Berkshire County Historical Society Celebrates Plant a Tree Day

11:45AM / Wednesday, September 27, 2023Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Join the Berkshire County Historical Society on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 5:30 pm as they celebrate Plant a Tree Day with a ceremonial planting of a young American elm "Jefferson" on Park Square.

The tree will be planted to honor the Berkshires' first known environmentalist Lucretia Williams. Williams threw herself before the woodsman's axe to save a towering elm known as the Pittsfield Elm on Park Square in 1789.

"BCHS is very grateful to the Pittsfield Parks Department and George and Alice Wislocki for helping make this possible, said Executive Director Lesley Herzberg. "It is a fitting and lasting tribute to Lucretia Williams whose story resonates with us today over one hundred years after her efforts to save the Pittsfield Elm."

This free event is open to the public.

Tags: park square, trees,

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Crane Drops Challenge to Dalton Land Sale

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:43AM / Thursday, January 22, 2026

DALTON, Mass. — The sale of the land known as the Bardin property is no longer being challenged.

Dicken Crane of Holiday Farm, the highest bidder on the property, withdrew his lawsuit and a citizen petition requesting the board award him the sale, recognizing that a reversal was unlikely after the deed had already been signed.

The Select Board's decision in December to sell the last 9.15 acres of land to Thomas and Esther Balardini, the third highest bidder, sparked outrage from several residents resulting in a heated meeting to sign the quitclaim deed. Crane was the highest bidder by $20,000.

The board swiftly had the deed signed on Dec. 22, following its initial vote on Nov. 10 to award the parcel to the Balardinis, despite citizen outcry against the decision during a meeting on Nov. 23.

Crane claimed he wrote a letter to the board of his intention to appeal its decision. However, once the deed was signed a month later, it was too late for him to do anything.

"My question is, why were they in such a hurry to push this through, even though there were many people asking, 'explain to us why this is in the best interest in the town,' when they really had no explanation," Crane said on Wednesday.

Litigation is expensive and the likelihood of success to get it changed once the deed was signed is minimal, he said.

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