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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
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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,   

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Elevated Sodium Levels in Adams Well Water Sample

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — A recent routine test of the town's well water revealed elevated sodium levels, prompting officials to urge at-risk residents to take precautions while further testing is conducted to determine the cause.
 
The point-of-entry sample measured 40.7 milligrams per liter of sodium in the combined flow from all three wells; double the state Department of Environmental Protection's guideline for high risk individuals. 
 
Point-of–entry samples of sodium are required to be taken every three years, Water Department Superintendent John Barrett said.
 
"Sodium is naturally occurring, but not at that kind of level," he said. 
 
While sodium is an essential mineral for normal body function, elevated levels may pose risks for individuals with certain medical conditions, including kidney and heart disease.
 
It is not regulated under the state's maximum contaminant level standards, but the DEP requires that all suppliers inform the state and local Board of Health when levels are elevated above 20 milligrams per liter to ensure anyone on a sodium-restricted diet are informed. 
 
During the Prudential Committee meeting on Monday, Board of Health Chair Kathy Hynes emphasized the need to inform residents even though there are no strict guidelines by the state Environmental Protection Agency. 
 
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