UNICO Baseball/Softball Hall Inductions Set for Friday

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. – UNICO of Pittsfield will host the 29th annual induction ceremony for its Baseball/Softball Hall of Fame at the Wahconah Country Club on Friday, Nov. 21.
 
The five new inductees will join 156 others who have been inducted since 1996.
 
This Class of 2025 includes:
 
Ron Bartlett (Taconic High School)
 
Bartlett started his playing days as a catcher in the Richmond Little League. He continued to compete in the Babe Ruth league, played on the South County American Legion Team and then transferred to the Tyler Aces.
 
After playing for two years as the catcher at Taconic and upon graduation, he continued his education at Florida State University where he was one of only three walk-ons from a group of 120 selected to play varsity ball. He later transferred to Miami Dade South Junior College, where his team won the conference championship.
 
After completing a final year at Florida State, Bartlett returned to the  Berkshires where he served as assistant coach to Don Murphy, played four years for the Dalton Collegians and coached five years in the Great Barrington minor and little leagues.
 
Kristin Massimiano Browne (Taconic High School)
 
Massimiano Browne began her softball career in the Pittsfield Parks League where she was named to the all-star team. At Taconic High School, she was a four-year starter at third base and was named to the All-Berkshire first team three times, All-Western Mass second team and the  All-Western Mass team (twice). She added to her softball resume when she was named twice to the Western Mass Bay State Games softball team and played club ball for the Westfield NWS elite team.
 
At Williams College, Massimiano Browne was twice named to the all New England Small College Athletic Conference first team. She also served as an assistant varsity coach at Taconic.
 
Dan Flynn (Lenox Memorial Middle/High School)
 
Flynn was a four year starter on the Lenox varsity baseball team. He was the baseball co-captain in his senior year, when he led the team in batting average, home runs, runs batted in, runs scored, walks and stolen bases and ended his high school career with a batting average of .350. As a catcher and third baseman he was named to the all conference, all-Berkshire and all-Western Mass teams.
 
During this same time he played for the Lenoxdale Post 274 legion team for five years. At Rollins College he was a four-year starter as catcher. He made the team as a walk-on and earned a baseball scholarship. After graduation he served as the Rollins assistant coach and was invited to play in the Cape Cod baseball League.At Rollins, he was named to the first team all conference team, as well as all tournament teams and was named the 1980 Rollins college scholar athlete.
 
Allie Hunt (Pittsfield High School)
 
Allie was a four-year high school starting shortstop and served as captain in her junior and senior years. During this time, she received a number of recognitions including Pittsfield High, conference and Berkshire County MVP, Division 1 all-Western Mass First Team (twice) and the 2014-15 Sports Caravan Athlete of the year in softball.
 
At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hunt was a five-year third baseman and named to a number of athletic and academic  teams including the Liberty League all academic team (three times), ECAC academic honor roll , NCAA D-3 all region third team and was an Olympia inductee, which is RPI’s athletic honor society.
 
Chris Keegan (Pittsfield High School)
 
Keegan is a proud Marine Corps veteran and member of the Marine Corps League. He was an active participant in his community’s football, basketball and baseball youth leagues. He also has been a highly productive and valued contributor to a number of athletic programs including activities in the Boys and Girls Club, Camp Russell, Pittsfield Little League and Babe Ruth leagues. He also is a high school volleyball official.
 
Keegan has been recognized for his work as the Taconic High School assistant baseball coach where he has recently stepped down after 30 years of dedicated service to Taconic high school athletes.
 
A dinner will follow the presentations. If any prior honorees wish to attend the cost of the meal is $50. Please contact Mark Ringie at  413-212-1588 for reservations.
 
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Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'
DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 
 
The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.
 
"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.
 
"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 
 
Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 
 
Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 
 
Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.
 
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