Adams' Valley Street Shed Still Needs Funding

ADAMS, Mass. — Construction of the new shed at Valley Street Field may be delayed due to a lack of funding. 

Mike Benson of the Adams/Cheshire Little League attended Monday's Parks Commission meeting and said the league is still working on obtaining funds for the shed. The town appropriated $3,000 for the shed as part of the fiscal 2023 budget and asked the league to match. 

"I've done a ton of fundraising this year to try to keep the costs low for the kids," Benson said, noting he could probably contribute about half of the $3,000 needed right now.

The league, Benson said, is in the process of ordering a new scoreboard for the field, one similar to the one recently installed at Russell Field. He said financing the scoreboard came first, as it was in the works before planning for the new shed began. 

"We had started the scoreboard thing before we heard anything about the shed," he said. "... We haven't asked the town for anything to do to help with the scoreboard. We're doing it all on our own, it's $3,500." 

Mark Pizani, an equipment operator at DPW, said they would likely be able to get more time out of the old shed if the league needs more time for funding. Benson said he would happily work with the town to clean the shed. 

"We can work it out with what we have. If we need another year out of it, it's really not a big deal," Pizani said. "That's my personal feeling. It would have been nice to have." 

Commission Chair James Fassell agreed the current shed can keep being used and said the group will revisit the issue in the future. 

"I just want to make sure it's for the good of the league and for the good of Adams," he said. 

In other business, Pizani updated the board on a berm near Russell Field, which the group was concerned could overflow onto the field. He said a significant amount of brush and debris was removed from the water since the last meeting, making an overflow less likely. 

"We cleaned that whole river out," he said. "We cleaned it out; it's in good shape. We took truckloads of debris and stuff out of the river." 

Friday Afternoon Fire Destroys Cheshire Barn

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
04:40PM / Friday, April 03, 2026

 

CHESHIRE, Mass. — A fire on Friday afternoon destroyed a barn at 920 Sand Mill Road.

 

The building is a total loss but firefighters were able to prevent the flames from reaching another nearby barn and the house at Stoney Brook Farm. 

 

Fire Chief Thomas Francesconi said the fire was called in 12:39 p.m. by the homeowners "but it already had a foothold before they noticed it."

 

Responding firefighters found the L-shaped structure fully involved. Adams, Lanesborough, Savoy and Windsor fire companies responded and Williamstown Fire covered the station.

 

The tankers were used to transport water from a nearby brook until a pool could be set up near the scene and water pumped into it. 

 

Northern Berkshire EMS responded and one firefighter was treated at the scene and then taken to Berkshire Medical Center. 

 

Francesconi said there were no other injuries but the owners told him there were 18 chickens in the barn. The structure also had equipment and other materials in it, including a Jeep.