News & Notes: Pittsfield Baseball Team a Balk?
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The announcement of a new baseball team for the city was abruptly canceled Thursday morning over an hour before it was to begin. According to The Berkshire Eagle, franchise owner Leslie "Buddy" Lewis is trying to recruit two more investors for the financially troubled team.
Lewis and former Red Sox General Manager Dan Duquette of Hinsdale launched the Pittsfield Defenders of the New England Collegiate Baseball League with great fanfare last spring but the franchise was a washout in more ways than one. The NECBL team was sold off to Bristol, Conn., and its unclear how much the group still owes the city during the first year of its three-year lease. The Eagle reports the bill was $24,700 but doesn't say if it's been paid.
This time, the four principals (Lewis, Duquette, Terrence Allvord and Jeremiah O'Connor are listed as managers by the secretary of state's office) of the Boston Baseball All-Stars are trying to bring the American Defenders (of Nashua, N.H., until the city parked a bulldozer on their field for lack of payment) in the Canadian-American League to Wahconah Park.
The professional baseball league was formed last year with 16 teams and resembles the Eastern League in organization. You may remember the Berkshire Black Bears, part of the Northern League, were in town briefly in 2003 before moving to New Haven, Conn., after minimal support from baseball fans in Pittsfield. Mayor James Ruberto told the Berkshire News Network on Thursday that the Can-Am team, which doesn't have a name yet, will begin playing baseball at Wahconah Park in May with a prolonged season into September.
Pittsfield Gets Straightened Out
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The long-awaited change in the traffic pattern at Park Square is finally here.
Late Thursday, traffic from South Street to North Street began flowing in a straight line instead of going around Park Square rotary as it has for the past half-century. New traffic signals are now in operation and, overnight, construction crews continued to clean up the area of equipment and snow.
The $2.6 million construction project is not over yet and will be completed in the spring. The traffic pattern was supposed to change in late September but that didn't happen because of a delay in the delivery of signal equipment and hold up of installation of electrical service for the new traffic lights. The rotary straightening is part of an $11 million streetscape reconstruction from West Housatonic Street to Columbus Avenue; nearly half of that is stimulus funding targeted to revamp the McKay Street parking garage.
Time Warner Cable Subscribers Getting Rate Hikes
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — If you're a subscriber to Time Warner Cable hold on to your wallets. Starting Feb. 1, subscribers of Time Warner's cable, phone and Internet services will see their monthly rates go up anywhere from 3 to 9 percent.
The increase in fees Time-Warner Cable has to pay program providers is basically being passed on to the consumer. In both North Adams and Pittsfield, subscribers of standard service, Channels 2 to 79, will see a $5.50, or 9.7 percent, increase in cost, rising from $56.45 to $61.95. Lee and Lenox subscribers will see an increase from $55.80 to $61.30. DIGPIC and premium rates are also going up.
Time Warner Cable gave in to increased payment demands from Fox, Fox News, FX and other NewsCorp channels and that means increased costs to consumers.
The cable giant will report its year and fourth-quarter earnings on Jan. 28.
Rope Tow Expected to Open at Osceola
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Recreation Program in the Department of Community Development says the Osceola Park rope tow will begin operation Saturday, Jan. 9, and run Sunday, Jan. 10, weather permitting. Hours of operation are noon to 4.
Osceola Park is located off West Housatonic Street and is accessible through Gale Avenue or Osceola Street.
Questions regarding the rope tow may be directed to Rebecca Tefft, recreation activities coordinator, at 413-499-9370.
Combination of briefs fromiBerkshires and media partner Berkshire News Network, Radio Stations WNAW/WUPE.
