Adams Picks Select Board Candidates; Cheshire Nixes Appointed Assessor

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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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,   


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Memorial Building Owner Seeks Name Change

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The selectmen tabled a request from the owner of the Memorial Building, who wants to change his company's name to qualify for more grant funding.
 
During Wednesday's Select Board meeting, the proposal was initially approved but later tabled after a resident urged the board to have town counsel review the documents.
 
According to Town Administrator Nicholas Caccamo, the owner, Michael Mackin, is seeking to change the name from Memorial School Redevelopment LLC to 30 Columbia Redevelopment LLC, which he said would make him eligible for more grant funding. 
 
In a follow-up with iBerkshires.com, Mackin said the property must be twice removed from town ownership to be eligible for certain grant funding.
 
Mackin was not present at Wednesday's board meeting, but Caccamo explained that the change would make Mackin eligible for the Berkshire Brownfields Revolving Loan Program to help fund hazardous-material abatement and the removal of heating oil tanks.
 
Caccamo told the board the change is solely creating a delineation of ownership and does not change anything in the lease, building permits, lease agreement with the town, or any work planned or in progress.
 
The town has signed a lease to use the building once renovations are complete and the space is usable, which it currently is not, Caccamo said. 
 
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