BCC Sees Another $1M for New Trades Program

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College was allocated more than $1 million from the state for an HVAC and heat pump trades program.

This will help BCC renovate an existing space into a lab and classroom, with the hope of welcoming the program’s first students in early 2027. Executive Director of Workforce and Community Education Linda Clairmont said there is "clearly" an interest, a lot of momentum, and demand for the skilled trades.

"We are beyond excited about this opportunity, not only for the college, but for the region, to be able to create a skilled trades program for adults, and it's a complement to what is already happening at the college," she said. 

The $1,188,635 award was announced on Tuesday as part of $13.4 million to 13 state community colleges through the Mass Clean Energy Center’s new Heat Pump and HVAC Training Network.  Between state and federal funding, the college has recently been allocated more than $2 million to diversify its educational offerings. 

Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal visited the college to highlight the $995,000 he secured through congressionally directed spending for a Trades Academy. 

The nearly $1.2 million in state funds will support a renovation on the first floor of the field administration building for an HVAC heat pump and lab classroom, along with two cohorts of ten students. 

"We have made a lot of progress," Clairmont reported. 

"We've identified a location, right on campus. We are working with architects and engineers right now to design the space, along with some expertise in what is state-of-the-art for HVAC training in real-world environments." 

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.