Robert Mellace of DCR said Arbor Day is 'one of the holidays when one person can make a difference.'

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Robert Presutti is considered the "go-to" guy when it comes to anything tree-related.

The Lanesborough resident has been volunteering his expertise since 1998. He's served on his hometown's Tree Committee, for which he was named an Outstanding Citizen Forester by the state in 2005, and on the board of the Vincent J. Hebert Arboreteum at Springside Park.

Presutti is often seen taking care of trees at Springside and running free pruning workshops, and has worked with the Department of Public Works. He goes to conferences across the

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It was another good week for the averages with all three indexes chalking up five days of gains in a row. Friday, however, was a mild disappointment thanks to the latest GDP data.

Economists were looking for a first quarter gain of 3 percent in GDP. Instead, the nation's gross domestic product came in at 2.5 percent, but it was still a good number compared to last quarter's 0.4 percent growth. The stock markets, however, have proven that they care less about growth and more about how much and how long the Fed's monetary easing will continue.

In this goldilocks market, good economic data is good news for stocks but also are disappointing economic numbers. I know that sounds

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Judy Dumont, executive director of MBI, discussed the progress in the effort to bring broadband to all corners of the state.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In the last 10-15 years, the Internet has created 1.2 million jobs so bringing broadband to all parts of the county will be a "game changer," Massachusetts Broadband Institute Executive Director Judy Dumont told the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corp.

PERC, a volunteer group of county businesses leaders working toward economic development, invited Dumont to be the keynote speaker at its annual meeting on Friday.

Dumont detailed the process of using some $85 million in federal and state funds to further

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Cases heard before Judge Daniel Ford on Tuesday, April 23.

Anthony Thompson, 33, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to a single count of participating in betting.

The case was continued without a finding. Thompson admitted to using illegal poker machines in Pittsfield on April 27, 2012.

Cases heard before Judge Daniel Ford on Thursday, April 25.

Daniel Lowenstein, 22, of Amherst, had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on three counts of distribution of marijuana and single counts of possession of a sawed-off shotgun, illegal possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and operating a motor vehicle under

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Tuesday's "flash crash" precipitated by a fake tweet attributed to a major news organization is old news by now. No long-term investors got hurt in the debacle and by the end of the week it was business as usual in the nation's exchanges. That doesn't mean it won't happen again and again.

In just four minutes, $136 billion was erased from the S&P 500 Index, the main benchmark average of the stock market. The Dow lost 145 points at the same time. Both averages regained those losses over the next two minutes causing some traders to check whether the elevator ride was real or a computer glitch. It was neither.

Having a front-row seat to the now-notorious tweet

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St. Mark's was formed in 1913 as the daughter parish of St. Joseph's on North Street.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — St. Mark's Church has been a big part of Linda Murphy's life.

Her parents were active in the West Street church and so was she. Growing up on Onota Street, she would walk to the church's bazaars and dinners and was in its Militia of Mary.

At one dinner, a young man she hadn't seen too much of at church events helped park her family's car. It wasn't too long after that they were married.

Now Murphy is the parish nurse, hosting health clinics and screenings while her husband, Dick Murphy, works in the parish food pantry and

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The City Council quizzed representatives of Cafua Management for three hours on Tuesday night. Right, James Scalise of SK Design answers questions about the proposed drive-through.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Cafua Management Co. applied for a permit more than 14 months ago to demolish an ailing former elementary school at the corner of First and Fenn streets to make way for a new Dunkin' Donuts drive-through restaurant.

The City Council decided it will have to wait at least a month longer.

Councilors, able to weigh in for the first time on a plan that has seen strongly opposing views while being vetted at multiple meetings of the Community Development Board and Historical

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A group of local servicemen who have banded together to restore the city's decayed Civil War monument have raised over half the funds for the work needed.

"We're over half way to the restoration to be put out to bid," VFW Post 448 Commander Arnold Perras who is chairing the group told the City Council on Tuesday.

Since forming in December, the volunteer committee of more than a dozen veterans has secured significant donations from Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, Greylock Federal Credit Union and Berkshire Bank, as well as over 100 other individual and

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James Ruberto

John Bradley

Sheila Keator

Edmund Wary

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Catholic Schools of Pittsfield will honor a stacked list of inductees — which includes retired four-term Mayor James Ruberto — to its Hall of Fame at a benefit gala scheduled for Friday, April 26. 

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