Pittsfield Named 2025-2027 Mass Save Community First Partner

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Sponsors of Mass Save announced the 2025-2027 cohort of Community First Partners, and Pittsfield was chosen as one of the 58 municipal partners.
 
58 municipalities and community-based organizations will work with their local Mass Save Sponsor to provide energy efficiency solutions to residents and small businesses to reduce energy use and increase the comfort of homes and buildings. 
 
The initiative leverages local knowledge and trusted relationships of municipalities and community-based organizations to increase participation in Mass Save energy efficiency programs. This initiative seeks to target renters, landlords, income-eligible households, language-isolated households, and small businesses in participating communities to ensure the benefits of energy efficiency are more equitably distributed, particularly among those who have been historically underserved.  
 
As part of the proposed Massachusetts 2025-2027 Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization Plan, the Sponsors will enhance support and flexibility for Community First Partners, enabling them to tailor their outreach strategies more effectively, retain skilled staff and design marketing initiatives that resonate with their residents and small businesses owners. Additionally, the Sponsors will provide training for the lead vendors and energy advocates on small business incentives and opportunities to drive more small business energy assessments.  
 
The 2025-2027 Community First Partners may receive:  
  • Up to $85,500 per year to support an Energy Advocate* and local marketing efforts      
  • Comprehensive training on energy efficiency and electrification    
  • Support from energy efficiency and electrification experts 
  • Co-branded multilingual marketing materials 
  • Coaching and best practices to encourage program participation 
"Through the Mass Save Community First Partnership, our goal is to make energy efficiency more accessible and affordable for all," said Maggie Downey, Chief Administrative Officer at Cape Light Compact. "Partnering with municipalities and community-based organizations allows us to reach more renters, multilingual families, and income-eligible residents to offer real solutions that lower energy use and support a cleaner community. 
 
In 2022-2024, Community First Partners received up to $60,000 in funding annually for up to three years, as well as in-kind marketing and technical support.
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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