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Adams Finance Committee Approve Reserve Fund Transfer For Registry of Deeds

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Finance Committee approved a $40,000 reserve fund transfer to install a chairlift at the Registry of Deeds.
 
The agenda item was one of the few on the short agenda Monday evening.
 
Last week, the Selectmen approved the funding. In order to complete the transfer, the Finance Committee must do the same.
 
Over the years, the town has steadily made improvements to 65 Park St., the former town hall, part of which it leases to the state Registry of Deeds.
 
The chairlift and entrance modifications would make the building Americans with Disabilities Act Compliant. 
 
The town allocated a lesser amount for the project, but bids have all come in higher than expected. 
 
This amount will be coupled with an $80,000 Massachusetts Office on Disability grant. This grant expires in June, so there is some urgency.
 
The town has a healthy reserve fund balance of $175,000.
 
The Finance Committee also reorganized and Carol Cushenette will serve as chair and Tim Burdick will serve as vice chair. This change in leadership will take effect on July 1, 2021.
 
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Adams Welcomes New Officer; Appoints Housing Authority Board Member

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Officer Cole Desroches recently graduated from the Police Academy. 
ADAMS, Mass. — The Selectmen welcomed the newest member of the Adams Police Department, Officer Cole Desroches, on Wednesday evening. 
 
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. He attended Hoosac Valley High School and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. 
 
"He's going to serve and protect the town of Adams very well," said Crane, who with Sgts. Matthew Wright and Gregory Onorato stepped in to introduce the new officer while Chief R. Scott Kelley was on vacation. 
 
"We don't often get an opportunity to kind of talk about, frankly, some of the positive things that are happening in town and one of the many things that I feel are positive with are the Adams Police Department," said Town Administrator Jay Green. "We are right now at full staff. We have a full complement of officers. We have a chief who just resigned a three-year contract. ... We have four very capable sergeants (including Donna Malloy)."
 
The force consists of the chief, the four sergeants, a full-time detective and 11 patrol officers. It also has a new position in Cpl. Joshua Baker who is responsible for training and keeping staff equipped. 
 
"We're on the cutting edge of ensuring that we have proper training in a very changing environment with law enforcement," continued Green. "And we have a nice complement of officers and we have a well-respected detective who handles some very complicated cases."
 
He called out the half-dozen officers who attended the meeting for the work they're doing as well as the K9 unit. 
 
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