Berkshires Opens Warming Centers, Provides Safety Resources Ahead of Frigid Weekend

Regional Warming Centers: Where to Stay Warm

• Police Station Front Lobby: Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
• North Adams Public Library: Open Friday (10 am to 5 pm), Saturday (10 am to 1pm) 
• Living Hope Church: Open Friday (8 am to 1 pm), Saturday (8 am to noon)  
• First Baptist Church: Open Saturday (9 am to noon) 
• North Adams City Hall: Open Friday (8 am to 4pm)

Williamstown

• Williamstown Police: Open Saturday and Sunday (Residents in need of shelter can call dispatch at (413) 458-5733 to gain access).

Pittsfield

• The Berkshire Athenaeum: Saturday (10 am to 5 pm), Sunday (8 am to 2 pm)
• 21 Pearl St.: Every night (10 pm to 8 am)

Great Barrington

• Town Hall

• libraries 

• Claire Teague Senior Center

• Berkshire South Community Center (Standard Hours)

Essential Cold Weather Safety Tips

Home Protection & Water Safety

The Dalton Fire and Water Departments, along with other regional agencies, recommend the following to prevent property damage:

• The "Drip" Rule: Allow a very thin stream of water to run from faucets located on exterior walls to prevent pipe freezes.

• Thermostat Consistency: Avoid dropping the heat at night; keep a steady temperature to ensure pipes in walls stay above freezing.

• Open Cabinets: Keep kitchen and bathroom sink cabinets open to allow warm air to circulate around plumbing.

• Pipe Thawing: If pipes freeze, use a hair dryer or space heater. Never use an open flame.

Personal Health & Pets

• The Three-Layer System: Wear a moisture-wicking base, an insulating middle layer (wool/fleece), and a windproof outer shell.

• Pet Safety: Keep pets indoors. If they must go out, limit time to a few minutes and wipe paws to remove salt and ice-melt chemicals.

• Check on Neighbors: Residents are encouraged to check on elderly neighbors or those living alone to ensure their heating systems are functioning.

Winter Storm & Municipal Impact

Following the extreme cold, a Winter Storm Watch remains in effect for Sunday and Monday, with up to 16 inches of snow possible.

• Williamstown Town Hall: Closed Monday, Jan 26.

• Pittsfield Snow Ops: Moving to 12-hour shifts starting early Sunday. No on-street parking, including on both sides of the street, will be allowed between 7 p.m. Saturday, January 24 through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, January 26. Residents in and around downtown Pittsfield are encouraged to use the McKay Street parking garage for parking, which will be open to the public free of charge starting Saturday, January 24 through the duration of the snow event. Non-permitted vehicles are prohibited from parking or standing in any open municipal or school parking lot between the hours of 12 a.m. and 7 a.m. Vehicles found in violation of the above parking regulations may be towed at the vehicle owner’s expense.

• Road Salt Warning: DPW officials warn that road salt becomes significantly less effective in temperatures below 10°F. Expect icy surfaces even after treatment.

Emergency Contact Directory

• Emergencies: 9-1-1

• North Adams Police (Non-Emergency): (413) 664-4944

• Williamstown Police (Non-Emergency): (413) 458-5733

• Dalton Fire District: (413) 684-0500

• National Grid (Power Outages): 1-800-465-1212

• Berkshire Gas: 1-800-292-5012

Social Service Organizations Highlight Challenges, Successes at Poverty Talk

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
08:04AM / Sunday, April 05, 2026

Dr. Jennifer Michaels of the Brien Center demonstrates how to use Narcan. Easy access to the drug has cut overdose deaths in the county by nearly half. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Recent actions at the federal level are making it harder for people to climb out of poverty.

Brad Gordon, executive director of Upside413, said he felt like he was doing a disservice by not recognizing national challenges and how they draw a direct line from choices being made by the Trump administration and the challenges the United States is facing. 

"They more generally impact people's ability to work their way out of poverty, and that's really, that's really the overarching dynamic," he said. 

"Poverty is incredibly corrosive, and it impacts all the topics that we'll talk about today." 

His comments came during a conversation on poverty hosted by Berkshire Community Action Council. Eight local service agency leaders detailed how they are supporting people during the current housing and affordability crisis, and the Berkshire state delegation spoke to their own efforts.

The event held on March 27 at the Berkshire Athenaeum included a working lunch and encouraged public feedback. 

"All of this information that we're going to gather today from both you and the panelists is going to drive our next three-year strategic plan," explained Deborah Leonczyk, BCAC's executive director. 

The conversation ranged from health care and housing production to financial literacy and child care.  Participating agencies included Upside 413, The Brien Center, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, MassHire Berkshire Career Center, Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and Child Care of the Berkshires. 

The federal choices Gordon spoke about included allocating $140 billion for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, investing $38 billion to convert warehouses into detention centers, cutting $1 trillion from Medicaid over 10 years, a proposed 50 percent increase in the defense budget, and cutting federal funding for supportive housing programs. 

Gordon pointed to past comments about how the region can't build its way out of the housing crisis because of money. He withdrew that statement, explaining, "You know what? That's bullshit, actually."

"I'm going to be honest with you, that is absolute bullshit. I have just observed over the last year or so how we're spending our money and the amount of money that we're spending on the federal side, and I'm no longer saying in good conscience that we can't build our way out of this," he said. 

Upside 413 provided a "Housing Demand in Western Massachusetts" report that was done in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst's Donahue Institute of Economic and Public Policy Research. It states that around 23,400 units are needed to meet current housing demand in Western Mass; 1,900 in Berkshire County in 2025.