Lenco, Berkshire Veterans Outreach Center, Develop Website

07:45AM / Sunday, October 02, 2022Print Story | Email Story

Lenco Armored Vehicles has announced that it is partnering with Berkshire Veterans Outreach Center to develop a new website that will serve as a way for local veterans to access the services they need, with an emphasis on suicide prevention and PTSD awareness.

Donated by Lenco Armored Vehicles and built by Brick House Web Design, the new site will meet veterans and their families where they are and help ease concerns about taking the first steps to reach out for assistance. The site will encourage local veterans to access the Center’s free services and understand what options are available to them.

"Lenco is committed to protecting the defenders that serve our country, especially here in our community in Western Massachusetts," said Lenny Light, vice president of Lenco Armored Vehicles. "We are so proud to partner with Berkshire Veterans Outreach Center to improve access to the important services they provide veterans and their families."

Berkshire Veterans Outreach Center has been integral in supporting 7,000-8,000 local veterans like Edward Casella and their families with free services from disability claims to homelessness issues.

"The Berkshire Veterans Outreach Center backed me up 100% and were able to navigate the red tape of the VA and helped me get through the process with far less difficulty," Casella said. "I never felt like I was just a number to them. I was denied important benefits and the Center helped me win my appeal with their hard work and guidance."

"As a veteran, I’ve experienced firsthand the important role this center plays and the value it brings to the local community," said Steve Schultze, director of Berkshire Veterans Outreach Center. "Lenco’s generosity and support will help us expand our efforts to serve the veteran community in Berkshire County and help even more veterans tackle the issues they face after they serve our country."

To learn more about Berkshire Veterans Outreach Center, visit: BerkshireVeterans.com

Tags: Lenco, veterans services,

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Zebra Mussels Found in Pittsfield's Onota Lake

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
10:34AM / Tuesday, October 27, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city will treat one acre of Onota Lake for zebra mussels.

On Wednesday, during a special virtual meeting, the Conservation Commission approved a series of three treatments with EarthTec QZ. During dive monitoring in August, a live adult zebra mussel was found near the boat ramp.

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath said it will begin in the next 7-10 days, and that this treatment is nearly identical to that in the fall of 2024, as approved by the ConCom and other entities.

EarthTec QZ, an EPA-registered liquid molluscicide, will be applied to a 1-acre section from a boat with GPS guidance, about 14 days apart. There will be signs and notices of treatments to alert the public.

Karen Murray, of the Lake Onota Preservation Association, explained that the area is from the rocky point north of the boat launch to the boat launch, and a little south of the fishing pier.

"Again, does that mean we have live zebra mussels? We don't know, but it's pretty strong evidence of a potential problem," she said.

Over the last few years, Pittsfield has grappled with occasional findings of the invasive species.

Pittsfield and LOPA embarked on an early detection process at Onota Lake in the fall of 2023; the state Department of Conservation and Recreation had found the area near the boat launch positive for zebra mussel eDNA.

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