ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen has placed a midnight curfew on the PNA and The Grille along with other restrictions.
The Selectmen set some restrictions last Thursday with the bars' management after mounting issues in the Summer and Victory Street area.
"As a result of increasing public safety and quality of life concerns in the Summer Street and Victory Street area, the Board of Selectmen held a Public Hearing last Thursday with the PNA and The Grille to discuss and address these concerns," Selectwoman and Licensing subcommittee member Christine Hoyt said in an email exchange. "In particular, there was a significant disturbance that required response from Adams Police and the State Police during the weekend of April 19 – 20."
The Selectmen, which also serves as the licensing authority, established restrictions that include a midnight closing time for both establishments starting May 3.
This issue first came up in 2017 when Police Chief Richard Tarsa asked the board to set a uniform closing time be established at 1:30 a.m. with the last call at 1. At that time, the Polish National Alliance on Victory Street gave last call at 1 and The Grille, on Summer, made last call at 1:30. The two establishments are around the corner from each other.
Although The Grille did practice crowd control and locked its doors to new patrons at this time, bargoers still flooded into the street and often became unruly. Tarsa noted in 2017 that this intensified when there was live entertainment.
Hoyt said the problems did not subside.
"During that meeting, the same issues in the Summer Street and Victory Street area were discussed and establishments voluntarily announced restricting entertainment and/or hours, which has not worked based on the continuing complaints," she wrote. "Since then, the neighborhood complaints/reports of over-consumption, open containers, litter, large crowds, fights, weapons, property damage, and other disturbances had continued."
The Grille's entertainment license for live musical entertainment was suspended for 120 days and the PNA's license was suspended for 60, both starting on May 3.
This suspension includes bands and DJs but allows karaoke.
The Grille was also forced to establish a no backpacks policy congruent with an existing PNA policy.
Both establishments were required to submit a list of employees including roles and titles and a list of TIPS-certified and crowd manager-certified employees by the close of business on May 6.
The Grille had to provide a date as to when its employees will be taking the crowd manager certification.
Both establishments met this deadline.
Hoyt said these rulings are consistent with the town's Liquor License Policy and Regulations.
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Adams Picks Select Board Candidates; Cheshire Nixes Appointed Assessor
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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.
That wasn't all, of course, as she was applauded for her 30 years overseeing the town's elections and vital records. There were plenty of hugs and some tears for a closing out of her long career.
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Listening to Little list off all the specialized components he sells and installs, from public safety lighting to municipal warning lights and radio communication, his technical knowledge and experience shines through.
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Selectmen Chair and 1Berkshire Director of Member Services and Christine Hoyt has been nominated for the April Community Hero of the Month. click for more
Specialty Minerals is expected to pay $299,000 for a discharge of calcium carbonate into the Hoosic River nearly three years ago in a consent decree with the Attorney General's Office. click for more
The Adams Beautification group, which has been quietly sprucing up the town since 2022, hopes to bring in more members of the community during a community cleanup day scheduled for Saturday, April 27. click for more
Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School history teacher Alla Chelukhova has been selected as the April Teacher of the Month. click for more