Dug-Out Motel in Adams Now Empty

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
10:34PM / Wednesday, March 06, 2013Print Story | Email Story

The Board of Health has decided to hold off on new tobacco regulations until it has a full board.

ADAMS, Mass. — The Dug-Out Motel is empty.

Code Enforcement Officer Scott Koczela said all families living at the hotel have found alternative housing and the motel is now closed off and secure. The motel is under court-ordered receivership after the town placed a vacate order on it. The motel had been operating as more of a boarding home and had multiple health code violations.

"The Dug-Out is now officially empty," Koczela told the Board of Health on Wednesday. "It is unoccupied and secured."

The building is currently staying heated and watched over by Albany, N.Y., attorney Douglas Rose. Rose is expected to provide housing court with an update on the building next week. The tenants were assisted in finding other homes by the Tenancy Preservation and a group at the Council on Aging.

Meanwhile, owners Shoba Inc. and managers Guravtar Enterprises will need to sort out who will take the property over, how it will operate and who will pay Rose's expenses. The town has put a hold on the motel's operating license.

The board initially requested all residents to be out in early January but pushed that date back until March 1.

In other business, the Board of Health will be waiting for a replacement member before going any further with proposed tobacco laws. Board members have already chosen which items they would like to be further regulated and will be asking the Massachusetts Municipal Association to craft the new laws.

But, with the resignation of Chairman Richard Frost, the board now wants to hold off until a third member is appointed.

"I think for now, we won't do anything more until a third member is on the board," said Patricia Clairmont, who was chosen to take over the chairmanship. "The more heads you have, the better job you will do."

The board is asking the Selectmen to appoint Allen Mendel to replace Frost until the town election. Mendel had previously expressed interest in running for the seat and is a former Board of Health member.

The appointment will only be for a few months but the board wants to continue with the regulations while it is "still fresh."

"We are well on our way to getting this done," Clairmont said.

Tags: board of health, health violations, motels, hotels, tobacco regulations,

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New Pet Food Pantry Helping Adams, Area Pet Owners

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:16PM / Monday, December 22, 2025

Kathy Hynes, right, and Tammy Baker have been collecting pet food for the pantry since October.

ADAMS, Mass. — Santa was at the former Firehouse Cafe on Saturday greeting pet owners as volunteers gave out bags of food for pet owners in need.

Kathy "Skippy" Hynes and Tammy Baker collected donations to start the pet food pantry in late October.

"I know owning pets and running a rescue how very expensive everything is, and I know that I'm fortunate enough to be able to have money to feed my animals and get what I need and run the rescue. But there's a lot of people that aren't so lucky, and the goal is to never have to surrender your pet because you can't afford to feed it," said Hynes, who runs a dog rescue.

Donations can be dropped off at Town Hall; the pantry will be open once a week for those who need pet food.

"So we're just trying to help, and even if it's only to get them over a hump, they come in once or twice, and then they don't come back for a few weeks," Hynes said. "That's fine, but it's the whole idea of trying to get them over that little hump, because it's giving somebody 10 pounds of food, maybe all it takes, and they can say, now, hey, I got some money for gas."

On Saturday, Hynes was open with help from the Adams Fire Department. Even Santa Claus showed up and greeted kids and took pictures.

Hynes hopes to keep the pantry going until February, and also plans to work with her veterinary team from South Deerfield to bring a low-cost vaccination clinic in the spring.

"Donations are greatly appreciated, and the goal is to keep this going through Valentine's Day, and then our long-term goal is to have our veterinary team do a low cost vaccination clinic late spring," she said.

Hynes is no stranger to helping animals as she runs her own rescue, Got Spots Etc. She donates food to rescues all over the area. She even recalled sending more than 6,000 pounds of feed for animals in North Carolina after it was devastated by floods last year.

A few firefighters brought on of the rescue trucks and had it lighted up out front to let people know they were there as well as helped bring food to some resident's cars.

Fire Chief John Pansecchi thanked the firefighters for being there as well as Hynes.

"I think it's a great thing she is doing for the animals," he said.

Hynes will post on her Facebook page to let people know when she will be open with the pet food pantry. She said she will try to be open at the former Firehouse Cafe on Wednesdays for an hour but that might change.

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