Pittsfield Street Improvement Project: Oct 27-31

07:52AM / Monday, October 27, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. Be advised that the following street improvements are scheduled from October 27-31:

Contracted Road Work:

10/27: Loam and seed Allengate Avenue, Taconic Park Drive and Tamie Way
10/28: Finish paving Taconic Park Drive, Tamie Way and Vista Street
10/29 & 10/30: Finish paving Allengate Avenue and Michael Drive

West Street project update

The construction of new sidewalks and curbing work continues. The traffic signal installation prep work also continues. During this work, lane closures at various sections are expected. We encourage drivers to seek alternate routes if possible.

Sidewalk Repairs:

Wendell Avenue between Broad Street and Colt Road
Bartlett Avenue between East Housatonic Street and Colt Road

During this work, the sidewalks above will be closed for pedestrian use. Pedestrians are asked to use the sidewalks on the alternate side of the street while construction is underway. This work will take several weeks to complete and the weather may have an impact on the schedule.

Additional utility underground work, in the right of way, will occur on the following streets:

King Street
Valentine Road (between West Street and Taconic High School)
Holmes Road
Franklin Street, West Housatonic Street (Cadwell Road to Britton Street), Gale Avenue
Dewey Avenue

Use caution when traveling on these roads. Drivers should seek alternate routes to avoid traffic delays. This schedule is subject to change based upon weather conditions.

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

Greylock Youth SummerFest

Come join in on the wealth building fun! August 3-8. Click for event details. Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

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

Fenton: Governor's Council Must Deliver for the Berkshires

Community submissionGuest Column
10:22AM / Friday, August 28, 2026

I am a Springfield lawyer running for Governor's Council and I am asking for Berkshire County residents to support me over an incumbent from North Adams.

Here's why: Last year I learned about staffing issues in our regional courts that I could not ignore. In 2025, it was reported that four of Western Massachusetts' 11 Superior Court judgeships were vacant, all at the same time. A few weeks later, that grew to five vacancies. This meant there were only six Superior Court judges serving all of Western Mass at a time when Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties had more than 100 pending homicide cases.

Those numbers were alarming to me, so I started to engage with leaders in the community who work most closely with the court system and I came to learn that these vacancies were only the tip of the iceberg here in Berkshire County.

I learned that no Superior Court or District Court judge had been appointed from the Berkshires since the current incumbent took office. As a result, there is not a single Superior Court judge who lives in the Berkshires today, and several of the District Court judges drive in from other counties to support Berkshire courts in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams. Court staff also informed me about severe staffing shortages at the Berkshire Clerk of Courts office resulting in other counties needing to loan staff to the Berkshires just so hardworking employees can take a brief and planned summer vacation. This is not normal. These issues are a reflection of genuine problems with the Berkshire County court system and show a lack of proactive attention from our Governor's Councilor.

Instead of focusing on regional equity, I watched as the current incumbent celebrated that she has voted against the governor's nominees more than any other councilor, without much explanation as to why. Most recently, she voted against two extremely qualified former prosecutors for the Parole Board. This was despite an in-person plea from the governor and a letter of support from all the three of the district attorney's from Western Mass. Those votes do not show independence or standing up for principles, they demonstrate naivete, and an unwillingness to work with the key stakeholders.

I had seen and heard enough. I decided to jump in the race and challenge the incumbent to address these problems head-on.

I am a partner of a regional law firm. I understand our courts and the importance of having qualified, fair and hardworking judges. And I know how important it is to have judges from the Berkshires serving the Berkshires. To achieve that, you need strong relationships with the legal community and local stakeholders. You need to know how to use the power of the Governor's Council to fight forcefully for our region. And you need to be laser focused on identifying vacancies before they occur so that they can be filled quickly with local candidates.

View Full Story