Firefighter Ryan Richards is sworn in by City Clerk Deborah Pedercini. Below, Ross Vivori has difficulty putting Sgt. Brad Vivori's shield after his swearing in.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city has welcomed five new police officers, a new firefighter and promoted a new sergeant.
City Council chambers were packed Tuesday with friends, family and colleagues and Mayor Thomas Bernard again quipped they were all in the safest place in the city.
"I think I made this joke every time we have the opportunity," he joked.
Ryan Richards was sworn in by City Clerk Deborah Pedercini as a permanent firefighter, after some time as a reserve. Fire Chief Stephen Meranti beckoned his parents, Bruce and Lauren Richards, up to the podium and his father pinned on Richards' new shield and his mother gave him a hug.
Robert Barrett, Dana Clement, Taylor Kline, and Sakan Sadowsky, recent graduates of the police academy, were then sworn in as patrol officers by Pedercini along with John Brack, who had been an officer in the state of Florida before joining the North Adams force.
Pedercini also swore Brad Vivori into his new post as sergeant. Vivori joined the force as a permanent officer in 2012 after a period as a reserve. He was a detective before his promotion to sergeant.
Vivori's father, Ross, pinned on his new shield — after Police Chief Jason Wood found the momentarily misplaced item, which led to some joshing from the mayor and councilors.
The mayor pointed to both Richards and Vivori's family tradition of service: Bruce Richards has worked for the city in the Department of Public Works for 30 years and Vivori has been the city assessor for nearly a decade.
"I know many of the families of our new officers who graduated from the academy were there with us in Fall River two weeks ago, but I want to thank them again while they're here," Bernard said.
In his communique to the City Council requesting the time for a public swearing in during the council's televised meeting, the mayor stated that "Sergeant Vivori has distinguished himself through his training, service, and commitment to the department and the residents of the City of North Adams; I am confident our new officers and our new firefighter will embody the same commitment to excellence, and will serve the City of North Adams with distinction."
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North Adams Finance Recommends Public Safety, Administration Draft Budgets
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Finance Committee in the last two weeks reviewed Public Safety, auditor, Zoning Board of Appeals, City Council, election and registration, Office of Community Development, city solicitor, License Commission, information technology, Planning Board, and vital statistics.
The committee consists of Chair Lisa Blackmer and Councilors Andrew Fitch and Lillian Zavatsky.
The City Council budget includes a 3 percent cost of living increase, in line with the across the board COLA for all departments.
Mayor Jennifer Macksey said she included a codification administration line of $6,000 to cover the extra meeting the city clerk is doing as the council reviews the city's codes.
The elections budget is up about $10,500, largely for worker salaries to accommodate two state elections this year, the primary and the general. City Clerk Tina Leonesio said the extra poll workers are needed because state elections tend to draw a higher number of voters. The cost of the ballots, however, are covered by the state.
Leonesio explained how her office was able to save money on the city census and mailings by printing and folding the documents in house, as well as purchasing the supplies and training to maintain the vital statistics rather than sending them out.
"The cost is in the supplies, because we have to put so many things in the census now, it would be a very large expense to have it done by a vendor outside," she said, estimating it would cost three times as much "because we have to pay for every piece of paper they have to print and fold, plus the mailing."
The Finance Committee in the last two weeks reviewed Public Safety, auditor, Zoning Board of Appeals, City Council, election and registration, Office of Community Development, city solicitor, License Commission, information technology, Planning Board, and vital statistics. click for more
On Friday, June 12, Matthew Parker will be arraigned in Northern Berkshire District Court for an incident that occurred on Wednesday evening, June 10, into the early morning of Thursday, June 11. click for more
The upper section of Houghton Street was blocked off for hours on Wednesday night as authorities sought to deal with an individual reportedly having a mental health issue.
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