Berkshire Green Drinks: All About Bats

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Jennifer Longsdorf, the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Coordinator at MassWildlife, will speak at the September during an online only Berkshire Green Drinks event on Wednesday, Sept. 11. 
 
This free event will take place online via Zoom. The Zoom meeting will start at 6:00 PM. 
 
According to a press release:
 
Bats are fascinating and unique creatures that play a critical role in many environments around the world. However, dramatic population declines have put bats in the spotlight. Discover how human activity and White-nose Syndrome have decimated bat populations. Join BEAT and Jennifer Longsdorf to learn the general facts and help dispel common myths and fears about the most underappreciated and misunderstood mammal on Earth. Jennifer will end with some tips on how to help conserve and protect these ecosystem superheroes.
 
 
A graduate of the University of New England in Maine, Jennifer Longsdorf has been with MassWildlife for nearly 13 years as the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Coordinator. During this time, Jennifer has been involved with a variety of conservation and restoration projects, aiding northern red-bellied cooters, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and coastal waterbirds, among other species. For the past several years, Jennifer has mainly served as MassWildlife’s bat conservation program coordinator and wildlife rehabilitation program manager.
 
Berkshire Green Drinks (formerly Pittsfield Green Drinks) is an informal gathering on the second Wednesday of the month that is free and open to everyone with any environmental interest. A guest speaker talks about an environmentally related topic for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 6 PM; the presentation is followed by a discussion and Q&A. 
 
Berkshire Green Drinks is sponsored and organized by the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT). For more information regarding Berkshire Green Drinks, contact Chelsey Simmons, chelsey@thebeatnews.org, (413) 464-9402.

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Dalton Police Facility Report Complete; Station Future Still Uncertain

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee's final report is complete but the future of the station remains uncertain. 
 
Several members of the committee attended the Select Board meeting last week, as co-Chair Craig Wilbur presented four options delineated in the presentation — build on town-owned land, build on private land, renovate or repurpose the existing buildings, and do nothing. The full report can be found here. 
 
According to the report, addressing the station's needs coincides with the town facing significant financial challenges, with rising fixed costs and declining state aid straining its budget. 
 
These financial pressures restrict the town's ability to fund major capital projects and a new police station has to compete with a backlog of deferred infrastructure needs like water, sewer, roads, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
 
In June 2024, Police Chief Deanna Strout informed the board of the station's dire condition — including issues with plumbing, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and damaged cells — prompting the board to take action on two fronts. 
 
The board set aside American Rescue Plan Act funds to address the immediately dire issues, including the ventilation, and established the Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee to navigate long-term options. 
 
Very early on it was determined that the current facility is not adequate enough to meet the needs of a 21st-century Police Facility. This determination was backed up following a space needs assessment by Jacunski Humes Architects LLC. 
 
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