PCTV and iBerkshires to Host Pittsfield Debates

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Community Television, in partnership with iBerkshires.com, will present televised debates featuring candidates for the Pittsfield municipal election, in all contested races over two nights next week. 
 
The debates will begin on Monday, Oct. 30 at Berkshire Community College in the K-111 auditorium beginning at 5:00 p.m.  The first debate will feature Ward 2 candidates Brittany Bandani and Alexander Blumin.  The Ward 3 debate will begin at 6:15 p.m. with candidates Matthew Wrinn and Bill Tyer.  At 7:00 p.m., the seven at-large city council candidates will face off in a 90-minute debate. The candidates for the at-large race are incumbents Pete White and Earl Persip as well as challengers Craig Benoit, Kathy Amuso, Daniel Miraglia, Alisa Costa, and Lucas Marion.   
 
On Wednesday, Nov. 1, another series of debates will happen at Berkshire Community College in the Boland Theater beginning at 5:00 p.m. The first debate will feature Ward 6 candidates Craig Gaetani and incumbent Dina Lampiasi.  The Ward 7 debate will begin at 6:15 p.m. with candidates Rhonda Serre and incumbent Anthony Maffuccio.  At 7:00 p.m. the mayoral debate will feature John Krol and Peter Marchetti.
 
The series of debates will be moderated by representatives of iBerkshires and Pittsfield Community Television.  The events are open to the public and will be broadcast live on PCTV CityLink Channel 1303 in Pittsfield, on the PCTV Select App available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, iOS, and Google Play, and on the Pittsfield Community Television Facebook page.
 
PCTV and iBerkshires are also soliciting questions from the public.  You can submit your question for the candidates to election@pittsfieldtv.org, and the panelists may choose to use the questions in the debates. 
 
Pittsfield's municipal election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7.  Polls open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. 

Tags: #PittsfieldElection,   debate,   PCTV,   


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Shoes at Pittsfield City Hall Give Shocking Visual of Countywide Child Abuse

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Amy Hall, president and CEO of Child Care of the Berkshires, speaks at Friday's annual Step Up event at Pittsfield City Hall.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — One case of child abuse is too many, Berkshire leaders say.

The steps of City Hall were lined with 56 pairs of children's shoes on Friday, representing the average number of children with confirmed abuse and neglect cases each month in the county. The Children's Trust and Child Care of the Berkshires coordinate this shocking visual yearly.

"Let's just take a minute and realize how many kids that is. That's probably about the number right here that are all together," Jennifer Valenzuela, executive director of the Children's Trust said.

"Fifty-six is  too many children that are being entered into our system and that something is happening in their home. The last time we were all here it was 2019 and there were 58 pairs of shoes so we're doing better. We've gone down by two a month."

She said the goal is for more children to have access to great child care and strong adult support. How does this become a reality? Strong programming and a strong workforce.

"Our home visitors and our family support staff wake up every day and they give unselfishly to the families across Massachusetts. They're supporting our families day in and day out. They're helping them learn about parenting and child development and helping them get set up in the systems that are available and signing up for programming. They're listening to the highs of what it is to be a parent and the lows and for those of us who are parents here, we know that there are many highs and lows," Valenzuela said.

"Their stories of why they do this are heartfelt and I've been going around the state over the last year and a half since I started. What I hear over and over again is, 'I love what I do. I wake up every day and I'm so grateful for the engagement I have with these families and the partnerships that we create. I want to do this for as long as I possibly can.'

"The problem is, they can't afford to stay. We're not paying our workforce enough for them to be able to live and to sustain in this type of work."

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