Mill Town Foundation, Pittsfield Public Schools Core Impact Awards

10:36AM / Wednesday, March 04, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mill Town Foundation, in partnership with Pittsfield Public Schools, announced the return of the Core Impact Awards.

According to a press release, the district-wide initiative recognizes educators and school staff members who are making a "meaningful difference in student learning, innovation in education, and community engagement."

Now in its second year, the Core Impact Awards will honor full-time teacher or staff member from each of the 14 schools in the Pittsfield Public School District.

"The Core Impact Awards are about more than recognition — they're about building a culture where educators feel valued and supported," said Andy Wrba, program director at Mill Town Foundation. "While we celebrate individual honorees, the broader message is for every teacher and school employee across Pittsfield: your work matters, and this community recognizes the impact you have."

Pittsfield Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Stokes emphasized the importance of spotlighting educators' contributions.

"Great teachers don't just teach lessons - they change lives," Stokes said. "The Core Impact Awards shine a light on the educators who make students feel seen, supported, and capable of more than they ever imagined. Watching last year's honorees experience that recognition — the pride, the joy, the emotion — was a powerful reminder of how important it is to celebrate the people who give so much of themselves every day."

The nomination period will be open March 2-15, 2026. Community members, students, parents, and colleagues are invited to submit nominations highlighting an educator's:

Student Impact: Evidence of inspiring or improving student outcomes.
Innovation in Teaching: Creative approaches to instruction and learning.
Community Engagement: Meaningful involvement within the school and broader community.
Nomination Quality: Thoughtfulness and clarity of the submission.

An independent community Selection Committee will review all nominations.

Recipients will be announced in April and formally honored at a community celebration in May. Each honoree will receive a recognition package celebrating their contributions to education and the Pittsfield community.

Nominations are open. They close on March 15. To submit a nomination, visit www.milltownfoundation.org.

Tags: mill town, Pittsfield Public Schools,

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Recent E. Coli Detection in Pontoosuc Lake Confined to Lanesborough

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:05AM / Tuesday, August 04, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Only Lanesborough's portion of Pontoosuc Lake had a bacterial exceedance last week.

During the Lake Management Commission's second meeting on Thursday, members received an update on the situation.

On July 22, the Lanesborough Board of Health closed the Sunrise Street and Narragansett Avenue beaches due to high E. Coli levels. They have since cleared.

"We didn't have any bacterial exceedance in Pittsfield, so there's no concern at all last week for any E. coli concerns in Pittsfield,” Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath reported.

Regular monitoring for bacterial exceedances at swimming beaches across the Commonwealth is required. Pittsfield's Board of Health tests Pontoosuc and Onota Lake weekly on Wednesdays throughout the summer.

Lanesborough also conducts weekly testing through its Board of Health, and an exceedance was reported to the state at Sunrise Beach, at the very north end of Pontoosuc Lake.

McGrath noted that he did not see Narragansett Beach on the state's dashboard.

"The City of Pittsfield was made aware of the bacterial exceedance and we, of course, were concerned,” he said.

"Our weekly testing happened the next day on Wednesday. Our results were returned Thursday morning. We did not have a bacterial exceedance at Pontoosuc Lake Park, where we test off of the wall on the north side of the channel, and also proximate to the boat ramp, at this point in time.”

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