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Nonprofit staff and board members of Berkshire United Way celebrate at the annual Greylock Society reception.
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Casey Pease, a staff member for state Sen. Paul Mark, presents the Harnetts an official citation from the State Senate in recognition of this honor.

Berkshire United Way Announces Award Recipients, Honors Supporters

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Award recipients Rosemary and Larry Harnett, center, with United Way President Thomas Bernard and board Chair Laurie Gallagher.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — More than 100 guests joined Berkshire United Way at Bousquet Mountain Lodge last week to celebrate the spirit of philanthropy and to honor Rosemary and Larry Harnett, longtime Berkshire United Way supporters, with the Ruth P. and Nicholas Boraski Leaders in Philanthropy Award.
 
The event also announced Berkshire United Way's 2023-2024 grant award recipients. With the support of more than 3,000 donors, Berkshire United Way awarded just more than $1 million in grants to 28 organizations, including five new first-time grant recipients. This investment will enable its partners to serve the community during the funding year from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.
 
"At Berkshire United Way, our ability to convene, collaborate, and create solutions is our superpower," said Berkshire United Way President and CEO Tom Bernard. "It's how we help bring visibility to community needs and work to create community-based solutions, and it's something we are able to do thanks to our many generous donors and supporters. As Larry Harnett reminded us, it's work we are called to do and to support because so often we can see ourselves in the needs of others."
 
As part of this year's application process, BUW piloted a general operating support model that allowed agencies the option to apply for a grant to support their mission any way they see fit, while still working within one of BUW's three priority areas: early childhood development, positive youth development, or economic prosperity.
 

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Pittsfield ZBA Grants Casella Permit for Waste Transfer Facility

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Zoning Board of Appeals calls Casella's planned redevelopment of the former trash incinerator an improvement to the site.

Last week, the panel approved a special permit to allow a waste transfer facility at the site on 500 Hubbard Ave. Casella Waste Management purchased the waste transfer facility on Hubbard Avenue from Community Eco Power LLC, which filed for bankruptcy in 2021 and has demolished it for redevelopment into a waste transfer station.

The owners say the trash will be brought to the facility and transferred away daily. Concerns that were voiced about the project include odor and impacts to the surrounding area but Casella says the new operation will be less of an impact than the former.

"I think this is going to be a vast improvement based upon the facility that was there previously. I know that sometimes you would get a sight of the other one, they used to dump the waste and it was laying like a floating pond," board member John Fitzgerald said.

"And since the trash is not going to be there, it's going to be in and out, I think the odor will be reduced and I think the vermin will be reduced."

It was also pointed out that the site has handled trash for 40 years.

"I think a lot of the odor before was related to burning," board member Esther Anderson "And there's not going to be burning so it it's going to be greatly reducing the amount of odor and if it's not sitting there is no place for vermin to be."

The former incinerator, including a 118-foot tall stack, has already been demolished a fabric structure is being used temporarily for waste handling.

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