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The Housatonic Valley Association is looking to sample water - and celebrate the river.

Berkshires Beat: Volunteers Needed to Monitor Water Quality As 'River Smart' Month Nears

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Help wanted: The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, with two watershed partners - the Hoosic River Watershed Association and the Housatonic Valley Association - invite interested individuals to a training on Saturday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Bill Laston Memorial Park on Route 7 in Lanesborough.

Once a month, trained volunteers will collect water samples at designated locations on the Green River in the Hoosic Watershed and Wahconah Falls Brook and the Southwest Branch of the Housatonic River in the Housatonic Watershed. The samples will be tested to determine bacteria levels. Currently, all three tributaries are partly or wholly listed as "impaired" by the state of Massachusetts due to high bacteria levels in testing conducted several years ago. This means that they are currently not designated as safe for recreational activities such as swimming. Since this original determination, however, significant changes in land use have occurred adjacent to each of these rivers.  If the results from this year’s water quality testing show sufficiently low levels of bacteria, it will allow the tributaries' status to be reconsidered by the state of Massachusetts and may allow these tributaries to be deemed safe again.

Volunteers will need to be available for one morning, once a month, from April through October. The time commitment each sampling day is about half an hour and is usually scheduled before 9 a.m. The day chosen for each sampling will be weather-dependent as the sample must be collected following a period of dry weather. Volunteers must have transportation to their water sampling site(s) and must be physically able to collect the sample(s). HVA and HooRWA will provide all the equipment needed for the sampling and will collect and deliver the samples to the Premier Laboratory, Lee, for analysis. For more information, call 413-298-7024 or email dregan@hvatoday.org.



In other river news ...: The Housatonic Valley Association has teamed up with the Berkshire Athenaeum to bring "Be River Smart" to the Berkshire Athenaeum during the month of April to celebrate and protect our local waters.

Throughout the month, events, displays and information provided will help you and your family to be more "River Smart." Join in a scavenger hunt, and take the "River Smart" pledge. You could even win a composting bin and Pittsfield bulky waste stickers in a free drawing, with the items donated by the city of Pittsfield. These programs were made possible by the generous support of the Pittsfield Cultural Council and the Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum.

All presentations are free and will be held in the auditorium of the Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield. A kickoff event will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 1. Other presentations include "Why Here? The Rise of Berkshire County’s Industrial Might" from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 15; a "Wild, Wet Water Festival" from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, April 21, for children 6 to 12 years old; "Living with Wildlife: How to be Good Neighbors with Wildlife in the Berkshires" from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 22; and  "Shadow Puppetry Workshop" from 10:30 a.m. to noon OR 1 to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, April 29, for  children 10 years and older as well as adults to bring out their creative sides while at the same time getting in touch with the life under our brooks, streams and ponds (registration is required at 413-298-7024).

 

Shooting for gold: The Lee Sportsmen's Association has announced that one of its junior athletes, Lena DuPont, has earned and accepted a first round invitation to compete in the 2017 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships for Air Pistol at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., from April 20-24. Lena is a resident of Pittsfield, is 14 years old and is an eighth-grade High Honors student at TEC Connections Academy.

This event provides the opportunity of obtaining possible future shooting scholarships and a National Junior Team appointment, allowing them to take their skill set to the international level. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the best shooters from across the United States makes this match one of the most competitive events that Lena will participate in.

Lena is a member of LSA's Air2Spare youth air pistol team and earned a Silver medal with two teammates at the 2016 Baystate Games. Lena also won a Silver medal at the 2016 Progressive Position Pistol (PPP) Nationals in Ft. Benning, GA in her category for the Eastern Region, and placed 7th overall in the nation. Lena is fundraising to help offset the travel costs associated with attending this event.
 


United Way grants: Northern Berkshire United Way is now offering Community Needs and Special Grants (CNSG) and Campership Grants. Both grants are open to the communities served by Northern Berkshire United Way: Clarksburg, North Adams, Florida; Savoy, Adams, Cheshire, Williamstown and Stamford, Vt. Applicants do not need to be member agencies of NBUW but must be designated by the IRS as charitable organization.


Community Needs and Special Grants are intended to be one-time, short-term funding awards for programs and projects that address current community issues with the goal to impact the community for the better as a result. Collaborations are valued. Applications must be received at NBUW by April 20. Funding decisions will be announced in May. Campership Grants can be submitted by area agencies that support youth to attend summer programming. Applications must be received by NBUW by April 3. Funding decisions will be announced mid-April 2017.

The Community Needs and Special Grants Committee of Northern Berkshire United Way reviews community priorities each year. The committee takes into account the unique assets and needs in Northern Berkshire and evaluate all applications, with the funding available. To obtain and application, please go to the Northern Berkshire United Way website.



Looking up: The Berkshire Athenaeum now has an Orion Star Blast Altazimuth Reflector Tabletop Telescope available for circulation. The telescope is courtesy of the Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum.

Astronomy enthusiasts are sure to enjoy this easy-to-use telescope which is available for check out to adults (18 and older) with a library card in good standing; interested parties must have a physical library card.  The loan period is seven days with no renewals. For more information, please visit the Children's Desk at the library or call 413-499-9480, Ext. 5.



Dog licenses: Dog licenses for the present year are now for sale at Adams Town Hall. The cost of a non-spayed female dog or a non-neutered male dog is $20.  The price for a spayed female dog or neutered male dog is $10.

All puppies age 3 months and older must be licensed, and all dogs over the age of 6 months must have an active rabies vaccination in effect in order to obtain a license. No licenses can be issued without proof that the dog has received a rabies shot. In addition, if the animal is newly spayed or neutered a statement from the veterinarian must be presented to receive the lower priced license.

Dog licenses are due each April 1 and must be purchased annually.  Licenses not purchased by June 15 are subject to a $10 late fee in addition to the cost of the license.

 

Advocating: United Cerebral Palsy of Berkshire County sent a team to Boston on March 8 to meet with local legislators in support of Adult Family Care. AFC is a program funded by Mass Health supporting the live-in caregivers who meet the daily needs of older adults and people with disabilities. AFC empowers persons with disabilities to choose their own caregivers, often family, in a home of their choosing, often their own. Funding for AFC is threatened by 9C budget cuts invoked by Gov. Baker as a result of anticipated budget shortfalls.

Sal Garozzo, executive director of UCP, said he and a dozen others met with Rep. Trish Farley-Bouvier, Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, and Rep. Paul W. Mark to make their voices heard about not cutting AFC. Gov. Charlie Baker invoked Section 9C of Mass General Law in early December of 2016 to slash $98 million from the state budget. The 9C cuts could reduce funding for AFC that helps thousands of people in Massachusetts receive vital care at home.


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MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

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