Pittsfield Health Board Plans Mosquito Task Force, Public Outreach

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Board of Health will establish a task force to handle mosquito control after efforts to resume to spraying were not supported by the City Council.

This part of the panel's path forward after unsuccessfully recommending that the city resume mosquito spraying, which was discontinued in 2021. Last summer, six mosquitos tested positive for West Nile virus but there were no reported human cases.

After members are added to the subcommittee, it plans to meet in early March ahead of the BOH's April meeting — also ahead of mosquito season.

"I would also want to have someone that has consistently and historically expressed articulated concerns that sits on the City Council to be part of this because we don't want us to be doing the Lucy and Charlie Brown football thing again," member Brad Gordon said, explaining that the panel has put in a lot of work in good faith and when the matter goes to the council there is a disconnect.

Director of Public Health Andy Cambi said he and Chair Roberta Elliot had a meeting with Ward 4 Councilor James Conant, chair of the Conservation Commission, and Conservation Agent Robert Van Der Kar on how they want to tackle the overall mosquito plan.

"I think our goal is to have more input on the actual services that are being provided," Cambi said, explaining that Health Department staff would make sure that everything outlined in the plan is happening.

Part of the community engagement will be a public meeting at which the public can state concerns and have their question answered. This will also include a representative from the state to discuss Massachussetts' mosquito plan.

Elliot said this will "hopefully" be a good way to educate the community on mosquito control.

"We have a couple of ideas around things that we may want to do differently with the larvicide and all of that," she said.



Last year, the council narrowly shot down a request to repeal the 2021 decision that discontinued the adulticide spraying portion of the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project in a 5-6 vote.

Earlier that month, the board agreed to urge the council to bring back spraying due to the presence of West Nile virus in mosquito samples.

BCMCP uses a truck spray applicator with a 300-foot range for the application. The mosquito-killing pesticide is said to have a minimal impact on humans and wildlife, which some councilors refuted.

Cambi said they will look into shifting efforts around to start early and attack more areas so that the city doesn't get to the point where it needs spraying. Ultimately, there will be a recommendation to the council from the task force.

"I think the board, obviously, even before I joined was very due diligent on this," Dr. Jeffrey Leppo said. "But the next step of coordinating with the City Council has been less than optimal."

Board members pointed to flooding that has already occurred due to weather patterns, which breeds mosquitos, and that it has to be an active part of the discussion with the public.

"We've got quite a bit of data," Elliot said, adding that it was interesting to look back on the last few years of data and see where the positive cases of the virus have come up in relation to flood areas and beaver dams and that this could provide context to residents.


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Companion Corner: Glo at the Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet and playful dog at the Berkshire Humane Society waiting for her new family.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

"Glo is about a one-year-old, sweet female pitty mix who has nothing but love to give," said kennel supervisor Stacey Broderick.

Glo has been at the shelter for about three weeks after unfortunately being kicked out of her previous home.

"She came here because her previous home, she was being crated an awful lot, and unfortunately, was creating a little bit of a raucous when she was left by herself," said Broderick. "So she was just being a little barky, a little loud. Neighbors obviously shared walls in an apartment setting we're complaining to the landlord, and the landlord said, unfortunately, that she had to go."

But since coming to the shelter she has been learning a lot.

"She's been nothing but a sweet little girl ever since she is working on crate training, she has been very good for us. We're practicing it with her. She is also working on her house training. In addition to it, it seems that we had a little bit of a reverse situation going on, where she likes to go potties inside, but we are working very hard, and she is learning so quickly," she said. "So even after just a couple weeks with us, she's been really getting the point to go outside and do all of her potties out there."

She would do best in the home as the only dog and possibly without cats. She would also do best with older children who can understand her needs as she needs less activity than other dogs.

"The perfect home would, because of the necessity for her to have a lower activity level, probably without other dogs, just because she can get a little bit rambunctious when she gets excited around them," Broderick said. "So she could certainly have doggie play dates, but her perfect home would be no dogs. Unfortunately, we do have a bit of a prey drive with kitty cats, so probably leaning away from the cats, unless they're incredibly dog savvy ...

"Probably looking toward a home without super young kids, just so they're not jumping, you know, or leaning, or anything along those lines, and understanding that sometimes she's going to just need a break."

Because of a medical condition she wouldn't be able to go on long hikes or do anything extraneous but she is still very active and playful.

"She is absolutely lovely. She's sweet, she's young, she's playful. She wants to be with her people all the time. She loves toys. She does like going out for walks. We do have a couple of medical things that we can certainly give more information to adopters, too," she said. "We have some hip dysplasia that we're looking at, so probably moderate activity level would be best for her.

"She shouldn't necessarily be going on super long hikes, even though she would love to, but she is young and full of life and full of energy, and wants nothing more than to be with her people."

Since Glo has hip dysplasia she will need to maintain a healthy weight to not add stress to her joints and can also benefit from hydrotherapy.

"It's something that somebody will have to have a good relationship with a veterinarian physical therapists, and then if they were interested in doing a hydrotherapy type situation, it can only help her," Broderick said. "We want to keep those muscles built up in the hind end so that her hips are not taking the brunt of the bone on bone action while she is kind of living out her very best life."

Glo hasn't shown any symptoms or difficulties since being at the shelter, but it is a condition that her owners need to understand and it increases her chances of arthritis as she gets older.

Broderick said Fritters Critters in Lee specializes in pet hydrotherapy.

"They basically work on an underwater treadmill. So that's walking under the water so that she has a little bit of resistance and the water is warm, so that it's optimum for therapeutic benefits," she said. "They do have a pool there, too, where she would be able to do some swimming, and it really gives her the ability to exercise and really extend those joints and build up those muscles without the added pressure of gravity and impact as she's walking or playing or running.

"So the hydrotherapy is a great option for dogs, even if you just want to do it for fun. She could really benefit healthwise, from it, too."

She will also have to stay on her joint mobility food to help her.

But Glo is a very happy and playful dog and loves everyone she sees and is hoping to find someone who will love her just as much to take her home.

"I can't say enough good about her. I know that the hip dysplasia sounds like a scary piece of it, as well as the house training," Broderick said. "But honestly, there was not a friendlier, sweeter, more outgoing, social, wants to be best friends with you, kind of dog. She was in the front lobby this past Saturday, and she met like 10 people at the same time, and just made rounds and loved every single person as they came in."

You can visit Glo at the Berkshire Humane Society and read more about her on the website.

The Berkshire Humane Society is open Tuesday through Sunday. The adoption center is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

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