Cheshire to Hold Special Election Monday

CHESHIRE, Mass. — A special town election will take place on Monday to vote on two ballot questions. 

The special election will take place Aug. 4 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of the Community House. 

Voters will decide whether to allow the town to be exempt from Proposition 2 1/2 to pay for a three-year borrowing of $67,150 for a police cruiser. 

During the June town meeting, voters authorized the purchase of the cruiser. However, it also requires a ballot vote to exclude it from Proposition 2 1/2.

The item was voted on by ballot last year but failed after passing at the annual town meeting. 

According to the minutes for the June 10, 2024, annual town meeting, Police Chief Michael Alibozek explained that the school resource officer would need a vehicle stationed at the school for storage and transportation. 

Voters will also decide whether to approve uncombining the treasurer and collector position, separating them into two part-time positions. 

The proposal was approved after discussion during this year's annual town meeting in June. However, it also has to be adopted by a town ballot vote.

The office has one full-time employee and a part-time employee; the approval authorizes it to be changed to two part-time employees.

Treasurer/Collector Ben Gelb, who started in the position part time in March, explained that he will be working 19 1/2 hours and will be in the office on Tuesdays and Fridays, as needed. His salary will be $40,000 and any balance leftover will go into free cash. 

Gelb said he is confident he will be able to complete his responsibilities within the allotted time because he is doing "half the job." He said in the six other towns he works for, he has been able to offset his salary by increasing revenue and cutting costs. 

More information here. 

New Clothing Thrift Store Opens in Adams

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:04AM / Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Carlo is honoring her late partner, Tom Bradley, who loved to thrift with her.

ADAMS, Mass. — Trisha Carlo took the leap to turn her online secondhand clothing business into a storefront on Summer Street. And named it in tribute to a loved one. 

 

Two T's Thrifting stands for Trisha and her late partner, Tom Bradley, who died in 2022. 

 

"We loved thrifting together, so I thought it was a way that I could honor him, and then also a way I could give back to the community," she said. 

 

Carlo has been selling clothes she's thrifted from her Facebook page for the past couple of years. She found the building at 64 Summer St. about two months ago and opened on Jan. 11.

 

"There's not many stores here. And I figured being downtown like this, people could walk in, especially in the summertime," she said. "I know there's a ton of people in the area that love to thrift so I thought this would be a really good idea for Adams."

 

Carlo also wants to make an impact on the community, donating clothing to children in foster care, unhoused people, and those who have lost their belongings, such as in a fire.

 

High school students sometimes do their community service hours with her, packing clothes bags for these individuals.