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.

Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
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