PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Thursday, March 26, at 7 p.m., historian Andrew Porwancher will discuss his book, "American Maccabee: Theodore Roosevelt and the Jews," which explores the complex and often surprising relationship between the 26th US president and the American Jewish community during a pivotal moment in U.S. history.
This Jewish Federation of the Berkshires program will be presented via Zoom. Register at the calendar of events page at jewishberkshires.org.
According to a press release:
Porwancher will examine how Roosevelt, a scion of the Protestant elite, became an unexpected ally to Jewish immigrants arriving in large numbers at Ellis Island. From his early political career in New York, Roosevelt forged relationships with Jewish communities that were unprecedented for a future president. He spoke frequently on the Lower East Side, advocated for reform in sweatshops where many Jewish laborers worked under dangerous conditions, and publicly praised the heroism of the Maccabees, holding them up as a model for American Jewish life.
The program will also address the contradictions in Roosevelt's record. During his presidency, he was confronted with the brutal persecution of Jews in Eastern Europe, which sent waves of refugees to the United States, even as antisemitic and xenophobic sentiments were growing at home. Drawing on new archival research, Porwancher will present a nuanced portrait of a leader whose engagement with Jewish issues reflected both moral conviction and the limitations of his time.
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Pittsfield Man Creates Device to Clear Lakes of Algae Blooms
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
Marc Bellora holds a jar of lake water, left, to compare to water cleaned by his Aqua Clarifier Water System.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Marc Bellora has high hopes for a device he's created to treat lakes from harmful algae blooms.
His patented water clarifier can physically remove captured material rather than letting the nutrient-rich material settle back into the lake, which occurs when herbicides are used.
"It's a long-term lake management tool that can be used to reduce legacy nutrients in lakes and ponds over time," he explained. "We built the prototype, this is a prototype. It does approximately 65 to 70 gallons per minute. It's very environmentally friendly. Can be used with air only, or we can use a low-dose potable polyaluminum chloride (PACL) or chemical on board that can help improve results."
The water clarifier barge is based on well-proven technology for water treatment, he said. "It's a self-contained, portable, mobile unit that removes algae blooms, nitrogen, phosphorus, and the associated nitrogen and phosphorus within lakes."
Bellora founded Clear Waterways Group with business partner Mark Simon. They built a prototype mobile unit and are still working out the kinks. It's taken Bellora about five years to bring the project to fruition as he is also a full-time Realtor.
He says the repurposed barge they use has a device that uses air to filter the water to separate harmful bacteria or uses a chemical at low doses. They are testing both to see how well each does at cleaning the water.
"They would do the same thing here, except they would spray it, and it blocks all that stuff together," Bellora said of the use of herbicides. "But then it drops to the bottom. So now all the nutrients that are attached in that plot go to the bottom and contribute to the legacy nutrients only to fuel next year's bloom. Ours removes it."
He said just using air alone has removed 70 to 90 percent of harmful algae where he has been operating on the south end of Pontoosuc Lake.
"Essentially, we take in the bad stuff, we take in the lake water. We separate the good stuff from the bad stuff. Clean water goes back into the lake, and the bad stuff can either be composted, or it can be taken to the wastewater treatment plant, which is what we're doing here," he said.
Bellora explained that tiny air bubbles attach to particles in the water, making them buoyant so they rise and can be removed. The unit can operate with air alone, or with a low dose of potable polyaluminum chloride.
PACL helps through flocculation: it gathers small particles into larger clumps that are easier for air bubbles to capture. He said this can help remove dissolved nutrients that air alone may not capture as effectively.
Bellora said he was inspired to build something like this after noticing the lakes he enjoys being shut down because of algae blooms.
The city issued a health advisory for Pontoosuc in August, warning residents not to swim or come in contact with the lake water because of an algae bloom. The cyanobacteria can cause skin irritations, vomiting and diarrhea and nerve or liver problems.
Bellora previously worked for a company that used traditional dissolved air flotation (DAF) systems to treat water. In that role, he traveled around the country to work at paper mills and food-processing plants.
That experience gave him a practical understanding of DAF, and while flying between jobs, he would see green ponds and wonder whether the technology could be adapted to treat lakes.
His water clarifier can physically remove captured material rather than letting the nutrient-rich material settle back into the lake, which occurs when herbicides are used.
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