Pasko's and Marguerite Bride Partnership

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Pasko Frame and Gift Center has been named the officialMarguerite Bride and Judy Gallup in front of new display at Pasko's Frame and Gift Center, 243 North Street, Pittsfield headquarters for Berkshire Fine Art Reproductions by Berkshires watercolorist Marguerite Bride. Under an agreement announced today by proprietor Judy Gallup, Pasko is now the only venue in the northeast where customers can find at least one reproduction of all of Bride's watercolors of Berkshire scenes.

Bride has been painting many of the region's most popular sights, as well as many out-of-the-way vistas, landscapes, and buildings, for the past 12     years. Her "Local Color" series now numbers 99 individual paintings. Many of her originals have been sold, and Pasko is the only venue to be offering a reproduction of every one as a print. Pasko is carrying some of the more popular reproductions in multiple sizes and framing options.

Fine art note cards from this series, individually or in boxed sets, are also available.

To introduce this partnership, Gallup is offering a 15% discount on any Bride print and framing combination through the rest of this year, including custom orders. Special orders from the catalog are promptly filled, usually within 24 hours.

Pasko Frame & Gift Center, located at 243 North Street in Pittsfield, has been regularly voted "Best Frame Shop in the Berkshires." In expanding her retail offerings, owner Judy Gallup said, "Our customers are looking for high-quality and reasonably-priced gifts of art, and are increasingly coming to Pasko for more than our expert framing and professional consultation. While their demands, and their gift lists, are expanding, at the same time they are interested in controlling their costs. Having such a broad, complete series all in one place meets both of those goals, and simplifies the search for unique or hard-to-find gifts."

Additionally, works by many other local artists on display and available at Pasko include landscape photography in barnboard frames by Jeff Gardner; oil and acrylic paintings by Russ Potak; reproductions by Walt Pasko and Leonard Weber; framed photography by Keith Emerling; Pittsfield Parade prints by Suzanne Goudreau; and assorted works by Cheri Allison and Linda Sylvestri.


"Our repeat customers, as well as those who are just discovering us, tell us they want to concentrate on artists of the Berkshires," said Gallup. "We are dedicated to supporting the local economy, as well as showcasing our own environs, by offering the works of a number of our local artists."

In addition to the reproductions and original works by local and regional artists, Pasko’s has also been focusing on expansion of fine gift selections which now includes Irish jewelry, musical statues, P. Buckley Moss ornaments and prints, framed reproductions (including Rockwell's Main Street at Christmas and Leonard Weber’s very popular Berkshire landmarks), pottery by Bill Campbell, assorted fine glassware and new baby gifts in silver.

Pasko will be participating in the Open Studios event sponsored by the Storefront Artists Project and Art On North, on December 13, hosting an open house from 12noon – 4pm. Pasko Frame & Gift Center is located at 243 North Street, Pittsfield, Mass. Hours are Monday – Saturday 9:30a.m. – 5p.m., Thursdays until 8 during the holiday season. 413-442-2680.

Bride's entire collection can be seen on-line at www.margebride.com

Caption for attached picture: Marguerite Bride and Judy Gallup in front of new display at Pasko's Frame and Gift Center, 243 North Street, Pittsfield.
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Pittsfield Council Passes $232.7M Budget

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council unanimously approved a $232.7 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year. 

It is a modest, almost 2.9 percent increase from FY26. 

"I do want to give the community kind of a heads up as we move forward on budgets. What we see coming out of the federal government that's trickling down to the states, it's going to be harder and harder for us as a community to meet our needs under the Proposition 2 1/2," Councilor at Large Alisa Costa said. 

"We're going to have challenges, as we've seen communities across the state trying to override the Proposition 2 1/2, because we have dwindling amounts of money coming from the state and federal government." 

She pointed out that, at the same time, utility bills are going up for both residents and the city, as are the costs of pavement and other items. 

The amended budget of $232,777,720, down from the $232,782,090 originally proposed, includes cuts to the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the restoration of funds for councilors to attend the annual Massachusetts Municipal Association conference. 

The Pittsfield Public Schools' $86,855,061 budget includes $68,886,061 in state Chapter 70 funding and $18 million from the city. With $345,000 in school choice and Richmond tuition revenues, it totals $87,200,061 and is an approximately $300,000 increase from the Pittsfield Public Schools' FY26 budget of $86.9 million. 

The district's budget will fund 13 schools, as Morningside Community School will retire in the fall, and includes the middle school restructuring. 

Councilors also approved the use of $2 million in certified free cash to reduce the tax rate, and appropriated $450,551 for parking-related expenditures. 

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