SteepleCats Unveil 2013 Schedule

By Chris AlianoNorth Adams SteepleCats Report
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Highlighted by 22 home games, including the season-opener against rival Vermont, as well as the annual Fourth of July Spectacular against Laconia, the North Adams SteepleCats are officially unveiled the 2013 schedule.

Set to begin their 12th season of play this summer, the SteepleCats will kick things off on Thursday, June 6, against the Mountaineers at Joe Wolfe Field, commencing a 44-game regular season that will span nearly two months into early August.
 
With the addition of the three expansion teams (Ocean State, Plymouth and Saratoga), the scheduling format for each division underwent slight changes compared to last year.
  • Each team will play 22 home and 22 road games
  • In the Western Division, each team will play six times (three home, three road) against the other five teams inside the Division.
  • In the Eastern Division, each team will play either five, six or seven times against the other six teams inside the Division.
  • Each team will play two crossover games against each team from the other division, once at home and once on the road (identical to last year).
The scheduling format sees a two-game increase compared to last season's 42-game regular season schedule. The SteepleCats' final game of the regular season falls on Friday, Aug. 2, with the postseason scheduled to begin the following Sunday, Aug. 4.
 
North Adams will host the Plymouth Pilgrims for the franchises' first-ever meeting on June 13 at Joe Wolfe Field. Three days later, the Ocean State Waves will make their inaugural trip to the Berkshires for a Sunday, June 16, showdown. Finally, the SteepleCats welcome Saratoga to town on June 30 for the first of six divisional meetings against the Brigade.
 
The month of June will see North Adams play 21 games total (10 home, 11 road), featuring a three-game road trip at the end of the month against Holyoke, Mystic and New Bedford (June 22-26). The SteepleCats will also host their traditional Father's Day Game at the ballpark against Ocean State on June 16, as well.
 
Moving to July, North Adams will enjoy a pair of three-game homestands from July 11-13 and July 26-28, respectively. The highlight of the month – and the season – falls once again on July 4, when the SteepleCats host Laconia for their annual Fourth of July Spectacular. Last year, North Adams picked up an extra-inning, walk-off victory against Sanford in front of a crowd of more than 4,500 fans at The Joe, marking the largest single-game attendance figure of the season in the Berkshires.
 
The league's All-Star Game will be held on Sunday, July 21, at a venue yet to be determined. Following the break, the 'Cats wind out July with four home tilts in a five-day span before closing the regular season at Saratoga on Aug. 2.
 
The full SteepleCats Promotional Schedule will be unveiled in May.
 
Season tickets for the 2013 campaign are available at www.steeplecats.com, as well as at a number of local businesses. Visit Val's Variety Store in Adams, Creation's and Man's World Styling Salon in North Adams and Billmont's Country Store in Stamford, Vt., to inquire about SteepleCat ticket packages for the 2013 season.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.
 
More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.
 
Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.
 
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 
 
"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."
 
Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.
 
Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC. 
 
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