Berkshire County Historical Society Celebrates Plant a Tree Day

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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.
 
"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."
 

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Dalton Board Uncertain on How to Budget for Clean Air Efforts

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — As concerns about Berkshire Concrete's operations persist, Select Board members agree funding is needed, but are uncertain on how it should be allocated.
 
During its meeting on Monday, Select Board member Antonio "Tony" Pagliarulo requested that the town include in the budget funds for technical air-monitoring and potentially legal costs for the Clean Air Committee budget. 
 
In June, the board approved the establishment of a Clean Air Ad Hoc Committee, charged with reviewing the special permit and ensuring compliance. 
 
The committee consists of one Select Board member, a Board of Health representative, a Planning Board member, a Conservation Commissioner, and two citizen members: one from the Dalton Clean Air Coalition and another at-large citizen.
 
For over a year, residents attended numerous meetings urging action to stop sand from leaving parcel No. 105-16, owned by Berkshire Concrete, a subsidiary of Petricca Industries.
 
Since then, the Zoning Board ordered the company to fully remediate the unauthorized dig site on parcel No. 105-16, the Board of Health fined it $5,000, and the Planning Board denied its special permit
 
Board members seemed to agree that budgeting funds for clean air monitoring be set aside in the Clean Air Committee budget but not how legal fees should be budgeted. 
 
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