Pittsfield Year in Review 2022
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| The Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade also returned this year. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — 2022 was a year of social justice issues, large sums of federal funding, and changes within the city.
Homelessness continued to be a strong presence in the community after it was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the community called for police accountability and mental health resources after a man in distress was shot and killed by police following a 911 call.
The city also grappled with allocating nearly $41 million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act funding for eligible programs, services, and capital investments.
Over the summer, Mayor Linda Tyer announced $8.6 million in allocations for housing insecurity and homelessness and $5.9 million in ARPA community awards.
The year began with a new city council term with some new faces and some returning councilors. Peter Marchetti, Peter White, and Earl Persip returned as at-large councilors but Karen Kalinowsky ousted incumbent Yuki Cohen.
Kenneth Warren was elected to Ward 1, Charles Kronick was elected to Ward 2, Kevin Sherman was elected to Ward 3, and James Conant was elected to Ward 4. Patrick Kavey returned as the Ward 5 councilor, Dina Lampiasi returned as the Ward 6 councilor, and Anthony Maffuccio returned as the Ward 7 Councilor.
In the fall, Timothy Shugrue was elected the next Berkshire County District Attorney after winning the race against Andrea Harrington in the primary election.
Shugrue vowed to make Berkshire County safer by prosecuting low-level offenders, like shoplifters, as part of a strategy to change their behavior. Harrington ran a platform of criminal justice reform that prioritized the prosecution of violent crime and treatment over incarceration.
On the recreation side, Pittsfield leaders launched a several million-dollar effort to restore the deteriorating Wahconah Park grandstand and established a Wahconah Park Restoration Committee.
The effort is supported by $3 million with the recent passage of the $1.7 billion omnibus spending bill.
The panel is looking at two options: to restore or rebuild the historic structure that was found to be structurally unstable and had to be closed for the season.
The city also saw a return of hallmark events such as the Fourth of July parade, the Halloween parade, and the in-person tree lighting ceremony.
Police Accountability and Mental Health Resources
Police accountability and mental health resources were dominant topics of conversation in the city after 22-year-old Miguel Estrella was killed by police in March.
This led to newly created positions in the city and a body camera pilot on Pittsfield police.
Police were deployed to Estrella's home on Onota Street twice on the evening of March 25 after receiving 911 calls that reported he was self-harming and intoxicated. After unsuccessful taser deployments, Pittsfield Police officer Nicholas Sondrini claimed that Estrella advanced on him with a knife and fatally shot him.
One of the department's mental health and substance abuse co-responders had reportedly gone off duty not long before the calls came in.
An internal investigation of the incident by the police department and an independent investigation from the District Attorney's office were conducted and both exonerated the officers.
The preliminary investigation by the Pittsfield Police Department found them to be in compliance with established guidelines for use of force. It states that Estrella had an apparent self-inflicted laceration to his face but says that he did not meet the criteria of a "person in crisis."
The DA's report cleared Sondrini of criminal charges, stating that he used lawful force with his firearm in self-defense and stated that both Sondrini and Coffey's taser deployments were lawfully used for self-defense and defense of another.
District Attorney Andrea Harrington said that Estrella did not receive the necessary mental health care.
"Many systems failed Miguel Estrella," she said. "He did not receive the mental health services that he needed. This is a result of decades of failure to invest in basic healthcare at the federal and state level. People here in Berkshire County are suffering due to that."
Estrella's death received a wide array of responses soon after while the investigations were still underway.
Former State Sen. Adam Hinds knew the young man personally, as he started a program for kids getting involved in or at risk of getting involved in violence. In a video post, he spoke of an urgent need to rethink the city's systems.
"As has been reported widely and publicly, Miguel struggled with serious mental health episodes and he was working through those issues, and when Miguel previously experienced a crisis, it was often one of these outreach workers who he or his girlfriend called, it literally saved his life multiple times in the past but on that night, outreach workers were not available and this is in addition to the co-responders who are not available, either," Hinds said.
"And I wanted to draw this out because it's an indirect example for me of when the state and when the city were providing alternative responses it has worked, it saved his life, and when it was not available, the wellness check during a mental health episode moved away from counselors and there was a tragic outcome.
"Here's the thing, I think no one is happy with our current systems and how they work, for example, police officers I speak with will express frustration that more and more is being put at their feet related to mental health crises and more so it's clear to me that we have to urgently rethink our systems, we have to be open to doing this work together, asking the tough questions and being committed to identifying the model that we can all get behind."
In April, around 200 people marched from Persip Park to City Hall and Park Square chanting "No justice no peace" and "Justice for Miguel."
"Miguel didn't need guns, he needed help, Miguel didn't need the police, he just needed help, anybody from the fire
station could have just sat down and had a conversation but instead they sent guns and crooked a** officers," Estrella's older brother Corey Johnson said.
"Justice for Miguel, justice for his mother, who came here from [the Dominican Republic,] believed in this place, said, 'I want to take my children and give them better opportunity,' how crazy is it that Miguel was deeply involved in your community, in our community, working for Habitat for Humanity, his mother feeding the homeless, and he got killed by the police."
