Women of Color Giving Circle, Berkshire County Chapter of NAACP Graduates Recognition Event

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Women of Color Giving Circle of the Berkshires, in collaboration with the NAACP – Berkshire County Branch will host the 23rd annual Graduates Recognition Event at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 31 at Berkshire Community College. 
 
The event will be held in the Connector building.  
 
The event, which is free and open to the public, recognizes Berkshire County high school graduates of African descent. Each student will receive a financial gift toward their academic pursuits. Additionally, graduates in attendance who are pursuing higher education and vocational/technical training will be eligible to receive additional stipend and scholarships from the sponsoring organizations.   
 
State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, Mayor Peter Marchetti of the city of Pittsfield, and Dennis Powell, president of the Berkshire County NAACP, will deliver greetings. The event emcee will be Mirabai Dyson, district legislative aide with the Office of Rep. Farley-Bouvier.  
 
The event will feature a selection by Abby Percy, an alumna of the Rites of Passage and Empowerment (R.O.P.E.) Program, a dance performance by Youth Alive Dance Coach, Serina Saunders, and a poem recitation by Iyrielle Spratling-Keele, an ambassador in R.O.P.E.    
 
The keynote speaker will be Shanique Rodriguez, Executive Director, Massachusetts Voter Table.  
 
The Women of Color Giving Circle of the Berkshires works to build community, encourage youth development and educational success.
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Governor Healey Announces $2M Boost for Pittsfield Tech Hub

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Governor Maura Healey visited the Berkshire Innovation Center on Wednesday to see where millions in state funding will help build a tech hub for advanced optics. 

On the same day, her administration announced a $2 million award to the BIC for its upcoming Advanced Manufacturing for Advanced Optics Lab.  This is on top of $5 million from the MA Tech Hub designation and a total of $1 million from the city’s economic development funds

"This is so inspiring to be at this site to look out at what was and to see how it's coming back to life in a new and even better form," Healey said, looking over at the former "moonscape" surface of Site 9 that is now greened over, a $10 million effort. 

"…One thing that we've leaned into as an administration is innovation. It's been core to who we are." 

An 8,000-square-foot addition is planned for the BIC to welcome a new company, Myrias Optics Inc. Myrias, a meta-optics producer, has a partnership with BIC tenant Electro Magnetic Applications for testing and simulation services, and the two companies will be able to work side by side once the expansion is complete. 

Project funding has been closed with this award, and shovels will be in the ground in the fall. Myrias will bring up to 55 employees to Pittsfield with an average salary of $110,000.

Patrick Larkin, founder and director of the Innovation Institute, the economic development division of the MassTech Collaborative, said this was only possible through the Tech Hub program that has "really catalyzed communities."

"This region has captured advanced optics. It’s where they want to build an economy," he reported. 

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