Adams Fire District Signs $600K Lawsuit Settlement

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
04:21PM / Thursday, October 06, 2022Print Story | Email Story

ADAMS, Mass. — The Fire District's Prudential Committee has officially signed a $600,000 settlement agreement for a class-action lawsuit over its fire protection and street lighting fees.

The committee discussed the agreement after a final briefing from district Counsel Stephen Pagnotta. Pagnotta said this is one of the final requirements before the district can move on from the lawsuit.

"This settlement agreement outlines the process of the settlement, who is going to get what funds and outlines a timeframe for doing that," he said at Thursday's Prudential Committee meeting.

Pagnotta said, per the agreement, residents of the district who paid fire protection and street lighting charges between September 2019 and June 2022 will receive a proportional share of the $600,000 settlement. The district approved the appropriation of surplus revenue for the settlement at its annual meeting in May.

Pagnotta explained that the agreement can be filed with the court once both sides officially sign it.

"We will also be engaging a settlement administrator to assist in the distribution of the funds to the recipients," he said. "... There will be court hearings that the court will schedule, and it will be required to approve this because it is a class settlement action. We anticipate the court will do so. This is one of the last steps in putting this matter behind us."

The lawsuit resulted in a change to the district's collection of fire protection and street lighting. A Superior Court judge found that the district did not have the authority to charge for anything other than water, according to an 1873 act by the Legislature.

Tags: fire district, lawsuit,

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After More Than a Century, Heating Failure Puts Adams Turners' Future at Risk

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
07:20AM / Sunday, September 27, 2026

ADAMS, Mass. — For more than a century, generations have gathered for dances, community gatherings and bowling at Turn Hall, but that longtime tradition is now in jeopardy after the building's aging heating system failed.

The Adams community is known for rallying behind local people and organizations in times of need, and now Adams Turners is asking for that same support said Gail Burda, the group's financial secretary.

The boiler, referred to as "the Beast" by board members, is as old as the building itself, which was constructed in 1902. It started out burning coal, was later switched to oil and then to gas President Virginia Fuller said.

For several years, the nonprofit social club, a 501(c)7, has struggled with the aging system, with members periodically checking on it throughout the day during the winter to ensure it was still operating, she said.

Now, "the Beast" has reached the end of its life but the Adams Turners don't have the funding to replace it, prompting them to establish a GoFundMe.

At the time of writing, the GoFundMe has raised $1,750 and members have donated more than $2,500 toward the $30,000 needed to secure an additional $25,000 grant and $25,000 loan from American Turners, the national organization under which the club operates.

The nonprofit hopes to hire a contractor to install a multi-zone hydronic system, a project estimated to cost $81,443. The work would include new heating systems for the apartment, bar area, gym and bowling alley, along with new baseboards, gas lines, permits and other necessary fittings.

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