Community Wellness Program Berkshire 150 Returns

PITTSFIELD,  Mass. — The Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) Wellness Program wants area residents to spring into the new season and improve their health and well-being through the fourth year of Berkshire 150.

Berkshire 150 is a community wellness program promoting exercise over a 5-week period, with the goal of exercising at least 150 minutes a week. That’s the number of minutes recommended by the Centers for Disease Control to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, in addition to eating the right foods.

Berkshire 150 runs from Sunday, April 13th to Saturday, May 17 and registration opens on April 1, 2025. Individuals can register at any time, even after the program starts, while teams must be registered by Sunday, April 13.

To register, visit the Berkshire Health Systems website at www.berkshirehealthsystems.org/berkshire150.

Individuals and teams can begin submitting their minutes on April 19 using a form that can be found on the BHS website. The final day for submitting minutes exercised is Tuesday, May 20.

Participants can join Berkshire 150 as an individual or form a team. Participants can keep track of the number of minutes exercised daily on their phone, a calendar, or by using a fitness tracking app. Each week, participants submit the total number of minutes they exercised using the Berkshire 150 online submission form. They will also be able to submit minutes for any previous weeks they may have missed at any point during the duration of the program.

"Our Wellness team is here to support all of the participants throughout the program, whether they need assistance registering, have questions about exercises, or want to learn more about healthy living," said Maureen Daniels, BHS Director of Wellness and Community Health. "Remember to stay hydrated, have fun, and work within your fitness level while exploring new activities. As always, please speak with your primary care provider before starting a new exercise program."

For more information, visit the BHS website or contact the Wellness Team at wellnessatwork@bhs1.org.

Truck Crashes Into Pittsfield's Samel's Deli

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
10:55AM / Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Elm Street will be partially closed as cleanup continues. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Wednesday morning was busy for Pittsfield first responders, as a pickup truck crashed into Samel's Deli & Catering and a fire broke out on First Street.

Around 9:45 a.m., the police reported that the street in front of Samel's Deli & Catering would be closed or down to one lane as a result of a two-car collision that sent the truck careening into the deli.

The department posted two photos on Facebook, one depicting the silver truck with New York license plates crashed through the glass of the front entrance and another of a white Honda CR-V with significant damage to the front end.

"A vehicle was coming out of one of the alleyways here and struck this truck, which continued into the building," Police Officer Craig Jones explained when iBerkshires arrived on the scene.

Jones reported that there was one injury but whether it was someone in the vehicles or in the deli. A crossing signal near Samel's front entrance was also taken out by the truck.

Around this time, crews worked to clear debris in front of the restaurant as the truck was towed away. That section of the road reopened around 11 a.m.

The police, firefighters and an ambulance responded to the accident and police intend to release a statement on the incident.

Around 6:15 a.m., the Fire Department reported that it had responded to a possible structure fire at 233-235 First St. Windows on all three floors of the multi-family building are now broken or boarded up and the cause is under investigation by the Fire Investigation Unit and investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office.