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Daily Digest
Steve Decker cleans up in front of BankNorth on Wednesday.
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More Snow
The Berkshires received several inches of snow this morning, but not enough to close schools, unlike yesterday's sleety mess. Temperatures will drop into the 20s this afternoon. A few more snow showers are expected through the weekend. |
Duff'em If You've Got'em
 North Adams Regional Hospital went smoke-free Monday — so did all its sister sites, from Sweet Brook to Northern Berkshire Family Practice to the Women's Exchange. No ashtrays, no smoking: No butts about it. |
Wanted: Eagle Eyes
MassWildlife's annual eagle count runs Dec. 31 to Jan. 14. Anyone sighting one of the regal birds in Massachusetts is asked to participate.
Send date, time, location and town of eagle sightings, number of birds, whether juvenile or adult and observer's contact information to Mass.wildlife@state.ma.us. |
| Need to contact iBerkshires? Here's how. |
Like to Write?
 iBerkshires accepts submissions about local events, news and opinion pieces. There are openings for freelance work, too, for qualified candidates. E-mail tdaniels@iberkshires.com to find out more. |
ObituariesRegionWhat's PlayingSales FliersColumnists | Independent Investor
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Other StuffMars Rovers Mark 5 Years
 Spirit and Opportunity have been trekking the red planet for half a decade. Spirit hit the 5-year mark on Sunday; Opportunity will on Jan. 24. |
Obama TransitionRelated Stories |
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Federal Grants Awarded to Citizen Corps Programs - December 26, 2007
REGIONAL – Ninety-four local Citizen Corps Programs from across the state, including three in Berkshire County, will be able to serve their communities better, thanks to federal equipment grants. Coordinated through the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), these federal grant awards, up to $3,000, were designed to provide critical assets and enhance the capabilities of local CCPs through the coordinated procurement of critical equipment.
Recipients in the county include the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Community Emergency Response Team in North Adams, the Central Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee CERT in Pittsfield and the Berkshire Medical Reserve Corps based in Lee.
The amount for each community was not immediately available.
The total amount for the state of $268,000 has allowed the recipients to purchase an array of items ranging from Rapid Response medical triage kits to CPR Mannequins to radio batteries.
"The equipment was made available through a competitive grant proposal process coordinated by our agency, which will also purchase and ultimately disseminate the goods to the local programs," said MEMA Director Don Boyce.
The Commonwealth is committed to ensuring that its community-based volunteer groups continue to work in concert with state and local Public Safety agencies and effectively respond to any threats that may impact our citizens. Eligible Citizen Corps Programs include Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS), USA on Watch (UOW) and Fire Corps.
Through the proposal, Citizen Corps Programs had to demonstrate how the equipment would directly support the mission of their CCP, as well as how previous allotments were utilized. Programs are expected to maintain the equipment to ensure its readiness for use or deployment. CCPs may be asked to provide a follow-up report in June 2008 to demonstrate how the equipment was used and its impact.
A list of the 94 Citizen Corps Program Equipment Grant recipients can be found on the MEMA website at www.mass.gov/mema.
The mission of the Commonwealth's Citizen Corps Program is to harness the power of every citizen through education, training, and volunteerism, making communities safer and stronger. Local Citizen Corps Programs have made great contributions to the preparedness and response capabilities of the cities and towns of the Commonwealth, and have been invaluable partners to Public Safety and Health officials when assisting in activities such as search & rescue operations, shelter operations and First Responder support.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For additional information about MEMA go to www.mass.gov/mema.
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