Pittsfield's Paronto Perfect in Opener

iBerkshires.com Sports11:53AM / Friday, July 19, 2024Print Story | Email Story

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Pittsfield's Connor Paronto Friday fired a complete-game no-hitter to lead his Babe Ruth 16-year-old All-Star team to a 10-0 win over North Providence in the first game of the New England Regional.

Paronto struck out six and did not allow a walk or a hit. Pittsfield also did not allow an error behind him to secure the perfect game.

“Connor was incredibly impressive today,” Pittsfield coach Ben Stohr said. “We had stellar defense, especially at shortstop where Luke Ferguson took away a couple potential infield hits.

“Connor finished with 71 pitches. Couldn’t have been any more efficient. Very proud of all of these guys with how they played defense behind him today.”

Paronto helped his cause by going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs at the plate.

Jackson Almeida and John Mullen also had two hits apiece in an 11-hit attack for Pittsfield.

Pittsfield starts pool play at the regional with a 1-0 record. It continues the tournament on Saturday against the hosts, Capital Area of Maine.

14-Year-Old All-Stars

NEWTOWN, Conn. – Mason Daley struck out seven in a complete-game, five-inning, 10-0 win for Pittsfield over Central Vermont to open the New England Regional.

Daley allowed just three hits and walked nobody in the victory.

Robert Bazinet went 2-for-2 with an RBI and scored three times to pace the offense.

Pittsfield took advantage of five errors and 10 walks allowed by three different Central Vermont pitchers.

Pittsfield stays in the winner’s bracket in its pool and advances to Saturday evening’s game against the winner of Friday night’s matchup between Keene, N.H., and host Newtown.

13-Year-Old All-Stars

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Eastern Massachusetts champion Easton dealt Pittsfield a 9-6 setback in the first game of pool play at the New England Regional.

On Saturday morning, Pittsfield (0-1) faces North Providence, R.I., (1-0) in the second of three pool play games at Bullens Field.

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Pittsfield ARPA Funds Have Year-End Expiration Date

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:20AM / Thursday, January 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — American Rescue Fund Act monies must be spent by the end of the year, and Pittsfield is already close.

In 2021, the city was awarded a historic amount of money — $40,602,779 — in federal remediation funds for the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the end of September 2025, more than $37 million had been expended, and 90 percent of the 84 awarded projects were complete.

Special Project Manager Gina Armstrong updated the City Council on the ARPA funds during its first meeting of the new term on Tuesday.

As of September 2025, the $4.7 million allocated for public health and COVID-19 response has been fully expended. Additionally, $22.7 million of the $24.9 million allocated for negative economic impacts has been expended, and nearly all of the infrastructure funds, more than $5.8 million, have been expended.

Less than $3 million of the $3.7 million allocated for revenue replacement has been spent, along with about $873,00 of the $1.1 million allocated for administration.

Armstrong noted that in the last quarter, "Quite a bit more has been done in the areas of the housing projects." In 2022, then-Mayor Linda Tyer allocated $8.6 million in ARPA funds for affordable housing initiatives, and the community is eager for those additional units to come online.

Nine supportive units at the Zion Lutheran Church on First Street received more than $1.5 million in ARPA funds, the 7,700-square-foot housing resource center in the basement received more than $4.6 million, and the Westside Legends' home construction project saw more than $361,000 for two single-family homes on South Church Street and Daniels Avenue.

"This is just about complete, and I believe that people who are currently homeless or at risk of homelessness will be able to take these apartments in the very near future," Armstrong said, noting the supportive units and resource center that had a ribbon-cutting in late 2025.