Be Aware of Runners Near BCC During Thursday Morning Fund-Raiser

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Residents are asked to be aware of traffic delays on outer West Street along the Berkshire Community College campus down to Meadow Ridge on Thanksgiving morning between 9 and 10 a.m. for the 10th annual MountainOne Thankful 5K.
 
The annual event is a fundraiser for the local Berkshire County food pantries.
 
As of Tuesday afternoon, there are close to 700 runners registered for the race. The event will have walkers and runners and more than 100 students participating for free.
 
Attendees are asked to remain on the left side of the road throughout the event to ensure traffic can flow through the event. The organizers ask the community to have patience and be aware of road conditions if they are traveling on outer West Street this Thanksgiving morning. The Pittsfield Police will be on duty to monitor and facilitate safe flow of traffic.
 
The annual event has raised more than $50,000 in the past 10 years for the community with the event and participation fundraising. Participants were charged with creating their own fundraising, which by Tuesday had raised more than $11,000.  
 
Registration for the event is open in person at Berkshire Running Center through Wednesday at 6 p.m. and the morning of the event at Berkshire Community College from 7:30 to 8:30. The race begins at 9 a.m., promptly.
 
The Berkshire Running Foundation is a nonprofit organization with the mission to improve and advance the positive effect the running community has on the neighborhoods in which we live. For more information on the foundation please visit berkshirerun.org or contact the executive director, Shiobbean Lemme at director@berkshirerun.org.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

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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