ADAMS, Mass. — The town has received the Community Development Block Grant funds it needs to renovate Russell Field.
According to the town's Office of Community Development, the work could begin this spring or summer.
"We have received Community Development Block Grant funding, are finalizing the design and will do the renovations this spring and summer," Community Development Program Manager Rebecca Ferguson said.
This project goes back some years but really ramped up in 2018 after coaches and parents brought forth their concerns over the field's condition.
The playing fields had deteriorated and the playing surfaces are uneven. The surface area of the existing tennis courts is severely cracked in several places and field amenities are in a state of disrepair.
About a year ago, the Selectmen approved the project and included it in the town's CDBG application.
Currently, the park provides playing fields for youth sports including Babe Ruth, high school softball, youth football and practice fields for high school football. It also is heavily used by schools, organizations, and the Council on Aging.
The Department of Public Works has made small improvements over the years to the facility with the resurfacing of the courts and field maintenance. The fields themselves have not been renovated in 40 years.
"No significant improvements have been made for the fields in the past four decades," Community Development stated in a press release. "Given their age, the fields have reached a point where a complete reconstruction is warranted."
The town plans to update all softball infrastructure and the softball fields will be fully renovated with a new backstop, mound, plates, and benches.
The tennis courts will also be improved and an adult fitness area added.
The park will be compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act and the town is also looking to improve drainage in the western end of the park to eliminate ponding.
Students from McCann Technical School will renovate the field house to have storage space for team equipment, public restrooms, and a concession area
Ferguson said Guntlow & Associates is finalizing the plans and with the expectation to go out to bid in mid-April.
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Adams Review Library, COA and Education Budgets
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen reviewed the public services, Hoosac Valley Regional School District and McCann Technical School budgets on Tuesday.
The workshop at the Adams Free Library was the third of four joint sessions to review the proposed $19 million fiscal 2025 budget. The first workshop covered general government, executive, finance and technology budgets; the second public works, community development and the Greylock Glen.
The Council on Aging and library budgets have increases for wages, equipment, postage and software. The Memorial Day budget is level-funded at $1,450 for flags and for additional expenses the American Legion might have; it had been used to hire bagpipers who are no longer available.
The COA's budget is up 6.76 percent at $241,166. This covers three full-time positions including the director and five regular per diem van drivers and three backup drivers. Savoy also contracts with the town at a cost of $10,000 a year based on the number of residents using its services.
Director Sarah Fontaine said the governor's budget has increased the amount of funding through the Executive Office of Elder Affairs from $12 to $14 per resident age 60 or older.
"So for Adams, based on the 2020 Census data, says we have 2,442 people 60 and older in town," she said. "So that translates to $34,188 from the state to help manage Council on Aging programs and services."
The COA hired a part-time meal site coordinator using the state funds because it was getting difficult to manage the weekday lunches for several dozen attendees, said Fontaine. "And then as we need program supplies or to pay for certain services, we tap into this grant."
Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School history teacher Alla Chelukhova has been selected as the April Teacher of the Month. click for more
Desroches graduated from the Police Academy on March 22 in the top tier in his class. He's currently in the field training program and assigned to Sgt. Curtis Crane.
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Michael Wynn, who was selected in January to run the center, submitted a level operating budget of $57,500 but said he could pull funding from different lines to ensure there was money for advertising this fall.
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The Selectmen on Wednesday night voted to award the bid to Mackin Construction Co. Inc. of Greenfield, which plans to invest $11 million to build out 20 or more one- and two-bedroom apartments in the three-story classroom wing that parallels Columbia Street.
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