MCLA's Ameen Named MASCAC Coach of the Year

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Mike Ameen

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — MCLA head softball coach Mike Ameen has been tabbed as the 2013 MASCAC Coach of the Year following a vote of the conference coaches.  

The honor is the first for Ameen during his Trailblazer tenure.

Ameen led Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts to a 19-20 record that was 10-4 in MASCAC play.

The Trailblazers are the second seed in this week's postseason tournament and will host the winner of Framingham State and Worcester State on Friday at 3 p.m.



The Trailblazers improved from a six-win campaign in 2012 to 19 wins this season. MCLA is entering the tournament on a hot streak, having gone 9-2 in their last eleven games. Included in that stretch were sweeps of MASCAC foes Framingham, Westfield and Massachusetts Maritime.

Ameen's honor is the first for the Trailblazers softball program since 2003. MCLA actually started out 4-11 this season before turning it around. They went an impressive 15-9 over the last three weeks of the regular season, cementing their status in the postseason tournament.

Ameen's troops will be set for the double elimination bracket beginning on Friday. Check out www.mascac.com for the up-to-date tournament brackets and scores.


Tags: awards,   college sports,   MCLA sports,   softball,   trailblazers,   

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Clarksburg Gets 3 Years of Free Cash Certified

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Town officials have heaved a sigh of relief with the state's certification of free cash for the first time in more than three years.
 
The town's parade of employees through its financial offices the past few years put it behind on closing out its fiscal years between 2021 and 2023. A new treasurer and two part-time accountants have been working the past year in closing the books and filing with the state.
 
The result is the town will have $571,000 in free cash on hand as it begins budget deliberations. However, town meeting last year voted that any free cash be used to replenish the stabilization account
 
Some $231,000 in stabilization was used last year to reduce the tax rate — draining the account. The town's had minimal reserves for the past nine months.
 
Chairman Robert Norcross said he didn't want residents to think the town was suddenly flush with cash. 
 
"We have to keep in mind that we have no money in the stabilization fund and we now have a free cash, so we have now got to replenish that account," he said. "So it's not like we have this money to spend ... most of it will go into the stabilization fund." 
 
The account's been hit several times over the past few fiscal years in place of free cash, which has normally been used for capital spending, to offset the budget and to refill stabilization. Free cash was last used in fiscal 2020.
 
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