Daniel Pearl Scholarship Open for Applications

08:00AM / Friday, March 08, 2024Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Applications are available for the 22nd annual Daniel Pearl Berkshire Scholarship.

The $2,000 award is given in memory of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter kidnapped and killed in Pakistan early in 2002. Pearl earlier worked in the Berkshires at The North Adams Transcript and The Berkshire Eagle.

While Pearl's career was in journalism, he was also a gifted musician, trained as a classical violinist. He played guitar and mandolin as well, and while living in the Berkshires he performed in a bluegrass band. For this reason, the award is given to a student who intends to study and pursue a career in either journalism or music.

Eligibility is limited to residents of Berkshire County or defined areas outside the county where The Berkshire Eagle is circulated. Applicants must plan to enter college in the fall of 2024. Applications must be submitted no later than midnight, April 22.

Application information is available from all Berkshire public high school guidance departments. Full guidelines and eligibility rules may also be found online – visit https://www.berkshireeagle.com/site/daniel_pearl_berkshire_scholarship.html.

Funding for the scholarship has come from The Berkshire Eagle, along with gifts from friends of Daniel Pearl and others interested. Donations may be sent to the Daniel Pearl Berkshire Scholarship c/o Barbara Schmick, The Berkshire Eagle, 75 South Church Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201.

Donations are tax deductible; the fund is operated under the fiscal umbrella of The Eagle Santa Fund, a qualified 501(c)3 charitable foundation.

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2026 Point in Time Count on Jan. 25

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
01:52PM / Tuesday, January 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Point in Time count, which measures people experiencing homelessness, will occur on Sunday, Jan. 25, and the Three County Continuum of Care stresses that every survey matters.

Earlier this month, the CoC's data and evaluations manager Michele LaFleur and compliance manager Natalie Burtzos reviewed past data with the Homelessness Advisory Committee and discussed planning for this year's count.

LaFleur described the PIT count as "our attempt to try and determine how many people are experiencing homelessness on a single night." Each year, it has to be conducted within the last 10 days of January.

In January 2025, there were 215 Pittsfield people in shelter, and 12 people unsheltered. In July, 107 city people reported being in shelter, and 27 people reported being unsheltered.

Of the unhoused individuals in the winter of 2025, 113 were people in families with children under 18. The PIT count for 2024 reported more than 200 people experiencing homelessness on that day.

Pittsfield's shelter data consists of ServiceNet's individual and family shelters, Soldier On's shelter and transitional housing, and Elizabeth Freeman sheltering areas. The winter count has increased significantly since 2021, and the CoC conducted a summer count on July 20 that showed fewer people in shelters and more unsheltered.

It was noted that the count misses people who are couch surfing or paying to live in a motel, as the reporting is on the burden of service agencies or community members who work with those experiencing housing instability.

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