image description — Volunteers with the Berkshire Blaze help prep the softball field at Lakewood Park on Newell Street in this image on the program's Facebook page.

Travel Softball Team to Host Games Saturday on Rehabbed Pittsfield Diamond

11:56AM / Friday, September 22, 2017Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Thanks to the work of volunteers and the city, a Newell Street softball field not used for years will come alive on Saturday when the Berkshire Blaze 14-and-under travel squad hosts a series of games.

Lakewood Park will be the site where the Blaze entertains teams from Adams-Cheshire and Granby, Conn.

The Blaze program welcomes players from throughout the county.

"We began back in March with very few committed players and now we have two teams this fall," said Cory Bazinet, one of the coaches in the program.

The public is invited to check out the field and the action with game times at 11 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3:30.

More information about the Berkshire Blaze is available on its Facebook page.

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Restructure

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to restructure the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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