Senator Edward M. Kennedy walks to the Colonial Theatre on South Street in Pittsfield Monday, flanked by the theater's executive director, Susan Sperber, left, and Howell M. Palmer, Colonial Theatre Association board president, right.
Six county projects, including an environmental center for the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams and redevelopment efforts of a long-dormant commercial site in Great Barrington, will benefit with a total of $1.3 million from the $388 billion omnibus appropriations bill approved by Congress last week.
U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, D-Amherst, announced the funding Tuesday. The bill includes $160,000 for MCLA to develop its Berkshire Environmental Resources Center in Adams, which would not only be home to the college’s environmental studies program and serve as a research and policy center but also would also be a community resource promoting environmental awareness and preservation. It would also serve as a local center for internships with organizations such as the Hoosic River Watershed Association, Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, the Center for Ecological Technology and Nature’s Classroom in Becket.
Olver said the center would help the college’s mission by strengthening its environmental studies program.
“And the center would benefit the community and have the potential to become nationally known,†he said in a news release.
MCLA spokeswoman Lori Gazillo hailed the announcement.
“This certainly is good news,†Gazillo said. “We’re very excited and appreciative of Olver’s support. We’re in the very beginning stages of this. We’ve had an environmental sciences major for a few years now, and it’s definitely a goal of President Mary Grant’s and the faculty in the program to develop a center. It’s a perfect location for a center such as this.â€
In South County, a project to redevelop blighted property in Great Barrington for economic development and community revitalization received $194,000 in the bill. The funds will go toward redevelopment the 8-acre New England Log Homes site in the downtown center — dormant since 1993 — into 100,000 square feet of commercial space for local businesses. The brownfields site would be converted to office, retail and light industrial use in a contemporary building resembling a mill with river views. The vacant building was damaged by fire in 2001.
Tim Geller, director of the Community Development Corp. of South Berkshire, called the announcement “terrific news.â€
“It’s going to be a terrific site. It’s been a very long process, but the best part of this news is that this kind of commitment will make it much easier to find the other parts of the financing,†Geller said.
The CDC of South Berkshire has been working on the site for seven or eight years, he said. Demolition of the damaged building is estimated to cost between $800,000 and $900,000, with site remediation costing another $1.5 million. The site is contaminated with leftover petroleum distillates.
Olver said in his release, “I’m pleased that this federal funding will assist the community’s efforts to revitalize a piece of property that has great potential. Not only will this project remove blight and improve safety in he surrounding neighborhood, it has the long-term goals of creating jobs.â€
The omnibus bill also contains $200,000 for the Weed-It-Now Initiative, a conservation measure to remove invasive species in the tri-state Southern Taconic Mountains in Berkshire County, western New York and northwest Connecticut.
Weed-It-Now, a program of The Nature Conservancy and its local partners, will remove invasive plant species from about 9,000 acres of forest over five years. More than half the forest has been invaded by six different non-native weeds which, if allowed to proliferate, are likely to repress the regeneration of the forest and reduce the richness of native species, according to experts. This is the fourth year the program has received funding.
“One of the healthiest and largest contiguous forests in the Northeast, this area has a vibrant population of rare specifes,†Olver said. “By removing invasive weeds, we can help ensure that the forest remains a major resource preserved for future generations.â€
The Nature Conservancy works with a broad coalition of public and private landowners to remove invasive weeds by pulling, cutting and, where necessary, treating with herbicides. Other community-based programs will provide native plants for private landscaping and keep areas weed-free.
The bill also includes $100,000 to restore the Windsor Reservoir, the town of Dalton’s primary drinking water supply. The 62-acre reservoir in Hinsdale and Windsor was shut down in the summer of 2003 after damaging storms. Since then, Dalton has been using Pittsfield’s water supply.
Storms on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12, 2003, caused a feeder brook to overflow its banks, severely eroding Wahconah Falls Road near its intersection with May Road north of the reservoir and causing the water to become turbid.
The funding will go toward investigation, design and permitting for repairs to the reservoir.
The bill also includes $485,000 for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to build a 17,000-square-foot expansion of its Hatfield facility, increasing its capacity for food storage and distribution. Construction will incorporate innovative ways to save electricity and solid-waste expenses, using help from the state Office of Alternative Energy and the Center for Ecological Technology.
