CATA Announces New Board President, Staff Changes

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John J. Whalan
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Board of Directors of Community Access to the Arts has elected John J. Whalan of West Stockbridge to serve as its new president.

Whalan is the founder and president of Black Ice Entertainment, a media development and production company based here, and has been on CATA’s board for 10 years.

Whalan said, "CATA is one of the finest organizations in Berkshire County. Under the leadership of Sandy Newman, a team of generous professional staff and artists nurture and celebrate the idea that everyone should be recognized for their unique talents. I hope to build on the successes of my predecessors, Janet Elsbach and Ben Silberstein, to further strengthen the support that has allowed CATA, its participants and clients to continue to flourish."

CATA also appointed Adrienne Brown to a newly created position of program coordinator for Berkshire County. An educator with a background in art and experience working with people with disabilities, Adrienne will oversee day-to-day operation of CATA’s arts workshops. In addition, Katie Clarke has been promoted to administrative director. Maria Mazzocco, formerly a North County staff member, now holds the countywide post of assistant program coordinator.

 
Founder and Executive Director Sandra Newman said, “I am very grateful that John Whalan will continue the strong leadership that CATA has been fortunate to have throughout our 18 years of programs in the Berkshires. His deep understanding of our work has helped us to enhance our wonderful staff to meet our current growth.”
 
CATA, which provides visual and performing arts opportunities for 600 area residents with disabilities, is headquartered on Railroad Street and has an operating budget of $600,000. The organization collaborates with 29 different health and human service organizations to offer 1,000 individual workshops annually in the visual and performing arts. For more information, images, videos, and shopping opportunities, visit www.communityaccesstothearts.org.
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EPA Lays Out Draft Plan for PCB Remediation in Pittsfield

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

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 River" stretches nearly 125 miles from the confluence of the East and West Branches of the river in Pittsfield to the end of Reach 16 just before Long Island Sound in Connecticut.  The city's five-mile reach, 5A, goes from the confluence to the wastewater treatment plant and includes river channels, banks, backwaters, and 325 acres of floodplains.

The event was held at Herberg Middle School, as Ward 4 Councilor James Conant wanted to ensure that the residents who will be most affected by the cleanup didn't have to travel far.

Conant emphasized that "nothing is set in actual stone" and it will not be solidified for many months.

In February 2020, the Rest of River settlement agreement that outlines the continued cleanup was signed by the U.S. EPA, GE, the state, the city of Pittsfield, the towns of Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield, and other interested parties.

Remediation has been in progress since the 1970s, including 27 cleanups. The remedy settled in 2020 includes the removal of one million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and floodplain soils, an 89 percent reduction of downstream transport of PCBs, an upland disposal facility located near Woods Pond (which has been contested by Southern Berkshire residents) as well as offsite disposal, and the removal of two dams.

The estimated cost is about $576 million and will take about 13 years to complete once construction begins.

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