Taconic High Station to Broadcast Colonials Games

By Larry KratkaBerkshire News Network
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Taconic senior Billy Madewell, WBTR's program director, will be a color commentator for the Colonials this summer.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Colonials will be on the air as they return for a second season at historic Wahconah Park with the help of some Taconic High broadcasters.

The Pittsfield School Committee on Wednesday approved an educational partnership between the Pittsfield School System and the Canadian-American League team that will enable the team's home games to be broadcast on Taconic High School's FM radio station, 89.7 WTBR. 

Buddy Lewis, co-owner of the Pittsfield Colonials, told the School Committee that WTBR will broadcast 51 of the 54 home games from Wahconah Park and possibly some away games as well. Lewis also said two WTBR students would be hired by the Colonials as student interns — one to do the PA announcing and another to work with Colonials play-by-play announcer, Chad Cooper, as color commentator. 

WTBR student adviser Larry Kratka, morning news host for Vox Communications stations in the Berkshires, said he was most happy about the two students landing summer jobs. 


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"Billy Madewell is the current student program director and he hopes to pursue sports communications at MCLA in the fall," said Kratka, adding Madewell considers this a dream job.

The student-run radio station offers more than 80 hours of programming a week and has some three dozen students and more than a dozen adults working to keep the signal going. The 89.7 WTBR-FM 400-watt signal is quite powerful and can be heard all the way to Cheshire to the north, New Lebanon, N.Y., to the west and Lee to the south. WTBR also streams live on the Internet. 

Lewis said a press conference will be held next week to release more details of the partnership.
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Pittsfield Seeks Proposals for Human Services Funding

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield announced that applications are now available for funding to public service agencies to provide human service programs to benefit Pittsfield residents. 
 
Funding is for the program year beginning July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
 
Annually, the City undertakes a process through its Human Services Advisory Council (HSAC), an 11 member volunteer committee, which reviews the proposals and submits its recommendations
to the Mayor. 
 
Last year's recommendations resulted in 21 human service programs receiving a total of $206,250 from the City general fund and from the federal Community Development Block Grant Program. Programs and consumers assisted with those funds cover a wide range of services for a diverse population. 
 
Programs include but are not limited to: services for families with children, affordable child care vouchers, homeless services, housing stabilization programs, programs for residents with disabilities and senior citizens, and arts programs.
 
Applications can be obtained by email request to njoyner@cityofpittsfield.org. Applications are to be submitted to the Department of Community Development, Room 205 at Pittsfield City Hall no later than 4:00 p.m. on January 6, 2025.
 
In addition to submitting a written proposal, applicants will be invited to come before the HSAC to make a presentation during February or March that will be televised locally.
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