The chorus prepares to perform live, as did the band and orchestra. A number of other graduations had teed up recorded performances because of the uncertainty of pandemic restrictions. See more photos here.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield High School held what is believed to be the first-ever graduation in its "back yard" on Sunday, and the first time the event has been held at the school since at least the late 1980s.
The graduation celebration for the 187 seniors was musically charged with a performance from the band playing "The Mandalorian" by Ludwig Goransson, the chorus with a live rendering of "High Hopes" by Panic! At The Disco that had the graduates finger snapping, and the orchestra performing "Impromptu" by Jean Sibelius.
PHS chorus member and graduate Julia Ostellino-Moran sang "The Star-Spangled Banner."
A majority of the student speakers acknowledged post-high school paths that don't involve going to college. They emphasized that those who choose to pursue a trade, enroll in the military, or even take a year off should be celebrated equally.
"We have to realize that college isn't for everyone, and that's all right, today we also honor the young men and women who are, who have chosen other paths in life, we honor those who have decided to enlist in the Army, and other armed forces, and we honor their great courage," Class Council President Ryan Muller.
"We should also not forget about those who decided to go into the trades and go directly into the workforce and will probably make more money than any of us here today."
Muller pointed out that his peers have gotten into some of the "most elite universities and colleges in the world" such as Williams College, Northeastern University, University of California at Los Angeles, University of Southern California, University of Rochester, and many more.
"What is more important than success, however, is to not lose yourself along the journey," he said. "Yeah, some of us will move far away from Pittsfield and never even look back, and that's OK. This next chapter of our lives is about discovering who we were then, who we are now, and who we one day hope to be."
Class Council Member Da'Lisia Adorno said although COVID-19 "overstaying its welcome," the school administration was accommodating to her and her classmates while the virus completely changed the way they were educated.
"Not only do we face the normal challenges of being senior, deciding whether or not we're attending college, university, trade school, enlisting into the Army, or taking a gap year, but we also had to face the challenges that COVID-19 had placed on our shoulders," She said.
Adorno said the two weeks that school was initially shut down in March 2020 quickly turned into 14 months. She referenced making the trendy whipped coffee and doing YouTube star Chloe Ting workouts to pass the time, which quickly got old along with the shutdown itself.
"I know this year was not what we expected 13 years ago," Adorno said to her classmates. "But we still made our mark here under the dome, and we'll continue to make our mark in the paths we choose."
Fellow Class Council member Sadiya Quetti-Goodson believes that she will see her peers on magazines, billboards, in the National Basketball Association, on Broadway, and in the White House.
"There are endless possibilities for us right now, this may seem challenging and confusing or daunting and overwhelming, but there's beauty in the madness," she said. "I think that each and every one of us will end up where we are meant to be. We can agree and recognize the world is a little broken right now, however, you have the potential to reshape rebuild, and change it for the better."
Quetti-Goodson encouraged the class to do what makes them happy, do what they can to improve the world, and live the life that they want to live.
"I additionally believe it is of the utmost importance to clarify and remind everyone that no one measures your success except yourself, and this next chapter in your life, do not limit yourself to what others think you are capable of," she added.
"Challenge yourself, don't take no for an answer, and don't let others determine or dictate your success. Remember what you have overcome to get to this moment today and be proud of yourself. You are the Pittsfield High Generals."
Interim Principal Maggie Harrington-Esko also reminded the graduates that as they embark on the next chapter of their lives, it is important to "be yourself, be true to yourself, and be confident in who you are."
"This year, the world has seen division, loss, and isolation on such a large scale, but over the past few months, the PHS class of 2021 has brought hope and joy back to 300 East St.," she said. "You have rebuilt a community here, and for that, I'm forever grateful. You have filled our home under the dome with kindness, compassion, and given us a reason to celebrate."
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Pittsfield 2024 Business Wrap-Up: New Life and Closures
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
Mayor Peter Marchetti gets ice cream cones from the reopened King Cone on Fenn Street.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In 2024, the city's business landscape saw some shakeups, with restaurant openings and closures and some new ventures.
King Kone, a soft-serve staple, was purchased by the nonprofit Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds to be run as a workers' co-op. At the end of the 2023 season, the Barbarotta family closed the shop's order and pickup windows for the last time as they prepared to sell.
The ice cream shop had a soft opening in August, offering frozen treats on a "pay what you will" basis while employees perfected the craft.
In 2023, Roots and Dreams was allocated $179,000 to purchase the soft-serve ice cream shop at 133 Fenn St. and convert it into a worker cooperative. It owns a series of storefronts ranging from 117 to 129 Fenn St.
This model provides workers with a flat wage, revenue shares, and the opportunity to buy into the business.
There were moving trucks outside the location instead of preparations for the lunch rush. It was first reported by PCTV on its Facebook page and a call to the restaurant was answered by an employee who said the eatery had no plans to reopen.
The former Crossroads Cafe saw new life in 2024 as Bei Tempi, which is Italian for "good times." Owners Elizabeth and Richard Zucco wanted to bring back food while preserving the establishment's long-held popularity for live music.
In 2023, the Licensing Board approved a change of stock interest for Crossroads Cafe and an application from Zuke's Soups and Variety LLC, doing business as Bei Tempi, for the transfer of license, pledge of inventory, and pledge of license from C.T. Colvin Inc. doing business as Crossroads Cafe.
Bei Tempi was granted an entertainment license in June.
North Street saw a new breakfast and lunch spot when Marie's North Street Eatery and Gallery opened in the former Maria's European Delights.
Maria's European Delights closed at the end of 2022 after 15 years in business. Maria Sekowski's late husband Krzysztof "Kris" opened the store in Great Barrington in 2007, and, in 2013, it was moved to Pittsfield. The Eastern European deli was known for the smell of homemade soup, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa, and impromptu musical numbers.
