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Chris' Girls Come From Behind to Reach Torchia League Final

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Chris’ Girls Tuesday overcame a 14-3 deficit to earn a 22-17 win over Club Wyndham to reach the title round of the Pat Torchia Softball League.
 
Karen White went 3-for-3, scored three runs and went the distance in the circle as Chris’ Girls won the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament and earned a berth in Wednesday’s final against Ayrhill Farms.
 
Chris’ Girls will need to beat Ayrhill Farms on Wednesday to get to a winner-take-all final on Thursday at Disanti Field.
 
On Tuesday, Club Wyndham scored seven times in the second inning to take a 7-3 lead and built an 11-run advantage, thanks, in part, to a two-run double by Rachel Desautels and a two-run single from Laura O’Neil.
 
But Chris’ Girls used patience at the plate to whittle away at that lead.
 
They worked five walks and got a two-run single from Laura Feder in a six-run fifth inning to make it 14-9.
 
After White threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth, three more walks helped fuel a four-run rally for Chris’ Girls in the sixth as they got within a run.
 
Club Wyndham got its offense going again in the bottom of the sixth, when Kate Haring and Desautels each drove in a run to help their team pull ahead, 17-13.
 
Needing at least four runs to stay alive in their final at-bat, Chris’ Girls scored nine.
 
Again, free passes were a major factor. Club Wyndham, which went into the game without its two regular pitchers, used three pitchers in the top of the seventh, when Chris’ Girls walked eight times, including seven in a row at one point.
 
Club Wyndham got a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh, but White induced a fly ball to left for out No. 2 and ended the game with the night’s only strikeout.
 
Chris’ Girls and Ayrhill Farms will play at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
 

 

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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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