WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — If your organization is seeking volunteers for a service project, April 17 could be your lucky day. The Lehman Council for Community Engagement at Williams College is planning a "Spring into Service" day for Saturday, April 17, when dozens of Williams students will be volunteering on a variety of service projects in the Northern Berkshires.

Additionally, funding may be available to help pay for supplies for your service project.

If your organization is interested in receiving volunteers on "Spring into Service" day, contact William Lee at 646-662-3267 or wl1@williams.edu.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Ambulance Service will be adding the latest state-of-the-art equipment to its life-saving arsenal thanks to a $126,500 Federal Emergency Management Agency grant.

Manager John Meaney Jr. said the service will use the award to replace its decade-old Lifepak equipment — used as both cardiac monitors and automated external defibrillators — with new Lifepak 15 units with Bluetooth technology.

"This equipment will allow us to transmit EKGs into emergency rooms capable of receiving this information," said Meaney. While North Adams Regional Hospital is still working on that technology, larger hospitals are already putting it into use, he said. "When local hospital are able to connect to these, we'll be ready."

The new monitors will also be able to monitor blood pressure and carbon monoxide, which will come in handy when treating firefighters at fire scenes.

The units cost about $25,000 each. The service will replace the four current Lifepak 12s and purchase a fifth one
to replace an AED in the fifth ambulance of its expanded fleet.

Meaney estimated the Lifepaks are used on 80 percent of the service's calls. The 12-lead units (referring to its monitoring system) are also required as part of the service's paramedica capability.

The Assistance to Firefighters grant, authorized through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is one of several awarded to emergency services and fire companies in the Berkshires; some 57 grants totaling more than $5 million were awarded in Massachusetts. Emergency medical technician Amalio Jusino wrote the grant in his role as a principal of Emergency Response Consulting.

This is the second time that the service has received this grant. It was awarded some $73,000 in 2006 for protective clothing and training, the first time the grants had been used for emergency medical services.

Meaney said they were informed of the latest grant by U.S. Sen. John Kerry's office last week.

"These will be definitely beneficial for our patients and we'll be able to do a lot more information at the scene," said Meaney.
 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The 13th annual Disability Pride Day Art Show is fast approaching, but there is still time for Berkshire-area artists with disabilities to submit their work.

The show will be held at the Berkshire Mall on Saturday, March 6 from 10 to 3. (FYI, Berkshire Mall rules do not allow for the sale of items on the premises).

Entries must be received at AdLib, Inc., 215 North St., no later than Monday, March 1. All entries must have the artist’s name, address and phone number securely attached to the back of each item. All items will be returned to AdLib, Inc., for pick up no later than March 8, unless arrangements are made to pick up work at the end of the event. For more information, contact Cathy Carchedi at AdLib, 413-442-7047.

The art show is part of Disability Pride Day, the goal of which is to increase community awareness of the accomplishments of people with disabilities, and educate the community about the variety of services and opportunities available to them in Berkshire County. Participants include human service agencies, Berkshire Medical Center Health Van, and Lion’s Club Eye Mobile. Berkshire Bank is the major sponsor of the event.

For more information or to reserve a booth, call 413-442-1652 ext. 12 or 413-499-4241 ext. 230.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The public library's (74 Church St.) reading group, "The Happy Bookers," is celebrating its second anniversary in March, and it's always open to new members.

The group is comprised of diverse people who share a passion for reading and offers something for every reader's taste each month.

Over the past two years, the group has discussed fiction and non-fiction ranging in a variety of genres including biography, history, mystery, fantasy, adventure and the classics.
 
The Bookers meet the second Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m., on the third floor of the library. North Adams Public Library makes the books available on loan in advance of each meeting. Maureen O'Brien facilitates the exchange of ideas, thoughts and experiences among the group members. New faces are welcome each month, and there's no obligation to attend every monthly meeting. Just drop in when a book or topic interests you. 
 
The group meets next on March 9, when the featured book will be "The Great Gatsby."

For more information, call the library at 413-662-3133.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — It's good news, and bad.

The 6th annual Region 1 Science Fair is expected to the biggest yet. The fair brings in students from around Berkshire County and parts of Western Mass. to showcase their explorations of technology and science.

Past fair winners have researched carcinogens, yawning, high-tech football gloves, wind power, adaptive tools for the handicapped and mealworms as a protein source, among other topics.

But the large number of participants — more than 100 — means more qualified judges are needed. The fair winners will go on to the State Science Fair competition in May at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and some may eventually participate in national and international fairs.

What do you need to be a judge? A degree or work experience in biology, behavioral and social science, biochemistry, botany, chemistry, computer science, earth and space science, engineering, environmental science, mathematics, medicine, microbiology, physics or zoology.

Local businesses also are encouraged to get involved by allowing their qualified employees to volunteer for the event.

The science fair is an important element of the nationwide push to involve students in science, engineering and math programs. It is being hosted by Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and the Berkshire STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) Pipeline Group.

The fair will be held on Friday, March 12, at MCLA from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Region 1 includes Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.