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A plaque denoting Buddy Pellerin Ballfield at Clapp Park will be unveiled next week.

Pittsfield to Unveil Plaque for Buddy Pellerin Ballfield

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A commemorative plaque will officially designate the Clapp Park ballfield for former coach George "Buddy" Pellerin.

The name change was approved about seven years ago after Pellerin passed away at the age of 77. The plaque's set be unveiled at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14.

"Chairman [Cliff] Nilan has been involved with this effort to site a permanent plaque at the Buddy Pellerin Field which is of course the main baseball field and Clapp Park where Buddy Pellerin coached and played for many, many years," Park, Open Space and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath explained to the Parks Commission on Monday.

"And this is a permanent recognition of his contribution to the city."

The plaque, currently covered up, is just behind home plate on the backstop behind the walking track.  It was pointed out that the public is welcome to join the unveiling to remember a "literal Pittsfield giant."

Pellerin was head coach of the Pittsfield High baseball team for 19 years, leading the team to the state title in 1966 and taking the team to the 1974 title game. He also served as athletic director and head softball coach during his time at PHS.
 
He handed over the reins of the baseball team in 1982 but remained active in the sport. He went on to coach softball at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and the former St. Joseph's High as well as the city's Babe Ruth League all-star team. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1988.


 
The park has seen major improvements after the city partnered with the Rotary Club and the Buddy Pellerin Field Committee on a state grant.

During the meeting, it was also reported that the Berkshire County Historical Society has been working with the city to plant a commemorative elm tree in Park Square. It will replace the iconic one that was planted in the 1990s to emulate an elm that was admired by Pittsfield residents in the city's early days.

There will be a dedication ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 5:30 p.m. The event will fall on Nation Plant a Tree Day.

"This year we have been working with [McGrath] to plan a special planting of an elm to commemorate the elm that was obviously very famous here in Pittsfield and was chopped down but was first saved by Lucretia Williams," Executive Director Lesley Herzberg explained.

She added that it was a fortuitous event because when the Historical Society approached the city with the idea, McGrath explained that there was already a tree plan for the park using Community Preservation Act funds.

In other news:

  • The city is planning to pave the parking lot of the dog park in the fall with $25,000 that it has been saving for the effort.
     
  • The pickleball project at Springside Park is underway but it may not be completed this year because the summer's heavy rain has created a backlog in work for the line painters. McGrath assured the commission that the courts would be done in the spring if not the fall.
     
  • The city has signed a contract for an accessible restroom development at Deming Park, which McGrath said is really an equity project because it allows people of all abilities to use the park.

Tags: ballfield,   memorial,   public parks,   

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State Fire Marshal: Fall Back Safely

STOW, Mass.—With the end of daylight savings time coming on Nov. 3, Massachusetts fire officials issued a seasonal reminder to check smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and change the batteries when changing clocks.

"Working smoke and CO alarms are vital to your safety at home," said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. "As we 'fall back' this weekend, protect yourself and the people you care for by putting fresh alkaline batteries in alarms that use them and replacing alarms that are out of date."

Today's smoke and carbon monoxide alarms have the manufacturing date printed on the back of the device. Smoke alarms should be replaced after 10 years, and CO alarms should be replaced according to the manufacturer's instructions – usually 5, 7, or 10 years, depending on the model. Unless you have newer alarms with 10-year sealed batteries, this is also a good time to replace the alkaline batteries in all your alarms. And remember to test your smoke and CO alarms once a month to be sure they're working properly.

Heating Season Brings Carbon Monoxide Hazards

Foxborough Fire Chief Michael Kelleher, president of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, emphasized the importance of working carbon monoxide alarms as we enter the colder months.

"Carbon monoxide is a leading cause of poisoning deaths in the United States, and heating equipment is the main source of carbon monoxide in the home," Chief Kelleher said. "We can't see, smell, or taste carbon monoxide. Working CO alarms are the only way to detect this invisible killer."

Replacement Alarms Should Have Sealed, Long-Life Batteries and a Hush Feature

Replacing your old single-station smoke alarm? Choose alarms that have sealed, long-life batteries and a hush feature. This makes it less likely that someone in the home will use the batteries for another device, forget to change them twice a year, or remove them when cooking causes smoke in the kitchen.

"Disabling a smoke alarm puts you, your loved ones, and everyone in the building at risk," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "Never remove batteries from a smoke alarm except when putting fresh ones in."

Alarms Should Be Listed by an Independent Lab

Massachusetts requires that all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms be listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Intertek (ETL). Listed devices will have the laboratory's mark on the back. In recent years, fire officials have seen numerous smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that were purchased online and either have counterfeit marks or no mark at all.

"Smoke and CO alarms can be the difference between life and death, but only if they work properly." said Chief Kelleher. "When you purchase a new alarm, choose one from a well-known, national brand. We've seen many alarms that were purchased online and don't meet the safety requirements of our State Fire Code. If the price seems too good to be true, then it probably is."

Create & Practice a Home Escape Plan

"Changes to building construction and furnishings mean we have less time to escape a fire at home than ever before," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "You could have just three minutes to get out safely."

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