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A large limb broke off from a maple tree in Park Square over the weekend.
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The walkway thorugh the park is closed off until the tree can be removed.

Park Square Maple Couldn't Weather Summer Storms

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — One of Park Square's trees wasn't able to weather the summer storms.

A large limb from a 32-foot sugar maple in the park fell next to the fountain area over the weekend.  Caution tape and traffic barrels now surround the aftermath. 

If it cannot be saved, it will likely be replaced.

This tree was assessed two years ago as part of the Park Square Tree Planting Project and deemed to be in "fair to good" condition. Park, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath explained that it was showing deadwood and areas on top were experiencing dieback but planners hoped to clean it up to "serve our needs into the future" due to its significance in the park.

The tree was determined to have "low vigor," he reported, and could have had some internal rot not seen in the review.

As recommended by the 2022 plan, pruning was scheduled for the fall along with multiple other trees in the park. With such a significant portion now gone, McGrath's instinct is to remove the tree and replace it with a similar sugar maple.

He said the city will likely look to plant five trees this fall and fully implement the plan. The project removes four trees and plants seven, including the city's permanent Christmas tree that was unveiled last year.

Thirteen trees were assessed for health, risk, and safe useful lifespan. The maple tree's DBH, or diameter measured at 4.5 feet above the ground, is 32.5 inches and it was identified as having "large deadwood" as a defect.


The project was allocated $8,000 in Community Preservation Funds last year and was estimated to cost $8,350.

"Park Square is a tough spot for a tree to thrive," the 2023 CPA application reads.

"Between compacted soils, emissions from all the traffic, and past practices where many of the trees were not regularly pruned, the city recognized that something needed to be done to save the ones we could and think about what the future tree canopy could (or should) look like."

McGrath said the trees to be planted may or may not be the ones specified in the plan as they are determining which recommended trees are the right ones. 
 
"Whatever trees we plant, though, we'll want them to be a species that grows a significant and large canopy," he said. "There is also a preference for native varieties."

As part of the plan, the Berkshire County Historical Society honored the Berkshires' first known environmentalist, Lucretia Williams, by planting an elm tree at the park last year.

It was not far from the spot where Williams had saved the Pittsfield elm tree from the axe 233 years before.

Last holiday season, the city's permanent Christmas tree was lit for the holidays for the first time. The young tree is expected to grow up to 50 feet in time and stands next to the spot where the maple limb fell.


Tags: park square,   trees,   

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Berkshire United Way to Massachusetts: Early-Learning Educators Need Better Wages

By Katherine von Haefen Guest Column
As reported in iBerkshires, state education officials met with Western Massachusetts childcare and early education advocates at Berkshire Community College recently. I had the opportunity to share the following testimony on behalf of Berkshire United Way and our community partners. 
 
Early childhood education provides tremendous benefits to our region. High-quality child care dramatically influences brain development and the future health and success for children in school and life, as well as provides a safe and secure space for our youngest community members so their parents or caregivers can work and provide for their families. 
 
Berkshire United Way has invested in improving early childhood development opportunities in the Berkshires for decades. We fund high-quality nonprofit child-care centers that provide slots for income-constrained families. We also support the sector by co-hosting monthly child-care director meetings to work on shared challenges and collectively propose solutions. We advocate for early childhood education and have a great partner in this work, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier. 
 
Staffing is a key component of high-quality care. The research shows that skilled and consistent educators in a classroom create long-lasting change for children. However, wages are stagnant and frequently do not provide educators with basic financial stability. We often hear that educators have left the field because they are unable to make their finances work. Wages need to improve to better reflect the expertise and indelible impact teachers have in the field. 
 
When we look specifically at our region, our data is concerning. 
 
As Berkshire County emerges from the pandemic, we are struggling with transportation, affordable housing and lack of mental health resources, much like the rest of the state. We are also seeing a rise in economically challenged households. 
 
After nearly 10 years of decline, Berkshire County has experienced a significant jump in income inequality, now exceeding the state and national trends and far above comparable counties, according to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Over half of our population are "economically challenged," meaning they are working but struggling to make ends meet. A single parent with a school-aged child needs between $70,000 and $80,000 in income and public benefits just to meet their basic needs. 
 
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