Berkshire County has been losing population since 1970, but new data compiled by the U.S. Postal Service suggests that trend is slowing and might even be in the early stages of reverse.
Planning group to apply federal money to Berkshires’ pandemic-recovery efforts
The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission has received $842,522 in federal CARES Act money to develop a program to provide technical assistance to area businesses and municipalities recovering from the economic disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and better prepare them for similar events.
Executive Spotlight: Tom Matuszko
Get to know BRPC executive director Tom Matuszko in the Berkshire Eagle’s first executive spotlight of 2021:
PITTSFIELD — Thomas Matuszko grew up on his family farm in Hadley, then briefly pursued farming as a profession. Working the land didn’t excite him, but preserving farmland from developers certainly did.
Berkshire County’s Top Health Official Tracking Regional Impacts With Lenox In COVID Red Zone
LENOX – The town of Lenox, Massachusetts was pushed into the Massachusetts Department of Health’s COVID-19 “red zone” designation last week with an average daily incidence rate of 38.4 per 100,000. It was the only Berkshire County community given that high-risk designation through mid-November, with around 30 active cases.
New grant program to help Berkshire businesses cover COVID-19 expenses
The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission has created a grant program to help businesses pay for COVID-19-related expenses.
The Berkshire County COVID-19 Adaptation Fund will assist businesses and organizations with up to 25 employees. Applicants can use the funds to cover the purchase of personal protection equipment and other COVID-related supplies, along with general businesses expenses, which include rent, utilities, payroll and insurance.
Pittsfield Aims to Make Lower-Income Neighborhoods Greener
PITTSFIELD — Two city neighborhoods will be going from “Grey to Green” as part of a project to engage the community and prioritize green planning in a social and racial justice context.
Studies have shown that low-income neighborhoods are more concrete or “gray” than higher-income neighborhoods, which can have a deleterious effect on the health of residents, Senior Planner Allison Egan told the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission on Thursday.