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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State Fire Marshal Returns to Hoosac Valley to Offer Career Advice

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Jon Davine joined the Marines just out of high school and spent 25 years moving up the ladder as a Northampton firefighter. He was selected to replace State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey in 2023. 
CHESHIRE, Mass. — As juniors and seniors consider their futures, Hoosac Valley High School officials strive to introduce them to various industries and accomplished professionals through the Pathways program.
 
On May 22, State Fire Marshal Jon Davine was one such official, returning to his alma mater to give students an inside look into his profession and offer some words of advice.
 
During the 50-minute presentation, he outlined his career journey, which began with his service in the Marine Corps, continued through work as a bricklayer, firefighter, and fire captain, and ultimately led to his current leadership role in public safety. He later visited Hoosac Elementary.
 
The Adams native and 1989 Hoosac graduate was chief of the Northampton Fire and Rescue Department when he was tapped by the state in 2023. He was the first fire marshal from Western Massachusetts and, according to the state Department of Fire Services, the first of its recruits to "work his way to the top job using a system designed to make that possible."
 
His journey demonstrated that students do not need to have everything figured out at this stage in their lives.
 
"I think it helped kind of relieve some of the nerves that I have about taking that next step and going off and pursuing college," senior Nathan Lapinski said.
 
"He went through a couple … career opportunities before he went to firefighting, before he became the fire marshal, so I think it helped relieve some of the nerves about trying to figure out what I want to do so early."
 
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