Dalton Invites Community Input on Hazard Mitigation Plan

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DALTON, Mass. — The Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee is seeking community input on the Hazard Mitigation Plan it has been working on updating over the last few months
 
The plan identifies and prioritizes strategies to mitigate the impacts of natural hazards and climate change on our community.
 
There will be an open comment period until Tuesday, May 7, during which residents can share their perspectives to inform the plan. 
 
The committee said public engagement lies at the core of the Hazard Mitigation Plan and that it is imperative it reflects the diverse perspectives and priorities of community members as the town moves to mitigate risks posed by natural hazards and climate change. 
 
The public can review and comment on the plan online and copies are available in person at the Town Hall. 
 
Town officials and local stakeholders developed this plan with funding support from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
 
A number of town officials from various committees and departments have been working with the consultant to discuss the area's hazards and update the hazard mitigation plan to minimize the risk to people, property, and the environment. 
 
In addition, the goal of the plan is to increase the town's capacity and promote a hazard mitigation culture in the community through education, regulations, planning, and collaboration with neighboring regions.
 
Departments and committees, or commissions, involved in this process included the Water, Building and Ground departments; Police, Fire, and Health departments; Conservation Commission members, and other town officials.
 
Once implemented, the Hazard Mitigation Plan is designed to make the town more resilient to natural hazards such as flooding, snowstorms, high winds, and extreme temperatures. 
 
Once approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and adopted by the town, the plan will allow Dalton to apply for pre- and post-disaster hazard mitigation grant funds.

Tags: hazard mitigation,   

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ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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