Lanesborough, Pittsfield Awarded IT Grants

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BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll administration announced that $5 million in grants have been awarded to municipalities to upgrade and improve their information and technology systems through the Community Compact program.
 
Lanesborough was awarded $70,000 for the implementation of a records management system, and Pittsfield was awarded $50,000 for website enhancements.
 
This funding comes from one of four Community Compact grant programs being run this fiscal year and will benefit 68 municipalities and school districts, including 13 first-time recipients.
 
The 52 grants being awarded total more than $4.95 million and will go toward improving cybersecurity and e-permitting, centralizing financial systems, implementing records management systems and infrastructure needed for hybrid meetings .
 
"The Community Compact program is an important tool for our administration to partner with cities and towns to advance best practices and meet the IT needs of the state's 351 cities and towns," said Governor Maura Healey. "These technology grants being announced today will help municipalities modernize their systems and better serve the people of Massachusetts."
 
Since Fiscal Year 2016, the Commonwealth has offered grants to municipalities focused on driving innovation and transformation through investments in technology.  The Community Compact IT Grant program has provided 425 grants supporting over 300 municipalities/school districts projects totaling $24.2 million.
 
This year's grants will support everything from cybersecurity, e-permitting and disaster recovery to GIS mapping tools, the purchase of hybrid meeting equipment and infrastructure, wireless networks, software enhancements, websites and records management.
 
The Information and Technology grant program is a competitive program focused on driving innovation and transformation at the local level via investments in technology. The goal is to make government more efficient, save taxpayer money, and make it easier for residents to interact and transact with their local government. Under this program, grants of up to $200,000 can be awarded to support the implementation of innovative IT projects by funding related one-time capital needs such as technology infrastructure or software. The FY24 program opened for applications on September 11, 2023 and closed on October 13, 2023.
 
"The Community Compact IT grant program is one example of how our administration is using its capital budget to support municipalities. The high-level of interest we saw in this program underscores the important work this funding will drive to ensure cities and towns can operate as efficiently as possible and be responsive to the needs of their residents," said Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew J. Gorzkowicz.
 

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Counting Birds Now a Christmas Tradition

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

The bird counts are important in collecting data for ornithologists and conservationists. 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A team of birders will be heading out across North County on Saturday to participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count.
 
The count has become a tradition for many over the last 125 years while providing valuable environmental insights for researchers, conservation biologists, wildlife agencies, and others. 
 
Participating in this wildlife census allows people to observe and interact with birds in their local environments directly and can inspire a deeper connection to nature, instilling a desire to protect it, said Tom Tyning, former Hoffmann Bird Club president and longtime Christmas Bird Count participant. 
 
Bird watching is the most popular leisure time activity in the United States, said David Schaller, North County count compiler and a leader of Saturday's team. 
 
"It's a way to be outside. It's a way to connect with nature. It's good exercise. It's good mentally — you're trying to look at a bird and figure out what kind of bird it is," he said.
 
"For some participants in our group, it's a family tradition that is as important to them as other Christmas traditions."
 
This one-day activity is far more than that for many. It introduces new participants to a wealth of knowledge in environmental and natural science and can transform into a lifelong hobby because of its vast number of topics, Tyning said. 
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