Pittsfield Celebrates Robert 'Bob' Presutti on Arbor DayBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:33PM / Friday, April 26, 2024 | |
Bob Presutti, right, is presented the Hebert Award in 2017 for his volunteer efforts at Springside Park. He died in 2023 at age 88. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A tree has been planted next to the Berkshire Athenaeum in honor of local "giant" Robert Presutti.
Officials celebrated Arbor Day on Friday by installing a commemorative plaque next to the American elm sapling. This is a tree that James McGrath, the city's park program manager, said Presutti would have been particularly proud of.
"Today is a day where we yes, celebrate trees, but today is also a day where here in the city we intentionally try to acknowledge the good work of folks in our community who
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BEAT: Volunteer Fieldwork| 08:07AM / Wednesday, April 24, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) has been working to survey road-stream crossings and culverts throughout Berkshire County using the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) protocol. These surveys play a crucial role in identifying which culverts and crossings require immediate attention, helping prioritize replacements based on urgency. Thus, addressing these challenges not only supports the conservation of fish and wildlife but also enhances transportation infrastructure and promotes road safety. This spring, BEAT is offering training to anyone interested in conducting volunteer fieldwork by surveying culverts >> Read More |
Community Members Assist in Trout Stocking Onota LakeBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
08:04AM / Sunday, April 21, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fish and buckets flew into Onota Lake on Wednesday afternoon, thanks to MassWildlife's annual spring trout stocking event. This is one of the district's most popular stocking events of the year, with more than 200 people enthusiastically releasing about 550 rainbow trout ranging in size from about 9 to 18-plus inches. A majority of the trout were 14 inches, Leanna Fontaine, an aquatic biologist for Masswildlife's Western District, said. The fish, hailing from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife's McLaughlin Hatchery in Belchertown, will provide angling opportunities for community members, >> Read More |
Pittsfield Sets Public Meeting on Mosquito ControlBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:29AM / Wednesday, April 17, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Following clashing viewpoints from the former City Council and Board of Health on mosquito spraying, the city has set a community meeting on April 29 to discuss its management plan.
The 6 p.m. presentation at the Berkshire Athenaeum will include the city's current mosquito management plan, a brief history, and an overview of regional mosquito management practices. Residents will have an opportunity to speak afterward.
Mosquito control has been a controversial topic over the last few years after adulticide spraying was discontinued in 2021. A request to repeal that action failed at the council level last year.
In April 2021, the subcommittee on
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Dalton Board of Health Approves Green Burial VerbiageBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:18AM / Monday, April 15, 2024 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Board of Health approved wording for the green burial guidelines during its meeting on Wednesday. The guideline stipulates that "Ebola or any other diseases that the CDC or Massachusetts Department of Public Health deem unsuitable for green burials can not be approved by the town Board of Health." The board has been navigating how to include communicable diseases in its guidelines to prevent them from spreading. Town Health Agent Agnes Witkowski has been working to clarify the state's guidelines regarding infectious diseases and green burials. She attended a presentation on green burials and >> Read More |
Pittsfield ConCom OKs Zebra Mussel TreatmentBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:43PM / Sunday, April 14, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Conservation Commission has OKed a zebra mussel pesticide treatment in Onota Lake if the invasive species are confirmed.
On Thursday, the panel approved a notice of intent application for the use of EarthTec QZ within a specified treatment area of the lake.
"We're not entirely 100 percent sure that there is an infestation of zebra mussels at Onota Lake. Last September, a water sample was taken and the DNA of zebra mussel was detected in that water sample. This was a water sample taken near the boat ramp at Burbank Park. Subsequent water samples were taken later in the fall and very early this spring, there were still non-detects in those
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Dalton Green Committee Aims to Obtain Data for Town Solar PV ArraysBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:29PM / Saturday, March 30, 2024 | |
 DALTON, MASS. — The Green Committee is working to obtain information from Eversource to inform the possibility of developing solar polar photovoltaic arrays in town. The committee approved using $250 during its meeting last week for a pre-application to Eversource. This application will provide data that will inform how to develop a solar PV array in town. The efforts to develop PV arrays is supported by the state Department of Energy Resources' Green Communities initiative and has been part of the town's master plan since 2016. One of the master plan's goals in the infrastructure section is to improve the town's energy >> Read More |
EPA Lays Out Draft Plan for PCB Remediation in PittsfieldBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:40AM / Friday, March 29, 2024 | |
Ward 4 Councilor James Conant requested the meeting be held at Herberg Middle School as his ward will be most affected. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric have a preliminary plan to remediate polychlorinated biphenyls from the city's Rest of River stretch by 2032. "We're going to implement the remedy, move on, and in five years we can be done with the majority of the issues in Pittsfield," Project Manager Dean Tagliaferro said during a hearing on Wednesday.
"The goal is to restore the (Housatonic) river, make the river an asset. Right now, it's a liability."
The PCB-polluted "Rest of
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Dalton Committee Seeks Funding for Invasive SpeciesBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
02:37PM / Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Open Space and Recreation Committee discussed addressing the invasive species at the Pines trailhead during its meeting last week. There will possibly be a money article on the annual town warrant requesting voters allocate $20,000 from free cash so that the committee can apply for a Community Forest Stewardship program grant. The Select Board placed it on the annual town meeting warrant on Monday. During a walkthrough of the Pines, Jess Toro, co-owner of Native Habitat Restoration, urged the committee to apply for the program. According to Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson, although the grant would be reimbursed, the town needs >> Read More |
Pittsfield Grappling With Possible Zebra Mussell Infection at Onota LakeBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:23AM / Wednesday, March 20, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After an alarming detection of zebra mussel DNA in Onota Lake, the city continues to grapple with a possible infection.
Last week, the Conservation Commission saw a notice of intent application for the application of EarthTec QZ pesticide within a specified treatment area of the lake.
After a detection of DNA in the fall, the water has tested negative in two subsequent samples but the city is preparing for a possible confirmation of the invasive species with a treatment plan.
"In the fall of 2023, the state alerted the city that a recent water sample taken to the public boat launch at Onota Lake contained a positive detection for the presence
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