Adams Police Chief Placed on Leave

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K. Scott Kelley
ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen voted on Monday to put the police chief on a paid leave of absence.
 
The vote to put K. Scott Kelley on leave was taken at an executive session on Monday afternoon to discuss personal matters of or complaints or charges against an individual in employ of the town and to discuss discipline or dismissal. 
 
This story was first reported by WNYT.com on Monday night. 
 
The board also voted to appoint Sgt. Donna Malloy as acting police chief until further notice, according to board Chair John Duval. 
 
The notice on the town website for the executive session states the "the board will only return to open session to adjourn."
 
Duval, in an email, wrote "the town does not comment on personnel matters" and provided no context for placing Kelley on leave or confirm if there is an investigation in process. 
 
Kelley stepped into chief's post in January 2021, following the retirement of Chief Richard Tarsa, a 36-year member of the Adams force.
 
He came from South Carolina, and has nearly 30 years of experience in law enforcement, including roles ranging from school resource officer to the special weapons and tactics team in Anderson, S.C., and worked in policing at two higher education institutions.
 
Kelley was proffered a second three-year contract in January 2024; this ends on Dec. 31 next year. 

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From Empty Storefronts to New Opportunities, Park Street Eyes a Comeback

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

The latest Park Street sale is the 1890 Carlow building, a Queen Ann flatiron, purchased this past spring. The former owners ran Coffee Liberation Front until retiring. 
ADAMS, Mass. — For several years, Park Street has seen a steady stream of businesses open their doors, only to close again after brief operations. Now, some are hopeful of a new beginning, with new businesses bringing fresh energy to the area.
 
Some residents can remember a time when people walked the streets of downtown Adams to shop or eat, whether it was getting your photo taken at Smith Studio, shopping at Schiff Clothing or Groves & Co. Women Apparel, or having lunch or ice cream at The Crest. 
 
Over time, storefronts closed, and the once-bustling street grew quieter, with fewer people on the sidewalks and parking spaces sitting empty.
 
Adams is a very walkable town, said Glen Diehl, who sits on ProAdams Board of Directors.  
 
Diehl highlighted ProAdams' destinations map that sits at the corner of Park Street and the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. 
 
The town needs restaurants and businesses he said, and as more move in the nonprofit will update the map. 
 
Small-town retail corridors face challenges from the shift to online shopping and the high cost of renovating historic buildings to meet modern codes, real estate agent Jeffrey Loholdt of Engel and Volkers Wellesley. 
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