UCP of Western Mass to Celebrate National White Cane Day

01:52PM / Saturday, October 11, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — UCP of Western Massachusetts will host a community celebration for National White Cane Day on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Courtyard at 75 South Church Street in Pittsfield.

This annual observance recognizes the importance of the white cane as a symbol of independence for people who are blind or visually impaired and raises awareness about accessibility, mobility, and inclusion.

The event will feature:

Official Mayoral Proclamation by Mayor Marchetti declaring Oct. 15 as White Cane Day in Pittsfield.
White Cane Challenge Course, giving sighted participants the chance to experience navigating everyday activities with a cane while blindfolded with a spotter person.
UCP's Assistive Technology department will have a demonstration of "Try It Stations" so that visual users can experience limited or low vision through technology. The department will have other practical devices for the low-vision community.

"White Cane Day is both a celebration of independence and an opportunity for education," said Randy Kinnas, CEO of UCP of Western Massachusetts. "By inviting the public to participate in activities and conversations, we hope to build understanding and strengthen our commitment to accessibility and inclusion in our community."

The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.

For more information & to RSVP, contact Liz Irwin at 413-442-1562 x 122, Eirwin@ucpwma.org or visit www.UCPWMA.org.

In case for inclement weather, we will hold the event inside 75 South Church St. (the Clocktower Building)

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Pittsfield Middle School Restructuring Effort Nearing Checkpoint

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:49PM / Monday, November 17, 2025

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Action items are coming into focus as the middle school restructuring vote nears.

In December, the School Committee will decide whether to begin moving into an upper elementary and junior high model, with Grades 5-6 in one school and 7-8 in another, or to push it off another year. After running sandbox scenarios, the district transportation team found that the current two-tier transportation system would have to be changed to three tiers.

"It's looking like it would be high school and then middle school and then elementary, but they're running the scenarios to see what would the timetable look like," Superintendent Latifah Phillips recently reported.

"How much time would there be in between the high school start and the elementary start time? And where would the middle school drop off look like?"

Based on her experience with other school districts, Phillips said high schools are usually dropped off earlier to coordinate with sports and after-school programs.

Over the summer, the School Committee voted to create an upper elementary school for Grades 5-6 and a junior high school for Grades 7-8 by the 2026-2027 academic year. A stipulation was added that if goals in the Middle School Restructuring Committee's timeline are not met by the December meeting, it will be delayed one year.

The committee then decided that Herberg will house Grades 5-6 and Reid will be home to Grades 7-8 when the middle schools restructure.

The working group had site visits in Chelmsford and Westfield, where they observed the facilities, educational models, and culture of schools that have restructured in similar ways. It recommended not putting it off another year because "it's what's best for 5th-6th-grade students."

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