Volunteers Needed To help Clean Housatonic River

08:00AM / Tuesday, August 06, 2024Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Volunteers are needed to help clean up the west branch of the Housatonic River with Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) and Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) at their final river cleanup of 2024 on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 9 AM to noon.

After the cleanup, volunteers will be provided a complimentary lunch. Volunteers must RSVP in advance to reserve a free lunch.

Participants should meet at Westside Riverway Park, 181 Dewey Ave, Pittsfield, at 9 AM on Aug. 10. Cleanup teams will disperse to nearby locations, gathering miscellaneous trash from the river banks and bottom. Canoes will be used to transport the trash. BEAT will also conduct a trash inventory of everything collected, and they welcome volunteers who want to help without entering the river to assist in data collection. Old clothes, a hat, sunscreen, old sneakers or waterproof boots/waders, a full water bottle, and sunglasses are recommended. In the event of pouring rain or lightning, the cleanup will be canceled.

According to a press release, cleanups make a considerable difference in the health of the Housatonic River. Since beginning annual cleanups, BEAT and HVA's efforts have made a noticeable difference, with the piles of trash getting smaller.

Just this summer, BEAT and HVA have removed fifteen shopping carts that were submerged in the Housatonic River, five bikes, sixteen contractor bags worth of miscellaneous trash, HUNDREDS of plastic and glass bottles, twelve tires, several phones, numerous types of textiles.

Register at www.tinyurl.com/Housatonic-River-Cleanups-2024. For more information, visit thebeatnews.org or call (413) 464-9402.

West Branch Housatonic River Cleanups are organized by Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) and Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) and co-sponsored by Blue Q, Panera, and the City of Pittsfield.

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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