ADAMS, Mass. — The town of Adams will be without a St. John in the town counsel's seat for the first time in nearly half a century. 

 

Attorney Edmund R. St. John III notified town officials on Jan. 4 that he would be retiring as of June 30 at the completion of his current appointment after 24 years.

 

St. John was appointed in 2000, succeeding his father, Edmund R. St. John Jr. His father had been town counsel for a total of 25 years, and also served in the Legislature as a representative and senator.

 

"It's been an honor and a real pleasure, sometimes, to do this ... I appreciate this board, I appreciate all the boards that I've worked with," he said at last week's meeting of the Selectmen. "Although I'm retiring from this position I still plan on working. I'm scaling back, I'm still doing my work in elderly law, which is an important part of my practice, as well as I still want to do criminal law ... I don't why but I still like doing it."

 

Chair Christine Hoyt said it would be a big change and thanked him for his two decades of service. 

 

"I appreciate the long runway to find counsel for the town by July 1," she said. 

 

Board member John Duval joked, "What if we say no?" on accepting his retirement. 

 

St. John, in his letter to the Selectmen, said he had been grateful for the opportunity to serve the town as a native and longtime resident.

 

He noted he'd advised many different boards and worked with numerous employees and town administrators over his career. He's represented the town in a variety of cases in District Court, Housing Court, Superior Court, Land Court, Appellate Tax Board and Appeals Court.

 

"I would be happy to assist in the transition to new counsel for the town," he wrote. "Please do not hesitate to contact me."

 

Selectman Joseph Nowak's recalled that the next year, he, St. John and St. John's brother had attended Woodstock. 

 

"It was a good time," he said. "Thank you and best of luck to you."

 

Town Administrator Jay Green, also an attorney, said he'd practiced together with St. John when he was a younger prosecutor. 

 

Green said there certain staff positions that had retired when he came in but St. John was one of those he could depend on. 

 

 "He was one of those those people who said, 'I've been here a long time Jay and that's not going to be anything that you can't do, pick up the phone and call me' and that has been very true," he said. 

 

 Officials also noted his office was across the street so it won't be hard to track him down.