Adams Picks Select Board Candidates; Cheshire Nixes Appointed Assessor

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
12:36AM / Tuesday, May 07, 2024Print Story | Email Story

ADAMS, Mass. — Voters chose incumbent John Duval and newcomer Ann Bartlett for the two open seats on the Selectmen.

Bartlett, a co-owner of the former Red Carpet Diner, garnered the most votes at 791, more than 300 above the other three challengers, and Duval was returned for another three-year term with 685.

Incumbent Howard Rosenberg's decision sparked a five-way race for the two seats. Coming in third was Jerome Socolof with 465, Mitchell Wisniowski with 446 and former board member Donald Sommer with 367.

All results are unofficial.

Wisniowski did win a seat on the Parks Commission and Michael Mach outpolled challenger Timothy Kitchell Jr. 887-407 to stay on the Planning Board.

Frederick Lora appears to have bested Jennifer Solak as Adams representative to the Hoosac Valley Regional School District by 10 votes. The unofficial tally is 814-804, with Lora gaining 674 votes to Solak's 620 in Adams; the voted flipped in Cheshire with Solak winning 184-140 but not enough to overcome the gap. Robert Tetlow Jr., running unopposed, was returned as the Cheshire representative.

Write-ins for Board of Health and Redevelopment Authority, which had no candidates, were still being tallied.

Town Clerk Haley Meczywor, running unopposed for another three-year term, earned the highest number of votes at 1,335, just seven more than Eugene Michalenko, who was running with James Loughman for re-election to the library trustees. Also returned to office were Moderator Myra Wilk, Assessor Paula Wheeler, Mary Ciuk and James J. Fassell for Parks Commission; and Bruce Dale Shepley for Cemetery Commission and McCan School Committee.

Turnout was about 22 percent with 1,465 of the town's 6,574 registered voters going to the polls.

In Cheshire, a ballot vote on making the town assessor an appointed rather than elected position was roundly defeated 152-219. The question would also have been on the town warrant.

Shawn McGrath and Raymond Killeen were re-elected to three-year terms on the Select Board with 257 and 234 votes, respectively; coming in third was Mark Biagini with 204.

Assessor Kellie Lahey, Board of Health member Brian Trudeau, Cemetery Commissioner Timothy Garner, Water Commissioner Ricky Gurney and Planning Board member Peter Traub were re-elected unopposed.

Whitney Flynn received 55 votes for town clerk on an empty ballot to replace Christine Emerson, who retired.

Tags: election 2024, town elections,

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

Greylock Youth SummerFest

Come join in on the wealth building fun! August 3-8. Click for event details. Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Lanesborough TA Tapped as Adams Community Development Director

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
09:07AM / Wednesday, August 19, 2026

ADAMS, Mass.— Lanesborough's town administrator has been tapped as Adams' director of community development.

On the agenda for the Select Board's meeting on Wednesday is a ratification of Gina Dario as director of community development. She has worked for Lanesborough since late 2022, when she was hired as town administrator.

Dario is also a native of Adams and will replace Donna Cesan, the retired community development director who stepped in last year to temporarily fill the vacant spot.

The town's job posting explains that the community development director manages community and economic programs and develops work plans and programs to meet Adams' growth and development goals.

This includes managing the Community Development Block Grant Program funding and procuring, negotiating, and managing professional service contracts.

The position reports to the Town Administrator Nicholas Caccamo, who was hired last year.

Lanesborough Select Board Chair Deborah Maynard on Tuesday said Dario had informed Town Hall and all boards and committees.

"She plans on leaving mid-October," Maynard wrote. "Hopefully, we will have candidates to interview before then."

The pay grade is level 14, between about $80,000 per year and $118,000. A Bachelor's Degree, Master's preferred, in a related field and a minimum of eight years of progressively responsible experience in project management or local planning is required, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Before her work in Lanesborough, Dario was a former state manager with the Australian Electoral Commission in Perth, Western Australia, and before that, she worked as an assistant commissioner with the Australian Electoral Commission in Canberra, the country's capital.

She grew up in the Berkshires before attending Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley and obtaining a master's degree in international public affairs from Columbia University in New York City.

View Full Story