Berkshire County — From graduations, to protests, changes in municipal government, and benefits for nonprofit organizations, here are some of the many stories The Berkshire Edge covered from April through June 2025:
April
On April 1, Otis Poultry Farm owners Andy and Lynn Pyenson announced they would be shutting down their farm. Located at 1570 North Main Road, the farm has operated for over 121 years. “From our family to yours, thank you for your unwavering support over the generations,” the Pyensons wrote in their announcement. “This business has been more than just a place of work—it’s been a legacy, a gathering place, and a cornerstone of our town’s history. We are incredibly grateful to all of our loyal customers, dedicated employees, and the many friends we’ve made along the way.”
On April 5, in protest of the actions of the Trump administration, the national organization Indivisible organized Hands Off! protests throughout the United States, including Berkshire County. Pittsfield held its own Hands Off! protest in Park Square. Organizers of the Park Square event initially predicted an attendance of around 200 people; however, despite the rain, residents turned out in droves, far exceeding that prediction, with hundreds of people gathering in Park Square, many of them holding protest signs all around the park itself.
On April 8, after a nearly 90-minute public hearing at Great Barrington Town Hall, the town’s Selectboard and Finance Committee passed the town’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget. The proposed budget called for $3.39 million from the free cash line item to reduce the tax levy and avoid a Proposition 2½ override.
On April 9, local organizations Railroad Street Youth Project (RSYP), the South Berkshire Community Health Coalition, and the South County Rural Recovery Center co-sponsored a free showing of the documentary “Recovery City” at The Triplex. The documentary was released last year and chronicles four women from Worcester, Mass., dealing with addiction and its impacts on their lives.
On April 14, the Massachusetts Cultural Council announced that $3.57 million in grants were awarded to 57 performing arts centers, including several in Berkshire County, via the state’s Gaming Mitigation Fund. The formal announcement was made at an event at The Guthrie Center in Great Barrington.
On April 15, 10 people were charged in a child predator sting conducted by the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit, assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with the Berkshire County Law Enforcement Task Force. According to a press release issued by the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office Chief of Operations Julia Sabourin, the sting was a two-week-long operation aimed at apprehending child predators and was partially funded by the Human Trafficking Enforcement grant awarded to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.
On April 17, residents who attended a special town meeting rejected an article asking for the town to purchase long-troubled utility company Housatonic Water Works (HWW). Nearly 400 residents attended the meeting which was called by citizen’s petition.
On April 19, President Trump’s 90th day in office, the political action group 50501 (“50 protests, 50 states, one movement”) organized protests all across the country, including Berkshire County. As part of the April 19 national protest, rallies were held in Great Barrington, West Stockbridge, Pittsfield, and Williamstown. In Great Barrington, hundreds of people lined up in front of Town Hall and all the way down to Saint James Place on Main Street.
Also on April 19, 250 people attended the fifth annual Autism Awareness Walk and Resource Fair at Monument Mountain Regional High School. The event was a fundraiser for Great Barrington-based nonprofit organization Families Like Ours.
On April 22, after four months of searching for a permanent town manager for Great Barrington, the town’s Selectboard voted to restart the hiring process all over again. The vote was three to one, with Selectboard Chair Steve Bannon, Vice Chair Eric Gabriel, and board member Ben Elliott all agreeing to pass over the two finalists initially selected for the position, while Selectboard member Garfield Reed cast the lone dissenting vote.
May
On May 3, over 300 residents attended Great Barrington’s annual Town Meeting at Monument Mountain Regional High School. Over the course of the three-and-a-half-hour meeting, residents approved funds for a temporary Brookside Road bridge replacement, a zoning amendment for the Bard College at Simon’s Rock campus, as well as both the town’s budget and school district assessment for fiscal 2026.
On May 5, West Stockbridge held its annual Town Meeting, with 77 residents in attendance.
On May 6, a man in his 20s, reportedly a Mexican national, was apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Great Barrington. According to multiple sources who requested anonymity, an individual apprehended in the incident was employed as a kitchen chef in the Agaves Mexican Grill/Fiesta Restaurant Enterprise owned by Sandra Sosa. Multiple sources said that two people were apprehended in the incident.
On May 8, the town of Lee held its annual Town Meeting. One hundred fifty-two residents attended the meeting, with attendees passing all 17 articles on the Town Meeting Warrant.
Also on May 8, Bard College at Simon’s Rock announced that it would lay off 116 employees in the process of closing its campus in Great Barrington.
