BCC to Celebrate 65 Years

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) invites all for a free Community Fest 2025, celebrating the College's 65th anniversary, on Saturday, Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. 
 
The celebration will take place on BCC's main campus, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. Community Fest honors BCC's accomplishments over the years, from new academic buildings and programs to an accessible quad and a new One Stop Enrollment Center. 
 
Community Fest  includes Build a Bear workshops (the first 200 children can build a free BCC Falcon stuffed animal), a "touch a truck" activity, face painting, arts and crafts, a community bake-off and tarot readings. Plus, visitors can join guided hikes of BCC's 180-acre campus, partake in athletic competitions at the updated Paterson Field House and take a dip in the only public outdoor pool in Berkshire County. 
 
Local food trucks, including La Chalupa and La Enchilada, Krispy Cone, BB's Hot Spot and KJ Nosh, will offer delicious food for sale, while Balderdash Wine Cellars, Hot Plate Brewery, and Big Elm Brewery will sell local brews and wines. 
 
Additional activities include: 
  • Guided tours of the newly reimagined campus 
  • Talks with student and alumni artists in the new Koussevitzky Arts Gallery 
  • An opportunity to record yourself in the new Recording Studio 
  • An archival display from the new BCC Library, featuring historical photographs and documents of the College over the years. 
  • Tours of the new nursing SIM lab and A&P lab 
  • Hands-on science experiments in the new Berkshire Science Commons 
  • Kid-friendly educational opportunities in the new Early Childhood Education lab 
 

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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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