Volunteers Needed to Help Clean West Branch Housatonic River with BEAT and HVA

01:09PM / Wednesday, June 04, 2025Print 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 one of their annual river cleanups on Saturday, June 21, from 9 AM to Noon.

After the cleanup, volunteers will be provided with a free lunch from a local restaurant. Volunteers must RSVP in advance to reserve a free lunch.

Participants should meet at Wahconah Park, 105 Wahconah Street, Pittsfield, at 9 AM on June 21. Cleanup teams will disperse to nearby locations, gathering miscellaneous trash from the river banks and bottom. Canoes will be used to transport the trash. Volunteers should be prepared to get wet and dirty. Old clothes, a hat, sunscreen, old sneakers or waterproof boots/waders, a full water bottle, and sunglasses are recommended. There will be a limited number of waders available for participants to borrow. In the event of pouring rain or lightning, the cleanup will be canceled.

Cleanups make a considerable difference in the health of the Housatonic River. Over the years, BEAT and HVA have collected a startling array of debris — including mattresses, shopping carts, inflatable pools, bicycles, televisions, tires, construction materials, metal barrels, and all kinds of everyday trash. Once, they even found an empty ATM. Since beginning annual cleanups, their efforts have made a noticeable difference, with the piles of trash getting smaller. This wouldn't be possible without the help of volunteers.

Join BEAT and HVA at a cleanup this summer to make a difference for the environment. Register at tinyurl.com/Housatonic-River-Cleanups-2025. For more information, visit thebeatnews.org or call (413) 464-9402.

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Neal Tours Berkshire Innovation Center as Pittsfield's Tech Economy Grows

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:38PM / Thursday, October 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. —Congressman Richard Neal visited the Berkshire Innovation Center Thursday to highlight $735,000 in federal funding secured for a new cybersecurity training and testing facility.

"The number one job of the federal government is to provide for the security of its people. I mean, we should never lose sight of that, whether it's China or Russia, every single day there are these belligerents that are attempting to infiltrate national security here in the United States, and we should not be naive about it," Neal said. "I mean, we can have an argument about proportionality; we can do a lot of different things, but not to miss the point of what they're trying to do every day."

The new cybersecurity facility will provide regional manufacturers and businesses with research and design equipment, specialized lab space, and training facilities and is planned to be housed in a to-be-redeveloped space across the street from the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC), located at 45 Woodlawn Ave.

The derelict property, formerly owned by General Electric, is now known as the William Stanley Business Park.

The project is a $7.2 million dollar investment from the state, $5.2 million from the tech collaborative, $2 million from bond funding secured by Neal, and $1 million that will be split into two phases: $500,000 for BIC to begin building and $500,000 for Myrias Optics to start production in Pittsfield, said Mayor Peter Marchetti.

BIC Executive Director Ben Sosne said manufacturers often highlight the need for help with cybersecurity, particularly in meeting the security requirements necessary to conduct business with General Dynamics and other major contractors.

Collaborators in the field and the public sector have recognized the need that has only grown since technology has advanced and is a great career opportunity, Sosne said.

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