

On Thursday, the ConCom issued orders of conditions for both city projects. 

Mayor Peter Marchetti received a final report from the Wahconah Park Restoration Committee last year recommending a $28.4 million rebuild of the grandstand and parking lot. In July, the Parks Commission voted to demolish the historic, crumbling grandstand and have the project team consider how to retain the electrical elements so that baseball can continue to be played. 

Last year, there was $18 million committed between grant funding and capital borrowing. 

This application approved only the demolition of the more than 100-year-old structure. Scalise explained that it establishes the reuse of the approved flood storage and storage created by the demolition, corrects the elevation benchmark, and corrects the wetland boundary. 

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