ADAMS, Mass. — Current and former residents seeking vital records can now order them online. 

 

"If you happen to know somebody that is looking to request their birth certificate, their death certificate, or their marriage certificate, we are now online," Town Clerk Haley Meczywor announced at the Selectmen's meeting last week. "In conjunction with the treasurer's office, we've been able to bring that online."

 

This will make it easier especially for people who no longer live in the area to obtain copies of their certificates. The order form can be access through town clerk's page on the Adams website and here. 

 

Haley cautioned though, if you are not certain Adams has your record, to call the office first. The cost to order copies online is $11 and the clerk's office does not have a refund policy. 

 

Speaking during public comment at the Wednesday's meeting, Haley also gave a shoutout to the Adams Street Fair for taking on the organizing of concerts and family movies this year at the Visitors Center. The Tuesday, Aug. 26, concert is Brave Brothers and the Sept. 2 concert is Eagle Community Band.

 

"I attended the majority of them, and they have all been very nice. I do want to give a shout out to Berkshire Running Center Foundation, who gave the street fair $1,000 from the proceeds from the Pedal & Plod this year," she said. "And I'm just going to give a small plug about the street fair. ... The street fair is going to be Saturday, Sept. 13, at the Adams Visitor Center, and it will be from 2 to 8 p.m.

 

The Selectmen also approved a one-day liquor license for the American Legion to serve at a private event on Bucklin road on Aug. 30 (prior approval had been for an incorrect license) and ratified the hiring of Paul Lipka as a per diem van driver for the Council on Aging. In response to questions, COA Director Sarah Fontaine said the agency has three regular drivers during the week, with a fourth out on medical leave, and three backups -- but two of those are out on medical leave. 

 

"I have feeling, once we build up our staff of drivers, some of the other drivers are going to step back and

let the newer drivers take the lead," she said. "It takes about two to three months to onboard a driver, because the trainings that are offered by the state are typically going to be offered once or twice a month."

 

Lipka was hired at $18.83 an hour, Grade 5, Step 1.

 

Most of the half-hour meeting was taken up by a public hearing on the replacement of a utility pole at the corner of North Summer and East Hoosac Street. Michael Tatro, representing National Grid, explained that a crane would be coming in to do work on St. Stanislaus Kostka Church and that would require shifting power to the other side of the street. 

 

"There's three-phase power that runs down Summer Street ... right at the corner where St. Stan's is it on East Hoosac," he said. "The three-phase path runs up East Hoosac, so we're we need to run that three-phase East Hoosac from the north side." 

 

Tatro said the lines around St. Stan's will be deactivated when the three-phase is switched to the 45-foot pole on the other corner at 4 East Hoosac. "Then we can shut everything down in front of church and make it safe," he said.

 

In response to questions about what would happen afterward, Tatro said the switches would be in place so it could be left as is or moved back, though he hadn't designed that yet. 

 

"We can do that if it's requested," he said, but added that keeping both switches in place were "like plumbing, the more valves you have the easier it is to shut things down."

 

The request was approved; Tatro did not have a date when work would start "but they know that this is kind of a critical project, and the contractors want to get to do their work, so I'm sure they'll get on the schedule within a couple of weeks."