Adams 'Mothballing' Middle School For Winter

ADAMS, Mass. — The Memorial Middle School is being "mothballed" for the winter while town officials decide if they will lease the building to the two organizations that have filed proposals for the reuse.

Town officials hope to cut heating costs by 20 percent with the move while the school is transferred over to the town, the prospective leasers are interviewed and lease negotiations take place. The building has been cleaned by the school after the renovation of Hoosac Valley Middle and High School.

"They've done a great job cleaning it up," Town Administrator Jonathan Butler said on Wednesday. "It's basically in a semi-mothballed state."

Mothballing is a process of protecting vacant buildings from weather and vandalism. Once the temperatures drop even more, the building will be sealed until new tenants reach an agreement. The town is also plotting renovation work in the building. The mothballed state is expected to last until at least February.

"We're working with this item as quick as we can," Butler said.

The Youth Center and a marinara company, Ooma Tessoro's, have both submitted proposals of interest in reusing different sections of the building. Butler, Selectman Michael Ouellette and members of the Department of Community Development will now set up interviews with their representatives to further explore the proposals next week.

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.