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Windsor was one of three Berkshire Communities to receive funding.

Windsor Awarded $400K to Replace Culvert

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WINDSOR, Mass. — The town was awarded a $400,000 Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance (CRMA) Grant to replace the Dry Brook Culvert.
 
The Town of Windsor will replace a perched and degraded culvert on a tributary to Dry Brook on Cheshire Road, which is an important road between towns for emergency services, commuting, and school bus routes.  
 
The grant is part of a series of grants announced by the Healey-Driscoll Administration totaling over $3.7 million for river and wetland restoration projects throughout Massachusetts.
 
The CRMA Grants, provided by the Department of Fish and Game's (DFG) Division of Ecological Restoration (DER), help municipalities replace outdated culverts with new, improved crossings. These upgrades restore river ecosystems, enhance fish and wildlife passage, and reduce flood risks, improving climate resilience and public safety. The Training Site Initiative will turn some of these project sites into training hubs, creating a network of locations for hands-on learning to teach local roadway managers about culvert replacements in Massachusetts. 
 
"As climate change brings more intense storms and flooding, building resilient infrastructure and restoring ecosystems are vital for Massachusetts. Ecological restoration is key to this effort. DER is leading the charge with nature-based solutions to ensure a strong, resilient future," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "The Healey-Driscoll Administration is committed to supporting projects that restore healthy waterways and looks forward to continued collaboration with municipalities and partners, so we can expand our impact and help communities thrive amid the challenges ahead." 
 
In Berkshire County, two other communities were awarded CRMA Grants.
 
Savoy was awarded a $62,000 grant to collect field data, perform design and engineering work, and conduct permitting work for the replacement of an undersized culvert on Old Main Road over Phelps Brook, which is a Coldwater Fisheries Resource. 
 
Stockbridge was awarded a $51,500 grant to collect field data for a partially-crushed and perched culvert on Rattlesnake Mountain Road over Marsh Brook, where flooding has been an issue.  
 
The Housatonic Valley Association was also given funding through DER's Regional Restoration Partnerships Program.
 
Berkshires Clean, Cold, Connected Partnership was awarded $248,000 to support a network of organizations, agencies, and communities working for healthy aquatic systems and building climate resilience in the Hoosic, Housatonic, and Farmington River watersheds. This award supports their efforts to continue building local and regional capacity for restoration education, planning, and support the implementation of locally-driven priority restoration projects. 
 

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McCann and Taconic Awarded CTI Grants

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced $525,482 in Career Technical Initiative (CTI) implementation grants awarded to two organizations in the Berkshires to train 80 individuals for careers in high-demand occupations within the trades, construction, and manufacturing sectors in the region. 
 
In North Adams, McCann Technical School was awarded $344,871 to provide training to 60 participants for Automotive Technician, Advanced Manufacturing, and Welding positions. They will partner with T&M Auto Sales Inc., Berkshire Bridge & Iron Co. Inc., Haddad GMC, Haddad Subaru, Bedard Brothers Auto Sales Inc., Lenco Armored Vehicles, TOG Manufacturing, Sinicon Plastics, Adams Plumbing & Heating Inc., and Gills Point S Tire.
 
"We are excited to be working with our MassHire team to continue to address our workforce needs and build talent pipelines and career pathways in Advanced Manufacturing, Welding and Automotive Technician," McCann Superintendent James Brosnan said. "This CTI award will provide hands-on training and support as we continue to expand our skilled talent pool for employers in the Berkshires."
 
In Pittsfield Taconic High School was awarded $180,610 to provide training to 20 participants for Metal Fabrication and Auto Technology positions. They will partner with O.W. Landergren Inc., Lenco Industries Inc., Bedard Brothers, Haddad's Auto Group, and RW's Auto Inc.
 
"Pittsfield Public Schools is incredibly grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and Commonwealth Corporation for the CTI award to Taconic High School. This grant will have a significant and lasting impact on our community by providing skilled technicians to address critical shortages in Berkshire County," said Superintendent Joseph Curtis. "We are excited to partner with Lenco Industries, Haddads, Bedards, RW Auto, O.W. Landergren, Northeast Fabricators, and the MassHire Berkshire Career Center. These partnerships will serve as a catalyst for positive change, ensuring that our trainees are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st-century workforce, while simultaneously strengthening our local economy."
 
The CTI grant program, a state-funded workforce initiative, partners with career and technical education schools to provide adult learners, especially unemployed and underemployed individuals from underserved populations and underrepresented groups, with career training and technical skills to meet the needs of Massachusetts employers. The program transforms career and technical education schools across the state to become "Career Technical Institutes" that run after dark programs in the construction/trades, manufacturing, and skilled trades career pathways. 
 
"Addressing our workforce needs and building talent pipelines and career pathways in construction, trades and manufacturing sectors is a priority for this administration," said Governor Maura Healey. "CTI offers hands-on training that will support our jobseekers, workers and employers. We're proud to expand the CTI awards to these two schools in the Berkshires to strengthen our workforce and grow our economy throughout the state."  
 
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