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Wahconah Park Gets Upgrades - May 21, 2008
PITTSFIELD – Mayor James M. Ruberto announced today that the City of Pittsfield is closing in on the first phase of a year and a half refurbishment project for Wahconah Park.
Before the first Pittsfield Dukes home game on June 9, against Danbury, CT, the Pittsfield Maintenance Department has been working to finish both the home and away team locker rooms. Old black and blue locker rooms with paint chipped metal folding chairs have been traded in for a light grey and maroon paint and new seating for the players. The carpets have been replaced along with the light fixtures that are brighter and more energy efficient. The bathrooms and showers have been completely replaced and coming in under budget.
“Our maintenance team has put in a lot of hard work to get the Park ready for the 2008 season. During the season we will evaluate the rest of the refurbishment plans for feasibility and money savings,” said Ernie Fortini, Director of Maintenance for the City of Pittsfield.
The new LED scoreboard has been installed by Callahan Signs and is fully operational. The outfield will get a new sprinkler system, the infield will be torn up and replaced, the screening behind home plate will be extended to protect the fans, a new roof will be installed, and the speaker system will be upgraded.
“Wahconah Park has had organized baseball since 1892 and we plan on keeping the tradition alive,” said Mayor Ruberto. “There are two seasons, winter and baseball, and I am glad the good weather has arrived. With the renovations that have already taken place and the ones in the works, we will definitely improve the look and feel of Wahconah Park.”
Current plans are to move the men’s room to one of the concession stands and then turn the existing men’s room into an expanded women’s room, with will almost double its size and be cleaner, brighter, and more water and energy efficient. “With the money saved from multiple smaller projects at the Park, a pavilion to the right of the entrance is being proposed that would give families a place to sit down and enjoy a nice summer day before the game or during the 7th inning stretch,” said Ernie. |
I don't believe either Bouton or his partner, Chip Elitzer, had a problem complying with public bidding laws. They knew going in Wahconah Park is a publicly-owned facility, and that there was going to be a lot of red tape to go through to do anything with Wahconah.
I think what happened is that Bouton and Elitzer are considered "outsiders" among the people who run Pittsfield, and there's a lot of resentment over "Foul Ball" and the bad publicity the city got from it. Also, Bouton and Elitzer wanted a long-term lease for renovating and operating Wahconah, and THAT met with a lot of resistance, even though the taxpayers wouldn't have had to spend a dime.
End result: Bouton and Elitzer are out of the picture, Pittsfield has no pro ball, and Wahconah is being fixed up with public money because there was too much bad blood between the city and the Bouton-Elitzer group. | | from: | on: 10-09-2008 |
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| Editor: The Pittsfield Dukes are in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. They've been playing at Wahconah for three years. Bouton's partnership withdrew from the park four years ago after the attorney general suggested their renovation project would have to follow public bidding laws. The city owns Wahconah Park. | | from: | on: 10-02-2008 |
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I am in the middle of reading Jim Bouton's book 'Foul Ball' What happened? Did an Independent League team come in or a minor league team. How long have the 'Dukes' been using the stadium. So, what happened to Bouton's dream is my real question.
Dave Moore, Vermont | | from: What happened after Jim Bouton's plan in about 2001 | on: 10-02-2008 |
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| Screening off the entire grandstand is dumb. Way to tuck it to the fans. | | from: baseball fanatic | on: 07-23-2008 |
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| I hope we don't have to wait for a renovation to get clean bathrooms! They're pretty disgusting right now. Isn't this the city's responsibility, as part of The Dukes contract? | | from: A.M. | on: 07-14-2008 |
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| Please do not screen off the whole grandstand. The view is great without any distraction. | | from: bill desanty | on: 06-28-2008 |
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| Ever heard of Jim Bouton? | | from: g-a | on: 06-23-2008 |
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| That sounds fantastic. | | from: Sam | on: 06-23-2008 |
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| that sounds pretty good | | from: tanner | on: 06-18-2008 |
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