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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Neal's Office Among Those Targeted by Suspicious Mailings

Staff Reports12:28PM / Wednesday, October 21, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal was among congressmen apparently targeted by someone mailing suspicious envelopes.

According to a report in The Berkshire Eagle, an envelope containing a powdery substance was discovered by postal inspectors before reaching Neal's Pittsfield office in the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building.

Nearly 40 members of Congress have received envelopes containing white powder, according to The Guardian. More than 100 letters are thought to be in the U.S. mail system and the FBI, Capitol Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were investigating the mailings that have also been sent to elections officials in various states.

The mailings have been sent to both Republican and Democrat officeholders and several congressional district offices had to be evacuated in the last week or so after envelopes were opened in them.

Earlier today, my Bronx district office received an envelope delivered by mail that contained a suspicious substance. Local law enforcement responded swiftly and, after investigating, determined the substance to be non-hazardous.
— Rep. Ritchie Torres (@repritchie.bsky.social) October 16, 2026 at 3:10 PM

The Guardian reported that the FBI is warning officials to look for envelopes processed through a north Texas center and that carry a postmark or stamp stating "Thinking of You."

The Eagle states that Neal's office was alerted on Saturday that it might be getting a suspicious package; inspectors seized the envelope at the Fenn Street post office on Monday.

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