Adams Selectmen Told Projects on Track

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Town Administrator Jonathan Butler updated the Selectmen on several ongoing projects on Wednesday night.

ADAMS, Mass. — Town Administrator Jonathan Butler reported on Wednesday night that the roof project on the old middle school is 90 percent done. 

The contractor is just finishing up small parts of the project.

"At this point the entire roof has been replaced, all the bulk work has been done, and for about a month now they have just been doing finish work," Butler said. "They are going around the edges and doing some technical staff, and …I imagine they will be out of there in a couple of weeks."

Butler also had news about the proposed $5 million from the state that will be used to build a welcome and education center at the Greylock Glen. He said the money has passed through the House and Senate and is sitting on the governor’s desk.

Selectman Joseph Nowak said the Conservation Commission has approved the trail network for the Greylock Glen with the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the project is ready to go.

Butler also spoke about the progress of the Park Street construction.

"At this point they are where they expected to be, and … the public has been very cooperative," Butler said "No one has really been concerned with the pace or the disruption of traffic so at the time everything seems to be moving smoothly on Park Street."

Butler said the new signage in the downtown will be changed because the lettering on the signs are too small

"We like how it looks …but we don’t like the size of the font," he said. "We have already gone back to our sign developer and just asked if there is any quick fixes to get a little bit larger font."

Chairman Arthur "Skip" Harrington said the advertisement of the new town administrator has been sent out in attempt to expedite the process.

Harrington said the changes to the advertisement the Town Administrator Search Committee asked for have been implemented.

"This group is a doing a fine fine job," Harrington said. "They are very hard working and they are dedicated."

Harrington said the committee would like community input and is open to requests about the new town administrator.

Committee members also asked for the Selectmen to create an updated job description for the town administrator containing qualities they would like to see in a candidate. Harrington said the Selectmen will work on the description at its next workshop Wednesday.  

Harrington went further to say there should be a protocol in action so the town’s job descriptions are updated more frequently.

"It seems like the only tie we update a job description is when we have a new job or somebody is leaving," he said. "We don't really look at it until we have to post it; we need to keep it more current."

He said this will be added to the town administrator’s job description.

The board approved the positioning of stop signs at Burlingame Hill and Walling Road at the request of Police Chief Richard Tarsa to aid a hazardous intersection.

The board also approved Tarsa's request for no-parking signs in areas on Elm and Enterprise streets. The police can officially enforce the no-parking law now in these locations. 


Tags: Adams Memorial Middle School,   Greylock Glen,   Park Street,   

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Adams Sees No Races So Far

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — With less than a week left before nomination papers are due, there are currently no contested seats.
 
Only selectman incumbent John Duval has returned papers. Selectman Howard Rosenberg has decided not to seek re-election. 
 
Rosenberg, who was elected in 2021, said he has chosen not to run again to make room for younger candidates.
 
"I feel strongly, we need younger people running for public office,  as the future of our town lies within the younger  generation. The world is so fundamentally different today and rapidly changing to become even more so. I believe we need people who are less interested in trying to bring back the past, then in paving the way for a promising future. The younger generation can know that they can stay here and have a voice without having to leave for opportunities elsewhere," he said.
 
The only person to return papers so far is former member the board Donald Sommer. Sommer served as a selectman from 2007 to 2010 and before that was a member of the School Committee and the Redevelopment Authority. He ran unsuccessfully for selectman in 2019 and again in 2021 but dropped out of before the election.
 
Incumbent Moderator Myra Wilk and Town Clerk Haley Meczywor have returned papers for their respective positions.
 
Assessor Paula Wheeler has returned papers and incumbents James Loughman and Eugene Michalenko have returned papers for library trustees.
 
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