BEAT Staying Connected Initiative Coordinator Mikael Cejtin, left, and Executive Director Jane Winn show off their locally-made stewardship awards, presented by Patricia Cramer, director of the Wildlife Connectivity Institute.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Environmental Action Team received a stewardship award for its work protecting and re-connecting wildlife habitats in the Berkshire Wildlife Linkage area.
The award was presented June at the International Conference on Ecology and Transportation.
The local environmental organization's habitat effort is part of a larger Staying Connected Initiative: a partnership of many conservation organizations that work together to maintain landscape connectivity across the Northern Appalachians in the Acadian Region of the United States and Canada.
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Air and Water Quality Testing Planned for Pittsfield High
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The district will test air and water quality at Pittsfield High School as it prepares to request funding for "in need but not dire" renovations.
The School Committee last week received a report card on Pittsfield High School's physical condition, which was described as "poor" and in need of restoration to its original character.
The 1931 building's quality reflects the materials used at that time, and those strong bones were noted during the conversation.
"Yes, the school is in really poor condition and needs to be addressed, but I also think that we don't need to push an alarm, panic button, and create panic of whether or not certain things are there," Mayor Peter Marchetti said.
"… To me, if this was a doom and gloom, 'Oh my God, get the kids out,' it would be a lot more strongly worded."
He and Superintendent Latifah Phillips toured PHS the previous week and heard concerns about air and water quality. Testing will be done before school is back in session; there was some air quality testing done two years ago.
The city is pursuing a statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, a quasi-independent government agency, to cover up to 80 percent of the cost for renovations. The Pittsfield Public Schools submitted statements of interest for five schools since 2007, and only two have been accepted: Taconic High School in 2009 and the proposed Crosby/Conte elementary build in 2024.
Marchetti believes PHS saw the "fastest statement of interest in the history of the City of Pittsfield." Without state funding, he said it will take 50 years to fix the issues.
The district will test air and water quality at Pittsfield High School as it prepares to request funding for "in need but not dire" renovations. click for more
Earlier this month, the Select Board voted to request that the state conduct a traffic study of the area and provide recommendations for potential safety improvements.
click for more
You may notice a different look to the former Iztac Mexican Restaurant — the brightly colored front entrance has given way to a more subdued, moody facade. click for more
The pouring rain pattered against the Berkshire Museum's tall lecture hall windows as officials gathered Wednesday to celebrate the museum's grand reopening following its historic renovation. click for more
There was a time when the economy of the Berkshires was significantly impacted — for better and worse — by the operations and fluctuations of GE, Sprague and the other major industrial employers in the region. click for more