A local construction company has offered to cover the cost of repairs at the Doyle softball complex. Above, volunteers prep the field for last year's tournament.
Maxymillian to Donate to Doyle Athletic Complex Dugout Repair
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — J H Maxymillian Inc. has asked to donate $35,000 toward the Doyle Softball Complex dugout repair and lights project.
Parks and Open Spaces Manager James McGrath told the Parks Commission on Tuesday that Maxymillion, the chosen contractor for the project, will cover the cost of the project.
"Kudos to them for stepping up and helping," he said. "That is really a very generous donation."
The project was originally a Community Preservation Act project that went out to bid like any other. McGrath said Maxymillian was the chosen bidder and indicated to the city that it wanted to donate the project.
The project would address two fields in the complex and with Maxymillian’s donation, the city now has the original $17,000 from the CPA funds to play with.
McGrath suggested using the funds to address repairs at some of the other dugouts in the facility.
"Roofs, privacy slats, and other things," he said. "Maybe get some new hardware for these dugouts. They are well used and well loved."
He said if the commission wants to put these funds toward something else it will have to seek permission from the Community Preservation Committee because it only authorized the funds for Doyle.
City Council will have to accept this donation at a future meeting.
McGrath also said the Burbank Park Dog Park design work continues and he hopes to have a final draft ready for the commission's March meeting.
"The ad hoc committee has done some great work that you will see," he said.
McGrath said if the cost estimate comes in higher than the grant amount, the commission will have to make some design decisions.
"Like a chain link fence may be the most desirable but if it is too much, we may have to look at something cheaper but comparable in strength," he said.
There was a concern among the board about added maintenance with a new park within the city limits and McGrath agreed that this is true and that was considered in the design work.
"We know we could use some additional park maintenance people and there may be some activity from the administration for that but we really designed this to limit the amount of maintenance needed up there," he said.
He added that they will look to create a friends group to help maintain and advocate for the park.
"These will be folks who are dog park users who are keen on the dog park and who want to be involved," he said. "Who want to be the eyes and ears and to some degree conduct the day-to-day maintenance."
McGrath gave an update on the Iraq/Afghanistan monument to be installed in Veterans Way Park.
"They are on a forward track, fundraising is going OK so far, more to come, but they are on track for that September unveiling date," he said. "It is an important project and one I think the community supports."
VFW Post 448 plans to raise $45,000 to erect a square granite monument at the park.
McGrath said the VFW is about to unroll a paver fundraising campaign but has already received individual donations as well as a $15,000 donation.
Once the design is completed, it will come before the commission for final approval.
The commission also approved a slate of facility use requests:
The Eagles Community Band plays at the Common June 23 and Aug. 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. and at Springside Park on July 21.
Shakespeare in the Park performs on the Common July 13 through Aug. 13.
The Vietnam Veterans will holds a Memorial Day ceremony at Park Square on March 28 at 10 a.m.
The Kiwanis Bike Rodeo and Safety Day will take place on the Common on June 14 from 11 to 2.
BEAT and HVA will host Housatonic River cleanups June 13 and Aug. 1 from 8 to 2.
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BCC to Hold 'Experience BCC'
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will hold Experience BCC on Wednesday, April 19 from 9 am-12 pm.
Designed to introduce potential BCC students to a typical day on campus, the event is held during Berkshire County high schools' spring break, making it easy for high school students to attend.
Potential BCC students have the opportunity to sit in on a classroom experience and discover how BCC offers the same high-quality education as other colleges, but for a fraction
of the cost. Participants will:
Meet faculty, staff and students
Enjoy a free breakfast and lunch
Learn about paying for college
Hear about more than 50 programs of study offered at BCC
Get the scoop on transferring
Take a tour of the campus
Participants start the day with a free breakfast, followed by breakout sessions featuring faculty-led, hands-on experiences from 9:30-10 am and 10:10-10:40 am. Sessions include:
Nursing with Dean of Nursing Lori Moon in the SIM Lab
STEM with Assistant Professor of Engineering José Colmenares
Allied Health with Physical Therapist Assistant Program Director Michele Darroch
Writing workshop with Writing Across the Curriculum Coordinator Liesl Schwabe
The Traffic Commission on Thursday voted in favor of two "No Right on Red" signs and heard plans for the intersection of Linden Street and Onota Street. click for more
And on Saturday, dozens more from Berkshire, Hampden and Hampshire counties were at Lenox Town Hall for state Sen. Paul Mark's "Beacon Hill in the Berkshires" featuring chairs of Senate committees and State Auditor Diana DiZoglio. click for more
The Hall, which was started in 2013, inducted one other coach on Saturday, Wahconah's Jim Duquette, along with players Stephanie Young Kerr (Lee), Nicole LaFave Patella (Lenox) and Sara Hamilton (Wahconah). click for more
Around 100 people stood at Park Square on Saturday morning to honor the 27 Berkshire County residents who were killed in action in Vietnam. click for more
The School Committee got a first look at the upcoming budget request on Wednesday. The $78,310,016 ask is an 8.17 percent — or $5,911,754 — increase from FY23's budget of $72,398,262.
click for more