Local organizations receiving food from the food bank are Berkshire Community Action Council, South County, Pittsfield, and North Berkshire; People’s Pantry in Great Barrington; Berkshire Food Project in North Adams; Salvation Army community meals in North Adams; the Christian Center in Pittsfield; Tuesday’s Harvest Table meals site at First United Methodist Church in Pittsfield; Salvation Army in Pittsfield; St. Stephen’s Table in Pittsfield; Christian Assembly Church food pantry and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church food pantry in Pittsfield; St. Mark’s Church and St. Joseph’s Church food pantries; Veterans Outreach Center, and St. Patrick’s Church food pantry in Williamstown.
“We’ll be able to get more food out to more organizations in all four counties,†said Jillian Hanson, associate director of development. “It definitely has an impact on Berkshire County, no doubt about it.â€
The bill includes $150,000 for the Hilltown Community Health Center to expand its Huntington clinic, doubling the number of examination rooms from four to eight, building a larger outpatient laboratory and enlarging its waiting room. Also the two-story addition will increase offices for therapy for mental health and substance abuse counseling services.
The House and Senate approved the bill Saturday night. It funds the majority of the federal government’s domestic activities and now goes to the president’s desk for his signature.
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State Fire Marshal Offers Cold Snap Heating Safety Tips
STOW, Mass. —With temperatures expected to dip into the teens overnight this week, Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine is reminding residents to stay warm safely and protect their loved ones from some of the most common home heating fires.
"We're expecting very cold weather in the nights ahead, and home heating appliances will be working overtime," said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. "Heating equipment is the leading cause of carbon monoxide at home and the second leading cause of residential fires. Whether you're using gas, oil, solid fuel, or space heaters to keep warm, be sure you keep safe, too."
State Fire Marshal Davine said there were nearly 6,000 heating fires in Massachusetts from 2019 to 2023. These fires claimed eight lives, caused 139 injuries to firefighters and residents, and contributed to over $42 million in damage. And in 2023 alone, Massachusetts fire departments reported finding carbon monoxide at nearly 5,000 non-fire incidents.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Every household needs working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level of their home. Check the manufacturing date on the back of your alarms so you know when to replace them: smoke alarms should be replaced after 10 years, and carbon monoxide alarms should be replaced after 5 to 10 years depending on the model. If your alarms take alkaline batteries, put in fresh batteries twice a year when you change your clocks. If it's time to replace your alarms, choose new ones from a well-known, national brand. Select smoke alarms with a sealed, long-life battery and a hush feature.
Natural Gas and Oil Heat
If you have a furnace, water heater, or oil burner, have it professionally checked and serviced each year. This will help it run more efficiently, which will save you money and could save your life. Always keep a three-foot "circle of safety" around the appliance clear of anything that could catch fire. Never store painting supplies, aerosol cans, or other flammable items near these appliances. If you smell gas, don't use any electrical switches or devices: get out, stay out, and call 9-1-1 right away.
Residents struggling to pay for heating bills or maintenance may be eligible for assistance through the Massachusetts home energy assistance program (HEAP). No matter what type of heating equipment you use, HEAP may be able to help you pay your winter heating bills or maintain your heating system. All Massachusetts residents are encouraged to explore eligibility for this free program and apply for assistance.
Solid Fuel Heating
If you use a fireplace or a stove that burns wood, pellets, or coal, always keep the area around it clear for three feet in all directions. This circle of safety should be free of furniture, drapery, rugs, books and papers, fuel, and any other flammable items. To prevent sparks and embers from escaping, use a fireplace screen or keep the stove door closed while burning. Use only dry, seasoned hardwood and don't use flammable liquids to start the fire. To dispose of ashes, wait until they are cool and shovel them into a metal bucket with a lid and place it outside at least 10 feet away from the building.
Have your chimney and flue professionally inspected and cleaned each year. Most chimney fires are caused by burning creosote, a tarry substance that builds up as the fireplace, wood stove, or pellet stove is used. If burning creosote, sparks, embers, or hot gases escape through cracks in the flue or chimney, they can cause a fire that spreads to the rest of the structure. Annual cleaning and inspection can minimize this risk. Contact the Massachusetts Chimney Sweep Guild or Chimney Safety Institute of America to identify reputable local companies.
Space Heaters
Keep space heaters at least three feet from curtains, bedding, and anything else that can burn. Plug them directly into a wall socket, not an extension cord or a power strip, and remember that they're for temporary use. Always turn a space heater off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
When purchasing a space heater, select one that's been tested and labeled by a nationally recognized testing company, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Intertek (ETL). Newer space heaters should have an automatic shut-off switch that turns the device off if it tips over. Unvented kerosene space heaters and portable propane space heaters are not permitted for residential use in Massachusetts, State Fire Marshal Davine said: the risk of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning that they pose is too great.
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