image description
The group bought 25-30 items to leave in Park Square.

Pittsfield Group Leaves Warm Clothing Out For Those In the Cold

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story
The items are there for anybody who needs them.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of scarves, hats and gloves are scattered out on the benches in Park Square.

But, those items aren't lost.

They were placed there by a group of five area residents for anybody who is out in the cold. The items feature a note explaining why they are there.
 
"There was a post on Facebook about it being done in another city and I just thought it was beautiful," said Patti Lyon Reed.
 
"I just thought it was something nice we could do with the pending weather."
 
Almost immediately after sharing her idea on Facebook, others jumped on board. She set a time to meet that afternoon.
 
Nanci Taylor agreed to meet and shared it on her wall. So did Kelly Weider. Julie Street saw and brought her son.
 
"It's a good cause. You don't realize how many people are cold and out there," Street said. "It was freezing that day and the wind was blowing."
 
The women pulled out items from their closets or went to local discount stores and gathered hats, gloves and scarves. In total, 25 to 30 items were tied to the benches.
 
"We knew there was a storm coming and we hoped some could be taken before that," Taylor said. 
 
Park Square was chosen because it was most central. Reed said it looks like only a couple items were taken — but for an impulsive act of kindness, that's a success. 
 
"I work in the health-care field and I know there are a lot of people who don't have a lot," she said. "It doesn't have to be homeless people. It can help somebody who just doesn't have a lot and needs a scarf."
 
While the snowstorm may be over, there is still a lot of winter left. Reed says she is hoping this act of kindness will catch on and others will do the same.
 
"My hope is other people will follow suit. I'd like to keep it going as long as the city allows it," Reed said.

Tags: charity,   good samaritan,   homeless,   public parks,   snowstorm,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

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.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories