7th annual Berkshire Junior Solar Sprint at Reid Middle School

09:16AM / Tuesday, May 08, 2007Print Story | Email Story

On Saturday, May 19, area middle school students will gather at Reid Middle School in Pittsfield to enter their model solar cars in the seventh annual Berkshire Junior Solar Sprint (JSS). Roughly 50 students from across Berkshire County are expected to participate in the JSS this year. The JSS is a fun and educational competition for students in grades 5-8 who work in teams to build model vehicles powered by the sun. In the process they learn firsthand about non-polluting transportation. The races and judging will begin at 10 a.m. and end at noon. Registration for students begins at 9 a.m. The solar vehicles will be judged for speed, craftsmanship, innovation and technical merit, and the top three winners in each category will be eligible to compete in the regional JSS championship. The Center for Ecological Technology, coordinator of the Berkshire JSS, will host a Greener Transportation Exhibit during the JSS to educate participants and visitors about alternative transportation options. The exhibit will run from 9 a.m. to noon and feature a variety of hybrid vehicles, a bio-diesel car, and an electric bike. The BRTA will also be on hand to promote bus transportation and to distribute schedules. The JSS is sponsored by The Berkshire Gas Company, Berkshire Bank, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, Western Massachusetts Electric Company and the U.S. Department of Energy. For more information about the JSS or CETâ€™s solar energy curriculum, contact Nancy Nylen (nancyn@cetonline.org) or Cynthia Grippaldi (413.445.4556 ext. 25 or cynthiag@cetonline.org). CET is a non-profit community organization working to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy, waste management and environmental education in western MA. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary year, CET is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

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BVNA Nurses Raise Funds for Berkshire Bounty

06:38AM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Massachusetts Nursing Association members of the Berkshire Visiting Nurses Association raised $650 to help with food insecurity in Berkshire County.

The nurses and health-care professionals of BVNA have given back to the community every holiday season for the last three years. The first year, they adopted a large family, raised money, bought, wrapped and delivered the gifts for the family. Last year, they sold raffle tickets and the money raised went to the charitable cause of the winner.

This year, with food insecurity as a rising issue, they chose to give to Berkshire Bounty in Great Barrington.

They sold raffle tickets for a drawing to win one of two items: A lottery ticket tree or a gift certificate tree, each worth $100. They will be giving the organization the donation this month.

Berkshire Bounty seeks to improve food security in the county through food donations from retailers and local farms; supplemental purchases of healthy foods; distribution to food sites and home deliveries; and collaborating with partners to address emergencies and improve the food system.

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