Thunderbolt Ski Run Canceled

ADAMS, Mass. — This year's nominal snowfall will prevent the Thunderbolt Ski Race from taking place but the other festivities around the historic ski run are still on.

Thunderbolt Ski Runner board member Josh Chittenden said, once again, the trek up and down the 3,491-foot summit of Mount Greylock has been canceled.

"It looks like something is going on up there on the mountain but not enough to hold a race," Chittenden said. "I think we are running on a 50/50 chance if you look at our track record. This will be the sixth year that we tried to run a race and we have only done three races."

Chittenden said the cross country ski race has also been canceled, but the new ThunderTrek Snowshoe Race was rescheduled to March 11 with the hopes that there may be some snowfall.

Chittenden said the board members have no interest in rescheduling the Thunderbolt.

"We feel that our timing is the appropriate timing to run the race; it is just getting that cooperation from Mother Nature which is beyond our control," he said. "We were really excited about running our own race again this season and expanding."

He added that Jiminy Peak Ski Resort reached out to the ski runners and offered to hold the race there. But Chittenden said the Thunderbolt would not be the Thunderbolt without the historic trail.

"Thunderbolt Ski Runners have no interest in relocating the race, and it's all about that trail," he said. "This is for the Thunderbolt, it'snot just to put a race on."

Even though there may be no snow next weekend, Thunderfest will still be held at the Visitors Center on Saturday, March 5. The celebration starts at noon and features live music, food, local beer and wine, a chowder contest, outdoor recreation and craft vendors, and a campfire.

At a recent Selectmen's meeting, ProAdams member Dave Bissaillon said the event will showcase Adams .

"I think Thunderfest has done exactly what it was supposed to do — put Adams in the best light and allow people to take advantage of what the town offers," Bissaillon said. "It's a weekend of events to really give people the opportunity to see Adams for a full weekend, spend time and money, and just leave with a positive impression."  

Adams Welcomes New Officer; Appoints Housing Authority Board Member

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:44AM / Friday, April 19, 2024

Officer Cole Desroches recently graduated from the Police Academy. 

ADAMS, Mass. — The Selectmen welcomed the newest member of the Adams Police Department, Officer Cole Desroches, on Wednesday evening. 

 

Desroches graduated from the Police Academy on March 22 in the top tier in his class. He's currently in the field training program and assigned to Sgt. Curtis Crane. He attended Hoosac Valley High School and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. 

 

"He's going to serve and protect the town of Adams very well," said Crane, who with Sgts. Matthew Wright and Gregory Onorato stepped in to introduce the new officer while Chief R. Scott Kelley was on vacation. 

 

"We don't often get an opportunity to kind of talk about, frankly, some of the positive things that are happening in town and one of the many things that I feel are positive with are the Adams Police Department," said Town Administrator Jay Green. "We are right now at full staff. We have a full complement of officers. We have a chief who just resigned a three-year contract. ... We have four very capable sergeants (including Donna Malloy)."

 

The force consists of the chief, the four sergeants, a full-time detective and 11 patrol officers. It also has a new position in Cpl. Joshua Baker who is responsible for training and keeping staff equipped. 

 

"We're on the cutting edge of ensuring that we have proper training in a very changing environment with law enforcement," continued Green. "And we have a nice complement of officers and we have a well-respected detective who handles some very complicated cases."

 

He called out the half-dozen officers who attended the meeting for the work they're doing as well as the K9 unit.