Berkshire County Historical Society Celebrates Plant a Tree Day

Print Story | Email Story
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Join the Berkshire County Historical Society on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 5:30 pm as they celebrate Plant a Tree Day with a ceremonial planting of a young American elm "Jefferson" on Park Square. 
 
The tree will be planted to honor the Berkshires' first known environmentalist Lucretia Williams. Williams threw herself before the woodsman's axe to save a towering elm known as the Pittsfield Elm on Park Square in 1789. 
 
"BCHS is very grateful to the Pittsfield Parks Department and George and Alice Wislocki for helping make this possible, said Executive Director Lesley Herzberg. "It is a fitting and lasting tribute to Lucretia Williams whose story resonates with us today over one hundred years after her efforts to save the Pittsfield Elm."
 
This free event is open to the public.
 
"BCHS is very grateful to the Pittsfield Parks Department and George and Alice Wislocki for helping make this possible, said Executive Director Lesley Herzberg. "It is a fitting and lasting tribute to Lucretia Williams whose story resonates with us today over one hundred years after her efforts to save the Pittsfield Elm."
 

Tags: park square,   trees,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Berkshire Concrete Appeals Fines; Residents Demand More Aggressive Actions

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The snow has melted and the air is warming — a time when residents open their windows and step outside to enjoy the sun. But for those living near Berkshire Concrete's unauthorized dig site, they say the warmer weather means something else: more sand.
 
Less than a month into spring, the town received its first dust complaint after an overnight storm on March 31 blew sand and fine dust onto Raymond Drive, sending air monitoring data off the charts.
 
"The piles and vast open areas are once again exposed after the snow melt, and it is definitely blowing right into our neighborhoods," said Clean Air Coalition member Lisa Pugh. 
 
"We now have concrete data to prove this. The delays are continuing and the neighborhood continues to be negatively affected.
 
During the storm, the air monitors, placed around town showed particulate matter numbers recorded at over 5,000 units, and at times reaching 10,000. 
 
"These high readings continued for hours," she said. 
 
Levels above 155 are considered unhealthy and according to the Environmental Protection Agency these numbers are considered an immediate public health emergency, Pugh said.  
View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories