PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Museum has suspended its mask and vaccine requirements for visitors. Starting Monday, guests will not be required to wear masks nor show proof of vaccination.
This move follows guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and state and city health officials, who are no advising that indoor masking is no longer required because positive cases of COVID-19 have dramatically declined since the holidays.
The museum is among the first to drop all pandemic restrictions; a number of Berkshire institutions are still requiring masks and/or proof of vaccination, at least as of Monday. Public schools have already dropped their masking requirements or have set dates for those mandates to expire.
Pittsfield has dropped from red to yellow in this incident rate level and is reporting about 50 active cases in the city. About 76 percent of residents are now vaccinated.
Museum staff will continue to wear face coverings and encourage any unvaccinated visitors or those who have a weakened immune system or are at increased risk for severe disease due to age or an underlying medical condition or have someone in their household with a weakened immune system, to do the same, as recommended by public health officials.
"As we have done throughout the pandemic, we are following scientific evidence, striving to be good neighbors and community members, and adhering to the standards put forth by city and county leaders, and our public schools. We will continue to do so and recognize that this may be a temporary loosening of restrictions. We're all in this together, and we will continue to provide wonderful programming and exhibits to the entire community according to guidance from public health officials," according to a statement by co-Executive Directors Hilary Ferrone, Miriam Kronberg, and Craig Langlois. "We are grateful for the community's support and understanding of our previous admission restrictions as we sought to make every visitor's museum experience as safe as possible."
The museum's current exhibit is "Voyage to the Deep," based on French author Jules Verne's 1870 classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." At the center of this fantasy world is Captain Nemo's submarine, a giant Nautilus in which kids can climb aboard and discover the inner workings of a deep-sea submersible and explore the captain's Cabinet of Curiosities full of marine specimens.
Adults only can party at the "(un)Beach Bash!" on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. with Voyage to the Deep and the White Eyed Lizard Band. Tickets includes marine-inspired nibbles, tropical spirits, and a steel drum band. Admission is $50; members $40.
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ServiceNet Cuts Ribbon on Vocational Farm to 'Sow Seeds of Hope'
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
Lori Carnute plants flowers at the farm and enjoys seeing her friends.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Smiles were all around as farmers, human service workers, and officials cut the ribbon Friday on ServiceNet's new vocational farm on Crane Avenue.
Whether it is planting flowers or growing fresh produce, the program is for "sowing seeds of hope" for those with developmental disabilities.
"What Prospect Meadow Farm is about is changing lives," Vice President of Vocational Services Shawn Robinson said.
"Giving people something meaningful to do, a community to belong to, a place to go every day and to make a paycheck, and again, I am seeing that every day from our first 17 farmhands the smiles on their faces. They're glad to be here. They're glad to be making money."
Prospect Meadow Farm Berkshires held a launch event on Friday with tours, music, snacks, and a ribbon cutting in front of its tomato greenhouse. The nonprofit human service agency closed on the former Jodi's Seasonal on Crane Avenue earlier this year.
It is an expansion of ServiceNet's first farm in Hatfield that has provided meaningful agricultural work, fair wages, and personal and professional growth to hundreds of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities since opening in 2011.
Eventually, the farm will employ 50 individuals with developmental disabilities year-round and another 20 to 25 local folks supporting their work.
The pay is a great aspect for Billy Baker, who is learning valuable skills for future employment doing various tasks around the farm. He has known some of the ServiceNet community for over a decade.
"I just go wherever they need me to help," he said. "I'm more of a hands-on person."
Whether it is planting flowers or growing fresh produce, the program is for "sowing seeds of hope" for those with developmental disabilities.
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