BCC to Celebrate 65 Years

10:52AM / Tuesday, July 29, 2025Print Story | Email Story

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

Tags: BCC,

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

Save & Earn with Greylock

3.30% APY 6-month certificate. Click to learn more! Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Rename

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to rename the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

View Full Story