ADAMS, Mass. — The town will see a three-way race for the Board of Selectmen in the annual town election.
It is the only race on the May 5 election ballot.
Incumbent Joseph J. Nowak will face off against Jay T. Meczywor and Jerome S. Socolof for the two seats up for election on the board. Both seats are for three-year terms.
Selectman Richard Blanchard is not running for re-election after serving four terms. He and Nowak were first elected in 2013.
Nowak is a retired from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and was a co-founder of the former Adams Agriculture Fair.
Meczywor is a physical therapist at Berkshire Sport & Physical Therapy and chair of the town's Finance Committee.
Socolof unsuccessfully ran for the board in last year's election. He is an associate professor in arts management in the Fine and Performing Arts Department at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Newcomers on the ballot are David Rhinemiller, chair of the Planning Board, for a three-year term on the Board of Health; Christian Ricahrd Rowe for a five-year termon the Planning Board; and Stephanie Melito for representative to the Northern Berkshire Regional [McCann] School Committee.
Running for re-election unopposed are Moderator Myra Wilk, Treasurer-Collector Kelly Rice, Assessor Lorraine Kalisz, Library Trustees Virginia Phelps Duval and Karen Kettles, Cemetery Commissioner James Taylor, Housing Authority member Ann Bartlett, and Hoosac Valley School Committee member John F. Duval and Erin Milne, both representing Adams.
No one has submitted papers for the a three-year term representing Cheshire on Hoosac Valley School Committee or for a one-year term for Cemetery Commission and five-year term for Redevelopment Authority.
Running for town meeting member are:
Precinct 1: Deborah Nowicki and Gregory Nowicki for two two-year terms, and one open seat for three years.
Precinct 2: Catherine Foster, Charles Foster, Andrew Harmon, Howard Rosenberg and William Schrade Jr. will vie with incumbents Donald Bury, Scott Cernik, Edward Janik, Sandra Moderski, Andrew Przystanski, Norman Schutz, Tanya Wilson-Malloy and Mitchell Wisniowski for 10 three-year terms; and Paula Grover is running unopposed for a one-year term.
Precinct 3: Russell Duval, Kathryn Anne Gigliotti, Jerome Socolof and Kelly Szkasz are running for one of 10 three-year terms against incumbents Patricia Conroy-Shepley, Richard Frost, Raymond Gargan Jr., Kelly Craddock-Kelley, Amy Oberlin, Robert Patterson Jr., Melissa Schaffrick and Barbara Ziemba; Christina Satko is unopposed for a one-year term.
Precinct 4: Kathryn E. Perras and Edmund St. John III for two two-year terms; one two-year term, two one-year terms and five three-year terms are vacant.
Precinct 5: 15 candidates are vying for 10 three-year terms. Newcomers are Kathryn Foley, Denise Fortier, Jacqueline Kelly, Stephanie Melito, David Rhinemiller, Christian Rowe and Caroline Scully; incumbents are Kathy Hynes, David Lennon, Sarah Lesure, Erin Milne, Michael Ouellette, Linda Rhoadds, Ashley Satko and Barbara Tarsa.
Partial terms are to complete vacated offices; each precinct has 30 representatives.
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Adams Fire District Meeting Approves Full-Time Paid Chief
Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — A special meeting of the Fire District overwhelmingly passed making the fire chief and clerk/treasurer appointed positions on Thursday evening.
More than 50 registered voters experienced déjà vu as they rehashed the requests to make the fire engineer and clerk/treasurer positions appointed during a meeting that lasted half and hour.
These votes will have to be confirmed at a future election.
In previous district meetings, changing the fire chief position to a paid, full-time, appointed role was controversial. Article 2 passed with a large majority in favor at the meeting, as it has in the past. However, it's failed narrowly on ballot votes.
Voter Catherine Foster said this change is long overdue, especially now that current Fire Chief John Pansecchi has announced his retirement effective May, after nine years as chief and 40 years with the department.
Following questions from voters, it was explained that the pay scale for the 40-hour position will be based on qualifications and will range between $75,000 to $111,000, not including benefits.
Based on benefits for other town employees, benefits will cost an additional of about $40,000 to $50,000.
Through the stipend, Pansecchi is getting paid roughly $30,000.
Over the past five years, the position's responsibilities and hours have increased significantly, making it nearly a full-time role on top of his existing full-time job.
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A special meeting of the Fire District overwhelmingly passed making the fire chief and clerk/treasurer appointed positions on Thursday evening.
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