image description
Kenny Loynes, owner of Red, White and Blue Painting, paints the court at Renfrew Field red for the youth basketball league.

Local Painting Business Spruces Up Renfrew Basketball Court

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story
ADAMS, Mass. — The basketball court at Renfrew Field got a makeover last week thanks to a local painting company. 
 
The condition of the court has been on the mind of Kenneth Loynes Jr., owner of Red, White & Blue Painting, for some time now but perhaps what bothered him the most was the color of the court – blue. 
 
"It was blue — all the red was blue," he said. "I am not favoring Drury or Hoosac here, but the Adams home court should be red."
 
The longtime rival high schools are known for the vibrant colors of their mascots: the Drury Blue Devil and the Hoosac Valley Hurricane, which is often drawn in red.
 
So Loynes gathered some paint and headed to the court to correct the coloring. 
 
"It has been in rough shape ... being down here and seeing it real close it needed something," he said. "It was bothering me."
 
Loynes said Benjamin Moore/Aubuchon in North Adams donated the white paint to repaint the lines and heavily discounted the red paint used to paint center court and the 3-second areas. His company donated all the labor. 
 
Loynes is a sponsor and coach with the Dana Labbee Summer Basketball League and wanted the court to be more presentable when the players arrived for the start of the season. 
 
"For me to do this project on my weekend, the payment when I see the kids come back down would be more than whatever dollar amount," he said. "I am all about keeping the kids on the court and off of the street and if you have a cleaner environment it is a deterrent to the wrong crowd ... you want to play somewhere that is taken care of."
 
So when a parks commissioner asked if he could help, he said, yes.
 
Loynes said he would be willing to do some more "pro bono" work throughout the region because it is important to his company to give back.
 
"My company motto is: we served our country now we serve our community," the military veteran said. "It's just important to show that you support local stuff and you give back to local programs ... if we don't give back to the community who will?" 

Tags: donations,   public parks,   volunteers,   youth basketball,   

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

Adams Parts Ways With Police Chief

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The town has parted ways with its police chief. 
 
K. Scott Kelley "is no longer employed by the Town of Adams," according to interim Town Administrator Holli Jayko. 
 
The Board of Selectmen voted on Sept. 8 to put the police chief on a paid leave of absence but town officials have declined to answer repeated questions about the nature of the absence other than to clarify it was not a "suspension."
 
His departure follows an executive session held by the Selectmen last Wednesday to discuss a personnel matter other than professional competence, including health or discipline, or dismissal. 
 
A request for further information on whether Kelley's leaving was through resignation or termination was not provided, or whether his contract had been paid out. 
 
"The Town does not comment on personnel matters and will have no further comment on this matter at this time," responded Selectmen Chair John Duval via email on Friday. 
 
Kelley, who moved here to take the post of chief in 2021, has reportedly sold his home. 
 
View Full Story

More Adams Stories