image description — First Lady Lauren Baker read a book to the children while Blades acted out the scenes.

Berkshire Athenaeum Collects PJs Through Boston Bruins Program

Staff Reports11:12AM / Wednesday, February 21, 2018Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Blades, the Boston Bruins mascot, made an appearance at the Berkshire Athenaeum on Tuesday.

Oh, and the commonwealth's first lady Lauren Baker was there too.

The pair came to the library to collect pajamas to give to the children in the care of the Department of Children and Families. The annual program collects pajamas throughout the state through libraries. It was formed by former Bruins Forward P.J. Axelsson and his wife Siw in 2007. This year's goal is collect 15,000 pairs statewide.

"It is a program in collaboration with the Boston Bruins and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners," said Samantha Cesario, the library's children's and youth services supervisor.

Cesario said all of the donations collected stay local. The Berkshire Athenaeum participated last year, too, but more quietly. This year, the library promoted the collection and arranged the Tuesday's program in which Baker read a book to the children and staff held coloring, trivia, and cornhole games.

"Last year we had a small collection. This year we are hoping for 100 pairs," Cesario said.

The library is accepting donations until March 15. Those looking to donate new pairs of pajamas can drop them off in both the children's and adult sections.

The event also gave the library the opportunity to show off its services to members of the Board of Library Commissioners who attended. Following the program, library officials led Baker and the commissioners on a tour.

"When they offer to come out here and do all of this, we're really grateful," Cesario said.

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EPA, GE Conducting Vernal Pool Study on Housatonic River

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
11:44AM / Tuesday, August 11, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A pilot study will determine the best way to remediate PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, from vernal pools in the Housatonic River.

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric held an open house for the Vernal Pool Pilot Study on Reach 5A, a five-mile stretch between the river's confluence and Lenox border. Despite the rain, several people attended the event at the Berkshire Athenaeum.

EPA project manager Josh Fontaine explained that it is an evaluation of which remediation method to use for the remaining vernal pools in Reach 5A.

"We're going to be testing two different methods. One is an excavation method, which we already know has been very successful with another vernal pool cleaned up much earlier in the project," he said.

"And then the other is the application of two different carbon amendments. It would be the application of powdered activated carbon and the application of granulated activated carbon."

Ten vernal pools will be cleaned using these methods: five with excavation and five with active carbon; seven additional vernal pools will be monitored as controls. Construction will be complete around October, but the pools will be left to their natural processes and monitored with surveys and sampling for three years.

Fontaine said there is no frontrunner for methodology.

"We know the excavation method is effective, but we would like to see if the less invasive method of using the amendment will be as effective for potential use," he said.

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