Lewis promised the community that he will do whatever he can to keep the team in Pittsfield.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Colonials Owner Leslie "Buddy" Lewis guaranteed the community Thursday that the team will be at Wahconah park all summer.
"We are confident that things will turn around," Lewis said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. "I'm going to do everything in my power to keep [the team] here."
The Can-Am league team has been rumored to be closing up shop before the season ends because of financial difficulties. While the organization is facing troubles because of poor attendance, the team is not going anywhere this year, Lewis said.
"Things have not been easy for us. It's hard to run a business when you don't have customers," Lewis said. "People thought we were threatening to leave."
Lewis previously said the club is on pace to lose $600,000 at the end of the season and that the team had fallen behind in paying its bills.
As for next season, Lewis could not promise the team would be back, but he hopes it can. Lewis said poor attendance early in the season could have been just because of other events happening – such as Little League and softball seasons. Once those end, the team expects to see the stands fill up.
"Baseball in the Berkshires is so important," Lewis said. "It's all about getting people here."
Another factor keeping people from the ballpark is a misconception of the quality of games being played, he said. While city residents have seen affiliated baseball at the historic stadium in the past, they often think the Colonials are "bush league." However, those naysayers must "not have seen a game here," he said, because the Can-Am league is equivalent to Double A teams.
The Colonials have recently bumped up their marketing and sought out additional investors. Since the news broke that the team was facing financial troubles, Lewis said sponsors have backed off because of the uncertainty surrounding the team.
"The tone has changed. Some people are afraid that they will set up an event coming up and we're not going to be here," Director of Community Relations Heather Cachat said. "We want them to know that we will be here. Don't be afraid to set up events with me or to bring a group."
Cachat said there are many promotions upcoming to help bring crowds to the park – including Saint Patrick's Night on Friday, when the players will dress in green and the stadium will serve green beer and corned beef. A full list of promotions has been posted and the organization also has a lot scheduled for the Fourth of July, she said.
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Companion Corner: Glo at the Berkshire Humane Society
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet and playful dog at the Berkshire Humane Society waiting for her new family.
iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.
"Glo is about a one-year-old, sweet female pitty mix who has nothing but love to give," said kennel supervisor Stacey Broderick.
Glo has been at the shelter for about three weeks after unfortunately being kicked out of her previous home.
"She came here because her previous home, she was being crated an awful lot, and unfortunately, was creating a little bit of a raucous when she was left by herself," said Broderick. "So she was just being a little barky, a little loud. Neighbors obviously shared walls in an apartment setting we're complaining to the landlord, and the landlord said, unfortunately, that she had to go."
But since coming to the shelter she has been learning a lot.
"She's been nothing but a sweet little girl ever since she is working on crate training, she has been very good for us. We're practicing it with her. She is also working on her house training. In addition to it, it seems that we had a little bit of a reverse situation going on, where she likes to go potties inside, but we are working very hard, and she is learning so quickly," she said. "So even after just a couple weeks with us, she's been really getting the point to go outside and do all of her potties out there."
She would do best in the home as the only dog and possibly without cats. She would also do best with older children who can understand her needs as she needs less activity than other dogs.
"The perfect home would, because of the necessity for her to have a lower activity level, probably without other dogs, just because she can get a little bit rambunctious when she gets excited around them," Broderick said. "So she could certainly have doggie play dates, but her perfect home would be no dogs. Unfortunately, we do have a bit of a prey drive with kitty cats, so probably leaning away from the cats, unless they're incredibly dog savvy ...
"Probably looking toward a home without super young kids, just so they're not jumping, you know, or leaning, or anything along those lines, and understanding that sometimes she's going to just need a break."
Because of a medical condition she wouldn't be able to go on long hikes or do anything extraneous but she is still very active and playful.
"She is absolutely lovely. She's sweet, she's young, she's playful. She wants to be with her people all the time. She loves toys. She does like going out for walks. We do have a couple of medical things that we can certainly give more information to adopters, too," she said. "We have some hip dysplasia that we're looking at, so probably moderate activity level would be best for her.
"She shouldn't necessarily be going on super long hikes, even though she would love to, but she is young and full of life and full of energy, and wants nothing more than to be with her people."
Since Glo has hip dysplasia she will need to maintain a healthy weight to not add stress to her joints and can also benefit from hydrotherapy.
"It's something that somebody will have to have a good relationship with a veterinarian physical therapists, and then if they were interested in doing a hydrotherapy type situation, it can only help her," Broderick said. "We want to keep those muscles built up in the hind end so that her hips are not taking the brunt of the bone on bone action while she is kind of living out her very best life."
Glo hasn't shown any symptoms or difficulties since being at the shelter, but it is a condition that her owners need to understand and it increases her chances of arthritis as she gets older.
Broderick said Fritters Critters in Lee specializes in pet hydrotherapy.
"They basically work on an underwater treadmill. So that's walking under the water so that she has a little bit of resistance and the water is warm, so that it's optimum for therapeutic benefits," she said. "They do have a pool there, too, where she would be able to do some swimming, and it really gives her the ability to exercise and really extend those joints and build up those muscles without the added pressure of gravity and impact as she's walking or playing or running.
"So the hydrotherapy is a great option for dogs, even if you just want to do it for fun. She could really benefit healthwise, from it, too."
She will also have to stay on her joint mobility food to help her.
But Glo is a very happy and playful dog and loves everyone she sees and is hoping to find someone who will love her just as much to take her home.
"I can't say enough good about her. I know that the hip dysplasia sounds like a scary piece of it, as well as the house training," Broderick said. "But honestly, there was not a friendlier, sweeter, more outgoing, social, wants to be best friends with you, kind of dog. She was in the front lobby this past Saturday, and she met like 10 people at the same time, and just made rounds and loved every single person as they came in."
You can visit Glo at the Berkshire Humane Society and read more about her on the website.
The Berkshire Humane Society is open Tuesday through Sunday. The adoption center is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
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