More than 600 Participate in Steel Rail Races

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Matthew Ferraro was the first runner across the finish line at the MountainOne Steel Rail Marathon.
 
Ferraro clocked a time of 2 hours, 41 minutes flat on the Ashuwilticook Rail Trail course.
 
He finished a little more than five minutes ahead of runner-up Nick Reid (2:46:15).
 
Simone Veale won the race's women's division in a time of 3:18:42. She beat out Jill Hussain, who covered the course in 3:27:23.
 
The fastest marathoner on Sunday was Stephen Gulley, a hand cyclist, who clocked a time of 2:15:03.
 
The 26.2-mile circuit was covered by 150 finishers ranging in age from 18 (William Hanley in 14th place) to 72 (Ric Nudell, who finished in 6:04:47).
 
The day also featured a half-marathon and an 8-kilometer race.
 
Mark Rabasco won the half-marathon in 1:18:41, edging Vincent Gauthier (1:22:38).
 
Kat Morrissey placed third overall in 1:23:43 and first among women in the half-marathon, which had 213 finishers.
 
Abigail Chaloux was the fastest woman in the 8K, crossing the finish line in 35:52, six seconds ahead of Caroline Kessler; the two women were ninth and 10th, respectively, overall in a field of 171 finishers.
 
Peter Hale had the fastest 8K time, 27:42. Erik Kessler was second in 30:32.
 
More than 600 people registered for Sunday's races, a record for the Berkshire Running Foundation event. Runners from 24 different states signed up to run.
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MassDEP Talks Pollution Plans for Pontoosuc Lake

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The state Department of Environmental Protection has some options for restore a polluted Pontoosuc Lake back to health.
 
These were reviewed last Wednesday at a public information session.
 
Holly Brown, an analyst with MassDEP's Watershed Planning Program, said the lake is showing signs of nutrient pollution and eutrophication — a condition which promotes algae blooms, fish kills and dead zones — and cited recent algae blooms that resulted in public health advisories.
 
Matt Ladewig, principal scientist with TRC Companies of Windsor, Conn., explained the two different avenues Pittsfield and Lanesborough can take to help restore Pontoosuc Lake.
 
The two potential avenues include determining the lakes capacity for pollution (Total Maximum Daily Load) and developing a Nine Element Wastershed-based plan.
 
"The TMDL process is more formal and allocates pollutant loads to contributing point and non-point services in a way that will allow the water body to meet water quality standards," said Ladewig. 
 
A TMDL plan would identify the impairment, the causes and the pollutant load reductions. Following public comments, it would have to approved by the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection Agency to be eligible for grants. 
 
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