Senator Mark Announces June Staff Office Hours

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BOSTON — State Senator Paul W. Mark announced that his staff will host office hours at five locations in Berkshire County in June.
 
Residents of any of the 57 municipalities in the Senator's Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire District are encouraged to share ideas on current or potential state legislation, or to ask for assistance with issues involving any state agency.
 
Appointments are not required.
  • Adams: Tuesday, June 3rd and Tuesday, June 17th , from 9 a.m. to noon. Town Hall, 8 Park St., Adams.
  • Dalton: Monday, June 2nd from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.. Senior Center, 40 Field St., Dalton.
  • Great Barrington: Monday, June 2nd and Monday, June 16th, from 9 a.m. to noon. Town Hall, 334 Main St., Great Barrington.
  • North Adams: Tuesday, June 3rd and Tuesday, June 17th, from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. MCLA Alumni Relations Building, 228 E. Main St., North Adams.
  • Pittsfield: Thursday, June 12th, and Thursday, June 26th, from 9 a.m. to noon. District Office. 773 Tyler St., Pittsfield.
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Neal Tours Berkshire Innovation Center as Pittsfield's Tech Economy Grows

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. —Congressman Richard Neal visited the Berkshire Innovation Center Thursday to highlight $735,000 in federal funding secured for a new cybersecurity training and testing facility.
 
"The number one job of the federal government is to provide for the security of its people. I mean, we should never lose sight of that, whether it's China or Russia, every single day there are these belligerents that are attempting to infiltrate national security here in the United States, and we should not be naive about it," Neal said. "I mean, we can have an argument about proportionality; we can do a lot of different things, but not to miss the point of what they're trying to do every day."  
 
The new cybersecurity facility will provide regional manufacturers and businesses with research and design equipment, specialized lab space, and training facilities and is planned to be housed in a to-be-redeveloped space across the street from the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC), located at 45 Woodlawn Ave.
 
The derelict property, formerly owned by General Electric, is now known as the William Stanley Business Park.
 
The project is a $7.2 million dollar investment from the state, $5.2 million from the tech collaborative, $2 million from bond funding secured by Neal, and $1 million that will be split into two phases: $500,000 for BIC to begin building and $500,000 for Myrias Optics to start production in Pittsfield, said Mayor Peter Marchetti. 
 
BIC Executive Director Ben Sosne said manufacturers often highlight the need for help with cybersecurity, particularly in meeting the security requirements necessary to conduct business with General Dynamics and other major contractors.
 
Collaborators in the field and the public sector have recognized the need that has only grown since technology has advanced and is a great career opportunity, Sosne said. 
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