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GOVERNMENT
Pittsfield will take national stage as Vice President Harris appears at fundraiser
Harris plans to attend weekend fundraiser in Pittsfield. The City of Pittsfield will be on the national stage this weekend as Vice President Kamala Harris will make one of the first stops on her presidential campaign at a ticketed fundraiser there. Harris announced just days ago that she would look...
Lake Mansfield shut down to swimmers due to E.Coli levels
Great Barrington — The town’s Health Department has shut down Lake Mansfield to swimmers due to dangerous levels of E.Coli on Wednesday, July 24. Further details are not known, but this story will be updated as more details come in to The Berkshire Edge. According to an email...
THEN & NOW: Riverside Cemetery in North Egremont
Riverside Cemetery in North Egremont dates back to the early days of settlement by Dutch and English descendants. The cropped, close-up photograph of the old gateway entrance shown above and the complete panoramic view shown immediately below were taken by the Baldwin family that owned a Great Barrington piano and music store in the early 1900s. They later moved to California and returned to their former home on Baldwin Hill for a visit in the 1940s. The Baldwins had ancestors buried in the cemetery. The photograph features the only known image of the old entrance gate that eventually deteriorated and was torn down many decades ago. A present-day view of the cemetery is also shown below.
Afternoon Arrival Estimated for Harris on Saturday
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to arrive in Pittsfield early Saturday afternoon, according to emerging information about the campaign event. Gov. Maura Healey will greet her at Westfield-Barnes Airport around 12:30 p.m. The Pittsfield event is expected to start around 1:30 p.m. "Please be advised...
Meeting on Potential Purchase of Housatonic Water Works
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The town will set an October outreach meeting to gain residents' feedback on draft findings from an investigation into the feasibility of the town acquiring and operating Housatonic Water Works. The decision over a town acquisition of HWW would ultimately be made by voters at...
MA Residents: Catch A Concert In The Heart Of Lenox!
Bay State residents: We bring you Sounds of Summer at The Great Barrington VFW every Tuesday evening as crowds are dancing the night away. Did you know that on the day later in downtown Lenox, the popular weekly Concerts in the Park series is celebrating it's 15th anniversary by offering Wednesday night performances showcasing local and regional bands and you STILL have time to check out a FREE show.
Former Gov. Deval Patrick ready for VP Harris' trip to Berkshire County Saturday
Kamala Harris already made history four years ago when she was elected with President Joe Biden as vice president. Now, she's hoping to keep Democrats in control of the White House in an accelerated campaign against former President Donald Trump. It's anyone's guess right now November will play out now that the Trump-Biden rematch is off the table, but one person who is watching closely is former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick — who is raising money for Harris' effort in the Bay State, where he served two terms as its first Black governor.
Great Barrington’s Board of Health on Housatonic Water Works: ‘We are not the specific regulator for the water supply’
Great Barrington — Members of the town’s Board of Health discussed the board’s role in the handling of water quality problems with Housatonic Water Works (HWW) at the group’s meeting on Tuesday, July 23. According to town Health Agent Rebecca Jurczyk, over the past two weeks,...
Board of Health’s decision on tobacco sales at Dollar General tabled until future meeting
Great Barrington — The company that operates Dollar General wants to sell tobacco products at its store at 197 Main Street. The store, which is the seventh in Berkshire County, opened earlier this year in the former Walgreens location. According to its website, the company, based out of Goodlettsville,...
Pittsfield Advises Against Contact with Housatonic for 48 Hours after Accidental Discharge
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city of Pittsfield is advising people to avoid contact with the Housatonic River until late Friday night after an accidental discharge of untreated wastewater near 901 Holmes Road. The Department of Public Services and Utilities sent the notification by email to local media at 11:06...
Leigh Davis has demonstrated all the necessary attributes to serve as state representative
An ideal representative legislates, advocates, communicates, is accountable, and has been in our shoes, showing empathy that leads. After 11 positively impactful terms, Representative William “Smitty” Pignatelli is passing the torch for the 3rd Berkshire District, showing what a true representative does: putting the constituency above personal ego.
West Stockbridge’s Card Pond continues to be closed due to high bacteria levels in water
West Stockbridge — Although the town’s annual Card Pond Party is iconic in the area, this year, that tradition won’t be followed. The event was canceled June 14 and swimming at the popular recreation spot continues to be prohibited due to high levels of Escherichia coli (E. Coli) or harmful bacteria in the water. Pursuant to the town’s website, the local Board of Health will keep the pond closed until test results show safe levels of bacteria due to the risk of illness from coming into contact with water at the site. Notices were given June 25 and updated July 9.
Lee officials mull adding electric vehicle charging stations to downtown
Lee — Following a July 16 presentation by East Coast Renewable Energy (East Coast) President Nicholas Valorie, the Select Board is considering adding electric vehicle charging stations to the downtown area, with those locations yet to be determined. Valorie advocated that the program would create Level 3 charging stations within the town’s borders at no cost to the municipality for its first year of operation, the product of National Grid and Eversource incentives covering 97 percent of equipment and installation costs. East Coast would donate the remainder of the fees, including five years of software needed to run the stations.
Inaugural Scenic Sips Fest showcases the significance of Columbia County & its many offerings
Columbia County is home to a truly thriving variety of businesses, including a notable array of artisanal beverage producers. In an effort to spotlight the area’s breweries, cideries, wineries, and distilleries, this year’s first Scenic Sips Fest will be held on August 3rd from 4-8pm. Organized at Roeliff Jansen Park’s Hilltop Barn in Hillsdale, NY, the event will showcase a plethora of exciting provisions, including not only delicious, locally sourced beverages, but also tasty food, specially crafted goods, and delightful entertainment.
Columbia County Sanctuary Movement putting on 1st Annual Caribbean Festival this Saturday
Albany — Columbia County Sanctuary Movement is preparing for its 1st Annual Caribbean Festival this Saturday, July 27th. Their goal is to bring together Albany's diverse culture, people, businesses and also its new residents seeking asylum. It's free, running from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. at Jennings Landing, with...
Pecks Road bridge closed after MassDOT inspection
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Pecks Road bridge has been closed until further notice. The bridge had been a one-lane road since 2019 after an inspection found weakened support beam structures. Now, following an inspection and report Monday, MassDOT asked the city to shut it down completely due to more deterioration found.
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