Pittsfield Airport Navigation Easement Acquisitions Almost Closed

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Gale Associates updated the Airport Commission on the status of various projects during its meeting last week.  
 
The Runway 14 navigation easement acquisitions are almost closed. Gale Associates submitted the forms along with all the necessary backup documentation to the state Department of Transportation on March 10.
 
Once the city is reimbursed for the outstanding MassDOT balance, the project will be removed from Gale's update, civil engineer Mark Ottariano said. 
 
The permit design for tree clearing went out to bid starting March 29 and will remain open for three weeks, he said. 
 
The bids will be opened at City Hall on April 19 at 2 p.m. instead of 11 a.m. That was a recent change.
 
At the time of the meeting, there was one bidder who had pulled plans. Ottariano said Gail Associates will reach out to some of the contractors that it has worked with in the past to inform them of the project in case they missed the advertisement. 
 
The construction for the project was originally budgeted for $165,000. There were a couple of permitting things that drove the budget up to 200,000, including the added cost for herbicide. 
 
The $200,000 is a conservative estimate, Ottariano said. A more accurate construction cost will be available in a couple of weeks.
 
The Federal Aviation Administration split the removal project into a design only and construction phase. 
 
Gale Associates recently submitted its scope of services and fees for the construction phase of the projects and were sent out on for a Independent Fee Estimate on March 29. 
 
Once the IFE is returned and negotiations complete, the scope and fee will be finalized and will be submitted along with the construction costs based on the April 19 bids to the grant application that is due on May 5. 

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BVNA Nurses Raise Funds for Berkshire Bounty

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Massachusetts Nursing Association members of the Berkshire Visiting Nurses Association raised $650 to help with food insecurity in Berkshire County.
 
The nurses and health-care professionals of BVNA have given back to the community every holiday season for the last three years. The first year, they adopted a large family, raised money, bought, wrapped and delivered the gifts for the family. Last year, they sold raffle tickets and the money raised went to the charitable cause of the winner. 
 
This year, with food insecurity as a rising issue, they chose to give to Berkshire Bounty in Great Barrington.
 
They sold raffle tickets for a drawing to win one of two items: A lottery ticket tree or a gift certificate tree, each worth $100. They will be giving the organization the donation this month.
 
Berkshire Bounty seeks to improve food security in the county through food donations from retailers and local farms; supplemental purchases of healthy foods; distribution to food sites and home deliveries; and collaborating with partners to address emergencies and improve the food system. 
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