Maple Grove Civic Club Hears From Candidates
ADAMS, Mass. — The Maple Grove Civic Club heard from selectmen candidates and others running for various offices in town.
First to go before the club last Sunday was political newcomer James Bush, who is running for selectman.
Bush said he has been a town meeting member for 27 years, has been married to his wife, Pat, for 43 and has two children and five grandchildren.
Bush said he is part of the Berkshire Retiree Club and is a longtime member of Turn Hall.
Bush said health is also important to him and since his knee surgery two years ago he has slimmed down.
"I was way overweight and embarrassed. I joined the gym and lost 130 pounds in two years," he said. "I will bring that commitment and dedication to the select board and I think that is very important."
He said he also plays Santa Claus on the Berkshire Scenic Railway's holiday rides, which inspired him to join the organization.
"They are a great bunch of guys that are so dedicated," he said. "I just wanted to be part of it and I believe the railway is going to be a huge part of our future."
Bush said he is a straight shooter and will bring this brutal honesty to the select board.
"If you ask me a question I will get you an answer. You might not like the answer, but I will be honest with you," he said. "I am not going to sugar coat anything just because you want to hear it."
Bush said he does not think industry will come back to Adams and the town should use what it has and continue the shift to a tourist-based economy.
"Those days are long gone, and I see the Greylock Glen being developed to the maximum," he said. "The train will be a big part of that and the bike path …If we develop all three of those and get people coming the middle is going to fill itself in. We are going to be a destination."
He went on to say that he thinks the town needs to be more forward about their assets.
"We have shops, we have stores, we have restaurants and we can build this up," he said. "We have to get this going we can't just sit on what we have we have to move."
John Duval, running for re-election, said this is his sixth year as a selectman, but he has also served on the Adams-Cheshire Regional School Committee and has coached various youth sports.
He said he is employed at General Dynamics and has been married to his wife, Debbie, for 32 years and has three sons, two of whom are volunteer firefighters.
Duval said the board has changed quite a bit over the past six years and believes his experience may be an asset.
"Since I came on six years ago there are no board members left there so we do have new blood on the select board," he said. "A lot of people have come and gone so experience is a plus here."
Duval differed from Bush in believing Adams still has an industrial presence that he wishes to expand upon.
"We need jobs in this community and the current corporate park is a great success," he said. "I don't think a lot of people realize how many hundreds of jobs we have there."
Duval said he would like to start a second industrial park in Adams.
He went on to say the Berkshire Scenic Railway is only "a piece of the puzzle" and that the town has to find a way to get visitors off the train when they visit town.
"Things are happening but when that train is packed bringing people to Adams they need to get off the train," he said. "We need to get them out there on the Polish mile to see downtown Adams."
Duval said his other concern is housing and wants more workforce housing in town – especially in the incomplete Mausert Block.
"We need to have apartments on Park Street … we have engineers working in Pittsfield looking for places to live," he said. "Adams should be that place where they come and then you will see people on Park Street. They will create their own economy."
Duval concluded that he is proud of the fiscal 2019 budget that should represent a decrease in the tax rate.
Candidate Donald Sommer was out of the country during the meeting but asked club member Eugene Michalenko to read a letter.
Sommer wrote that he only wanted to make a few points because he was not there in person to answer questions but pledged not to increase the tax rate.
"Of course, the main focus would be on stopping the tax increases and getting them in line with the rest of the county and state," he wrote. "I pledge not to approve any tax increase in next year's budget other than the increases already contracted."
He also made known his concerns about the Memorial Building and felt the town should not put any money into it until they have a firm commitment from a tenant.
Sommer also wrote that he thought Chapter 90 road funds should be used to fix roads. He would also advocate for the town to use Community Development Block Grant funds to hire a business development manager to help support current business and attract new ones.
Sommer concluded in his letter that he thought Adams had to move with other communities in the County that seem to be showing more progress.
"Other towns and cities around us are showing progress and we are right in the center of activity…and are not taking advantage of their progress," he wrote. "We need to be more aggressive with our outreach."
Candidate Heather Cachat Blake was unable to attend the meeting because she is soon to give birth and the final candidate, Wayne Piaggi, dropped out of the race although his name will still be on the ballot.
There will be two open selectmen seats up for grabs during the May 7 election. Both are three-year terms.
The forum was then opened to others running for open seats although all of these candidates are running unopposed.
Although most of the speakers were returning to their respective boards or positions, two newcomers addressed the club.
Lisa Gazaille, who is running for Planning Board unopposed, introduced herself and said she was happy to get involved.
"I have recently been attending meetings and talking to people involved and they explained to me how satisfying it was to serve the town in that capacity," she said. "It made me realize how many people just complain and don't get involved …I realized it was my turn to give back to the town."
Jacob Levesque, who is running for the Parks Commission unopposed, said he hopes to be able to improve athletics in town.
"I have lived in Adams all of my life and played sports," he said. "Hopefully we can help out athletics because we may not have much to do in this town, but we do have sports and we are great at them."
Tags: election 2018, town elections,
