Tennis anyone? Most are golfing

By John HitchcockPrint Story | Email Story
You might need a new map to find locations for Williams College sporting events this fall, with the Bobby Coombs Baseball Field uprooted and relocated from the far end of Weston Field to the far end of Cole Field, nearly a mile away. And lacrosse and possibly soccer games will take place on a multi-million-dollar artificial turf field now in the process of being installed on the old baseball field. The field will also be lighted and will be fenced as well as offering a press box. The new field has been the subject of controversy from the start when longtime lacrosse coach Renzi Lamb retired some 18 months ago and well-heeled former stickmen quickly raised several million dollars to build the new all-weather field in Lamb’s honor. It was first to be located on upper Cole Field, but intramural sports students as well as neighbors objected. The new baseball field has been accepted without much protest, except from local golfers who formerly practiced on area next to the Bud Anderson field, home of the Williamstown Cal Ripken Baseball League. Now the college operates a commercial golf driving range at the other (west) end of Cole Field. For years, the range was located at the south end of Weston Field, adjacent to the college’s Taconic Golf Club, but that was ruled out during construction of the turf field. Other sports changes are at the Williams tennis complex, where an elaborate field stone fountain tribute is being built to honor the late Torrence M. Hunt, class of ’44, who financed the construction a few years ago of the new clubhouse and several competition hard courts. The tennis facility is now called the Torrence M. Hunt Tennis Center, with the clubhouse itself named after Hunt’s old coach, the legendary Clarence Chaffee. (Hunt was captain of the Williams team his senior year). The memorial is located on the grassy bank next to the courts and should be dedicated this fall to the donor, a Pittsburgh manufacturing tycoon. The new courts replaced seven of the former clay courts, leaving five clay courts, as well as another row of 12 hard-surface courts. Years ago, when there were 12 clay courts, the summer public tennis operation saw all courts in use seven days a week. Now only a few prefer to pay for the clay courts as there is no charge for the hard-surface courts. Tennis appears to be at the crossroads in Williamstown. The sport is at the highest level for Williams players, who have recently won national championships in both men’s and women’s play in NCAA Division 3. And Mount Greylock Regional High School often are Berkshire Champs and do well in Western Mass. events. The Mounties play only on the Williams hard courts. Each summer, Williams head net coach Dave Johnson directs the Nike Junior Tennis Camp, with up to 100 kids at each weekly session. Cheri Johnson, Dave’s wife, directs the clay-court summer program (which will end Sept. 6) each summer. But while she once had scores of non-college people paying $66 each for the season (hourly rates are also available) she now sees all five courts in use only weekday mornings. The Williamstown Old Timers League, administered by Joe Colpoys, suffers each year to old-time ailments — or funerals — and has a core group of 20 veterans in action. There is also a smaller group of older women in action. But there are no regular junior players around. Back in the ’50s and ’60s, the late Al Holt and his wife operated a month-long junior program for area kids at a negligible charge, and the program was continued throughout the years under various groups. But for the first time, there was no local program for kids, and it was reported there were few youngsters interested. Fortunately, the situation is better at several other Berkshire communities, with the Lee Community Tennis Association numbering a couple of hundred members from tots to seniors, and programs ranging from instruction and competition to the annual bus trip to the U.S. Open, which will take place Sept. 1. The $80 fee includes transportation, a reserved ticket to the Arthur Ashe Stadium and admittance to all outlying courts with close-up viewing. Contact Bunnier Lahey at 243-3240. There are only a few Berkshire tournaments for adults and the Western New England Championships, which were held for more than 50 years at the Country Club of Pittsfield and then for some 25 years at Berkshire West Tennis Club, finally were dropped last year. Cranwell Resort in Lenox, however, will stage its annual Men’s Century Cup Doubles Sept. 11 and 12. Call 637-2463 for details. Where do most of the tennis players go? To the golf courses, of course. There are tourneys of all sorts at several Berkshire facilities just about every week and club championships taking place this weekend at several, including Waubeeka Golf Links, where John Bradbury and Kathy Duguay will be out to defend the reserved parking spaces set aside for the champions. They have ruled for at least five years. More and more kids are switching to golf, and the fourth annual Northern Berkshire YMCA “Reach Out For Youth” Tournament will be held Sept. 10 at Waubeeka with lunch at noon and a shotgun start at 1. Call Denise at 663-6529. The Pittsfield Boys’ and Girls’ Club Alumni Association will sponsor its third annual tourney to benefit the club at Skyline, also on Sept. 10, with lunch at 11:30 and a shotgun start at 12:30. Call 442-8554. Many younger women are playing in tourneys these days, but when the annual Berkshire Allied Women’s Championship was held recently at Mount Anthony Country Club in Bennington, one of the oldest competitors, Ellie Carver of the GEAA Golf Club in Pittsfield took top honors with a gross 78. How to go Ellie! John Hitchcock of Williamstown writes frequently about the area sports scene.
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Lanesborough Fifth-Graders Win Snowplow Name Contest

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — One of the snowplows for Highway District 1 has a new name: "The Blizzard Boss."
 
The name comes from teacher Gina Wagner's fifth-grade class at Lanesborough Elementary School. 
 
The state Department of Transportation announced the winners of the fourth annual "Name A Snowplow" contest on Monday. 
 
The department received entries from public elementary and middle school classrooms across the commonwealth to name the 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service during the 2025/2026 winter season. 
 
The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during winter operations. 
 
"Thank you to all of the students who participated. Your creativity allows us to highlight to all, the importance of the work performed by our workforce," said  interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng.  
 
"Our workforce takes pride as they clear snow and ice, keeping our roads safe during adverse weather events for all that need to travel. ?To our contest winners and participants, know that you have added some fun to the serious take of operating plows. ?I'm proud of the skill and dedication from our crews and thank the public of the shared responsibility to slow down, give plows space and put safety first every time there is a winter weather event."
 
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