BNRC Announces New Board Leadership and Members

11:16AM / Wednesday, February 26, 2025Print Story | Email Story

Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) has appointed F. Sydney "Syd" Smithers as its new Board of Directors Chair.

LENOX, Mass. — Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) has appointed F. Sydney "Syd" Smithers as its new Board of Directors Chair.

Smithers, a retired Berkshire County real estate attorney with over 50 years of experience, previously served on the BNRC board for 10 years and rejoined last year.

John Mancia, a BNRC board member since 2018, was appointed Vice Chair. Mancia recently retired from a 30-year career in senior management at Elsevier, the world's largest science and medical publisher.

BNRC also welcomes Karen Ross and Steve Cunningham to the board.

Ross, a Pittsfield native and long-time BNRC volunteer, previously served on the board and holds a PhD in higher education administration.

Cunningham brings experience in renewable energy and agriculture, having spent the last 15 years running an organic vegetable farm in New Marlborough.

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Great Barrington Fire, Police Respond to Chimney Fire

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
02:48PM / Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Fire Chief Scott Turner called for mutual aid as soon as he saw flames.

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Firefighters made quick work of a chimney fire on Tuesday afternoon and two police officers aided the occupant in escaping the building.

Fire Chief Scott Turner said the blaze at 205 North St. was reported about 12:38 p.m.

"When I arrived on scene, we had a small amount of flames coming out of the eaves of the roof over by the chimney for the wood stove, and then we had light smoke conditions on the second floor," he said.

Police Officers Andres Huertas and Elias Casey were first on the scene and immediately entered the single-family home to find the occupant was on the second floor.

They helped her out of the building, Turner said, "they did a great job."

The chimney is a metal chimney and burn marks could been seen where it meets the eaves on the side of the building.

North Street is a narrow residential way and firetrucks from Alford, Egremont, Monterey, Richmond, Stockbridge and West Stockbridge were parked along nearby streets.

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