MCLA Inducting Eight Into Athletic Hall of Fame

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Saturday, Oct. 24, at 5:30 p.m. in the Church Street Center.

The inductees include local residents Bill Caprari (class of 1975, baseball), Sam Gomez (cross country coach, a posthumous inductee) and Sue Plankey LeClair (2001, softball), as well as Laurie Pecoraro (2000, soccer), Steve Swail (1989, baseball), Jim Hachey (1986, soccer), Andy Marhoffer (1983, ice hockey) and Tom Cronin (1987, basketball).

Caprari was a standout athlete and educator at MCLA for more than 30 years. The 1975 graduate starred as a member of the baseball team, winning Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference championships in 1972 and 1974. He was the captain of the 1974 team and presented the prestigious Louis Parisien Award in 1975. Following his playing career, Caprari became a staff member at the college, working in the Athletic Department for more than 20 years. He earned his master's in education from the college in 1982.

Gomez founded the cross country program while working as a professor at MCLA and was its first coach. The Sam Gomez Road Race has been run in his honor for the last 32 years.

LeClair was the only four-time MVP in softball history, winning the award from 1998 to 2001. She was a three-time All-Conference performer and earned All New England honors those same years. Her teams won more than 20 games in three of her four seasons, and she was recognized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association for her accomplishments.

Pecoraro was a two-time Sue Getchell Award winner. She was voted team MVP on three different occasions and was twice named to the All-Conference team. Pecoraro was named captain for the 1999 soccer season.


Swail was a member of two MASCAC championship baseball teams. In 1989, he was named captain and led his team to a 19-9 record. Swail was also awarded the Parisien Award in 1989. During his career, the baseball team won 66 games in three seasons.

Hachey was a two-time MVP during his soccer career. His teams won 46 games in his four seasons. He was a two-time all conference performer in goals and a member of the 1983 team that advanced to the ECAC playoffs.

Marhoffer was the MVP of the hockey team in 1983.

Cronin was the two-time basketball MVP. He was a captain of the 1987 championship team that advanced to the NCAA tournament, and he was twice named to the MASCAC all conference team for his efforts.

For more information on the Hall of Fame and the induction ceremony, contact the athletic office at 413-662-5411.
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Companion Corner: Rosie Is Still at No Paws Left Behind

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Shockingly, Rose the Labrador retriever is still waiting for a home.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Rosie has spent seven months at No Paws Left Behind, almost a third of her life. 

We first highlighted the 2-year-old in January and she is still patiently awaiting her forever family.

Shelter manager Noelle Howland introduced us to her.

"Rosie came to us as a stray from animal control that was never claimed. She's been here with us since August," she said.

Rosie is very athletic and it's recommended she has an owner that will take her out on many adventures. After a day of exploring, she will happily spend the evening cuddled up to you. 

"She is very, very energetic. She is a extremely cuddly dog. So if you're looking for a dog that will love to cuddle with you on a couch, she would be the perfect fit for you," Howland said. "She's also very active, so definitely somebody that's willing to be very active, like going on walks, hikes." 

Rosie is not at her best with men. If there is a man in the home it might take multiple visits to help her get used to him. Ideally, she is recommended to go to a home with women.

"If there was a male in the home, it would be with another female in the home, because she has not been the best with a lot of the men that she's met here," Howland said. "It would take a couple weeks for her to be OK with a male, with like a female in the home. I think it'd be a little different. But a single male, I think she would struggle a lot with so it would definitely take multiple meets for her to be OK."

Rosie could possibly live with an easy-going cat but will have to be the only dog as she can get rough. It is also recommended that she is in a home with children 12 and older.

"She will have to be an only dog, because she does tend to take playing with dogs a little too extreme, and she'll be perfectly content, and then the next minute, she does escalate it," Howland said. "So you she will be fine for play dates, but we would recommend no other dog in the home. She also will resource guard with other dogs."

A more experienced dog owner would be suitable to take Rosie home.

"If you're looking for a dog that will have playdates with other dogs, you definitely have to be able to understand when she's taking it too far," Howland said. "But otherwise she is a very, very sweet dog. And I think anybody that adopts her will be very lucky, because she is just overall very good dog."

Rosie is house broken and crate-trained. She can be destructive with her toys, like most dogs, and has chewed on the walls, but Howland thinks she will less prone to acting that way in a home as a shelter environment is very different.

Rosie can also get a little mouthy when she gets overwhelmed or excited. But she has been working on that as well as her basic commands like sit and place, or stay, which she is a pro at. She is learning that once you place her, she knows she needs to calm down. 

But Rosie loves play, and she loves to chase and destroy her squeaky toys.

"Her favorite thing. She loves any balls, play with outdoors. She loves squeaky toys, but she is quite destructive," Howland said. "So, you have to be careful that you're watching her if you do give her a toy, she will eat them."

If you think Rosie might be a great fit for you contact No Paws Left Behind today and learn more about her on the website

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