Adams Brainstorms Town's Future

ADAMS, Mass. — It was a small but ambitious crowd who turned out for the public hearing on the town's future community development projects on Tuesday night.

Led by Director of Community Development Donna Cesan, the discussion focused on identifying how the town should move forward with its priority projects and what will help improve the town over time.

"We're on the right track but a lot more needs to be done. There's a long way to go," said George Haddad, owner of the Red Carpet Restaurant on Park Street. "More and more, Adams is becoming a destination place to live and work and I'd like to see that trend continue. We have to bring this town exactly in the direction it's going."

Haddad and others at the Board of Selectmen-sponsored hearing spoke adamantly about their desire to see the town become more business-friendly, working to both actively attract newcomers and support existing entrepreneurs in the area.

"While housing is needed, I'm not sure it can keep us afloat. We need businesses to go along with it," said Roy Thompson, a Board of Health member. "There are a lot of nice communities in this area to live - Adams is one of them - and we have to draw people here."

One of the more popular suggestions came from Thompson and Finance Committee Chairwoman Rosemarie Stachura, who proposed creating a brand or theme for the town.

"What are we doing to market our town?" asked Stachura. "Every town has some theme or staple. They're known for something and Adams doesn't have that," said Thompson.

Calling it a more "proactive and agressive approach," townspeople said they would support working to develop a niche market for the town, which could include initiatives in improving the school system, building a solid green technology movement and drawing more attention to various sectors of the business community.

With the possibility of open forums and economic incentives thrown onto the table, Town Administrator William Ketcham said residents must remain focused as the town moves forward with plans meant to foster a diverse yet balanced community.

"There is a lot that can be done here; we have a lot of assets. If people are willing to keep trying because they love the town, we can look ahead," Ketcham said.

The public hearing comes following new state guidelines that mandate cities and towns hold public hearings at least two months prior to the Community Development Block Grant deadline (the fiscal 2008 applications are due on Feb. 15). With a primary focus on evaluating the current community development strategy, Cesan was interested in getting public opinion about the town's most pressing projects, including the Jones Block redevelopment project, the Armory Court pocket park project and ever-controversial Greylock Glen development.

"We want to make sure that the funds used for the Block Grant are in a larger community context," said Cesan, specifically asking Tuesday night's participants if the downtown should still be coined a target area.

Several others voiced an opinion that the first step for future economic success lies in working to make changes in the school system. Corinne Zinni Case, whose husband is a teacher and coach at Hoosac Valley High School, said her biggest concern was working to make a brighter future for the next generation.

"If we want to truly invest in the community of Adams, we need to focus on the young as well as the old," she said, noting that the technology and computer availability at many of the local schools was lacking. "There are very few computer and that's going to be a problem."

With the master planning process already under way, Selectmen closed the meeting by urging those in attendance to spread the word about the importance of civic engagement.

"What we can do to change general apathy is to get people who are excited about the future to take a little bit of that excitement and tell somebody about it," Selectman Joseph Solomon said.

Cheshire Town Meeting Oks Budgets, Debates Potential Prop 2 1/2 Override

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
10:12PM / Monday, June 08, 2026

Moderator Carol Francesconi, left, and Anne Marie Furey were presented flowers in memory of the Rev. William Furey, their brother and husband, respectively. The town report was dedicated to him. 

CHESHIRE, Mass. — Town meeting on Monday approved all 35 articles on the annual meeting warrant, including a total spending for fiscal 2027 of more than $8.5 million. 

 

Some 77 of the town's more than 2,500 registered voters filled the Cheshire Community House meeting room, debating on a number of articles during the meeting that lasted nearly three hours

 

The town dedicated its annual report to the Rev. William David Furey, longtime pastor of First Baptist Church and more recently Berkshire Union Chapel in Lanesborough. Furey died last year at age 77.

 

His wife, Anne Marie Furey, and his sister, Town Moderator Carol Francesconi, were presented with a bouquet of flowers in tribute to him. 

 

He was an exemplary member of the community who left a lasting impression in each and every life that he touched, said Town Clerk Whitney Flynn. 

 

Voters approved several warrant articles that make up an operating budget of $3,840,314 for fiscal 2027. Of this amount, $1,642,481 is allocated for the general government budget, which was approved after clarification of a few questions.

 

One item was the administrative assistant's salary. Prior to the annual meeting, the town eliminated the executive assistant salary of $54,309 in favor of a part-time administrative assistant salary of $27,155, to reduce costs considering the financial constraint the town is in.