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.

Tags: BEAT,

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

RIBCO Supply

Check out our great lineup of Boss Plows, and spreaders. 2 Locations Clarksburg & Pittsfield!

ribcosupply.com

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

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

BCC 40 Under 40 Winners to be Honored

01:24PM / Wednesday, February 04, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC), together with partners 1Berkshire and Mill Town Foundation, will honor the winners of its annual 40 Under Forty Awards on Wednesday, March 18 at 5 p.m. in the Robert Boland Theater, located on the main campus at 1350 West Street.

Tickets are $40 per person (free for award winners and one guest per winner) and may be purchased online at www.berkshirecc.edu/40-tix. Proceeds benefit support Workforce and Community Education programs at BCC, addressing immediate needs and helping to build a lasting endowment.

According to a press release:

40 Under Forty celebrates talented people in the Berkshires, under the age of 40, who have a deep dedication to improving the quality of life for those living and working in our community. Nominees, who hail from throughout Berkshire County, are eligible for the award through their professional work and how it makes a difference, their personal commitment to their community, or other efforts to improve the quality of life for those living and working the Berkshires.

Mill Town Foundation will promote purposeful giving by funding each 40 Under Forty Award winner with $1,000 to re-grant to an eligible Berkshire-based nonprofit organization.

The winners, along with their non-profit of choice to receive the $1,000 funding, are:

Lilia Baker, Volunteers in Medicine, donating to ViM Berkshires
Jillian Bamford, On Pointe Barre & Fitness Studio, donating to No Paws Left Behind
Haley Barbieri, Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion and Museum / Shakespeare & Company, donating to Lenox Library Association
Patrick Becker, General Dynamics Mission Systems, donating to Craneville Elementary - PTO
Deirdre Bird, Dri Umbrellas, donating to The Denise Kaley Fund for Berkshire County Women with Cancer at BTCF
Miranda Bona, Fuss & O'Neill, Inc., donating to Jacks Galore
Amanda Carpenter, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, donating to Youth Center Inc.
Lindsay Cornwell, Second Street Second Chances, Inc. / Berkshire County Sheriff's Office, donating to Elizabeth Freeman Center
AJ Cote, Food Pantries of the Capital District, donating to Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds Inc.
Charlotte (Linden) Crane, Berkshire Community College, donating to CBRSD - Wahconah Regional High School CPR program
Jessie Downer, Lamacchia Realty, donating to Strong Little Souls
Michael Duffy, Pittsfield Public Schools – Taconic, donating to Temple Anshe Amunim
Devan Gardner, Greylock Federal Credit Union, donating to Berkshire Lyric
Christa Gariepy, Berkshire Health Systems, donating Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires (the Seed Room)
Alexander Hernandez, Berkshire Medical Center, Somos Berkshires, donating to Katunemo Arts and Healing (Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. as its fiscal sponsor)
Hilary Houldsworth, Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc., donating to Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc.
Keytoria Jenkins, United States Postal Service and Keys with Keytoria, donating to Choices Mentoring Initiative
Tom Jorgenson, Berkshire Athenaeum, donating to Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County
Amanda Lardizabal, Berkshire Community College, donating to Berkshire Humane Society
Emma Lenski, Berkshire Pride / Collaborative Endeavors, LLC / Indie Readery & Records, donating to Berkshire Pride
Molly Lovejoy, Railroad Street Youth Project, donating to Railroad Street Youth Project
Kaitlyn Maloy, Berkshire Medical Center, donating to Berkshire Health Systems Nursing Residency
Sheetal Manerkar, Berkshire Medical Center, donating to Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc.
Zachary Marcotte, Berkshire Money Management, donating to Berkshire Humane Society (Community Cat Program)
Stephanie Maselli, Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School, donating to Williamstown Youth Center
Charell McFarland, Community First Therapy and Consulting, LLC, donating to R.O.P.E (Rites of Passage & Empowerment Inc)
Molly Merrihew, WAM Theatre, donating to Latinas413
Travis Mille, ConvenientMD Urgent Care, donating to BFAIR
Octavio Miranda Nallin, Amici Berkshires, donating to Litnet
Kaitlyn Moresi, BFAIR, donating to Love of T Foundation
Kaci Nowicki, Greylock Federal Credit Union, donating to Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention
Katherine Oberwager, Baystate Medical Center, donating to Pediatric Developmental Center
Erik Ray, MountainOne Bank, donating to Youth Center Inc.
Nicholas Russo, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, donating to Zion Lutheran Church
Brianna Sabato, Pittsfield Public Schools, donating to Berkshire Running Foundation
Alyssa Sakowski, Berkshire County Head Start, donating to Berkshire County Head Start
Sierra Shehemi, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, donating to MS Support Foundation
Brittany Sumner, Berkshire ABA, donating to Families Like Ours (FLO)
Austin White, County Ambulance, donating to Emergency Medical Service Committee of Berkshire County
Emily Zelenovic, Law Office of Emily Zelenovic, donating to Construct Inc.