Berkshire Athenaeum Hosts Seed Library Opening Celebration

07:14AM / Monday, March 16, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Saturday, March 21, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. – noon, the Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield's Public Library, will host an event to celebrate the season opening of the Berkshire Seed Library.

The centerpiece of this event will be a ribbon-cutting for the Seed Library at 11 am, after which anyone with a library card may select up to 10 packets of vegetable or flower seeds to take home, free of charge.

If those interested do not have a library card, patrons can sign up for one for free anytime the library is open. In the spirit of a community library, users are encouraged to learn how to save seeds from plants they grow and donate them to the library next season.

The Season Opening celebration will also include a Seed Exchange area. Anyone may bring seeds they have at home to share with their neighbors. Particularly welcome are seeds that are unique, saved from previous harvests, or hold special meaning to growers. No library card is required to share or collect seeds from the Seed Exchange.

Finally, community organizations including Roots Rising, Master Gardeners, and the Common Seed Project will be available to answer questions and discuss resources related to gardening and healthy food. The Berkshire Seed Library is supported by the Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum, and with donations from John's Ace Hardware, Carr Hardware, and the Pittsfield community. To learn more about the Seed Library, visit www.pittsfieldlibrary.org/seedlibrary.

For more information about the Seed Library Opening Celebration, call 413-499-9480 ext. 202 or email info@pittsfieldlibrary.org.

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15 People Displaced in Pittsfield Home Fires

Staff Reports11:35AM / Sunday, October 11, 2026

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 providedas 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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