Annual DZ24 Wiffle Ball Tournament Slated for Oct. 18

03:05PM / Sunday, October 05, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The 6th Annual DZ24 Wiffle Ball Tournament and Raffle Fundraiser is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Deming Park in Pittsfield.

This event serves as a fundraiser for the Dave Zerbato Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support to graduating seniors from both Pittsfield and Taconic High Schools. All proceeds from the day will benefit the fund.

Teams of four will compete in a tournament structure, with competition brackets organized by age. Prizes will be awarded to the winners in each age group.

The cost to participate is $10 per person or $40 per team. The deadline for team registration is Thursday, Oct. 16. Teams must register by emailing Justin Hopkins at justinhop@nycap.rr.com and providing their team name, members, and all members' ages.

In addition to the tournament, event T-Shirts will be sold. Pre-ordering is highly recommended to ensure availability, as quantities will be limited. The pre-order cost is $20, while the price increases to $25 on the day of the event. Those pre-ordering should indicate the number of shirts and the adult sizes required in their registration email. The event will also feature the sale of raffle tickets, food, and beverages.

Payments—including registration fees and purchases—can be made via cash, PayPal, check (payable to the "Dave Zerbato Scholarship Fund"), or Venmo (@davezerbatoscholarship). For those unable to attend but wishing to support the cause, donations are also strongly encouraged.

Organizers note that in the event of rain, the tournament will be moved to an alternate location at Rip City Academy in Dalton.

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Rename

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to rename the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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