New owner Neil Davis, a veteran entrepreneur, has kept an office in the historic Shipton building for about 10 years and Marie was a formal administrative assistant before they went into business together. He also owns a shredding business in California and has other startup ventures.
When Maria's closed, he saw an opportunity in the space and a way to connect with the community and purchased the business in February of 2023.
The space had been formerly occupied by Berkshire Palate, a farm-to-table eatery, which opened its second location in the Hotel on North in 2021. Around the same time, its owners opened 413 Bistro in the previously shuttered restaurant attached to the Holiday Inn on Main Street in North Adams.
Unfortunately, not all city eateries made it to 2025.
Attorney Bill Martin said there is a "really bad relationship" with the holder of The A's liquor license — with owners struggling to even get in contact. A few years ago, the former tenants went out of business and now, he said the GEAA is facing a worse situation with the latest tenants.
He said there are unpaid vendors, amounting to "tens of thousands of dollars worth of obligations that we're probably going to have to clear in connection with an application" for a liquor license transfer.
According to The A's Facebook, the restaurant appears to have been closed since late summer.
Pittsfield also saw a new plant shop and liquor store/Latin market.
Owners Emilee Yawn and Bonnie Marks opened the original location on historic Eagle Street in North Adams in 2020. Within two years, the shop outgrew the Eagle Street storefront and moved to a larger location on Main Street.
They offer classes and workshops, residential and commercial plant care, and sell various plants and related merchandise. They also offer personal and cleaning products that are green, sustainable, and refillable.
It features authentic Latin food from several countries, including Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.?
The owner Frank Goncalves would drive by the building every day and see the rough condition it was in. He made it into an opportunity to make the area look better and more welcoming.
Prior to the opening of the market, the Hispanic, South American, and Central American communities had to drive an hour or longer to get authentic Latin food, Goncalves said.
Independent Connections officially unveiled its Massachusetts branch on Fenn Street in March with a ribbon cutting. The IT solutions company's specializations include consulting, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.
"We're focused on serving local businesses with state-of-the-art technology while providing superior customer service," CEO Christa Proper said. "And Indy's presence in Pittsfield will help keep jobs here, and continue to attract talent to this area."
The building, formerly occupied by Alliance Appliance for more than 40 years, underwent a makeover after it was purchased by the company last year. Proper explained that it was an "employee collaboration," with staff members assisting in ripping out carpet, cutting bushes, cleaning windows, and painting.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren meets with local entrepreneurs Destiny Saunders, Jocelyn Guelce, Desean Scales and Ludwig Jean-Louis, who all received support through the Berkshire Black Economic Council.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren was in the city in July to talk small business opportunities and met with four local entrepreneurs who have received assistance, advice and promotion through the council's programs.
The Berkshire Black Economic Council's work to support and attract new small businesses to the gateway city got boost with $455,000 secured by Warren in 2023's appropriations package.
"I'm here to celebrate partnership because I really do believe that we have the pieces right, every part of it then starts to work better," Warren said. "And of course, I'm also here to celebrate being able to put nearly half a million dollars into funding this effort, and the work that is being done here to make sure that small businesses, that Black-owned small businesses, are not at a competitive disadvantage."
Jonathan Butler was recognized for a decade of leadership at 1Berkshire's annual meeting, held at Barrington Stage.
When Butler joined the organization in 2014, he was executive director of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce. He then navigated the 2016 merging of the chamber, Berkshire Economic Development Corp., Berkshire Business Bureau, and Berkshire Creative into the 1Berkshire that is known today.
While serving the entire county, 1Berkshire has had its strongest impact in Pittsfield, where it is headquartered. The organization has sold its property at 66 Allen St. after 12 years and will move to the second floor of Crawford Square on North Street.
A few businesses with locations in Pittsfield announced closures in 2024.
Designer and entrepreneur Annie Selke started with a bedding and sleep items business in 1994 as Pine Cone Hill. The largely wholesale home decor operation added Potluck Studios dinnerware in 2002 and Dash & Albert Rugs in 2003.
She invested nearly $4 million into the former Interprint mill on Peck's Road that dates to the 1860s and moved in 2007. The company was purchased by Rugs USA in 2023.
In the fall, signs appeared on Staples' front window in Berkshire Crossing indicating that it would close on Dec. 13. Then Big Lots announced in December that it would liquidate its assets after a purchase agreement with a competitor fell through.
"We all have worked extremely hard and have taken every step to complete a going concern sale," Bruce Thorn, Big Lots' president and CEO, said in the announcement.
"While we remain hopeful that we can close an alternative going concern transaction, in order to protect the value of the Big Lots estate, we have made the difficult decision to begin the GOB process."
The closeout retailer moved into the former Price Rite Marketplace on Dalton Avenue in 2021. The grocery had been in what was originally the Big N for 14 years before closing eight months after a million-dollar remodel. Big Lots had previously been in the Allendale Shopping Center.
Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. It operated nearly 1,400 stores nationwide but began closing more than 300 by August with plans for another 250 by January. The Pittsfield location had not been among the early closures.
Advanced Auto Parts, with three locations in the Berkshires, is also closing 500 stores and 200 independently owned locations by about June. The North Adams store has had a "going out of business" for weeks and one of the Pittsfield stores is also slated for closure.
The Public Safety Advisory Committee has ranked four properties to consider during its feasibility study on locations for a new police station. Three have existing structures and one is a vacant lot. click for more
During the event, Pittsfield Bureau Chief Brittany Polito will ask the four Select Board candidates questions curated from voter submissions.
click for more
Officials approved a third-party investigation on alleged staff misconduct at Pittsfield High School that's expected to wrap up by March. click for more
