The end to this saga, long delayed by the diocese's shameful obfuscation, underscores the fact that often such morally necessary accountability can only be unearthed by the courage of survivors and the tireless truth-seeking of community journalists.
Congratulations to all graduating this year, and thank you to the loved ones and educators in our Berkshire communities who helped them get here.
Like many groups critiquing Montana's TikTok ban, we worry about the implications for the First Amendment that stem from this frenzy of fear and political posturing.
After a year and a half of construction and millions of dollars invested, Berkshire Family YMCA's shiny makeover reflects some much-needed optimism in downtown Pittsfield.
We wish Chad Smith the best of luck in his new role, which we hope will usher in a harmonious new era for the BSO and Tanglewood.
It is worth noting that this legislation would put hemp on the list of APR-allowed crops right next to tobacco. If state law allows APR farmland to grow something only used for indisputably dangerous recreational use, why shouldn't it allow a crop given to far more productive uses that could boost a small farm's bottom line?
We agree with the SJC that the right to be rude is one the Massachusetts citizenry and any free people should have — not because of the benefit of rude speech but because public officials should not be able to silence their constituents’ criticisms based on an arbitrary metric.
As of this week, it looks like the proposed homeless shelter in an empty Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts dorm is now off the table. While that ends this intense community debate in North Adams, this saga still holds some hard lessons for MCLA leaders — if they're willing to learn.
Do Beacon Hill leaders believe they have zero constituents to serve in Western Massachusetts? Because that's what it feels like to folks in the Berkshires and other overlooked parts of the commonwealth when the Legislature ignores the governor's call for even minor investment in East-West rail.
Every election season, we stress to our readers the importance of realizing that your voice matters at the ballot box. This electoral outcome in West Stockbridge proves that's not a platitude but a fact.
It's always a good time to support critical community efforts against food insecurity, but this weekend will make for a particularly good opportunity for our Berkshire community to bounce back from last year's lower donations and show the people who operate and patronize local food pantries that we have their backs in this time of increasing need.
Is it fair to arbitrarily restrict some dairies to selling their wares only on their farm and not at the downtown farmers market? We think not, and this legislation seems like a fair way to address that arbitrary dynamic facing some Berkshire farms.
Trending Now
-
BRO MX in North Adams has two months to come into compliance with conservation restrictions
-
Fire outside Ward's nursery in Great Barrington causes large plumes of black smoke seen all over town
-
The redevelopment of the William Stanley Business Park's largest parcel could begin by late summer
-
U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Trump impeachment manager and member of the Jan. 6 committee, returning to the Berkshires
-
Tyringham's Robert Chapin Alsop, now 100, reflects on his service as a navigator in World War II
These are the ways that we not only relate what our communities can do for us but realize what we can do for our communities. Democracy only works if we do. This town meeting and local election season, let's get to work.
As Councilor Shade simply put it at Tuesday's City Council meeting, “We want to know what’s going on." We do, too — and the entire community deserves a much clearer view and a more-informed say before the decision is made.
Come November, Pittsfield voters will hire a new mayor to lead the city at the heart of the Berkshires. There’s a lot of race to run between now and then, and incumbent Mayor Linda Tyer forgoing reelection means City Hall’s corner office will see some new vision no matter the electoral outcome.
Joe Biden's announcement this week that he will run for reelection comes several months after former President Donald Trump's official campaign kickoff from Mar-a-Lago, increasing the likelihood of a second round in the brutal electoral battle that pushed American democracy to the brink.
It is never too much to ask that we all shoulder the responsibility of maintaining and repairing civility instead of allowing or contributing to its erosion.
As helpful as an effective set of rules might be, the lesson we must take from this ethical fiasco is that we citizens must demand that our elected leaders appoint thoughtful people of integrity to positions of great power — especially when those positions come with long tenure.
Whatever the intensity of the understandable hard feelings in Lee, it's reasonable to ask what the procedural limits of reflexive opposition are here.
With a grayer population compared to the state's average, Berkshire County disproportionately faces an issue looming large for Massachusetts' future and the nation's soul: How will our society address the rising and costly demand for nursing home care?
