BEAT Awarded Funding for a Community Commercial Dishwasher

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Zero Waste Initiative (BZWI), a program of Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT), has been selected as a recipient of one of Mass DEP's Reduce, Reuse Repair Micro-Grants. 
 
The award will be used to purchase and install a commercial dishwasher at BEAT's Environmental Leadership and Education Center, located in Pittsfield, as well as to purchase supplies for a stock of at least 100 reusable place settings, including plates, bowls, silverware, glasses, coffee mugs and tea cups, and some serving dishes and utensils.
 
The dishwasher will be used by BEAT and BZWI to sanitize all dishwares used at BEAT events, both those held at the center and elsewhere in Berkshire County. The 100+ place settings will also be made available to community groups for public gatherings as well as individuals for private parties. Community members will be able to reserve the type and amount of dishes needed in advance, pick them up at the BEAT office, and bring them back for washing after use.
 
Berkshire Zero Waste Initiative's mission is to help move Berkshire County towards zero waste. This project aims to do so by eliminating barriers associated with choosing alternatives to single-use items, especially plastic foodware, including money and time spent on durable dishwares and their cleaning. Use of this community resource is intended to be accessible to all, and is expected to be in place by the end of this year.
 
This project will be funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Learn more about the Reduce Reuse Repair Micro-Grants and this year's recipients from Mass DEP.
 
This educational program is offered by Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Pittsfield. Learn more about BEAT's programs and what they do at www.thebeatnews.org.

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Companion Corner: Fox at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet and energetic dog at the Berkshire Humane Society waiting for his new family.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Fox is a 3-year-old Pomeranian who has been at the shelter for about a month.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Fox. 

"He's a bundle of joy. He would love a family who's home with him a lot, because he's just, he's very social and wants to be with his people a lot. And he would be fun to bring out and about, bring a lot of places, because he's very happy to go anywhere," she said.

When Fox enters the room he is immediately a puffball of energy that goes around and around the room.

He came to the shelter after his former owner could not take care of him anymore. 

"The owner was just not able to care for him anymore. Had he came in with another dog, Wolf, and she already did find her forever home just last week," said Olivieri. "The two of them were left with a friend of the original owner, and the owner did not come back to pick them up, and the friend had too many animals in the house, and too much going on, and she just couldn't continue to look after them, so they did end up coming to us."

Fox can go home with cats and children but is not recommended to go home with other dogs as he gets too excited.

"He would love a home where people are home quite a bit to give him all the attention that he so desires. He loves kids. He absolutely adores children. So he would like a home with kids to play with. He could live with cats. We are saying that he should not live with other dogs. The only reason is that he gets very humpy, and he does not leave the other dogs alone," she said.

With his energy it is recommended he goes to a home that can keep him active whether walks or hikes and even fetch in the yard.

Fox does need to learn more about walking on a leash and has a tendency to mark in the house but he was recently neutered. Olivieri said belly bands will be sent home with whoever adopts him to help prevent marking and managing it.

"He would like an active home. He really does like to go for walks daily. He likes to run around in the yard. He does need a little work on leash walking. He sometimes gets a little tangled still under your feet, and he's learning how to walk on a leash," she said. "So, someone who's got some patience and some time to work on some training with him."

"He also is not fully potty trained, so he does know to go potty outside. However, he will still mark, urinate in the house sometimes, and he might poop here and there in the house."

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