Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Tops $2 Million in Summer Grants

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SHEFFIELD, Mass. — The board of directors of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation have announced the recipients of the second round of grantmaking for 2016.

The foundation distributed a total of $430,378 in grants to individuals and nonprofits in the four-county region it serves; $496,786 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors; and grants totaling over $1.1 million from donors with charitable funds at the foundation.

In Berkshire County, the foundation awarded grants from the Fund for Williamstown; James and Robert Hardman Fund; New World Fund; Simple Gifts Fund; five education enrichment funds; and 41 scholarship funds.

Education and Enrichment: Grants to regional schools, school districts and education programs in Berkshire County totaled $45,247. Select grant recipients include: Berkshire County Head Start ($7,000) for a “Lunch and Learn” summer program for students in the Pittsfield Public School District; Flying Cloud Institute ($3,000) to enhance STEM programming at Undermountain School and Mount Everett High School in Sheffield; and Williamstown Elementary School ($4,000) for its math club.

Scholarships: A total of $303,986 in scholarships was awarded to Berkshire County students. Of that total, $86,750 was awarded by the Zenas and Winthrop Crane Scholarship Funds, which support graduates of Wahconah Regional High School; $72,500 by the McLaughlin-Wilson Scholarship Fund for residents of Monterey; and $17,000 by the Honorable James P. Dohoney Scholarship Fund for high school seniors in southern Berkshire County. To view a full list of 2016 scholarship recipients, visit www.berkshiretaconic.org/scholarships.



Arts and Culture: Grants to arts organizations and arts programs in Berkshire County totaled $45,610. Select grant recipients include: Berkshire Pulse, Inc. ($1,000) for an after-school dance program at Undermountain Elementary School; Community Access to the Arts ($2,000) to exhibit paintings and artwork by artists with disabilities at the Clark Art Institute; and WilliNet ($2,500) for a website project.

Health and Human Services: Nonprofits and individuals providing social and human services across the county received $45,706 in grants. Select grant recipients include: Volunteers in Medicine ($5,000) to provide care and interpretation services to immigrant patients; Berkshire Food Project ($3,000) to serve free, hot meals during the week and provide emergency food assistance on weekends; and yoga instructor Connie Wilson ($400) to teach basic skills to elementary school students at New Marlborough Central School.

Environment: Grants to environmental organizations and programs totaled $20,855. Select grant recipients include: Hoosac Harvest ($2,500) for its Subsidized Shares program, which connects lower-income community members with farms, farmers and locally grown food; Mass Audubon ($1,200) to offer an earth science program at Morris Elementary School; Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation ($800) to provide transportation to its Sheep Hill conservation property; and Greenagers ($3,000) for its environmental education projects.

A full list of regional grants can be found online.

 


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Dalton Man Accused of Kidnapping, Shooting Pittsfield Man

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Dalton man was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly kidnapping and shooting another man.

Nicholas Lighten, 35, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday on multiple charges including kidnapping with a firearm and armed assault with intent to murder. He was booked in Dalton around 11:45 p.m. the previous night.

There was heavy police presence Thursday night in the area of Lighten's East Housatonic Street home before his arrest.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Dalton dispatch received a call from the Pittsfield Police Department requesting that an officer respond to Berkshire Medical Center. Adrian Mclaughlin of Pittsfield claimed that he was shot in the leg by Lighten after an altercation at the defendants home. Mclaughlin drove himself to the hospital and was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries. 

"We were told that Lighten told Adrian to go down to his basement, where he told Adrian to get down on his knees and pulled out a chain," the police report reads.

"We were told that throughout the struggle with Lighten, Adrian recalls three gunshots."

Dalton PD was advised that Pittsfield had swabbed Mclaughlin for DNA because he reported biting Lighten. A bite mark was later found on Lighten's shoulder. 

Later that night, the victim reportedly was "certain, very certain" that Lighten was his assailant when shown a photo array at the hospital.

According to Dalton Police, an officer was stationed near Lighten's house in an unmarked vehicle and instructed to call over the radio if he left the residence. The Berkshire County Special Response Team was also contacted.

Lighten was under surveillance at his home from about 7:50 p.m. to about 8:40 p.m. when he left the property in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. Another officer initiated a high-risk motor vehicle stop with the sergeant and response team just past Mill Street on West Housatonic Street, police said, and traffic was stopped on both sides of the road.

Lighten and a passenger were removed from the vehicle and detained. Police reported finding items including a brass knuckle knife, three shell casings wrapped in a rubber glove, and a pair of rubber gloves on him.

The response team entered Lighten's home at 43 East Housatonic before 9:30 p.m. for a protective sweep and cleared the residence before 9:50 p.m., police said. The residence was secured for crime scene investigators.

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