1Berkshire Kicks Off 2025 with Winter Marketing

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — As the Regional Tourism Council (RTC) representing The Berkshires, and the official tourism promoter for the region, 1Berkshire is working on winter-themed marketing campaigns.

These tactics target visitors in New York, Boston, and surrounding New England areas, specifically young professionals, families, and members of the BIPOC community. Promoting the region as a preferred place to visit, play, and stay speaks directly to 1Berkshire's mission: to advance Berkshire County’s economy by advocating for the business community and attracting visitors.

"We have campaigns that run all year long, but our primary focus right now is the shoulder season when our local economy benefits from a boost. We want to share the message that this is a wonderful place to visit in any season, and winter holds its own unique, special appeal. It’s always a great time to explore outdoor recreation, culture, food, and wellness #intheberkshires," said Lindsey Schmid, Senior Vice President of Tourism & Marketing for 1Berkshire.

ski campaign featuring the Berkshires’ ski resorts and other cold weather activities launched in mid-December; this campaign was produced in partnership with other MA RTCs and Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT), and is expected to garner 10M impressions for the Berkshires. Also produced in December was 1Berkshire’s Winter Brochure, a piece that is supported by members and highlights many of the ways to enjoy the region December through March. This year’s brochure has seen a 135 percent increase in views over last year, with 2,200 views in December alone. A great tool for all Berkshire businesses to use, it can be linked on websites or included in e-communications to customers, and will help further amplify the message: "Welcome to the Berkshires in winter - we are open for business!"

This past holiday season, 1Berkshire hosted a Storybook Holiday familiarization tour, sending four journalists to iconic Berkshire locations including the Dr. Sax House, Haven, Red Lion Inn, Winterlights at Naumkeag, and the Norman Rockwell Museum. Stories, such as this Instagram reel, continue to roll out and will ultimately garner the Berkshires thousands of PR impressions.

In its role as the destination marketing organization for the Berkshires, 1Berkshire hosts berkshires.org - the region’s #1 travel planning site, which receives 1.2M+ sessions annually and has more than 800K users. 1Berkshire also reaches an average of 3.5M visitors with its e-communications. Combined tourism promotion efforts continue to drive the visitor economy, an important cluster from the Berkshire Blueprint, and the focus on winter marketing means greater visibility for all Berkshire businesses during the shoulder season.


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Pittsfield School Committee Votes to Close Morningside

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There were tears as the School Committee on Wednesday voted to close Morningside Community School at the end of the school year. 

Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips said the purpose of considering the closure is to fulfill the district's obligation to ensure every student has access to a learning environment that best supports academic growth and achievement, school climate, equitable access to resources, and long-term success. 

"While fiscal implications are included, the7 closure of the school is fundamentally driven by the student performance, their learning conditions, the building inadequacy, and equitable student access, rather than the district's budget," she said. 

"…The goal is not to save money. The goal is to reinvest that money to make change, specifically for our Morningside students, and then for the whole school building, as a whole." 

Over the last month or so, the district has considered whether to retire the open concept, community school at the end of the school year. 

Morningside, built in the 1970s, currently serves 374 students in grades prekindergarten through Grade 5, including a student population with 88.2 percent high-needs, 80.5 percent low-income, and 24.3 percent English learners.  Its students will be reassigned to Allendale, Capeless, Egremont, and Williams elementary schools.

The school is designated as "Requiring Assistance or Intervention," with a 2025 accountability percentile of seventh, despite moderate progress over the past three years, and benchmark data continues to show urgent literacy concerns in several grades. 

School Committee member and former Morningside student Sarah Muil, through tears, made the motion to approve the school's retirement at the end of this school year.  

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