image description
CET has won an award for its work on promoting composting.

Berkshires Beat: Center for EcoTechnology Wins 2017 Composting Challenge

Print Story | Email Story

The winner is

The Center for EcoTechnology, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Pittsfield, has been awarded top honor in the North American 2017 Rathmann Challenge, "Mitigating Climate Change: Expanding the Use of Compost," for its pioneering work over the past 20 years to expand the use of composting to reduce wasted food, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

The announcement of the award was made on Wednesday, November 1, by the Rathmann Family Foundation. The Rathmann Challenge, which was launched in 2014, seeks to advance organizations possessing the creativity, entrepreneurial ethos, and innovative spirit to make a positive difference in the world. CET receives $100,000 for its past work and the exclusive invitation from the Rathmann Family Foundation to apply for an Even Bigger Idea grant of $200,000.    

Approximately 40 percent of all food produced in the U.S. is never eaten, at great cost to communities, the economy and the environment. Every year, American consumers, businesses and farms spend $218 billion a year, growing, processing, transporting, and disposing of food that is never eaten. About 52 million tons of food is sent to landfill annually; another 10 million tons is discarded or left unharvested on farms. When disposed of, wasted food creates greenhouse gas emissions and is a significant contributor to climate change. Meanwhile, one in seven Americans is food insecure.

In 2011, CET worked with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to establish the Massachusetts RecyclingWorks program. RecyclingWorks provides businesses and institutions in Massachusetts with free consultation and expert technical assistance to put into place cost-effective waste management programs, including composting. In 2014, Massachusetts implemented one of the first statewide food waste bans in the United States, banning landfill disposal of organic waste by large scale producers such as supermarkets and colleges. To date, CET has helped spur an expansion of compost production in Massachusetts by approximately 25,000 tons annually.

CET is embarking on a new, long term effort to increase its impact by sharing its expertise in wasted food reduction across the Northeast and beyond. CET has begun performing food waste diversion work in Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island, in addition to Massachusetts. CET is also collaborating with the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic to produce a white paper that will share food waste diversion information and advice nationally, and developing other national partnerships as well.


Pies for sale

The women of the First Congregation Church North Adams are selling their homemade apple pies. The pies are 9 inch, two crust, and prepared using a treasured family "grandma's apple pie recipe."

Pies are $12 each and must be ordered by Nov. 13 by calling Helga at 413-664-9743. Pies can be picked up Nov. 18 at the church, ready to bake for Thanksgiving.

 

Birding book

The Hoffmann Bird Club of Berkshire County published its first-ever book, "An Annotated List of the Birds of Berkshire County, Massachusetts,"  in September. The book consists of descriptions and historical records for every known bird ever recorded in Berkshire County, and includes a history of the club, and its namesake, Ralph Hoffmann.

The book contains three main sections. The first and largest section is the life's work of former Berkshire County naturalist Dave St. James, who studied, recorded and catalogued Berkshires' avian life for his entire lifetime. He also draws on all known historical sources. The second section deals with the history of the Hoffmann Bird Club, the Berkshires' premier ornithological society, founded in 1940. And third, a history of Ralph Hoffmann is included. Hoffmann was born in Stockbridge in 1870. He was a very prominent American ornithologist and botanist, and the Environmental Center at Berkshire Community College is also named for him.

The book is not a guide book, but a catalogue of our local birds and their sightings through history.   The book consists of 160 pages, and has two indexes, one for common bird names, and one index for the scientific names. The book can purchased locally at Wild Birds Country Store and the Book Loft in Great Barrington, the Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary and the Bookstore in Lenox, the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield and the Williams Bookstore in Williamstown.

The public is welcome and invited to the many birding trips and forays within the Berkshires and surrounding areas. The public is also welcome to the Monthly Meetings, which usually include presentations. For further information, see the club's website. The next meeting is Monday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. at Guardian Life Insurance, 700 South St., Pittsfield.

 

The giving trees

Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity will hold its annual Christmas Tree Showcase at the First Congregational Church on Main Street in Williamstown on Saturday, Dec.2 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., as part of the annual Williamstown Holiday Walk. Last year more than 130 trees were raffled off.

Members of the community, schools, churches, local businesses and community organizations are invited to purchase miniature artificial trees for $7 each to decorate and contribute to the showcase and raffle, or for personal use. Trees may be purchased at the following locations: in Williamstown at St. John's Church (church school entrance), 35 Park St., First Congregational Church, 906 Main St., Harsch Associate, 311 Main St., Alton and Westall, 77 Water St., and Goodman’s Jewelers 32 Spring St.; and in North Adams at DiLego Jewelry Store, 16 Ashland St., the First Baptist Church, 131 Main St., Mount Williams Greenhouses, 1090 State Road.

Trees can also be picked up at the Habitat Office at 61 Main St., North Adams, on Monday through Friday 9 a.m. until noon. If you have questions, please call the Habitat office at 413-664-4440.

