NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Urban Forester Sarah Greenleaf of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Greening the Gateway Cities Program will present on tree planting challenges in cities and sustainable urban forest management on Feb. 5 as part of MCLA's Green Living Seminar Series.
Presentations occur every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation (FCSI) Room 121.
During Greenleaf's talk she will examine the unique challenges to tree planting in cities and how sustainable urban forest management is consequently impacted, as well as the varying perspectives of using native and non-native tree species in the urban landscape.
Greenleaf received a graduate degree in Urban Forestry at Oregon State University and later returned home to Massachusetts where she was thrilled to join the Greening the Gateway Cities Program, an initiative that promotes Urban Forest Equity and Environmental Justice through tree planting.
Each presentation is free and open to the public. Podcasts will be posted online following each presentation.
All lectures will be recorded and can be replayed on the MCLA ENVI Youtube Channel and broadcast on Northern Berkshire Community Television Channel (NBCTC) 1302 at the following times:
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Fridays at 4 p.m.
Saturdays at 3:30 p.m.
Sundays at 11:30 p.m.
Mondays at 5:30 p.m.
Community members can find up-to-date information about the schedule at mcla.edu/greenliving.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
North Adams Airport Sets Deadline For Cell Tower Project
By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Commission set a November deadline for Diamond Communications last week, accepting a contract extension on installing a cell tower through Nov. 25.
After that date, the commission wants some form of compensation.
This initial extension was built into the original contract, and commissioners had no objection to honoring it. However, Diamond's second request for a nine-month extension gave the board pause.
The airport accepted a bid from Diamond in 2024 to install a cellular tower on the airport campus. Diamond offered a $30,000-a-year lease with a scheduled 2.5 percent annual increase. Terms also included a $100,000 bonus and a percentage of the tower's gross revenue if it becomes fully leased out.
Shirin Everett of KP Law, who helped negotiate the original agreement for the airport, called into the meeting. She confirmed the project is on hold because Verizon, which plans to utilize the tower, has yet to commit money toward it. Everett said understands Verizon has potentially budgeted for the project in 2027.
This means that at the very earliest, Verizon might make a decision in mid-2027. Following a standard due diligence period, the airport likely would not begin receiving rent payments until 2028. Everett added that telecommunications projects are experiencing delays nationwide.
The situation did not sit well with Airport Commissioner William Hooper.
"Verizon is not ready to pull the trigger for Diamond, so they are at risk of not having their primary subtenant ready to go," Hooper said. "So my concern is, does Diamond have a real commitment to be able to do this?"
He added that Diamond currently has no financial commitment to the city, making him hesitant to hold potentially valuable land for them without receiving anything in return.
"I would hate to be reserving the rights of Diamond for a square inch of the airport if we don't have real commitment from them," Hooper said. "As I read the agreement, I don't like where I feel we are at the moment."
Everett stated that come Nov. 25, the city could grant another extension — this time accompanied by a request for compensation. She emphasized that Diamond is not entitled to anything beyond Nov. 25, though she noted that in prior conversations, Diamond was not open to providing substantial compensation.
If Diamond and the city simply allow the contract to expire, Diamond remains responsible for paying the city's legal fees, according to Everett. Furthermore, if Diamond eventually completes the process with the city, they must pay an automatic $100,000 to the airport.
Everett added that if the city decides to reopen the Request for Proposals (RFP) process, they would likely still be waiting until at least 2028.
"These leases, for whatever reason, are taking months and months ... it is really between a rock and a hard place," she said. "You can stay with the devil you know and hope it comes through, or we can choose someone else."
In related news regarding land use at the airport, the commission expressed interest in exploring the possibility of installing solar panels.
The state Department of Conservation and Recreation is planning to purchase a total of 250 abutting acres in Clarksburg and the town of Florida. The purchase was on the Florida Select Board's agenda on Wednesday night.
click for more
Local officials, schools, and community organizations unite to offer a free Halloween walkthrough featuring local lore, concessions, and family fun. click for more
The fire was called in just before 5 p.m. as "visible flames and smoke." There was dark smoke coming from a storage area on the backside of the building and firefighters were able to quickly knock it down. click for more
These women were unsung fliers, so important as pioneers in the history of aviation that they took to the skies in the teens and early 1920s before Earhart even stepped foot in her bright red Lockheed Vega 5.
click for more
