1Berkshire Launches Pilot Program to Support Immigrant Entrepreneurs

PITTSFIELD, Mass. —  1Berkshire has announced a two-year pilot program aimed at supporting immigrant entrepreneurs in the Berkshires, funded by a one-time earmark from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Berkshire Immigrant Entrepreneurial Support Program consists of four key initiatives:

• Collaborative Partner Resource Allocations - These pre-identified funding allocations will help launch, sustain, or complete programs, projects, or efforts that add new capacity. 1Berkshire's support to Berkshire Community College's ESOL program for Spring and Fall 2025 is one such investment being made through this program. Future allocations will be announced as they occur.

• Women- and Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (WMBE) Certification Micro-Grants - For immigrant entrepreneurs and immigrant-owned businesses that it makes sense for, this program is offering micro-grants to help cover the cost of the certification process.

• Translation and Interpretive Services - By investing in ongoing translation and interpretation services, more materials, programs, training, and resources will be distributed in multiple languages to support entrepreneurs and their business growth.

• Tailored Technical Assistance and Training - Based on past and ongoing feedback, this tailored training and technical assistance will focus on the specific needs identified by members of the immigrant entrepreneur community and the partners providing them support already. Workshops will be announced and posted on the 1Berkshire Immigrant Entrepreneurial Support Program website.

Ben Lamb, 1Berkshire VP of Economic Development, highlighted the program's potential impact, emphasizing the contributions of immigrant-owned businesses to the local economy and downtown revitalization efforts.

"1Berkshire is excited that it can put these resources to good work and support our growing immigrant business community in ongoing and new ways over the next two years. Berkshire County has seen such an immense amount of private investment by many such businesses in recent years; creating jobs, driving redevelopment, building community, and injecting life into our downtowns," he said. "These added resources will further that regional, local and individual economic impact for these entrepreneurs committed to building their businesses in the Berkshires." 

More details and program updates can be found at 1Berkshire's website.

Pittsfield Council Says 'Yes' to Soccer at Crane Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:35AM / Saturday, June 13, 2026

The pitch will have the logos of the city and the US. and Massachusetts soccer associations. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is gladly accepting a "mini-pitch" from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring games back to Crane Park. 

Fueling excitement around the World Cup, U.S. Soccer has been working with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer League to make these facilities available to 20 communities — one of which will be at the park at the intersection of Benedict Road and Springside Avenue. 

The City Council accepted the gift on Tuesday during its regular meeting. 

A mini pitch is a compact, modular field typically used for soccer, and it can also accommodate inline skates. It has a galvanized steel border with built-in goals and a rubber plastic surface that is clicked together; installed on the existing inline hockey court. 

Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham said he has gone door to door speaking with nearby residents, and they are "really excited" about the upgrade. He also sees it as a great addition. 

"They say that nobody really uses the court a ton now, and they are excited to see kids back on there playing," he said. 

Decades ago, the Crane Park facility was a wading pool. It closed in 1980, and before the turn of the century, it was filled in and marked for hockey. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained that the wooden border around the rink is showing its age, has been vandalized and tagged, and the facility is seeing a "real decline" in use. 

"This would seem to be an appropriate spot for us to remove the board system that's in place and install the mini pitch system through this grant," he said.