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Berkshire Money Management's Allen Harris is emerging as an innovative sponsor for local arts and humane groups.

New Artsbuck Incentive Announced for Pittsfield Artswalk

By Joe DurwinPittsfield Correspondent
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Town Players board member Sara Clement channels Mona Lisa for an 'Artsbuck.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Money Management announced Wednesday the second of two recent investments in the city's burgeoning monthly Artswalk exhibitions with the unveiling of a new "Artsbuck" designed to encourage art purchases at participating downtown venues.

"Artists want to be able to have an opportunity to present what they've done," said CEO Allen Harris, who announced last week that his company would become the new lead sponsor of the First Fridays Artswalk. "But they also want to be able to sell what they've created." 

Harris said sometimes all it takes to turn art browsing into art buying is "just a little nudge."

The Artsbuck is essentially a $100 mail-in rebate, good for a single purchase of an original art work priced at $200 or more. Following the purchase, the buyer may send in the Artsbuck along with a copy of a signed receipt to receive a $100 check from Berkshire Money Management. The offer is limited to one redemption per person, and must be redeemed before Nov. 15 of this year.

Mayor Daniel Bianchi praised the new incentive sponsorship by the investment firm at Wednesday's announcement.  "It's great to have this type of a promotion, for those of us contemplating art for our walls."

"I've participated in two or three of the Artswalks so far," said Bianchi. "It's really wonderful to soak in the creativity of all sorts of mediums of art."

Artsbucks feature the image of Da Vinci's celebrated Mona Lisa, and the press conference featured its own life-size Mona Lisa, performed by Town Players board member Sara Clement. Mona Lisa will also be walking around this week's 3rd Thursday street fair passing out the new Artsbucks.

Downtown Artswalk partners include Empty Set Projects, Miller Supply, Berkshire Museum, Crowne Plaza, Brix Wine Bar, Marketplace Café, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Pateez Boutique, Brenda & Co, Bagels Too, Berkshire Carousel Gallery, Steven Valenti Clothing for Men, Berkshire Community College Intermodal Gallery, Paul Rich & Sons, Spice Dragon, Alchemy Initiative,Art.On.No, Treehouse, Gallery 25, Mad Macs, BINGO!, Wild Sage, Aerus Electrolux, Y Bar, Ferrin Gallery, Circa, the Lantern, West Side Clock Shop and the Berkshire Medical Center. 

The next Artswalk is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 5.

Tags: arts initiatives,   artswalk,   Berkshire Money Management,   

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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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