ADAMS, Mass. — Town Administrator Jay Green told the Selectmen on Wednesday night that the Department of Public Works had opened all roadways and will continue storm clean up through the coming days.
"We were hit with a sudden storm this evening," he said. "... As of tonight, most of the roadways have been reopened, and the DPW will continue the clean up of town spaces."
The storm cut through the Berkshires on Wednesday afternoon leaving downed trees and wires. Many were left without power.
Green said this was the case in Adams, and that the damage was focused on the east side of town. Residents were told to avoid North Summer Street and Crotteau Street.
He thanked town employees, the Forest Wardens, and neighbors for stepping up and helping after the unexpected storm.
"I just want to thank them. They just descended from everywhere; They were right on the spot," he said. "There were neighbors that started clearing out trees and were helping before the DPW even mobilized."
Also in his report, Green said the Susan B. Anthony statue was installed on the Town Common last week and that work continues on the renovation of the park.
"I am pleased to announce that Susan B. Anthony has come home to Adams," he said.
The Adams Suffrage Centennial Celebration Committee had been working for more than two years to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote along with Anthony's bicentennial. The celebration, that was going to culminate in August, has been delayed a year because of the pandemic, but the installation of Anthony's statue has gone as planned.
Green said once the project is closer to completion, he would like to hold a dedication ceremony before it gets too cold.
He also gave a COVID-19 report and said cases remain low in Adams. In the past 30 days, there have only been five or so new cases.
"We are still in the gray which is good, and it means COVID-19 is not prevalent in our community, but that can always turn," Green said. "... We are in good shape lets stay that way."
In other business, the Selectmen signed off on a list of approvals including a common victualer license for Peter Oleskiewicz, who plans to reopen the Miss Adams Diner.
"We want to thank Pete for coming to Adams. He has been a pleasure to work, and we look forward to him bringing the iconic diner back to life," Green said.
The diner has had multiple owners but has sat vacant in recent years.
Oleskiewicz, a North Adams city councilor who also owns Desperados Mexican Restaurant in the city, said he is still working in the former railroad car and putting together a menu that will consist of diner essentials.
"It is a lot of work, and by the end of the month, we hope to be in full action. ... Every day we do a little more," he said. "We are getting there. We have a menu put together, and hopefully, we can open doors real soon and be part of this community."
Oleskiewicz said he would like to have outdoor seating much like his North Adams restaurant.
Green said the town hopes to help with this and that through a $25,000 Shared Streets grant has purchased metal outdoor tables. Some will be placed near the Miss Adams Diner. He said the town will likely not receive these tables before the close of the outdoor eating season.
Selectman Joseph Nowak said he did not like the stonework placed around the building in the recent past. Oleskiewicz agreed and said in the future he would like to remove it.
The Selectmen approved an all-alcohol club change of manager application for the Mountain Club from Richard Ziarnik to Lea Cudworth.
Former manager Ziarnik passed away and Cudworth volunteered to take his place.
"About 15 years ago, I was the first woman to ever hold office in the club," she said. "If that doesn't tell you something I am not sure what does."
The Selectmen approved the placement of temporary "Vote for Susan" signs on various town properties.
The Selectmen also approved the Nov. 3, 2020, election warrant and elected Richard Blanchard as the vice chairman. Vice Chairman James Bush passed away last month.
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Adams Community Bank Holds Annual Meeting, Announce Growth
ADAMS, Mass. — The annual meeting of the Community Bancorp of the Berkshires, MHC, the parent company of Adams Community Bank, was held on April 10, 2024, at Charles H. McCann Technical School in North Adams.
The meeting included reviewing the 2023 financial statements for the Bank, electing directors and corporators, and highlighting upcoming executive personnel changes.
"In 2023, the Bank experienced another year of growth in assets, loans, and deposits, noting the Pittsfield branch reached $26 million in customer deposits from its opening in December of 2022," President and CEO of Adams Community Bank Charles O'Brien said. "Those deposits were loaned out locally during 2023 and helped drive our #1 ranking in both mortgage and commercial real estate lending, according to Banker and Tradesman."
At year-end 2023, total assets were $995 million, and O'Brien noted the Bank crossed the $1 billion threshold during the first quarter of 2024.
Board chair Jeffrey Grandchamp noted with O'Brien's upcoming retirement, this will be the final annual meeting of the CEO's tenure since he joined the Bank in 1997. He thanked him for his 27 years of dedication to the Bank. He acknowledged the evolution of the Bank as it became the premier community bank in the Berkshires, noting that branches grew from 3 to 10, that employees grew from 40 to 135, and that assets grew from $127 million to $1 billion.
An executive search is underway for O'Brien's replacement.
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
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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