Berkshire County — President Donald J. Trump started his second non-consecutive term on January 20, 2025. Throughout 2025, the effects of his administration’s decisions were felt across America and had direct impacts on Berkshire County: multiple raids and arrests of county residents by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), attempted federal funding cuts of SNAP benefits in November, and numerous protests against the administration and its policies throughout the year.
Despite all the bad in 2025, there were still some silver linings: After years of planning, a sculpture of W.E.B. Du Bois was unveiled at the Mason Library in July; nonprofit organizations came together throughout the year to support those in need, and creative organizations continued to bring people together to enjoy the vast wealth of arts and culture in Berkshire County.
With all the year’s ups and downs, here is Part One of The Berkshire Edge’s recap of 2025:
January
Great Barrington resident Leigh Davis was sworn in as the new state representative for the 3rd Berkshire District at the State House in Boston on January 1. She took the seat previously held by State Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli who, after 22 years of serving the district, announced in February 2024 that he would not run again.
On January 6, Alex Kemp, a 19-year-old New Jersey resident and Williams College student, died following a ski accident at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort. The accident took place on the left side of Cutter Trail, and the caller said that Kemp went over an embankment and appeared to have suffered significant head trauma.
In early January, nonprofit organization Berkshire Pulse announced it had purchased a building at 410 Park Street in Great Barrington to eventually be used for its programs. According to its website, Berkshire Pulse’s mission is to “build and strengthen community life through diverse and accessible programming in performing, movement, and creative arts.” The organization offers multiple programs, classes, and workshops, including a youth performing arts program, a young choreographers program, school programs, and artist residencies.
On January 16, representatives from The Triplex Cinema signed a new mortgage deal with NBT Bank. The nonprofit organization operating The Triplex formed in April 2023 to purchase the theater from previous owner Richard Stanley, a South Egremont resident who owned the theater for 28 years. According to Triplex Cinema Board President Nicki Wilson, Stanley held a five-year mortgage on Triplex’s original purchase price of $1 million. “But due to the mortgage’s short length of time, our annual interest was astronomical, which put our very existence in jeopardy,” Wilson wrote via email to The Berkshire Edge before the mortgage signing. “NBT Bank’s willingness to step in and negotiate with us has been a lifesaver.”
Also on January 16, at a Berkshire Hills Regional School Committee meeting, Superintendent Peter Dillon announced that the district extended the contract for Jake McCandless, principal of W.E.B. Du Bois Middle School, through June 2028. McCandless has had a career in education spanning more than 30 years.
On January 18, two days before President Trump’s second inauguration, people from across the country participated in the “People’s March.” More than 20 residents attended the “People’s March” event in front of Town Hall in Great Barrington. These protests against the Trump administration increased in size throughout the year.
On January 20, an event organized by Multicultural BRIDGE commemorated and celebrated the work of Martin Luther King Jr.
On January 21, President Donald J. Trump announced a directive allowing officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to go into what were previously known as “sensitive” areas, including churches and schools, to enforce immigration laws. The directive rescinds guidelines that were previously put in place for ICE and CBP by the Biden administration. During a Berkshire Hills Regional School District Committee meeting on January 30, community members discussed issues surrounding a potential ICE presence in the school district. Meanwhile, representatives from the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office and Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office said they would not proactively engage with ICE agents.
On January 24, long-troubled utility company Housatonic Water Works gave the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) notice that it was delaying the installation of a manganese filter system. The company put the blame on litigation from Great Barrington and its Board of Health. In early February, however, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) insisted that HWW must go forward with the installation of the system.
February
In early February, the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires started its “Hate has no home here” campaign in response to a rise in antisemitic incidents in the area.
On February 1, President Trump announced that his administration would impose import tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. Reacting to the announcement, 1Berkshire President and CEO Jonathan Butler told The Berkshire Edge at the time that the tariffs would have negative impacts on the economy of Berkshire County.
On February 5, Paul and Eileen Masiero, owners of Baba Louie’s restaurant at 42/44 Railroad Street, announced that the restaurant would be closing on March 1 after 25 years in business.
The Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office announced on February 10 that 10 residents in Berkshire County were arrested in connection with drug trafficking.
More than 60 years after the death of William Edward Burghardt “W.E.B.” Du Bois, the eighth annual Du Bois Legacy Festival celebrated the life and legacy of its namesake at various locations throughout Berkshire County from February 20 through February 22.
On February 21, Dewey Hall hosted a panel discussion titled “EMS Crisis in the Berkshires”; however, Action Ambulance CEO Mike Woronka, who was one of the panel participants, said during the discussion that EMS providers across the Commonwealth are “beyond crisis mode.”
In late February, due to an estimated $800,000 loss in fiscal 2026, Community Health Programs (CHP) Berkshires laid off three full-time employees and ended its mobile health unit. The Great Barrington-based organization offers numerous health services and programs, including services through a sliding-fee discount program; mobile health clinics; and services in the Great Barrington Community Health Center, Lee Family Practice, Pittsfield Neighborhood Health Center, North Adams Family Medical and Dental, and other locations throughout Berkshire County providing pediatric and dental services.
March
On March 3, West Stockbridge Police Chief Marc Portieri told the town’s Select Board that he would retire effective on July 7. Portieri served as the town’s police chief for over eight years, previously serving at the Becket Police Department for over 20 years.
On March 6, Massachusetts Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler stopped by Monument Mountain Regional High School on his “Higher Education Financial Aid Road Show.” In the sixth stop on his eight-school tour, he spoke to students about the importance of FAFSA and state aid and addressed their concerns about potential U.S. Department of Education dismantling.
At its March 6 meeting, the Berkshire Hills Regional School District Committee approved the district’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget.
On March 9, community members and elected officials spoke at the “No Kings in America: Rally for Democracy” at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. The 90-minute event was co-organized by the Berkshire Democratic Brigades, Rural Freedom Network, Greylock Together, Left Field, Berkshire Indivisible, Progressive Democrats of America, and the NAACP Berkshire County Branch.
On March 11, a four-year-old child was killed in a structure fire at a duplex at 188-190 West Shaft Road in North Adams. Two members of the child’s family, an adult and a minor, sustained serious injuries in the incident.
Also on March 11, in the face of President Trump’s series of executive orders impacting LGBTQ+ rights, the Pittsfield City Council approved a resolution at their meeting declaring Pittsfield as a sanctuary city for transgender and gender-diverse people.
On March 13, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced that she was co-leading a coalition of 21 attorneys general in a lawsuit against Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and President Donald J. Trump over the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. In the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the coalition of attorneys general seeks a court order to stop the Trump administration’s policies to dismantle the department by cutting its workforce and programs.
On March 14, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center held a soft opening of its Indigo Room at the former firehouse at 20 Castle Street in Great Barrington with a performance by blues musician Bobby Rush. The firehouse was built in 1898 and was home to both the town’s fire and police departments for many years. The police department relocated to South Main Street in 1999, while the fire department relocated to a new building on State Road in 2010.
On March 18, Gov. Maura Healey and state officials from her administration met with Berkshire County officials at Lenox Town Hall. The event was part of Gov. Healey’s “Transforming Transportation Roadshow,” during which she toured the state to promote her proposed $8 billion transportation plan and Chapter 90 bill, which were both filed as legislation in January.
On March 19, ICE made its presence known in Lenox and Pittsfield, arresting at least one person at M&D Auto Sales at 105 Fourth Street in Pittsfield.
