UNICO of Pittsfield Hosts Souper Bowl Food Drive

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PITTSFIELD — UNICO of Pittsfield is organizing its annual Souper Bowl Community Food Drive, collecting nonperishable food items to benefit local food pantries in the Berkshires. 
 
The drive begins January 27 and runs through Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025.
 
Donations should consist of foods that can be eaten from a bowl, such as soup, pasta, stews, cereal, tuna, and noodles. Collection sites will accept donations during their business hours at the following locations:
  • Ready Set Learn (133 Dalton Ave. & 41 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield) – Jan. 27 to Feb. 7
  • Berkshire Fitness & Wellness Center (137 North St., Pittsfield) – Jan. 27 to Feb. 7
  • Balderdash Cellars (81 State Road, Richmond) – Weekends, Feb. 1-2 and Feb. 7-9, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Students at Richmond Consolidated School will also participate by collecting nonperishable items in their classrooms from Jan. 27 to Feb. 7.
 
All donations will be distributed to local food pantries.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Dalton Police Facility Report Complete; Station Future Still Uncertain

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee's final report is complete but the future of the station remains uncertain. 
 
Several members of the committee attended the Select Board meeting last week, as co-Chair Craig Wilbur presented four options delineated in the presentation — build on town-owned land, build on private land, renovate or repurpose the existing buildings, and do nothing. The full report can be found here
 
According to the report, addressing the station's needs coincides with the town facing significant financial challenges, with rising fixed costs and declining state aid straining its budget. 
 
These financial pressures restrict the town's ability to fund major capital projects and a new police station has to compete with a backlog of deferred infrastructure needs like water, sewer, roads, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
 
In June 2024, Police Chief Deanna Strout informed the board of the station's dire condition — including issues with plumbing, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and damaged cells — prompting the board to take action on two fronts. 
 
The board set aside American Rescue Plan Act funds to address the immediately dire issues, including the ventilation, and established the Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee to navigate long-term options
 
Very early on it was determined that the current facility is not adequate enough to meet the needs of a 21st-century Police Facility. This determination was backed up following a space needs assessment by Jacunski Humes Architects LLC
 
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