Dalton Boards Amend Information Technology Services Budget

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board and Finance Committee voted to amend the Information Technology Services during their meetings this week. 
 
The revised budget increases the budget 4.41 percent bringing the total budget consisting of expenses only in the amount of $71,000. 
 
The previous budget was level funded from last year but the town's insurance agent has now developed requirements to maintain cyber security as part of the town's cybersecurity insurance. 
 
This software will enable the town to have multi-factor authentication and endpoint detection and response so if there is a breach they can find where it came from. 
 
The town will have to pay for this software annually so will now be part of the budget in years to come. 
 
They approved the Parks and Recreation budget in the amount of $62,000, a 3.12 percent increase 
 
This budget was previously a grant the town would give to the Community Recreation Association but last year it became a contracted service. 
 
The town has to abide by the anti-aid amendment that prevents it from giving money to private entities. 
 
The town has contributed to the CRA since it opened a century ago. The association offer programs including summer camps, sports, and recreational activities to the community. There is financial aid for those who qualify. 
 
Officials say this form of budgeting is cleaner than providing the nonprofit with a grant so that they can provide its services to the town.
 
The funding that the town pays helps the CRA cover some of the expenses the programs cost allowing the programs to cost less for the participants. 
 
They also approved the Town Accountant in the amount of $116,926, a $23,026 increase from the previous year. This increase doubles the hours that the assistant is doing.  
 
The increase will also cover the cost of the expenses and cost of the professional and technical training that the town accountant will also have to go to this year to remain certified.  
 
They also approved decrease of $16,500 in the Audit Budget bringing the budget to $35,000. The reason for the decrease is because audits happen every other year. 

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Belchertown Stops Pittsfield Post 68

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Belchertown Post 239’s Cooper Beckwith set the tone when he crushed the game’s first pitch to left-center field for a double.
 
The visitors went on to pound out 14 more hits in a 9-1 win over Pittsfield Post 68 in American Legion Baseball action at Buddy Pellerin Field on Monday night.
 
Beckwith went 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice, and Chase Earle went five innings on the mound without allowing an earned run as Post 239 improved to 15-0 this summer and completed a regular-season sweep of Post 68 (12-4).
 
“He’s a good pitcher,” Post 68 coach Rick Amuso said. “Good velo[city], kept the ball down. We didn’t respond.”
 
Pittsfield did manage to scratch out a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, when it already trailed, 7-0.
 
Nick Brindle reached on an error to start the inning. He moved up on a single by Jack Reed (2-for-2) and scored on a single to left by Cam Zerbato.
 
That was half the hits allowed by Earle, who struck out three before giving the ball to Alex West, who gave up a leadoff walk in the sixth and retired the next six batters he faced.
 
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