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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Pittsfield Animal Control Commission Eyes Animal Abuse Registry
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Animal Control Commission organized itself late last month and floated a couple of areas to address.
"Now that we have two separate commissions, the Animal Control Commission and the Hearing Authority, the Animal Control Commission is going to oversee sort of the rules, regulations, and city ordinances for Pittsfield regarding animals, dogs, cats, etc.," Animal Control Officer Kristin Quintal explained.
"So, if there are any issues that the community wants to discuss regarding park situations, any changes to the city ordinances, things like that."
During a brief meeting on June 30, the commission welcomed new members John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society's executive director, and Tricia Phillips, the Humane Society's community outreach coordinator.
Perreault was elected chair, and Phillips was elected secretary.
In 2025, Pittsfield made a separate authority for dangerous dog hearings and made changes to the Animal Control Commission, including fewer members and no requirement for veterinarian representation on the panel.
"So this commission is supposed to meet four times a year to discuss happy things," Renee Dodds, the former chair, told members last year.
The commission meets quarterly to "study, review, and issue written reports on issues dealing with dogs or other animals in the City and shall coordinate to the fullest extent possible the work of all public and private agencies concerned with animal care, protection and control," the City Code reads.
The city is planning to enhance access to Pontoosuc Lake's south shoreline with a staircase from the boardwalk and a couple of stair sets to the water.
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The Pittsfield Public Schools have released start and end times for the 2026-2027 academic year with the middle school restructuring in place.
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