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The only community meeting held so far was well attended, so much that people were being turned away at the door because of crowding.

Community Meeting Set on Pittsfield Refugee Resettlement Program

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The organization heading the refugee resettlement program in Pittsfield will hold its second community meeting on the topic on Monday, Feb. 13.
 
Jewish Family Services of Western Massachusetts is looking to resettle 50 refugees from Iraq and Syria in Pittsfield. The group announced its intentions in September and held a community meeting later that month. That meeting was so well attended that people were being turned away at the door.
 
In January, the U.S. State Department approved Pittsfield as being a site for resettlement and the group announced it will have another round of community meetings. One was scheduled for Monday at Morningside School but that has since been canceled. The second is still scheduled for Feb. 13 at Herberg Middle School at 6 p.m.
 
"Jewish Family Service has been helping refugees to build new lives in Western Massachusetts for more than 40 years. We have been incredibly fortunate to have the strong support of the community in this work," said Maxine Stein, CEO of Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts, said in a statement.
 
"Each year, we resettle more than 240 refugees through our Springfield office. Last year alone, we helped more than 80 families begin new lives in safety and freedom in the Springfield area. By expanding to Pittsfield, we will be able to help welcome an additional 50 refugees this year."
 
However, an executive order signed by President Trump put halt on resettlement programs. The impact of that order is expected to be discussed at the meeting on Feb. 13.
 
Jewish Family Services previously said Pittsfield is a particularly good place for a resettlement program because it had taken in hundreds from the former Soviet Union throughout the 1970s, '80s, and '90s, has low housing costs to help refugees who feel heavy burdens of rent, an array of job opportunities, and leaders and people willing to help out.
 
"Newly arrived refugees need a safe, welcoming community in which they can rebuild their lives and contribute to the local economy. Pittsfield is an ideal location for resettlement because of its strong local industries, employment opportunities and low housing costs, all of which will make it easier for refugees to quickly attain self-sufficiency," Stein said in a statement.
 
And many city leaders are behind it, including Mayor Linda Tyer and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier. 
 
"Acts of violence perpetrated on the Syrian people are incomprehensible to those of us who live in a protected and secure nation," Tyer said in a statement. "I believe strongly, both personally and professionally, in our obligation to respond to this humanitarian crisis. And, I am committed to ensuring that the citizens of Pittsfield have ample opportunity to learn more about this endeavor and to providing a welcoming environment to those from Syria who we may someday call friend and neighbor."
 
Farley-Bouvier said, "I'm pleased to see that this process is moving forward. The people of Pittsfield have made it clear that they are eager to open their hearts and welcome new neighbors to our community. I'm particularly pleased that we are partnering with Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts who has many years of professional experience in refugee resettlement."

Tags: community meeting,   refugees,   

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Pittsfield to Consider Speeding Cameras

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Will Pittsfield have speeding cameras in 2026? That is to be decided.

Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren would like the city to consider traffic cameras for speeding enforcement. The City Council referred his petition to Mayor Peter Marchetti last week. 

"Obviously, the mayor's got to consider it, consider whether it's something we are willing to do, something that we are willing to pay for," he said.

Warren suggested the use of speed safety cameras to deal with the city's almost "epidemic" speeding problems.

"Safety dictates that we expand our arsenal in the fight for speed mitigation in order to foster safe streets," he wrote to fellow councilors.

Gov. Maura Healey's $62 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 includes a provision to legalize the traffic cameras starting in July of next year. Before this, state law did not allow for them.

"As people may remember, I petitioned for this before, but at the time the state law — and I did not realize that, I made a mistake — the state law didn't allow it," Warren explained.

"…This would allow tickets to be issued by a stationary camera so it would supplement our police."

He said councilors often hear requests for police officers to monitor streets where cars tend to speed but there is not always the workforce to meet those needs.

"It might be very helpful and cost-effective, but it's something that the mayor should look at and then we can go from there," he said.

Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey recalled his time living in Colorado and wondered why Massachusetts didn't use the cameras. He voted in opposition to the petition, as the cameras will illegal in the state for more than a year — should the Legislature pass the bill. 

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