7th annual Berkshire Junior Solar Sprint at Reid Middle School

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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 CET’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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Pittsfield Cannabis Cultivator Plans Dispensary

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD. Mass. — A cannabis cultivator and manufacturer has opted to sell its products on site in Downing Parkway. 

The Zoning Board of Appeals this month approved a special permit for J-B.A.M. Inc. to operate a dispensary out of its existing grow facility. There will only be changes to the interior of 71 Downing Parkway, as there will be less than 500 square feet of retail space in the 20,000-square-foot building. 

"My only concern would be the impact, and really would be traffic, which I don't think is excessive, the odor, if there was one, but that doesn't seem to be an issue, and I think it's a good location for a marijuana facility," board member Thomas Goggins said. 

The company's indoor cultivation site plan was approved in 2019, an amendment to add manufacturing and processing in 2021, and on the prior day, a new site plan to add a retail dispensary was approved by the Community Development Board. 

J-B.A.M. cannabis products are available in local dispensaries. 

The interior of the facility will be divided to accommodate an enclosed check-in area, front entrance, retail lobby, secure storage room, offices, and two bathrooms. There are 27 parking spaces for the facility, which is sufficient for the use. 

No medical or recreational cannabis uses are permitted within 500 feet of a school or daycare, a setback that is met, and the space is within an industrial park at the end of a cul-de-sac. 

"The applicant desires the restructuring of the business to be more competitive in the industry with the ability to grow and sell their own cannabis products so they have more financial stability," Chair Albert Ingegni III, read from the application. 

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