Elina Estrella, Miguel's sister, said they wanted to turn the event into a positive thing by demanding change and making sure that it does not happen again.
The event also recognized Daniel Gillis, who was killed by Pittsfield Police Officer Christopher Colello in 2017 after police said he advanced on them while distraught with a knife.
The Pittsfield City Council had not responded to the event yet at the end of April and community members took to open microphone to demand change.
Following Estrella's death, efforts in addressing the shortage of mental health co-responders and implementing police surveillance were brought to the forefront.
In May, the council voted to support body cameras on Pittsfield police officers, one of the demands of the public.
Chief Wynn reported that the body camera pilot is "back on track" for implementation in late November after issues with the union caused a delay.
In September, the Ordinances and Rules subcommittee supported the creation of social worker and emergency co-responder positions within the city, one working with the Health Department and the other with the Police Department.
That same month, community members marched on the six-month anniversary of Estrella's death, demanding change and alternatives to policing.
"I've lost a sibling, but I've gained a community who sees exactly what I see: a need for change, a change that Miguel deserved a change that we deserve," his sister Elina Estrella said during a rally at Park Square.
"This march may not mean much to many, but it means so much for us, for the people who showed up, for the people who will be impacted in the future. It saddens me that we're here because of a death but it also enlightens me because we're trying to bring change and we're trying to make a difference in this small, small, small little world."
A conflict arose with the Police Advisory Review Board in August when members were notified that they would not be able to review the case because it is out of their purview, leading to a mass exodus the following month with five members resigning.
Homelessness
Housing insecurity was identified as one of the most pressing matters to be addressed with ARPA funds, leading to over $8 million being allocated for it.
This included $354,500 for the Fenn Street Emergency Shelter; $6.5 million for Pittsfield Permanent Supportive Housing and Housing Resource Center; $750,000 for White Terrace Apartments; $500,000 for an affordable housing trust; and $500,000 for the mayor's At Home in Pittsfield program.
The Fenn Street Emergency Shelter located in First United Methodist Church has been in the planning process for several years. It will replace the shelter at the former St. Joseph's High School that is operated by ServiceNet.
In the 6,000-square-foot layout, there will be up to 45 beds, meeting rooms, common areas, bathrooms with showers, and access to a fully upgraded commercial kitchen and dining area of approximately 3,000 square feet.
In September, plans arose for a permanent supportive housing complex on West Housatonic Street that would yield 28 units. It is designated as permanent supportive housing, which combines affordable housing and support services to build independent living skills and connect people with health, treatment, and employment resources.
That same month, Ward 2 Councilor Charles Kronick had a couple of petitions on the City Council agenda that dealt with homelessness: one requesting the Committee of the Whole host a hearing to address the impact of homelessness in the community and another requesting to postpone all of the Parks Departments' future funding requests and grant approvals until the prohibiting of camps in Springside Park is enforced.
The first failed with no conversation and the second failed with some councilors labeling it as an attack on the population.
In the petition, Kronick wrote that "Springside Park is in such a degraded state due to the damage caused by homeless camps which endanger abutting properties and present grave health risks" and that the "park is completely inhospitable to the taxpayers who are the lawful owners of it."
He argued that the proposal doesn't aim to criminalize homelessness or defund the department but his colleagues said otherwise.
"This petition, to me, reads as an attack on homeless people, people who are poor," Councilor at Large Earl Persip III said, adding that the people need to be supported and none of them want to live in the park.
In October, homeless residents took the open mic stand at City Council when there was a requested update on the city's efforts to aid them on the agenda.
Randy Ruusukallio, who resides in the St. Joseph's homeless shelter, called for more resources that serve people in a similar situation to his own.
"I feel like we should be treated with way more compassion, sympathy, respect," he said. "Less hypocrisy and contradictory. It's like a steady basis. We deal with that every day."
The Affordable Housing Trust, assisted by $500,00 in ARPA funding, met for the first time that month after being approved by the council in June.
The seven-member board aims to help the city address housing needs that disproportionately affect under-resourced residents. It will help to provide rental assistance programs, first-time homebuyer programs, and workforce housing programs for those who need them.
Restaurant Openings and Closures
The city bid farewell to a few well-known eateries in 2022 and welcomed some new ones.
In January, the new Taco Bell opened on Dalton Avenue after two years of planning and building. The former Taco Bell in Berkshire Crossing was renovated into a Chipotle Mexican Grill that opened in August.
Just in time for Saint Patrick's Day, Patrick's Pub re-opened its doors under the new ownership of John and Tucker McNinch. The father-son duo also owns 101 Restaurant and Bar in the Holiday Inn.
After about three years as a re-opened and re-vamped restaurant, The Lantern Bar and Grill closed in April.
The eatery has stood at the corner of North Street and Linden Street for around a century and was brought back to life in 2019 by Bjorn Somlo after Mark Papas closed it in 2017.
Somlo cited a decline in business that was exacerbated by the pandemic.
In May, the owners of Thistle and Mirth opened their third eatery in downtown Pittsfield: Lulu's Tiny Grocery.
The breakfast and lunch spot, located inside Crawford Square at 137 North Street, offers coffee and tea, bagels, sandwiches, pastries, and more. It opened in late May and has been well received by old and new customers.
Joad Bowman and Austin Oliver had been utilizing the space as a commissary for Thistle and Mirth and Flat Burger Society since the beginning of the year before opening Lulu's. They saw a need for a bagel spot in that block after the popular Bagels Too closed in 2017.
Tito's Mexican Bar and Grill closed its doors in the early summertime but was reopened early in December by the owners of La Fogata on Tyler Street. The former owner abandoned the liquor license and it had to be rescinded so that new owners could apply for another one, which was approved by the Licensing Board in November.
In the fall, Maria Sekowski announced that Maria's European Delights on North Street will be closing at the end of the year after nearly ten years in Pittsfield and around 15 years in business.
The Eastern European deli is known for its homemade soup, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa, and Sekowski's impromptu musical numbers and karaoke sessions.
Across the street from The Lantern, Mission Restaurant closed its doors at the end of October after 15 years on North Street.
In November, the former Elm Street Java House was sold and renamed Billy J's Elm Street Java House.
Earlier this month, the owner of Jae's Restaurant opened a location on Winter Street that serves American cuisine. The choice to stray from the eatery's typical pan-Asian offerings was made so that it did not step on the toes of Jae's at the Hilton Garden Inn on South Street.
On the horizon for Downtown Pittsfield is a brewery in the Onota building, which received a beer and wine liquor license approval from the Licensing Board in December.
Hot Plate Brewery, owned by Brooklyn, N.Y., transplants Mike Dell'Aquila and Sarah Real, is described as a microbrewery, characterized by producing 15,000 barrels or less per year, and will utilize local raw materials for ingredients.
It will have a 12-tap system that includes traditional beers, popular beers such as New England IPAs, and more experimental brews such as a chamomile blonde ale and a jalapeno pale ale.
BBQ restaurant Old Man Jeff's opened. On Merrill Rd., Mexican Grill El Habanero also opened in the former Papa Gino's.
Parks Improvements
2022 was a year for Wahconah Park after a structural evaluation of the facility in late 2021 revealed
concerns.
The city formed a Wahconah Park Restoration Committee over the summer which is tasked with assessing the current condition of the park, soliciting public input, recommending the specifics of the repairs, and making recommendations to the city on the hiring of project agents.
On the table is the option to restore or rebuild the facility.
The 18-acre park dates to 1892 (the first game was played Aug. 9 that year) and the shed grandstand from 1950. Numerous baseball luminaries from Casey Stengel to Lou Gehrig to Carlton Fisk to Jeff Reardon played at Wahconah, as well as Jim Thorpe, the Boston Red Sox, and African American pro teams.
The 2,000-seat 1950 grandstand was designed by architects Joseph McArthur Vance and Bradley & Gass, local firms responsible for a number of significant structures including the old Berkshire County Savings Bank building and the original Wahconah Regional High School.
The facility has had a number of additions and upgrades over the years, including updates in 1978 and 1997. The seating has increased to more than 3,000. The original cost was $114,345.80; the reconstruction is expected to run more than $10 million.
The committee had a tour of the park in August and it has agreed to hire an owner's project manager to oversee the operation.
Pontoosuc Lake Park got some attention in 2022 after the city began a venture to reimagine it the previous year.
The Parks Commission in February saw possible designs for the North and South side of the park that included the replacement or removal of the concrete retaining wall at the north park, a kayak launch at the western part of the north parking lot, parking lot and access improvements, and a pedestrian path along the water in the south park.
In May, a final master plan was released that includes a swimming area, floating docks, an accessible kayak and canoe launch, changing facilities, an open lawn, and a shoreline walk on the north side of the park. On the south side off of Hancock Road, there are new access stairs, a lake promenade and pier, wetland and shore restorations, new picnic areas, and accessible paths and parking.
Deming Park was the subject of a redesign plan that addresses traffic concerns.
The plan includes a traffic pattern that goes one way in at the current driveway and the addition of a new exit on a city-owned right of way onto Newell Street that is across from Lyman Street. It also includes a relocation of the Little League batting cage next to the existing batting cage and the relocation of the small Little League practice field to the southwest corner of the park.
In June, the commission gave the city the OK to move forward with a project to address parking concerns at Deming Park, recognizing that it has been a long-standing issue during Babe Ruth and Little League baseball season.
The city received funding for the Public Services Department this winter to hire engineers Fuss & O'Neill to survey the situation. Stakeholders within the park and representatives from the Parks Commission looked at a number of different concept ideas to increase internal parking and address other issues.
Nearby residents were upset about the plans, saying they felt blindsided, and requested a public hearing that was held in September.
Around 15 residents attended the hearing and expressed concerns about how the plan will affect them.
A Springside Park pickleball proposal also rose from the grave in November after the City Council scrapped its funding in 2019.
This time, the project is supported by $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act monies and is positioned farther away from residential homes on Bossidy Drive.
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