South Berkshire Community Health Coalition Announces Upcoming Trainings

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.— The Southern Berkshire Community Health Coalition (SBCHC), a program of Railroad Street Youth Project (RSYP), has announced three upcoming trainings in May.

Translate Gender will present a Caregiver/Parent Forum on Tuesday, May 20, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Sheffield. This trans-led organization will cover the basics of gender identity to support transgender, nonbinary, gender expansive, and/or questioning youth. Registration for this event is available at this link.

Two Kitchen Table Talk (KTT) Workshops will be held at the Great Barrington Family Resource Center, 141 West Avenue in Great Barrington. A Facilitator Training will take place on Monday, May 19, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., covering the philosophy and facilitation practices of KTT. A Practice Training will be offered on Thursday, May 29, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., providing an opportunity for facilitators to practice with volunteer parents. The Practice Training will be available in both English and Spanish.

On Tuesday, May 27, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., a Mocktail Demo and Conversation will be held at NoComply Foods, 258 Stockbridge Rd, Great Barrington. Laura Rodriguez, Director of SBCHC, and Elliot Seward, RSYP’s Youth Advocate, will lead a demonstration on making summer mocktails, followed by discussions on youth alcohol and substance use in South County.

Great Barrington Fire, Police Respond to Chimney Fire

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
02:48PM / Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Fire Chief Scott Turner called for mutual aid as soon as he saw flames. 

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Firefighters made quick work of a chimney fire on Tuesday afternoon and two police officers aided the occupant in escaping the building. 

 

Fire Chief Scott Turner said the blaze at 205 North St. was reported about 12:38 p.m.

 

"When I arrived on scene, we had a small amount of flames coming out of the eaves of the roof over by the chimney for the wood stove, and then we had light smoke conditions on the second floor," he said. 

 

Police Officers Andres Huertas and Elias Casey were first on the scene and immediately entered the single-family home to find the occupant was on the second floor. 

 

They helped her out of the building, Turner said, "they did a great job."

 

The chimney is a metal chimney and burn marks could been seen where it meets the eaves on the side of the building. 

 

North Street is a narrow residential way and firetrucks from Alford, Egremont, Monterey, Richmond, Stockbridge and West Stockbridge were parked along nearby streets. Scene support was provided by police, Southern Berkshire Ambulance, and National Grid.