 

Survey says

The Pittsfield Community Preservation Committee has released a public input survey as part of its efforts related to the development of a Community Preservation Plan. The survey is designed to be completed in less than five minutes, with the ability to provide substantive input, if desired. The results of the survey will be incorporated into an overall plan that will assist the committee in decision making as to the allocations of Community Preservation Act funds. The committee plans to complete this work by early 2018.



The plan is a required step that allows the community to develop priorities in how Community Preservation Act funds are spent within four allotted categories: parks, open space, historic preservation, and community housing. The survey can be found online. Paper copies will also be made available for pickup/drop-off through the Department of Community Development.

 

4-H meeting

Teens ages 12 to 8 are invited to join the local 4-H group. There will be a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at Brattle Farm, 600 Williams St., Pittsfield.

This group meets once a month, planning the annual Berkshire County Youth Fair, a one-day fair that happens in Pittsfield on the third Saturday in August. Contact the Berkshire 4-H Office for more information at 413-448-8285.

 

Developing diversity

The Creating Connections Consortium (C3), a consortium that promotes diversity in higher education, has received a $5.5 million dollar grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to fund tenure-track positions in the humanities at Williams College and 27 other American liberal arts colleges.

The five-year grant will help Williams and other participating colleges accelerate their efforts to diversify their faculty. By including a range of member schools from the Liberal Arts Diversity Officers consortium (LADO), the grant will also broaden C3’s reach beyond its lead liberal arts colleges, Williams, Middlebury, Bates and Connecticut College.

The grant replaces the consortium’s Postdoctoral Fellows program with C3 Professorships that will offer up to two years of funding for tenure-track positions in the humanities. A minimum of 16 such positions will be allocated across the participating schools. Graduates of any institution will be eligible for the C3-supported positions. Previously, Postdoctoral Fellows were only selected from among graduates of the C3’s four partner universities: Berkeley, Columbia, Michigan and the University of Chicago.

The new grant will also fund the New Scholar Series, departmental events that bring emerging scholars from underrepresented populations to participating campuses to speak about new and developing areas of their disciplines.

 

Swim lessons

The Dalton Community Recreation is registration for Session 2 Swimming Lessons. Lessons run from Nov. 13 through Jan. 27. A General CRA Jr. Membership ($40) is required and everyone must wear a swim cap.

The Dalton CRA offers a full range of swimming lessons including: Parent-Toddler (6 months to 3 years, parent needs to be in the pool with toddler); Pre-School (3-5 years, not in Kindergarten); Beginners (5 years and up); Beginners Deep End (5 years and up - no bubble); Advanced Beginners (Saturday morning class now offered), Intermediate Swimmer and Advanced Swimmer. Cost for lessons is $65 (plus Membership) for 10 week session (Note, Mon, Thurs, Fri and Sat classes run nine weeks and cost is $58.50 plus membership.) Parent Toddler lessons are $30 (plus membership).

There will be no lessons Nov. 23-24 and Dec. 23 through Jan. 1. Register at the Dalton CRA. For more information and class schedule, call the CRA at 413-684-0260.

 

Rainbow women

The Women's Group of Berkshire Rainbow Seniors meets the fourth Saturday of every month in the Garden Room of the Unitarian Universalist Church, 175 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Rainbow Seniors is a social group for LGBTQ seniors and their friends, supported in part by Title III of the Older Americans Act. Visit the website at for more information.

 

Come together

Democratic Committee members from Adams, Williamstown, North Adams and Lanesborough held a Unity Gathering at the Holiday Inn Berkshires in North Adams on Saturday, Oct. 21. All primary candidates for state representative - Lisa Blackmer, Stephanie Bosley and Kevin Towle - were on board as well as the nominated candidate John Barrett III, who launched the next leg on the journey to the State House. Barrett praised the other candidates for their professionalism during the campaign and addressing the issues confronting the 1st Berkshire District

State Sen. Adam Hinds addressed the audience on the importance of rallying behind the winner of the hard-fought four way race. He also gave an update on two major issues to be worked on in Boston - health care subsidies and criminal justice reform. He also spoke about proposed expansion of rail in the Berkshires.

Democrats in North Adams are reminded that there will be two separate ballots for state representative along with the local election candidates on Nov. 7. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All North Adams wards cast their ballots at St. Elisabeth Parish Center. The next meeting of the North Adams Democratic City Committee will be held in the conference room at the North Adams Public Library on Nov. 9 from 6:15 to 8 p.m.

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

Crosby/Conte Statement of Interest Gets OK From Council

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Architect Carl Franceschi and Superintendent Joseph Curtis address the City Council on Tuesday.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With the approval of all necessary bodies, the school district will submit a statement of interest for a combined build on the site of Crosby Elementary School.

The City Council on Tuesday unanimously gave Superintendent Joseph Curtis the green light for the SOI to the Massachusetts School Building Authority by April 12.

