By Haven Orecchio-Egresitz, The Berkshire Eagle
PITTSFIELD — For a neighborhood to thrive, its residents need opportunities to come together as a community.
That's one of the goals of the annual Westside Community Day, a block party and barbecue hosted by the Christian Center and Civitan International on Saturday.
"The goal is to get the community together, to have a good time, forget about your troubles for the day," said Pat Masoero, financial director at the Christian Center. "What I love is that kids can be kids, I can be a kid. We can all get a cheeseburger together."
More than 100 people gathered at the center and nearby Tucker Park for games, food and giveaways. Neighbors and old friends toughed out the muggy heat to celebrate their vibrant, diverse community while also swapping solutions to ongoing safety concerns in parts of the city.
Christine Hamilton grew up in the house on Columbus Avenue that is now the Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity. About 20 years ago, Hamilton, now 51, moved into a Habitat home on Robbins Avenue, where her children grew up in the early 2000s.
At that time, her children could play outdoors all day and she'd know they would be safe.
"It's definitely changed," she said of the West Side. "Everybody spoke to everyone. Everyone took care of the kids. Everybody here just helped each other. There were all different cultures, all different food."
About five years ago, though, Hamilton noticed an uptick in drugs and violence in the neighborhood. Today, some people still are afraid to walk along Robbins Avenue.
"Neighborhood kids, they just didn't have anywhere to go," she said. "They weren't going to school. They started hanging out in groups."
These safety issues peaked in October, when 34-year-old William Catalano, was found with multiple injuries, including stab wounds, on Robbins Avenue, she said. Catalano later died.
Residents were so disturbed with the local barber's death that members of the community who hadn't previously been involved began to come together to fight back against violence by hosting neighborhood events and volunteering for organizations in the area, she said.
"It's starting to slowly come back to community," Hamilton said, adding that she now works with Working Cities and the Pittsfield Police Department's West Side Community Outreach Post.
When the substation first opened its doors this spring, few people were stopping by to visit or report issues. At first, Hamilton said, people were worried about who would see them coming and going from the center.
"It's definitely starting to pick up," she said of the substation. "People really want to take back their neighborhood. People are sick of the violence."
Gaylamar Artis said she is one of those people.
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Artis, of Second Street, comes to the West Side to be with her daughter and grandchildren who live on Francis Avenue.
"Things I see, I don't like," said Artis, originally from New York. "Drugs and violence, a whole lot."
Artis recently signed up to volunteer at the West Side Community Outreach Post because she believes that when people "see something, they need to say something."
"People need to step up," she said. "Don't be afraid."
Artis is most concerned for the safety of her grandchildren, who play outside in the neighborhood. She has alerted police to regular concerning activity near a local bodega.
"That's a shooting waiting to happen," she said of apparent criminal activity in the area. "They could be at the park and a shootout happens."
Regular free events like the barbecue, though, can be what changes a neighborhood, she said.
"There's not a lot to do for the kids in Pittsfield," said Artis' daughter, Camilia Fountain. "I think we should get together more."
Hamilton agrees. In fact, she is planning a block party at her house on Robbins Avenue, with the hope that her neighbors also will open their porches and homes to gatherings.
One of the best things about the West Side is that the residents are invested in the community and the well-being of their neighbors, said Betsy Sherman, who is serving as interim executive director of the Christian Center. Longtime director Ellen Merritt left the position in May.
Community groups, including the Christian Center, which has a $300,000 annual budget, are working together to figure out how to expand programming in the area, especially for children.
This summer, the city brought back a parks program at Durant Park so that children from 6 to 13 have somewhere to spend the day, she said.
Many of the kids who end up getting in trouble are coming from homes where their parents are working long and hard to make ends meet, according to Hamilton.
What's unique about the West Side is that, even in tough times, most residents will greet you with a smile in the street, she said. One of the biggest misconceptions, she said, is that the West Side is the worst neighborhood in the city.
"West Side is the best side," she said. "This is the best side."
Haven Orecchio-Egresitz can be reached at horecchio@berkshireeagle.com, @HavenEagle on Twitter and 413-770-6977.
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2019-07-20 18:51:00Z
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/a-feeling-of-community-at-annual-pittsfield-event-west-side-is-the-best-side,580003
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