Pittsfield Hoop Club Announces Scholarship Recipients

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- The Pittsfield Hoop Club continues its long-standing tradition of supporting local student-athletes and celebrating the city’s rich sports tradition with the announcement of their Class of 2017 Scholarship Award Recipients.
 
Since 1998, the Pittsfield Hoop Club has contributed more than to $80,000 to local student-athletes through their scholarship program. In addition to investing in the future of local student-athletes, the organization is also devoted to recognizing former players, coaches, and contributors to the game. Seven senior basketball players, who recently graduated from Pittsfield High School and Taconic High School were recognized by the Pittsfield Hoop Club – with each student receiving a $1,000 scholarship to be allocated to their post-secondary education.
 
“We are pleased to award these scholarships. The scholarship program has been a core part of our mission since The Pittsfield Hoop Club was founded close to 20 years ago,” said Hoop Club President John McLaughlin. “It’s gratifying to support these particular students in such a direct way.”
 
The Pittsfield Hoop Club scholarships are awarded at a time when the average annual college tuition hovers around $10,000 at public universities and $35,000 at private colleges, which does not include room, board, and other expenses. Kevin Codey and Tim Carroll, the Pittsfield Hoop Club Scholarship Committee Co-Chairs, noted the body of work that the annual scholarship recipients possess. 
 
“We are recognizing the achievements of students from the City of Pittsfield who have found academic success, who have experienced athletic success, and who are well-aware of the positive role they play in our community outside of the classroom and off the playing fields,” Codey said.
 
Carroll added, “These are high-quality kids who are going to represent Pittsfield well long after they graduate from our local high schools. Each of this year’s scholarship recipients are pursuing tremendous opportunities at the next level, and we are proud to lend our support in trying to make pursuing their goals and dreams more affordable,”
 
The Class of 2017 Pittsfield Hoop Club Scholarship recipients include: Terrick Boire, Pittsfield High School, UMASS-Amherst; Tyrell Boire, Pittsfield High School, UMASS-Amherst; Jake McNeice, Taconic High School, Springfield College; Devon Walker, Taconic High School, St. Francis University; Ryan Abel, Taconic High School, Cushing Academy; Brett Murphy; Taconic High School, Lincoln Technical Institute; Matthew Stracuzzi, Taconic High School, Worcester State University.
 
In addition to the Pittsfield Hoop Club Scholarship Program, The Hoop Club also hosts a variety of other annual showcase events that further support the mission of the organization.  The Hoop Club’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place each December and recognizes players, coaches, and teams who have significantly contributed to the city’s basketball history. The Hoop Club Classic, a varsity high school basketball tripleheader, is also held each winter in an effort to showcase local teams and fundraise for the mission of the organization. 
 
In the past, the organization has also hosted community partnership events featuring guest speakers and notable basketball personalities. Past guests have included Boston Celtics legend K.C. Jones, Marist College Head Coach Mike Maker, former NBA player Chris Herren, and NBA Hall of Famer “Satch” Sanders. Throughout the year, the organization also hosts a variety of other fundraisers in support of the scholarship and Hall of Fame programs.
 
For additional information about the Pittsfield Hoop Club, the scholarship program, or the Hall of Fame nomination process, please contact Tim Carroll (413) 464-1825 or John McLaughlin (413) 822-6752, or visit the Pittsfield Hoop Club Facebook page. 
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EPA Lays Out Draft Plan for PCB Remediation in Pittsfield

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Ward 4 Councilor James Conant requested the meeting be held at Herberg Middle School as his ward will be most affected. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric have a preliminary plan to remediate polychlorinated biphenyls from the city's Rest of River stretch by 2032.

"We're going to implement the remedy, move on, and in five years we can be done with the majority of the issues in Pittsfield," Project Manager Dean Tagliaferro said during a hearing on Wednesday.

"The goal is to restore the (Housatonic) river, make the river an asset. Right now, it's a liability."

The PCB-polluted "Rest of River" stretches nearly 125 miles from the confluence of the East and West Branches of the river in Pittsfield to the end of Reach 16 just before Long Island Sound in Connecticut.  The city's five-mile reach, 5A, goes from the confluence to the wastewater treatment plant and includes river channels, banks, backwaters, and 325 acres of floodplains.

The event was held at Herberg Middle School, as Ward 4 Councilor James Conant wanted to ensure that the residents who will be most affected by the cleanup didn't have to travel far.

Conant emphasized that "nothing is set in actual stone" and it will not be solidified for many months.

In February 2020, the Rest of River settlement agreement that outlines the continued cleanup was signed by the U.S. EPA, GE, the state, the city of Pittsfield, the towns of Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield, and other interested parties.

Remediation has been in progress since the 1970s, including 27 cleanups. The remedy settled in 2020 includes the removal of one million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and floodplain soils, an 89 percent reduction of downstream transport of PCBs, an upland disposal facility located near Woods Pond (which has been contested by Southern Berkshire residents) as well as offsite disposal, and the removal of two dams.

The estimated cost is about $576 million and will take about 13 years to complete once construction begins.

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