New Lebanon Swimmers Excel at Sectional Meet

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CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. -- Top eight finishes and broken school records were the rule for the New Lebanon-Berlin swim team at the New York Section 2 meet this weekend at Shenendehowa High School.
 
Junior Alex Sotek, sophomore Alison Slater and eighth-grader Lance Schroder competed in individual events while Carol Kirsimagi, Riley Schwartz and Jordan Sotek rounded out the relay teams.
 
Alex Sotek led the way, finishing with two school records and two top eight finishes, which hasn’t been done by a New Lebanon-Berlin swimmer in more than 14 years.
 
She finished seventh in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 58.78 seconds and fifth in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:01.50.
 
Slater set a school record while finishing in 10th place in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:31.35. She also placed 14th overall in the 100 Breaststroke.
 
Schroder finished 17th in the 200 free and 20th in the 100 free in his first appearance at sectionals.
 
The relay teams also had outstanding performances with Kirsimagi, Jordan Sotek, Schroder and Scwartz hitting personal best times.
 
The medley relay team (Kirsimagi, Slater, Jordan Sotek and Schwartz) finished ninth overall.
 
The 200 relay team (Alex Sotek, Schroder, Jordan Sotek and Schwartz) finished eighth overall, and the 400 relay team (Shroder, Schwartz, Alex Sotek and Slater) dropped 5 seconds and finished in 6th place.
 
The Tigers placed seventh out of 12 teams at the sectional meet.
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Pittsfield Seeks CPA Funds for Bike Racks, AED

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city plans to apply for Community Preservation Act funds for park bike racks and an AED machine at the pickleball fields. 

On Tuesday, the Parks Commission endorsed Pittsfield’s applications for CPA funds. 

"Both of those projects are certainly, relative to CPA funds, low cost but high benefit," Commissioner Anthony DeMartino said. 

Through CPA, bike racks are proposed for a few city parks, and the Berkshire Mountain Pickleball league is looking to place an automatic external defibrillator at the Benedict Avenue pickleball fields. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath and Recreation & Special Events Coordinator Jennifer VanBramer presented the two small project applications, which will go through an eligibility period before full consideration in the spring of 2027. 

During the city’s free, six-week, summer playground program, it was observed that many kids access parks by bicycle. The plan is to buy between six and eight racks to be placed at Durant Park, the Common, and Clapp Park; other parks are being considered as well. 

McGrath explained that the three parks hosting the playground program don’t have bike racks, and they wind up on the ground and sometimes become a distraction. 

"The ancillary benefit to having bike racks is that it encourages that mode of transportation for folks that want to come to the park on their bike," he said. 

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