Adams Civic Club Hears From Selectman Canidates

ADAMS, Mass. — The Maple Grove Civic Club on Sunday heard from the three candidates running for the two three-year selectman seats.

Incumbents Richard Blanchard and Joseph Nowak, who both were first elected in 2013, and former selectman Michael Ouellette fielded questions from club members at the PNA.

Blanchard said he was in favor of the town taking the former Curtis Fine papers building that owes nearly $460,000 in taxes.

First up was Blanchard, who currently serves as the chairman. .

Blanchard said he was in favor of the town taking the former Curtis Fine papers building that owes nearly $460,000 in taxes. He said the town cannot cancel permits and halt business, unfortunately, but it is still perusing that.

"Personally I think we should take it," he said. "We aren't getting any taxes now and all they are doing now is making money off of the property and thumbing their nose at us."

Blanchard was also questioned about the Memorial Building, which he said he supported keeping open with minimal use until it can be sold or repaired.

"Right now, we are going with the cheapest option, and right now it costs near $23,000 to run the building with the insurance," Blanchard said. "If we were to mothball it and not use it all ... the price goes to $25,000 without vandalism insurance."

He added vandalism insurance would bump the cost up to nearly $75,000. Repairs would cost between $500,000 and $1 million and a knock down would cost close to $1 million.

Blanchard touted some of the success the current board has achieved. He said there is greater transparency and communication with the town administrator's office. Also, the town made some responsible cuts to lower taxes.

He said the selectmen have also reached out to other communities for regionalization.

"I think playing a stand-alone game is not going to help us," he said. "If something happens in North Adams that brings in people that has got to be good for Adams and vice versa ... I think we should get more involved with the North Berkshire community." 

Blanchard said he was against the proposed plastic bag and Styrofoam bans. He said there are many other uses for Styrofoam and plastic bags.

He also is concerned about losing C.T. Plunkett School if the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District decides to downsize.

"We have to fight to make sure we have a school in town," he said. "If it comes down to it, we may have to look at separating them."

He said the district could switch to a Williamstown model in which the district has a superintendent union and both towns have their own elementary schools with their own school committees.

Nowak is against closing Plunkett because he does not think it would be right to be part of a two-town district without a school in the town.

Next to speak was Nowak, who said when making decisions he is guided only by facts and figures.

"To much is being brought to the forefront with emotion and emotion can only get you so far," he said. "I am a strong believer in putting out facts and figures in order to determine whether or not something is viable."

He is against closing Plunkett because he does not think it would be right to be part of a two-town district without a school in the town.

Nowak said he felt a big issue in the school district was the amount of transient students flowing through, many of who are low income.

"We are a level three school, but god darn it, I don't think it is going to change by throwing money at it," he said. "You can throw all of the money in the world at it but if a child isn't ready to learn at a young age, they are already behind."

Nowak did not place blame on the families, saying he, too, grew up poor and understands the struggle, but noted it is much more difficult and expensive to educate these students and the towns need to find a way to combat this

He agreed with Blanchard about a more transparent board, but said this was not the case when he first joined the Selectmen.  

"I was kept on the outside and in my opinion ... I felt like a lot of things were taken care of in the back and when people came down to the meetings things were already settled," Nowak said. "I got very discouraged and I got vehement at some of the meetings. ... I am not the kind of person you can take advantage of, and I am going to say what I think is best for Adams. I am going to keep it that way."

He agreed with Blanchard that the town has made some tough cuts to keep the tax rate low and said he was happy that the town was able to realign many of the employees that had to be let go.

"We made tough finical decisions and cuts to town employees, but have been able to bring them back into the fold of community," Nowak said. "We provided them with other jobs that they have the knowledge and the ability to do."

Ouellette said he wants to be a 'working selectman.'

Ouellette, who served on the board from 2008 to 2014, said he is a lifelong resident of Adams.

"In fact ... my family has been here for five generations," he said. "I attended schools here, my parents did, my kids did, and my grandkids right now are up at Hoosac Valley."

The retired engineer and has been a property owner for most of his life. He was a member of the Adams National Guard for 11 years and is responsible for two subdivisions in Berkshire County.

Ouellette said he wants to be a "working selectman."

"I want to be a working selectman, as I was the six years that I was in. I want to be involved," Ouellette said. "I want to find out what the issues are, get the information, and be intelligent when I go to vote."

Ouellette said he wants to bring business into town personally. He said he has already made contact with the owner of the Armory and, if elected, will hold a meeting with him.

"I called him and I spoke with him. The guy was very very friendly and ... he said he is wide open for ideas and he would like to meet," he said. "We need to do that. We need to get outside of our boxes and go contact these guys and ask them what is going on. I am of the opinion that we can do something with the Armory."

As for the businesses in town, Ouellette said the Selectmen need to do more.

"We have to get involved and I want to be involved," he said. "There are a lot of things happening and I think it is good stuff and we need to be involved."

Ouellette said he would push hard to see the Greylock Glen to its completion.

"I love the Greylock Glen, and I live right next to it," Ouellette said "I thought it was going to happen; we had a great golf course up there ... It was beautiful and it went belly up. Today, I think we are as close as we have ever been to making something happen up there and I want to support that."

In other business, the civic club will now be able to stay at the PNA

Vice President Jeffrey Lefebvre said fire chief's recent inspection of the club's cooking facilities found problems with the stove that made the kitchen facility unusable. The club was going to move to Turn Hall, but Lefebvre said there was never actually a problem.

"The PNA is OK now, and there are no problems with the stove. ... They had it inspected and they said it's good now," he said. "It should have never happened because what it basically was was politics and it's a shame because we are dying community and this shouldn't have happened."

Also, the civic club voted to provide a fifth $250 scholarship to Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School.

"We have quite a few kids that do go to BArT so we should turn around and not leave them out," Lefebvre said.

Currently give the club gives two each to Hoosac Valley High School and McCann Technical School.

Adams Community Bank Holds Annual Meeting, Announce Growth