Chris Puntin

At a recent meeting of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS) five area outdoor sportspeople/conservationists were selected to receive awards. They are as follows:
The late Chris Puntin, formerly of Pittsfield, will receive the Sportsman of the Year Award posthumously. Unfortunately, Chris lost his life in a hunting accident last year while helping out at the Youth Turkey Hunt. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was the local chairman of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and served on its State Board. For many years he was a mentor for the youth turkey hunts and was a key organizer at the NWTF fund raisers. He helped in trout stockings and was a member of the Snow Seekers (tending snow mobile trails on October Mountain). He helped on the “Buddy Walks” by driving the tractor for its hayrides in Dalton (The Buddy Walk® was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness) and he volunteered as its “grill person”.
To quote words from Andrew Madden, DFW Western District Supervisor, “Chris was well known to us. He was very active with the NWTF, a Paraplegic Deer Hunt volunteer for MassWildlife, and a good friend to the Agency and the District.”

Meredyth Babcock of Becket will receive the Outstanding Achievement Award. Meredyth is the Volunteer and Projects Coordinator for the Wild and Scenic (W/S) Westfield River Committee. As Coordinator, she partners with communities, municipal officials, conservation organizations and Federal and State agencies to manage the Westfield River and maintain the health of the entire watershed for nearby and downstream communities.
She is also helping out with the Highlands Foot Passage and is slowly working toward improving the East Branch Trail.

The W&S Committee engages layers of community members by targeting outreach efforts, messages and activities through a combination of mailings, outreach materials, workshops, hikes, public programs, and Stream Team trainings. The goal of these efforts is to provide effective tools and share expertise to encourage long-term protection, restoration and conservation of the river and its resources. They offer:
• A diverse range of Events and Trainings ranging from Stream Team trainings and volunteer workdays to workshops on geology, macro-invertebrates, and other features of the watershed
• Programs for Schools
• “Travel the Watershed”, a traveling exhibit of artist-designed boxes that celebrate the Wild & Scenic River and help educate and recruit local community members as volunteers.
In addition, they offer grants, technical assistance, and river project reviews to help landowners, communities and organizations promote river stewardship.
For example, the Becket-Washington School did 5 years of a Stream Explorer Program where for 6 weeks Meredyth came after school and basically walked the river, called the “Walking the River Roads.” They also did “Teen River Clean” where the W&S Committee hired teenagers to go to areas where they had seen garbage and they cleaned it up. The Committee didn’t pay them but rather granted scholarships for helping out. Each year, they hire an intern through the school, sometimes from UMASS, sometimes from Westfield and they do a tremendous amount of data gathering. This year they will be focused on the uppermost tributaries to identify invasive plants and try to work from the upper ends down to reduce the amount carried by the water.
Stephanie Dupont of Pittsfield will receive the Sportsmen’s Appreciation Award. Stephanie moved to the Berkshires with her husband Eric and 3 children in the fall of 2014 and joined the Lee Sportsmen’s Association (LSA) in 2015. Since joining LSA, Stephanie and Eric have made sure that their children have been pre-eminent members of the Air2Spare Jr. air pistol team as well as the youth shotgun and archery programs. They have also participated in the LSA’s fishing derbies, clean-up days, fund raisers and hunts. Stephanie has become a vital part of the day-to-day operations of the club as a Board Member, member of the Fundraising Committee, a member of the Youth Programs Committee and grant writer. She is also in charge of the day to day operations and communications of the club. She is Assistant Coach of the High Caliber 22 Bullseye Pistol Team, started the Summers Ladies Night Fun Shoot Program, and writes a bi-weekly column for the Berkshire Record. Working with youth in fund raising, she is instrumental in the continued success and growth of the LSA
Donald E. Girard of Adams will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Don has been a scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop #38 in Adams. He has been instrumental in leading the youth in appreciation and preservation of our environment. With the involvement of several assistant leaders Don saw the advancement of over 75 youths to Eagle Scout. They attained rank by earning badges for community projects such as reclaiming “Hail to the Sunrise” on the Mohawk Trail, beautifying the Adams Memorial Military Park, Appalachian Trail, and building of a bridge over water hazards, Throughout Don’s tenure of leader/instructor, many of the Troop’s youth gained an appreciation of the great outdoors. The troop planted numerous trees on Pfizer property and Florida Mountain property to enhance and preserve the forest, and planted Christmas trees as a sustainable fund-raising project for the Troop. The youth of the Troop also cleared and maintained many hiking trails including land abutting Windsor Lake in North Adams and Camp Holy Cross in Goshen. He taught gun safety and marksmanship at the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club and at summer camps at Goshen. He also helped out in the Cub Scout fishing derbies.
Gregg Armstrong, of North Adams, will receive the John Zuber Award. Gregg has been a member of the East Mountain Sportsmen’s Club (EMSC) for over 50 years and an avid sportsman for over 60 years. He is part of the EMSC youth mentoring program and has been a Mass Hunter Education Instructor for over 30 years. For over 25 years as a member of the EMSC he was instrumental in helping them put on the first youth pheasant hunt in MA. When anything that had to do with youth programs, he was always the first to step up. He was a Boy Scout leader, an avid diver and a Navy vet. He also loved being out with his bird dogs.
The above awards will be presented at the BCLS Silvio O. Conte Memorial Awards Dinner at the Cheshire Rod and Gun Club on Saturday evening April 25. The social hour begins at 4:30 with dinner at 6:00 PM. Tickets, which cost $35, can be obtained from any BCLS delegate.
Ice fishing derby

The Lanesborough Fire Department is sponsoring an ice fishing derby on January 18 on Pontoosuc Lake from 5:00am to 2:00pm. Registration is behind the park on Narragansett Ave. There is a $10 entry fee for adults and free for kids aged 12 and under. There will be raffles, cash prizes and trophies for the winners. Food will be available for purchase.

Marlborough Fly-Fishing Show

The 2020 Fly Fishing Show will take place January 17 -19 at the Royal Plaza Trade Center,181 Boston Post Road Marlborough, MA. Hours are 10 am to 6 pm on Friday, 9 am to 5:30 pm on Saturday and 9 am to 4:30 pm on Sunday. Parking is free.
The show promises more fly-casting, tying, manufacturer and retail store displays of the newest rods, reels, lines, boots, waders, clothing and flies during the three-day run.
The show will have about 10 seminars, demonstrations and Destination Theater presentations each hour including Labrador’s Monster Brookies, Fly Fishing Martha’s Vineyard, the Upper Connecticut River, and Fly-Fishing Western Maine.
There will be more than $50,000 worth of door prizes.
The admission is $15 for one day, $25 for two days and $35 for three days. Children under age 5 are free as are Boy and Girl Scouts under age 16 in uniform. Children 6-12 are $5 and active military with ID’s are $10. Scouts in uniform can earn credits toward a fly-fishing merit badge.
The New England premiere of the 2020 International Fly-Fishing Film Festival is Friday at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
For a complete list of fly-fishing films, classes, seminars, door prizes, demonstrations and the Scout Merit Badge program, visit www. flyfishingshow.com/marlborough-ma/ or phone (814) 443-3638.