Berkshire Bank's Foundation Donates to 160 Nonprofit Organizations

04:31PM / Monday, October 24, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Bank announced over $660,000 in philanthropic investments from its foundation during the third quarter of 2022.

According to a press release, the grants awarded cover a range of projects that help foster community diversity, equity, and inclusion-focused programs, support education and youth, and enhance opportunities for individual success in the communities the bank serves.

These investments also support the company's BEST Community Comeback, which includes a planned $15 million in community contributions by the end of 2024.

"We are so pleased to support nonprofit organizations once again with philanthropy to sustain vital community services in all the regions that Berkshire Bank serves during challenging economic times. Since January 2022, the Berkshire Bank Foundation has provided nearly $2 million to support the needs of the community," said Lori Gazzillo Kiely, Foundation Director.

Recipients:

Albany Medical Center Foundation (NY)

American Cancer Society (NY)

Art Resource Collaborative For Kids (ARCK) (Mass)

Ascentria Care Alliance, Inc. (Mass)

Bennington Area Habitat for HuMassnity (Vt)

Berkshire County ARC, Inc. (Mass)

Berkshire County Education Task Force (Mass

Big Sister Association of Greater Boston (Mass)*

Boys and Girls Club of The Berkshires (Mass)

Chabad of the Berkshires (Mass)

Community Food Cupboard, Inc. (Vt)

Elmcrest Children's Center (NY)

Festival Latino of the Berkshires (Mass)

Girls, Inc. of the Greater Capital Region (NY)*

Girls' LEAP (Mass)*

Jonnycake Center of Westerly (RI)

Mohawk Valley Community College Foundation (NY)

Nathan's Angels Memorial Foundation (RI)

Quinebaug Valley Community College Foundation (RI)

Revitalize Community Development Corporation (Mass)

Springfield Boys & Girls Club, Inc. (Mass)

The Business Training Institute Inc. (NY)

The Latina Circle Inc. (Mass)*

The Leukemia & LymphoMass Society Upstate NY (NY)

The Minority Construction Council, Inc. (CT)

United Way of the Valley & Greater Utica Area (NY)

Union Capital Boston (Mass)

Veterans Inc. (Mass)

Veteran Entrepreneurship Training and Resource Network (NY)

Western Massss Women's Fund (Mass)*

Wonderfeet Kids' Museum (Vt)

Worcester Center for the Performing Arts (Mass)

YWCA Hartford Region (CT)*

Youth In Action, Inc. (RI)

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Two Men Found Guilty of Marihuana Trafficking

01:23PM / Tuesday, May 07, 2024

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Monday, May 6, Yebin Mai, 32 of Staten Island, NY and Dem Wu, age 52 of Staten Island, NY, were found guilty by jury of their peers in Berkshire Superior Court.

Yebin Mai was found guilty of two charges: Marihuana Trafficking in 100 pounds or more but less than 2,000 pounds and Witness Intimidation. Dem Wu was found guilty of Marihuana Trafficking in 100 pounds or more but less than 2,000 pounds.

According to a report, on July 30, 2020, State Police responded to a request for assistance from the Eversource Electric Company. The emergency dispatcher stated that two Eversource linemen were attempting to fix an electrical problem when they had a confrontation with individuals at 72 Jackson Road, Savoy. The residence belonged to Bin Huang after he purchased it in 2017 for $200,000 cash.

When state troopers arrived, the linemen stated that they responded to a report from a resident at 72 Jackson Road, Savoy claiming that power was fluctuating. When the linemen arrived at the house, they observed severely damaged wires and insulators leading from the roadside poles to the residence. When the Eversource linemen approached the house a man came out to meet them. The man, later identified as Yebin Mai, spoke limited English; therefore, communication between the Eversource linemen and resident became difficult. The linemen tried to explain that they would need to turn the power off to conduct a safety check of the electric meter and surrounding electrical connections. Mai became agitated. He handed the linemen an envelope filled with money later determined to be $600. The linemen attempted to return the envelope multiple times, but Mai would not take it. The linemen decided to leave the property. They called the police and waited for them to arrive, stated a report.

A trooper and Eversource supervisor arrived on the road at the end of 72 Jackson Road's driveway. A short time later, Mai drove down the driveway and attempted to leave in a pick-up truck with New York plates. There were two other passengers in the truck, including Dem Wu.

The trooper instructed Mai to stop and turn off the truck which he obeyed. All the individuals returned to the residence so the linemen could complete their inspection.

In a police report, the following items were observed at and around the house:

4 separate electrical meters in poorly constructed boxes on the side of the house
Some melted wires and metal around the meter boxes (believed to be due to an excessive amount of energy being drawn through the wires)
Evidence of a small fire around one of the meter boxes
A smell of fresh grown marijuana (which grew once power was cut to the house and fans in the residence stopped running)
The sound of multiple fans inside the residence with no visible air ventilation system on the outside of the house
Windows with curtains drawn and boarded shut
A backyard covered in debris from a renovation, green planning pots, and large florescent light fixtures
Ring door cameras
A small path in the woods that ended in a pile of used potting soil and roots and stalks of freshly harvested marijuana plants

Additionally, Eversource reported that the monthly electric bill for 72 Jackson Road was approximately $10,000 per month, much higher than the average homeowner's bill.

The individuals on the property were questioned and ultimately allowed to leave. On July 31, 2020, Massachusetts State Police, including the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the District Attorney's Office, and a member of the DEA arrived at 72 Jackson Road to execute a search warrant.

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