Post 68 Juniors Take 2 in Westfield

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WESTFIELD, Mass. – Gavin O’Donnell went 3-for-4 with a triple and a double to lead the Pittsfield Post 68 Juniors to a 15-0 win over West Springfield Post 207 and a double-header sweep at Bullens Field on Sunday.
 
In the first game of the twin-bill, Post 68 edged Westfield Post 124, 7-5.
 
In the dominant, five-inning win in Game 2, Simon Mele and Ethan O’Donnell split time on the mound, striking out nine and not allowing a hit while walking four.
 
Post 68’s offense pounded out 10 hits, including doubles from Christian Aldrich and Jason Codey.
 
Pittsfield jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first and scored six times in the fourth to put the game out of reach.
 
In Sunday’s opener, Gavin O’Donnell and David Wildgoose combined on a five-hitter, striking out seven and allowing three earned runs.
 
Pittsfield jumped ahead early with a four-run second and led 5-0 before Westfield got on the board with three in the fourth inning.
 
In the top of the sixth, two runs came home on an RBI groundout by Gavin O’Donnell to put Post 68 ahead by four runs, and the insurance came in handy with Westfield scoring twice in the bottom of the inning.
 
Connor Kirchner went 2-for-3 with a double, and Devin Reynolds was 2-for-2 at the plate. Caden Boehm doubled in a run in a six-hit attack for Post 68.
 
Pittsfield (10-2) hosts East Longmeadow Post 293 on Thursday.
 
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CBRSD Makes Cuts to Lower Town Assessments

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — School officials say reductions in the Central Berkshire Regional School District's budget will be felt, but remain optimistic that it will not prevent them from being "the best regional district in the state."
 
Throughout the budgeting season, officials said they strived to keep the seven member towns informed amid contractual increases outside their control and concerns with a state aid funding formula described as "remarkably wrong."
 
The initial budget was about a 9 percent increase, but with "strategic reductions" the district was able to cut that down to 2.99 percent, bringing the total budget to $37,740,005. 
 
"This was no small feat," said Paul Farella, district's Finance Committee chair.
 
In earlier budget drafts, towns voiced concerns over significantly higher assessments, which ranged from approximately 7 to 15 percent, compared to prior years, when it was about 2 to 7 percent. 
 
With the revised budget, projected net town assessments are: 
  • Becket for $2,859,205, an increase of 5.49 percent
  • Cummington for $670,246, an increase of 5.11 percent 
  • Dalton for $10,106,445, an increase of 5.86 percent
  • Hinsdale for $3,277,495, an increase of 10.54 percent 
  • Peru for $1,083,751, an increase of 6.11 percent 
  • Washington for $826,774, an increase of 6.64 percent
  • Windsor for $995,438, an increase of 9.37 percent
"[The cuts] will be felt, but we believe that it is what is necessary for the time being to not overburden our towns while still being able to provide a quality education to our community," Farella said. 
 
Delivering high-quality education while responsibly managing public funds in a district, which like many rural areas, faces financial constraints is a duty Superintendent Michael Henault said he takes very seriously.
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