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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Dalton Board Continues Berkshire Concrete Permit for Fourth Time

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:20AM / Monday, March 02, 2026

DALTON, Mass. — The saga over Berkshire Concrete's special permit persists as the Planning Board last week voted to continue the hearing for the fourth time.

Some movement had been made as the board agreed to close the public hearing and enter into deliberations, which means no further comments or submissions can be made by the audience or the applicant.

"I know everybody wants to get this done. I do too, believe me, but I think it's best if we review the information we have and the new information we have and make better decisions," said Chair Zack McCain III.

During the prior three meetings, the board asked Petricca Industries, the parent company of Berkshire Concrete, to provide updated, accurate, and clear plans.

Board members said they did not receive the documentations until Tuesday; the hearing was on Wednesday.

Petricca Industries' attorney Dennis Egan Jr. of Cohen Kinne Valicenti & Cook LLP, said that assertion was misleading because the town electronically received the updated documents the prior week and the physical copies were delivered on Tuesday. Town Hall is closed on Friday and there was a snowstorm on Monday.

The board reviewed the updated documents, in addition to the overlay of the 1994 special permit onto the drawing submitted in October, which the board requested Berkshire Concrete create but didn't so a board member did it instead.

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