MCLA Inducting Eight Into Athletic Hall of Fame

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Saturday, Oct. 24, at 5:30 p.m. in the Church Street Center.

The inductees include local residents Bill Caprari (class of 1975, baseball), Sam Gomez (cross country coach, a posthumous inductee) and Sue Plankey LeClair (2001, softball), as well as Laurie Pecoraro (2000, soccer), Steve Swail (1989, baseball), Jim Hachey (1986, soccer), Andy Marhoffer (1983, ice hockey) and Tom Cronin (1987, basketball).

Caprari was a standout athlete and educator at MCLA for more than 30 years. The 1975 graduate starred as a member of the baseball team, winning Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference championships in 1972 and 1974. He was the captain of the 1974 team and presented the prestigious Louis Parisien Award in 1975. Following his playing career, Caprari became a staff member at the college, working in the Athletic Department for more than 20 years. He earned his master's in education from the college in 1982.

Gomez founded the cross country program while working as a professor at MCLA and was its first coach. The Sam Gomez Road Race has been run in his honor for the last 32 years.

LeClair was the only four-time MVP in softball history, winning the award from 1998 to 2001. She was a three-time All-Conference performer and earned All New England honors those same years. Her teams won more than 20 games in three of her four seasons, and she was recognized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association for her accomplishments.

Pecoraro was a two-time Sue Getchell Award winner. She was voted team MVP on three different occasions and was twice named to the All-Conference team. Pecoraro was named captain for the 1999 soccer season.


Swail was a member of two MASCAC championship baseball teams. In 1989, he was named captain and led his team to a 19-9 record. Swail was also awarded the Parisien Award in 1989. During his career, the baseball team won 66 games in three seasons.

Hachey was a two-time MVP during his soccer career. His teams won 46 games in his four seasons. He was a two-time all conference performer in goals and a member of the 1983 team that advanced to the ECAC playoffs.

Marhoffer was the MVP of the hockey team in 1983.

Cronin was the two-time basketball MVP. He was a captain of the 1987 championship team that advanced to the NCAA tournament, and he was twice named to the MASCAC all conference team for his efforts.

For more information on the Hall of Fame and the induction ceremony, contact the athletic office at 413-662-5411.
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Armed North Adams Man Arrested Following Domestic Standoff

Staff Reports

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Matthew Parker, a 44-year-old North Adams man, is set to face multiple counts of attempted murder and weapons charges in Northern Berkshire District Court on Friday morning following an hours-long, armed standoff at a Houghton Street home.

The defendant is being arraigned for:

  • Domestic Assault and Battery
  • Assault with the Intent to Murder (3 counts)
  • Carrying a Firearm While Under the Influence of Alcohol (3 counts)
  • Possession of a hi-capacity firearm (4 counts)
  • Improper Storage of a hi-capacity firearm (2 counts)
  • Improper Storage of a firearm (6 counts)

According to a report, on June 10, at approximately 8:42 p.m., officers responded to 365 Houghton St. following a report of a domestic assault and battery. The caller said she and her husband had been involved in a physical altercation.

She said her husband was intoxicated, making suicidal statements about shooting himself, and had access to both a shotgun and a pistol.

Upon arrival, officers made contact with both the caller and Parker. During the encounter, Parker threatened to shoot officers before retreating into the home and refusing to exit.

Officers believed that Parker was armed.

To ensure public safety, police established a perimeter around the home and requested assistance from the Berkshire County Special Response Team (SRT) and North Adams Police crisis negotiators. The Brien Center was also contacted and promptly provided an emergency mental health clinician to assist with the incident.

Special Response Team personnel deployed drones to monitor the residence and provide aerial illumination. During the operation, officers saw Parker exit the house carrying a rifle. He pointed it at the drones, stated a report. Parker subsequently pointed the rifle toward several officers positioned behind their cruisers. After officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, Parker returned inside the residence.

Trained crisis negotiators maintained communication with Parker for several hours in an effort to peacefully resolve the situation. At approximately 2 a.m., Parker ceased communication with negotiators.

Drone operators later observed Parker unconscious in a recliner on the first floor of the residence, with a rifle and shotgun on the floor nearby.

Members of the Berkshire County SRT then executed a coordinated operation. Diversionary devices were deployed through a window while an entry team simultaneously entered the home, secured the firearms, and took the defendant into custody.

A search warrant was executed after Parker was in custody. North Adams Police seized four shotguns, six rifles, two handguns, and thousands or rounds of ammunition from the home.

During the operation, one SRT member sustained a minor injury related to a less-lethal bean bag deployment. Parker also sustained non-life threatening injuries during the arrest and was transported to Berkshire Medical Center for medical evaluation.

"We thank the community for its patience and cooperation throughout this incident, particularly residents in the affected area who complied with temporary shelter-in-place requests," Police Chief Mark Bailey said.  "The North Adams Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to the agencies that provided mutual aid and assisted by handling calls for service during this incident. We are especially grateful to the Berkshire County Special Response Team for its professional and decisive response, the Brien Center for the rapid deployment of a mental health clinician, and our crisis negotiators whose efforts helped maintain dialogue and contributed significantly to the safe resolution of this incident."

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