Greylock Federal: upcoming workshops in October

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Greylock Federal Credit Union is offering three free workshops in October to help people understand how to build strong credit and avoid debt.

At 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6, "CreditAbility: Build a Strong Credit History” will be offered in Spanish at the Hudson branch, located at 464 Fairview Ave., Hudson, N.Y., and on Zoom. This class addresses who needs to build credit and why, the significance of a credit report and score, and how to establish credit. Participants will learn how to use credit wisely and identify costly pitfalls while gaining an understanding of rights and responsibilities as a consumer.

The following day at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7, "Avoiding the Gift of Debt” will provide strategies and tips to avoid debt during the holiday season. This class is offered via Zoom.

The final workshop in October is a second offering of "CreditAbility: Build a Strong Credit History" taught in Portuguese. The basics of credit will be covered at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19 at Greylock’s Community Empowerment Center, located at 75 Kellogg St. in Pittsfield, and on Zoom. As a sponsor of this class, Brazzucas Market will offer Brazilian food for in-person attendees.

For more information about these and other workshops and to register, visit www.greylock.org/CEC.

Colombian Artist Celebrates Immigrant Stories in New Pittsfield Mural

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
06:49AM / Saturday, October 24, 2026

Artist Laura Barrios explains the  inspiration of the mural, of immigrants building new lives in the Berkshires.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The walls along the Intermodal Center's train platform are a little more colorful following the unveiling of Let It Shine's third mural at that location, transforming a space once surrounded by bare concrete into a vibrant display of public art.

 

The unveiling on Thursday, marks the close of Let It Shine's 2026 outdoor public art season and the third year of its emerging artist program, said Mill Town Foundation Program Director Andy Wrba. 

 

Let It Shine's Emerging Artists Mentorship program was established in 2024 to support aspiring artists in the community by providing guidance, hands-on experiences, and opportunities to create large-scale public art.

 

"This mural, along with all the murals, as part of this emerging artist program, and even more broadly, all the murals that you see downtown throughout Pittsfield shows that we care about the cultural scene and we care about the creative people that live and work in our city," Wrba said.

 

The new mural, painted by Colombian artist Laura Barrios, celebrates immigrants who have built lives and found a sense of home in Berkshire County.

 

Barrios has been working on the piece for the last two months alongside mentor artist, Jesse Tobin McCauley. 

 

"It's a homage to the immigrants who work and make a home in the Berkshires … this is a very personal experience too because I am an immigrant," Barrios said in her speech.