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George Canales, left, and Boston's John Romano have organized the event from opposite ends of the commonwealth for years.

New England Regional, La Festa Exchange to Delight Area Baseball Fans

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A busy weekend of youth baseball is on tap for two historic county venues.
 
The action gets underway at 10 a.m. on Friday morning when Westfield takes on Vermont State Champion Essex Junction in the first game of the 13-year-old Babe Ruth New England Championship at Wahconah Park.
 
It will be the first of 17 games over five days to determine who will represent New England in the World Series that gets underway in Jamestown, N.Y., on Aug. 14.
 
Host Pittsfield will play in the final game on Friday, a planned 7 p.m. first pitch against Connecticut State Champion Stamford.
 
Pittsfield will then play its next two pool play games at 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
 
The top three teams in each of two four-team pools advance to bracket play, which gets underway on Monday morning and concludes with the title game on Tuesday afternoon.
 
No regional championship stakes but plenty of pride will be on the line and plenty of fun will be had on Saturday and Sunday in North Adams, when the 34th annual La Fest Baseball Exchange gets started at Joe Wolfe Field.
 
Youth teams from North Adams and Boston’s North End have been playing mid-summer classic for more than three decades.
 
This year’s edition gets going at 6 p.m. on Saturday and continues Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
 
Win or lose – and the teams have done both in pretty much equal measure over the years – the two teams will meet up again Aug. 9 and 10 for games on the home field of the North End Dodgers.
 
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North Adams Housing Authority Director Steps Down

Staff Reports

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Jennifer Hohn, the longtime executive director of the North Adams Housing Authority (NAHA), has stepped down after 24 years with the agency.

The Berkshire Eagle reported that Hohn resigned from her position on Thursday. The NAHA Board of Commissioners is currently developing a transition plan.

Her resignation follows rising tension between Hohn and the tenants association. Residents—particularly at the Spring and Ashland Park apartments—have raised specific concerns regarding building security, drug activity, and trespassers.

This summer, Tenants Association President Corey Fortin posted a video on social media demonstrating that door alarms in some of the buildings were not functioning.

Shortly after the video was posted, the tenants association's office was locked. Members alleged Hohn locked the space in retaliation, while Hohn maintained it was a matter of tenant safety. Hohn also stated that NAHA does not officially recognize the association because it has yet to go through official channels for certification—a claim the tenants association disputes.

The dispute culminated in plans for a formal grievance hearing between Hohn and the association. Both sides agreed to hold a meeting on Oct. 3, but the hearing had not yet been scheduled at the time of her resignation.
During her tenure as director, Hohn oversaw significant changes at NAHA, including expansion and the dissolution of Housing Opportunities Incorporated, a program founded over 30 years ago to assist first-time homebuyers. Most recently, she led efforts to transition NAHA properties from traditional public housing models to the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. She also directed the rebuilding of a Greylock Valley Apartments building after it was severely damaged by a fire.

The NAHA Board of Commissioners meets monthly, typically on Mondays.

 

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