Bianchi-Barbarotta Award winners, from left: Paul and Dick Rivers, Peter White, Ben Knute, West Dews, Jack Reed, Ashlyn Lesure, Ella Bassi, Randy Koldys. Not present, Brian Gill.
Paula and Dick Rivers, recipients of the Bianchi-Barbarotta Foundation Living Legends Award, are presented with the honor by Pepi Barbarotta, left, and John Barbarotta.
Peter White, center, receives the Connie Bianchi Memorial Award of Merit from Chris Barbarotta and John Barbarotta.
Bianchi-Barbarotta Foundation Volunteer of the Year Ben Knute receives his award from Chris Bianchi, left, and John Barbarotta.
Gary Bianchi, left, and Bianchi-Barbarotta Foundation President John Barbarotta present the Male Sport Coach of the Year award to Monument Mountain boys basketball coach Randy Koldys, center.
Pittsfield High’s Jack Reed, center, receives the Vera Barbarotta Sportsmanship Scholarship from Jay Barbarotta and John Barbarotta.
Reese Barbarotta, left, and John Barbarotta present the Vera Barbarotta Sportsman Scholarship to Pittsfield High’s Ella Bassi.
Al Bianchi Senior Female Athlete of the Year Ashlyn Lesure receives her award from Sam Barbarotta, left, and John Barbarotta.
Al Bianchi Senior Male Athlete of Year West Dews with presenter Gary Bianchi, Wahconah football coach Gary Campbell and Bianchi-Barbarotta Foundation President John Barbarotta.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – The Bianchi-Barbarotta Foundation Friday recognized nine winners of the organization’s annual awards for contributions to sports in Berkshire County.
The honorees were recognized at a dinner at the Polish Falcon Club.
Paula and Dick Rivers received the foundation’s Living Legends Award. Peter White took home the Connie Bianchi Memorial Award of Merit. Ben Knute was honored as the Volunteer of the year. And recent Pittsfield High School grads Jack Reed and Ella Bassi are recipients of the 2025 Vera Barbarotta Sportsman Scholarships.
For the first time this year, the foundation added male and female Athletes of the Year and Coach of the Year recognition in girls and boys sports.
Wahconah’s West Dews is the male Athlete of the Year, and Hoosac Valley’s Ashlyn Lesure is the Female Athlete of the Year. The coaches are Mount Greylock girls track and field coach Brian Gill and Monument Mountain boys basketball coach Randy Koldys.
“It was a wonderful evening with some awesome speeches,” Bianch-Barbarotta Foundation President John Barbarotta said. “The kids were outstanding.”
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Dalton Finance Makes Reserve Fund Transfers
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Finance Committee made two reserve fund transfers last Wednesday night.
The reserve fund balance is currently $60,000. This is the first reserve fund transfer the town has made this fiscal year, committee clerk Karen Schmidt said.
A transfer to the vocational education tuition account for $16,000 was approved. The original appropriation was $605,020 and the present balance is $4,527.
It had been previously demonstrated that setting the budget for this account can be challenging due to the uncertainty about how many students will choose to attend vocational education programs.
The vocational education account was reduced by $90,000 during a September special town meeting; however, a spot opened up at a vocational program, so a student decided to transfer after the start of the second quarter.
A transfer for the employee fringe benefits account was approved for $10,000. The original appropriation was $64,180.
The present balance is $4,412.77 and is not sufficient to cover the vacation payouts and sick buy backs of the six employees who left this year.
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires President Arlene Schiff opened the festivities with a recognition of the victims of Sunday's mass shooting in Australia and praise for a hero who helped stop the killing.
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The Friday morning fire that gutted the Wagon Wheel Inn is still under investigation, and several people who were living at the motel have moved to another one.
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