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Adams Board of Health Accepts Town Halloween Plan

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Health officially endorsed the town's Halloween plans but urged residents to remain vigilant over the holiday weekend.
 
"I was thrilled to hear that a very robust plan because as you know having kids trick or treat is high-risk behavior," Chairman David Rhoads said last week before the unanimous vote. "...This is a super alternative."
 
The town will utilize Police Department, Fire Department, Department of Public Works and Forest Warden vehicles to deliver candy to kids instead of the traditional door-to-door trick-or-treat that is considered a high-risk activity in regard to the possible transmission of COVID-19.
 
Gloved and masked town employees will hand out candy as they drive through each precinct. 
 
Town Administrator Jay Green said he hopes the town's plan will deter residents from feeling obligated to participate in trick-or-treat even though the town is discouraging it.
 
"We have a good-natured community, and there are folks out there of a particular demographic and age that are more susceptible to COVID-19," Green said. "We don't want to put them in a position where they feel compelled out of the goodness of their heart to turn on their porch light."
 
The town is asking for candy donations that can be dropped off at the Police Department.
 
Trick-or-treat will take place Saturday, Oct. 31, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
 
Rhoads did ask residents to adhere to this protocol and not participate in the traditional activity. Although the town has discouraged it, it cannot outright ban it.
 
He also asked that residents avoid large parties, particularly indoor parties, and stay in town. Some communities in Berkshire County are going forward with traditional trick-or-treat. 
 
"We need to respect other communities and their different protocols and we don't want to put ourselves at risk," Rhoads said.
 
In other business, Rhoads noted the Hoosac Valley Regional School District will hold a flu clinic for students and staff. Town Hall will also hold one for staff and their families.
 
Rhoads gave a brief COVID-19 update with really no new news. He said cases remain virtually non-existent. 
 
"I don't like to jinx things but things look fairly rosy here," he said. "...We are actually doing fairly well compared to the rest of the state. The message is don't let down your guard. We are doing well because we are taking care of ourselves."
 

Tags: BOH,   Halloween,   trick-or-treat,   

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Treasurer's Office Staffing Debate Causes Kerfuffle in Cheshire

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Selectmen tabled a discussion on Tuesday about how to structure the treasurer and collector position after the debate nearly resulted in a board member's resignation.
 
The board was determining whether to approve increasing an executive assistant's hours to full time so she can be cross-trained in the collector's office. 
 
The treasurer/collector abruptly retired more than two weeks ago and the town hired an interim part-time treasurer; the current treasurer's assistant was elected town clerk last year and has been covering multiple duties. She will step away from the treasurer's office at the end of the fiscal year. 
 
The town needs to devise a short-term solution to fill the gap and cover cases of sickness and vacations, and determine the structure of treasurer/collector's office in the long term. 
 
"I think [cross training is] really important across the board, in the collector's office, in anticipation of the assistant treasurer collector not taking the position again July 1," Town Administrator Jennifer Morse said. "We would have somebody in the office who knew what they were doing and then that would allow us to create the job descriptions we need to create and to see what town meeting wants to do with the positions." 
 
One solution is to increase the executive assistant position to full-time hours because she is already working 19 hours. 
 
But that triggers all the benefits, including health insurance, Selectman Ronald DeAngelis said. 
 
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