To some opposed to development proposals like the campground on relatively small pieces of the Glen, the seemingly sudden pace of progress over the last year might seem too quick or overwhelming. But the best way to show that the grand plan is progressing responsibly and sustainably is to ensure the commission tasked with overseeing that development has a clear mandate and reasonable parameters.
We've used this space far more than we'd prefer to lament the seemingly insurmountable infrastructure woes facing Berkshire towns and cities. From perilous potholes to crumbling sidewalks, these cracks in the very foundations of our communities not only frustrate our daily lives but increase risks to our public safety, too.
It's not uncommon to see spirited debates over alcohol sales and the tension between supporting smaller and bigger businesses, but this particularly contentious corner is one the Select Board did plenty to paint itself into.
To the editor: During a recent visit to Cape Cod, my husband and I noticed a particular T-shirt displayed in a shop window.
To the editor: Just a note to alert folks that technologies exist that can help mitigate the presence of PFAS here and elsewhere. ("These thre…
To the editor: I want to thank the staff in the Pittsfield Parks Commission for once again doing a great job beautifying our parks as litter c…
To the editor: Now that the Pittsfield Parks Commission has approved the restoration of the Springside Park pond ("A plan to restore Springsid…
WILLIAMSTOWN — Whenever my paternal grandmother felt the need to replace her car, she’d head to her usual source: a large Oldsmobile dealershi…
As Russia braces for Ukraine’s expected summer counteroffensive, its military has been weakened by months of severe losses in the Eastern Ukra…
Dr. Brenda Butler: More family time, less social media is key to fighting youth mental health crisis
Social media introduces a whole new range of pressures like online bullying, inappropriate content, and unrealistic standards around physical …
The debt ceiling might be the single dumbest feature of U.S. law. Congress decides to spend money and later schedules a separate vote on wheth…
My alma mater the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, like many colleges across the country, faces fundamental challenges to its survival a…
To the editor: I question Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts President James Birge’s commitment to education and to our North Berkshire community.
To the editor: It has come to my attention that the former Berkshire Mall is perhaps being turned in to a marijuana cultivation facility. ("JM…
For many years, I challenged Mother Nature. She was of the opinion that the dandelion was a flower to be appreciated, and I was of the opinion…
Letters to the Editor
To the editor: "The quest for a queen" (Eagle, May 17) was a very well-written article.
To the editor: Though I live in Columbia County, N.Y., some of my fondest memories of the region are visits to the Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington.
To the editor: Thank you to Eagle journalist Gillian Jones for her thoughtful March 28 opinion piece “Saying goodbye to my primary care physician — after three decades.”
To the editor: In his recent letter, Tony Smith argued that if Donald Trump were president, Vladimir Putin wouldn't have invaded Ukraine. ("Letter: Takeaways from the Durham report," Eagle, May 23.)
To the editor: We are getting frighteningly closer to the U.S. defaulting on its debts.
Columnists
It was with sadness that I watched Florida’s governor and candidate for president of the United States comment on removal of Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” from a Miami-Dade elementary school.
It’s always the big question, when you move to a new home: What are the neighbors like? Noisy, nosy, quiet, friendly? Furry, feathery, carnivorous, vegetarian?
As we pass the solemn one-year anniversary of the Uvalde, Texas mass school shooting, mass shootings continue on a regular basis in our country, with no end in sight. As we proudly fly our American flags this Memorial Day, perhaps we should consider flying them at half-mast in indefinitely?
Hungary is blocking $540 million in European Union military to aid to Ukraine. Of the 27 countries in the EU and of the 31 countries in NATO, Hungary stands out as the sole pro-Russia outlier.
Things to do this week in Berkshire County
Things to do this week in Berkshire County
The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires presents the 2023 Berkshire Nonprofit Awards
A tribute to those we have lost, December 2022 - February 2023
Prepare for the long-term with The Berkshire Eagle’s annual guide to financial readiness and life planning.
A tribute to those we have lost, September - November 2022
The best of the best of Berkshire County, chosen by Berkshire Eagle readers
1Berkshire presents the official guide to the 66th Annual Fall Foliage Parade.
