Berkshire Benchmarks Releases State of the County Update

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Benchmarks data team recently released a State of the County Update for 2023. 
 
This brief report builds on the Berkshire Benchmarks State of the County Report published in May 2022 and highlights notable changes in regional indicators over the past year. The berkshirebenchmarks.org website has also been updated to reflect the most current available data. 
 
The purpose of the Benchmarks initiative and report is to highlight the region's successes and challenges.
 
The 2022 Berkshire Benchmarks State of the County report provided a comprehensive overview of our region's performance across eight sectors: Economy, Education, Environment, Government, Health, Housing, Social Environment, and Transportation.  
 
In the future, the Berkshire Benchmarks team will continue to monitor these and other indicators to aid with the regional understanding of changes in these sectors and whether the work happening throughout the region is having the intended impact. 
 
Berkshire Benchmarks is a collaborative initiative managed through Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC). Our sources are publicly available data, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the American Community Survey, various Massachusetts data sets, and periodic surveys of Berkshire County residents. 
 
Berkshire Benchmarks aims to work with the community to understand priorities and help inform the region on how we are doing and if we are improving. Berkshire Benchmarks enhances the region's access to quality data and analysis. 

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Dalton Swap Shed Seeks Volunteers; Wahconah Umbrella Club Designs Shed

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

The swap shed has usable goods looking for a second life. 
DALTON, Mass. —The town is seeking volunteers to operate "Dal-mart," the transfer station's swap shed. 
 
The initiative provides individuals the opportunity to leave items they no longer need and/or take some items they need for free which prevents usable items from being tossed in landfills, reducing waste and supporting sustainability.
 
The shop is currently open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with hopes to expand operating hours as community awareness grows and additional volunteers become available to help staff the space.
 
"It's a way of reusing other people's stuff that's still in good condition," Green Committee member Kathy Perney said, highlighting a few items often found in the shop including toys, books, and dinnerware. 
 
The town opened the shop last June and to spread awareness invited Wahconah Regional High School students in the Umbrella Club to paint it.
 
When presented with this experience, 19 students stepped up to help design the illustration, although only eight were able to go on the field trip to paint. 
 
The students researched indigenous flowers and fauna to incorporate in its design, featuring the area's four seasons. Prominently displayed on the front are images that bring to light fall and spring and a native blue butterfly. 
 
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