"The statement I would make is we should have learned by our mistakes in the past," Mayor Peter Marchetti said.

"Twenty years ago, we could have built a wastewater treatment plant a lot cheaper than we could a couple of years ago and we can wait 10 years and get in line to build a new school or we can start now and, hopefully, when we get into that process and be able to do it cheaper then we can do a decade from now."

The proposal rebuilds Conte Community School and Crosby on the West Street site with shared facilities, as both have outdated campuses, insufficient layouts, and need significant repair. A rough timeline shows a feasibility study in 2026 with design and construction ranging from 2027 to 2028.

Following the SOI, the next step would be a feasibility study to determine the specific needs and parameters of the project, costing about $1.5 million and partially covered by the state. There is a potential for 80 percent reimbursement through the MSBA, who will decide on the project by the end of the year.

Earlier this month, city officials took a tour of both schools — some were shocked at the conditions students are learning in.

Silvio O. Conte Community School, built in 1974, is a 69,500 square foot open-concept facility that was popular in the 1960s and 1970s but the quad classroom layout poses educational and security risks.  John C. Crosby Elementary School, built in 1962, is about 69,800 square feet and was built as a junior high school so several aspects had to be adapted for elementary use.

Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi said the walkthrough was "striking" at points, particularly at Conte, and had her thinking there was no way she would want her child educated there. She recognized that not everyone has the ability to choose where their child goes to school and "we need to do better."

"The two facilities that we are looking at I think are a great place to start," she said.

"As the Ward 6 councilor, this is where my residents and my students are going to school so selfishly yes, I want to see this project happen but looking at how we are educating Pittsfield students, this is going to give us a big bang for our buck and it's going to help improve the educational experience of a vast group of students in our city."

During the tour, Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey, saw where it could be difficult to pay attention in an open classroom with so much going on and imagined the struggle for students.

Councilor at Large Alisa Costa said, "we cannot afford not to do this" because the city needs schools that people want their children to attend.

"I know that every financial decision we make is tough but we have to figure this out. If the roof on your house were crumbling in, you'd have to figure it out and that's where we're at and we can't afford to wait any longer," she said.

"We can't afford for the sake of the children going to our schools, for the sake of our city that we want to see grow so we have to build a city where people want to go."

Councilor at Large Kathy Amuso, who served on the School Building Needs Commission for about 18 years, pointed out that the panel identified a need to address Conte in 2008.

Curtis addressed questions about the fate of Conte if the build were to happen, explaining that it could be kept as an active space for community use, house the Eagle Academy or the Adult Learning Center, or house the central offices.

School attendance zones are a point of discussion for the entire school district and for this project.

"At one time I think we had 36 school buildings and now we have essentially 12 and then it would go down again but in a thoughtful way," Curtis said.

Currently, eight attendance zones designate where a student will go to elementary school. Part of the vision is to collapse those zones into three with hopes of building a plan that incorporates partner schools in each attendance zone.

"I think that going from eight schools to three would be easier to maintain and I think it would make more sense but in order to get there we will have to build these buildings and we will have to spend money," Kavey said, hoping that the city would receive the 80 percent reimbursement it is vying for.

This plan for West Street, which is subject to change, has the potential to house grades pre-kindergarten to first grade in one school and Grades 2 to 4 in another with both having their own identities and administrations. 

The districtwide vision for middle school students is to divide all students into a grade five and six school and a grade seven and eight school to ensure equity.

"The vagueness of what that looks like is worrisome to some folks that I have talked to," Lampiasi said.

Curtis emphasized that these changes would have to be voted on by the School Committee and include public input.

"We've talked about it conceptually just to illustrate a possible grade span allocation," he said. "No decisions have been made at all by the School Committee, even the grade-span proposals."

School Committee Chair William Cameron said it is civic duty of the committee and council to move forward with the SOI.
 
He explained that when seven of the city's schools were renovated in the late 1990s, the community schools were only 25 years old and Crosby was 35 years old.  The commonwealth did not deem them to be sorely in need of renovation or replacement.
 
"Now 25 years later, Crosby is physically decrepit and an eyesore. It houses students ages three to 11 in a facility meant for use by teenagers,"
 
"Conte and Morningside opened in the mid-1970s. They were built as then state-of-the-art schools featuring large elongated rectangles of open instructional space. Over almost half a century, these physical arrangements have proven to be inadequate for teaching core academic skills effectively to students, many of whom need extra services and a distraction-free environment if they are to realize their full academic potential."
 
He said  the proposal addresses a serious problem in the "economically poorest, most ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse area" of the city.
 
Cameron added that these facilities have been deemed unsatisfactory and need to be replaced as part of the project to reimagine how the city can best meet the educational needs of its students.  He said it is the local government's job to move this project forward to ensure that children learn in an environment that is conducive to their thriving academically.
 
"The process of meeting this responsibility needs to begin here tonight," he said.
 
View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories