Community Wellness Program Berkshire 150 Returns

PITTSFIELD,  Mass. — The Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) Wellness Program wants area residents to spring into the new season and improve their health and well-being through the fourth year of Berkshire 150.

Berkshire 150 is a community wellness program promoting exercise over a 5-week period, with the goal of exercising at least 150 minutes a week. That’s the number of minutes recommended by the Centers for Disease Control to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, in addition to eating the right foods.

Berkshire 150 runs from Sunday, April 13th to Saturday, May 17 and registration opens on April 1, 2025. Individuals can register at any time, even after the program starts, while teams must be registered by Sunday, April 13.

To register, visit the Berkshire Health Systems website at www.berkshirehealthsystems.org/berkshire150.

Individuals and teams can begin submitting their minutes on April 19 using a form that can be found on the BHS website. The final day for submitting minutes exercised is Tuesday, May 20.

Participants can join Berkshire 150 as an individual or form a team. Participants can keep track of the number of minutes exercised daily on their phone, a calendar, or by using a fitness tracking app. Each week, participants submit the total number of minutes they exercised using the Berkshire 150 online submission form. They will also be able to submit minutes for any previous weeks they may have missed at any point during the duration of the program.

"Our Wellness team is here to support all of the participants throughout the program, whether they need assistance registering, have questions about exercises, or want to learn more about healthy living," said Maureen Daniels, BHS Director of Wellness and Community Health. "Remember to stay hydrated, have fun, and work within your fitness level while exploring new activities. As always, please speak with your primary care provider before starting a new exercise program."

For more information, visit the BHS website or contact the Wellness Team at wellnessatwork@bhs1.org.

State Launches Workforce Innovation Tour at Interprint

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:38AM / Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Secretary of Labor Lauren Jones starts her statewide jobs tour at Interprint in Pittsfield on Monday. The colors in the signage were inspired by the Eras Tour. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development kicked off its "revolutionary" workforce tour at Interprint and learned some about decor printing.

On Monday, the Healey-Driscoll administration launched the "MassHire 250 Workforce Innovation Tour" to celebrate local and regional workforce innovations across the state. From now until July, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones will visit each of the state's 16 MassHire regional workforce boards to hear about partnerships that fuel and sustain sectors.

"Berkshire companies are innovative in creating new possibilities," said David Moresi, chair of the Berkshire Workforce Board. "Technology and innovation are part of the Berkshires' industrious past, thriving present, and limitless potential."

In celebration of Interprint's 40th year in the city, state and local officials toured the surface design and printing facility and even participated in an ink matching exercise. With around 200 employees, the company sells its decorative papers and films worldwide and has seen several expansions.

"As I often say, workforce development takes collaboration and the network of organizations, community leaders, and workforce partners represented here demonstrates the partnerships that drive outcomes from career coaching and job training to employment," Jones said.

"That was demonstrated certainly by hearing some of the highlights shared during our tour of the partnership with MassHire and the employment and professional development outcomes that we see at a company like Interprint."

In a week, Massachusetts will join five other states in celebrating Patriots Day, commemorating the inaugural battles of the American Revolutionary War: Lexington, Concord, and Menotomy (Arlington). The workforce tour builds on the launch of Massachusetts 250, a statewide initiative to celebrate 250 years of America's independence and Massachusetts' revolutionary legacy.

Jones noted the Taylor Swift's Eras Tour inspired the signage.