NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Anna Dix Thursday went 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs batted in to lead North Adams Fire Department/North Adams Police Department to a 14-9 win over Alternative Living Centers and a berth in the North Adams Women’s Softball League Championship Game.
Abby Lear was 3-for-5 with a double for the first responders, who survived the losers bracket in the double-elimination tournament and will face Belle Ame Lashes on Monday at 6 p.m. at DiSanti Field in the first game of the title round.
A win for NAFD/NAPD on Monday will force a winner-take-all game; Lashes is just one win from the championship.
On Thursday, NAFD/NAPD jumped on top early with an eight-run top of the first and never looked back.
Kalley Vanuni singled up the middle, and Lear doubled to left to bring home the game’s first run.
Heather Morris and Carrie Brassard each singled to keep the rally going, and Dix and Kenzie Dobbert delivered two-out hits before each scored on an outfield error to make it 8-0.
ALC managed just one run against Dobbert in the circle through the first three innings.
Meanwhile, the first responders got a run in the second and three more in the fourth to go ahead, 12-1. Dix had an RBI double in the fourth-inning rally.
In the bottom of the inning, Jaycee Blenke hit a solo home run for ALC.
But NAFD/NAPD got that run back plus another in the fifth to take a 14-2 edge going to the bottom of the inning.
That is when Alternative Living Center’s bats came alive.
After a pair of walks to start the inning, Casey Alvarez, and Rachel Desrosiers each singled, and Laura O’Neil hit a sacrifice fly to make it 14-4 and leave two on base with one out. Blenke (2-for-2, two walks) then hit her second homer of the game, a three-run shot that went off the top of the fence to make it 14-7.
In the circle, Blenke held NAFD/NAPD scoreless over the final two innings to keep her team in the game.
And, in the bottom of the seventh, O’Neil (2-for-3) singled and Blenke walked ahead of Karen Horton’s two-run single. Another walk put two runners on base, but a hard shot by Mary Scanlon was speared by Lear at third for the first out of the inning.
Then the first responders turned the game’s first double play on a ground ball up back to Dobbert to end the contest.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
NAHA Board Accepts Director's Resignation, Unlocks Tenants Association Office
By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Housing Authority Board of Commissioners officially accepted the resignation of Executive Director Jennifer Hohn and restored access to the Tenants Association office.
The board held a special meeting Thursday to vote to accept Hohn's resignation and determined that there are currently no plans to replace her.
"We didn't make any final determinations in terms of the executive session so we will schedule another meeting at another time," Chairwoman Leigh Uqdah said after returning from more than an hour session. "Day-to-day operations will continue to be managed as normal by staff."
Per their bylaws, board member Marie Harpin will continue to handle finances, and Uqdah will manage contracts.
Hohn stepped down on Oct. 8 after 24 years leading the agency. Her resignation followed rising tension between her and the NAHA Tenants Association, culminating in the scheduling of a formal grievance hearing between both parties.
The boiling point was the locking of the association's office this summer. Tenants alleged the lockout was retaliation for posting a video on social media depicting improperly functioning door alarms. Hohn claimed the office was locked for tenant safety and to stop the spread of misinformation.
Tenants Association President Corey Fortin asked if Hohn's security access had been removed. Uqdah confirmed her credentials were revoked the day she resigned, meaning she can no longer monitor security cameras remotely.
Jennifer Barbeau, a former city councilor who was liaison to the Housing Authority, asked when the board met to discuss Hohn's severance package. Uqdah stated that Hohn did not have one.
The board also accepted the resignation of Commissioner Richard Lavigne, though they will vote officially on the matter at their next meeting.
The open portion of the meeting was brief, with nearly an hour and a half spent in executive session. Before entering executive session, the board opened the floor to tenants.
"The tenants requested an opportunity to talk to the board," said Uqdah. "It has been quite a while, but we have decided to honor that."
Fortin, who posted the original video to social media, was the first to speak. He was clear in his request: unlock the office door.
"Let's cut straight to the chase tonight. The former resigned Director Jennifer Hohn ordered the office locked," he alleged. "She is gone. The lockout is a direct violation, and the board has a duty to end that tonight."
He cited federal and state laws that mandate the tenants association be provided with office space, including computer and network access.
"We are here with a direct administrative demand. We demand that the board vote tonight to unlock the doors," he said. "Do not let a resigned director's illegal action remain the board's ongoing liability. Open our door tonight, and let us get back to work."
The North Adams Housing Authority Board of Commissioners officially accepted the resignation of Executive Director Jennifer Hohn and restored access to the Tenants Association office. click for more
That was the list of grievances that current and former tenants of the North Adams Housing Authority's high rise laid before the City Council on Tuesday.
click for more