Pittsfield Announces North Pole Calling Program

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield's Department of Community Development Recreation Program will be conducting the 44th annual North Pole Calling Program on Wednesday, Dec. 10, and Thursday, Dec. 11, from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. 
 
Sign up forms have been sent home with Pittsfield children in Pre-K, Kindergarten and Grades 1 & 2.
 
Fillable forms that can be saved and emailed are available through a link on the city website at North Pole Calling Program (pittsfieldma.gov). 
 
Hard copy forms are also available at the City Clerk's Office in room 103 of City Hall, 70 Allen Street, as well as in the Department of Community Development, room 205.
 
Completed forms must be returned to City Hall or submitted online by Tuesday, December 9.
 
Please email completed forms to Jennifer VanBramer, Recreation and Special Events Coordinator, at jvanbramer@cityfofpittsfield.org.
 
Forms can also be mailed to:
Jennifer VanBramer
70 Allen St. Pittsfield, MA, 01201
Department of Community Development, Room 205
 
Do not send completed registration forms to the child's school.
 
This program is for City of Pittsfield children in pre-kindergarten through second grade. If older Pittsfield children still believe, please send in a form for them.
 
For questions, please call (413) 499-9371.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

15 People Displaced in Pittsfield Home Fires

Staff Reports

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fifteen people were displaced after 2-alarm home fires this weekend on Springside Avenue and Elaine Drive. 

On Friday evening, the Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 209 Springside Ave., which took a four-hour battle to extinguish and resulted in a partial roof collapse. The next day, on Saturday evening, crews knocked down a fire at 121 Elaine Drive in about an hour. 

The garage and part of the single-family home on Elaine Drive were gutted to the frame, along with a vehicle parked in the driveway. On Springside Avenue, the top level and porch of the multifamily were burned through.  

A GoFundMe has been started for the family of the Elaine Drive home, which includes several young children.  The fundraiser, with a $5,500 goal, explains they lost their home and all of their belongings. (iBerkshires.com does not confirm or endorse fundraisers; they are provided as information only.)

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries, and both incidents are under investigation.  One dog was rescued on Springside Avenue. 

On Oct. 10, around 6:15 p.m., PFD responded to the Springside Avenue home for a reported structure fire and saw a 2 1/2-story wood frame multifamily with a heavy blaze showing from the second-floor front porch, extending out. 

The building suffered a partial roof collapse, which prolonged extinguishment. The fire was brought under control after about four hours.

“An aggressive offensive attack was mounted by first arriving crews stretching hose lines into the building as well as primary searches that proved negative. Ladders were placed around the structure to provide access as well as escape if needed. An off-duty Fire Captain had also been on scene early in the incident to help evacuate the structure and rescue a dog,” PFD wrote in a press release. 

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