Community Access to the Arts (CATA) held its annual gala and performance “Kaleidoscope” at Shakespeare & Company, with performances from May 9 to May 12. The organization, founded in 1993 by dance therapist Sandy Newman, provides more than 2,200 art workshops annually—including painting, dancing, acting, songwriting, drumming, and yoga—for over 1,000 children, teens, and adults with disabilities in Berkshire County and Columbia County, N.Y.
On May 10, the 35th season of Great Barrington’s Farmers’ Market opened. Over 20 vendors from all throughout Berkshire County took part in the weekly event, including local farms, restaurants, and vendors. The event took place at 18 Church Street every Saturday until November 8.
On May 17, Bard College at Simon’s Rock held its 56th commencement ceremony. It was the end of an era for students as they moved on into the “real world.” It was also the end of an era for the college as it was its final commencement ceremony on the Great Barrington campus.
On May 26, towns throughout Berkshire County observed Memorial Day with various parades and events. Housatonic commemorated Memorial Day, a federal holiday observed since 1868 to honor members of the U.S. Armed Forces who have died in the line of duty, with a parade through town. Local veterans from various organizations, including members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, all took part in the event.
On May 28, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took another Great Barrington resident into custody.
Also on May 28, the Great Barrington Rotary Club awarded 38 local students from Berkshire Hills and Southern Berkshire regional school districts a total of $75,000 in scholarships at an event at Crissey Farm.
Filmmakers, actors, actresses, and people from all across the international film industry took part in the Berkshire International Film Festival. This year’s festival, which took place from May 29 to June 1, featured over 70 filmmakers from around the world and included 27 documentaries, 23 narrative features, and 25 short films, all originating from 22 countries.
On May 30, ICE agents apprehended a landscape gardener from his work outside Creative Building Solutions on Maple Avenue in Great Barrington. The agents forced him into a car and drove him away to an unknown location.
June
On June 1, Monument Mountain Regional High School held its 58th commencement at Tanglewood. The school graduated 129 students in the Class of 2025, and the event was a celebration of their accomplishments.
On June 2, students from W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School collaborated with the town to paint two crosswalks right near Mason Library in Great Barrington, located at 231 Main Street.
On June 6, Robin Helfand, owner of Robin’s Candy at 288 Main Street, announced that she sold her business to longtime customer Elise Contarsy. Helfand originally opened the store in Millerton, N.Y., in 2004. She moved to Great Barrington in 2007 and relocated the store to Main Street in Great Barrington in 2008, occupying the former location of White Knight Records.
Thousands of people attended the ninth annual Berkshire Pride Festival on June 7, at Pittsfield’s Common Park. According to its website, the mission of Berkshire Pride, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2017, is to “provide safe spaces and events where LGBTQIA+ community members can live and thrive as their authentic selves, not only during Pride Month, but also throughout the year.”
On June 8, The Berkshire Immigrant Center (BIC) held its sixth annual ‘Beacon of Hope’ benefit at Shakespeare & Company. The mission of the nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, which was founded in 1997 as the New American Citizenship Coalition, is to advocate for the rights of immigrants and to help them through various programs and initiatives. The organization provides more than 800 individuals annually with legal services, education, and resources.
On June 12, Southern Berkshire Regional School District Superintendent Beth Regulbuto announced her resignation, effective on August 15.
On June 14, millions of protestors across the country took part in the No Kings protests against the Trump administration. Rallies were held all across Berkshire County, including in Great Barrington and Pittsfield.
On June 18, Multicultural BRIDGE (Berkshire Resources for Integration of Diverse Groups and Education) held a Juneteenth Workshop and Celebration at the Lee Premium Outlets in collaboration with the town. The event was held as part of the Smithsonian Institute’s “Museum on Main Street” exhibit “Voices & Votes: Democracy in America.” The Smithsonian previously brought their exhibit to the shopping mall in early June.
On June 23, during the Great Barrington Selectboard meeting, Interim Town Manager Chris Rembold announced that Police Chief Paul Storti would be retiring in January. According to a previous press release issued by the town, Storti joined the Police Department in 1995 as a full-time officer, having previously worked part-time in Sheffield.
The annual Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, took place at Monument Mountain Regional High School on June 28. The American Cancer Society, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1913 with the mission of eliminating cancer. The organization offers services and support to people dealing with cancer and their families and also conducts cancer research. According to the organization’s website, one in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer within their lifetime.
