PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Berkshire United Way is teaming up with H. Daniels Duncan Consulting to offer trainings to help understand how they can strengthen the community.

It will focus on asset based community development and result based accountability, two effective strategies that will help create a community of hope and opportunity where each person and family lives, works and thrives in the county.

The three-hour event will be held three times for scheduling flexibility.

Two will be in Pittsfield and one in Great Bennington.

Registration is June 26 at 9 a.m. at the Berkshire Community College, 5 p.m. at the Berkshire South Community Center, and June 27 at 5 p.m. at Berkshire Community Center.

For more information click here.

Pittsfield Mayor Daniel Bianchi will usher in the city’s first participation in “National Get Outdoors Day”, this Saturday, June 8th.

The mayor will be among those addressing the crowd at 12:30pm in Springside Park.

Also at the park will be 25 outdoor activities, and ten musical performance acts.

The entire event runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (AP) - The Pittsfield home where Herman Melville wrote "Moby-Dick" is getting a period makeover.

Workers from Historic Preservation Associates are building a Victorian-style porch on the front of the homestead known as Arrowhead. The building is now a Melville museum and home to the Berkshire Historical Society.

Though the house was built in 1780, Arrowhead Executive Director Betsy Sherman tells The Berkshire Eagle the original front porch was added in 1870, likely by Melville's brother. The building has undergone multiple renovations since.

The porch project is part of a series of upgrades planned for the next year, which include painting, the installation of period storm windows, and landscaping.