Williams Women's Crew 2nd and 3rd at Head of the Charles

Williams Sports InfoBy Liz Zhu
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BOSTON, MA. - At the Head of the Charles, the largest regatta in the world, Williams Women’s Crew showed its depth and strength, capturing 2nd and 3rd place in the collegiate eights race on Sunday. Grand Valley State, the reigning Dad Vail and ACRA (club) champion, took first place. Williams’ perennial rivals Bates and Trinity finished 12th and 24th, respectively. 

The Williams 1V started the race at bow number one, seeded directly above Bates, Trinity, and the Williams 2V. Gusty nor’easter headwind conditions in the powerhouse stretch marred the first portion of the race, but Williams was ready to “pull through, having seen much worse at Onota” said senior captain and stroke of the 1V Julia Haltermann. The women powered down the winding course and took advantage of tail wind conditions around and past the Weeks Bridge turn. 

“It is a challenge to be the first boat off but I think our boat met the challenge and responded well,” Haltermann added. Throughout the race, Williams continued to lengthen their distance from the chasing crews and was ecstatic about the aggressive and well-executed race. 

The Ephs were further heartened to see their 2V skillfully pass Trinity in the first 1000 meters and later pass Bates on the Cambridge Boat Club turn. Coxswain Fiona Wilkes ’12 was especially proud of her young crew and its ability to compete with and defeat comparable 1Vs.

It wasn’t until the women were off the water when they learned of the results: Grand Valley State finished in 17:47.3, fourteen seconds ahead of the first Williams boat (18:01.2) and twenty-four seconds ahead of the second Williams boat (18:10.9). “This result emphasizes how lucky we are to face one of the fastest Division III boats every day on the water” gushed 1V five-seat Emma Pelegri-O’Day ’12.  Out of Division III crews, Williams placed first and second.

Next week, focus shifts to the novice women at the Head of the Fish in Saratoga, NY.

LINEUPS:

Williams 1V:

Coxswain - Liz Zhu ’11
Stroke - Julia Haltermann ’10 (captain)
7 - Dorothy MacAusland ’12

6 - Sarah Ginsberg ’10 (captain)
5 - Emma Pelegri-O’Day ’12
4 - Kate Shaper ’12
3 - Lindsay Olsen ’12
2 - Jane McClellan ’12
Bow - Maddie Berky ‘10

Williams 2V:

Coxswain - Fiona Wilkes ’12
Stroke - Laura Caccamo ’10
7 - Dana Golden ’13
6 - Sara Wallace ’12
5 - Abbie Deal ’12
4 - Annie Haley ’13
3 - Syd Tooze ‘12
2 - Ashley Amos ’12
Bow - Kaitlin Konkel ‘10
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Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A few projects are not getting funded by the Community Preservation Committee because of a tight budget.

The projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle.

"It's a tough year," Chair Danielle Steinmann said.

The panel made its recommendations on Monday after several meetings of presentations from applications. They will advance to the City Council for final approval.  

Two cemetery projects were scored low by the committee and not funded: A $9,500 request from the city for fencing at the West Part Cemetery as outlined in a preservation plan created in 2021 and a $39,500 request from the St. Joseph Cemetery Commission for tombstone restorations.

"I feel personally that they could be pushed back a year," Elizabeth Herland said. "And I think they're both good projects but they don't have the urgency."

It was also decided that George B. Crane Memorial Center's $73,465 application for the creation of a recreational space would not be funded. Herland said the main reason she scored the project low was because it didn't appear to benefit the larger community as much as other projects do.

There was conversation about not funding The Christian Center's $34,100 request for heating system repairs but the committee ended up voting to give it $21,341 when monies were left over.

The total funding request was more than $1.6 million for FY24 and with a budget of $808,547, only about half could be funded. The panel allocated all of the available monies, breaking down into $107,206 for open space and recreation, $276,341 for historic preservation, and $425,000 for community housing.

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