Cheshire Woman Was Killed in Aug. 7 Crash

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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The victim of a fatal motor vehicle crash on Aug. 7 has been identified as Susanna Thomas, 47, of Cheshire.
 
Thomas was believed to be traveling at a high rate of speed on Partridge Road, which has a speed limit 35 mph, when she struck a tree. 
 
A neighbor reported hearing a large boom and called 911. There were no tire tracks on the road or sounds heard to indicate the driver had attempted to brake prior to the collision, according to authorities.
 
The accident was reported at about 1:10 p.m. and Lanesborough Police, Fire and ambulance were dispatched to an area in between 782 and 785 Partridge Road.
 
First responders were able to reach the scene within 90 seconds to find a Nissan Rogue had collided with a tree and was engulfed in flames. 
 
First responders extinguished the flames and found one individual located in the driver's seat later identified as Thomas. She had suffered severe burns and was declared deceased at the scene. 
 
Thomas was a graduate of Hoosac Valley High School in Cheshire and previously worked as pastry chef and at Greylock Elementary School in North Adams. She did volunteer work, including in the kitchen at Berkshire Pathways. 
 
Law enforcement response also included the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office and the State Police Crash Analysis and Reconstruct Section.

Tags: fatal,   MVI,   

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Adams Hires Consultant to Launch Town Administrator Search

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen has hired a consultant in the search for a new town administrator. 
 
The board on Wednesday authorized interim Town Administrator Kenneth Walto to enter into a contract with Groux-White Consulting LLC of Lexington.
 
Walto explained that Groux-White was one of three respondents for requests for quotes sent to seven qualified firms. Principal Richard J. White was the low quote at $12,400. 
 
The quote from Municipal Resources Inc. of Plymouth, N.H., was $15,800 and the final one from Colin Baenziger & Associates of Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., was $32,500.
 
"It was a two-week turnaround time toward the end of April. The quotes were due on May 12," said Walto.  "My internal estimate was about $20,000 so I think we did quite well on low Groux price."
 
The town is replacing Jay Green, who left in January to become town administrator in Lenox. Walto, former longtime Dalton town manager, stepped in in the interim. It took more than a year to hire Green in 2019.
 
Walto said he had a long checklist of both submission and quality requirements that the consultant would have to meet and that there was no sense in looking at the other quotes unless the low quote did not meet those standards. 
 
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