image description — Emerson with Whitney Flynn, who will take on her duties after winning a write-in for town clerk with 55 votes.

Hugs & Cheers as Cheshire Town Clerk Closes Out 30-Year Career

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
12:23PM / Tuesday, May 07, 2024Print Story | Email Story

Town Clerk Christine Emerson gave the results of the town clerk election at the last to announce Whitney Flynn, right, as her replacement. Flynn says the town put her forward for the vacant seat.

CHESHIRE, Mass. — Town Clerk Christine Emerson called out the final results of Monday's annual town election, purposely leaving the town clerk results to last.

That's because she would be announcing the results of a write-in campaign for the person who would fill her vacancy at Town Hall — Whitney Flynn.

"I just want to just tell you all that it's been wonderful," Emerson told her longtime election workers, her voice breaking. "I hope you will continue with Whitney. ... That's it, thank you all."

That wasn't all, of course, as she was applauded for her 30 years overseeing the town's elections and vital records. There were plenty of hugs and some tears for a closing out of her long career.

Emerson said her decision to retire was largely prompted by two things — family and the looming presidential election.

"Number one, my kids said it's time," she said. "The other thing was that I didn't really want to get back into the political aspect. The last presidential election drove a lot of clerks out, if you look at Massachusetts, there are an awful lot of clerks that left and I had sworn to myself that I am not going to do another presidential ... it just got to me."

Emerson's tenure began in 1993 when she was recruited by then Town Clerk Ruth Andrew, who asked if she could put Emerson's name forward to replace her on her retirement.

"I thought about it and I called her back and said, 'yes, I can," she said. "I was appointed in August to shadow her for a month. Then I took office in September. And then I ran for the office in '94. And so I've been running since '94."

During that time, she's seen her own children grow up and her grandchildren be born — along with a generation of Cheshire residents. She's recorded their births, their marriages and their children's births.

"The best part of the job is I love the people. I do, I just I like being in service to the people," Emerson said. "Every day is different in that office because you wear so many hats. I never liked the political end of it, the town politic part of it.

"But the people keep you going. The people that you see once a year for their dog license and you have a chat. And you ask them how their grandchild is doing or their child's doing in college, that kind of thing."

There have been some wonderful moments, she said, and projects within the office she's been able to get done. A major accomplishment was a capital program to restore the town's books, but a codebook she'd worked on for several years and hoped to complete is still waiting on the Attorney General's Office.

Flynn, the assistant treasurer/collector, said she was recruited "by the town" to fill in as interim town clerk. She polled 55 write-in votes on Monday.

She's been assisting Emerson the last few weeks to get an idea of her responsibilities and where things are situated in the office.

"I'm interested in helping the town in whatever capacity that means," said Flynn. "I currently serve as the municipal clerk/assistant treasurer collector in a full-time capacity; in the coming year I will be serving as the assistant treasurer collector part time, and then this would be in addition to that."

She's lived in Cheshire for five years and will start her family here. This is another journey, Flynn said. "[Emerson] has said that she will assist me going forward if this was to be what the town wanted for me. So I'm grateful for her."

Emerson feels confident she's leaving the town in good hands, saying her election team "works like crazy."

"I know that they know their jobs. So I'm walking out knowing that," she said.

"I've done the best I can and I have enjoyed it."

Tags: retirement, town clerks, town elections,

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Structure Fire in Adams Closes Schools, Calls in Mutual Aid

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
09:43AM / Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Fire Chief John Pansecchi, in white, talks strategy on Wednesday.

ADAMS, Mass. — At least eight fire companies responded to a Wednesday morning a structure fire in the old MacDermid Graphics building.

Firefighters and responders from Cheshire, Dalton, Hinsdale, Lanesborough, Lee, Savoy, North Adams, Pittsfield, Williamstown. Hinsdale also sent its rehab bus and Northern Berkshire EMS was on the scene with its rehab trailer.

The fire was reported at about 7:30 a.m. and black smoke could be seen looming over the old mill building at 10 Harmony St. Harmony and Prospect streets were closed to traffic.

The Adams Police Department posted on Facebook that Hoosac Valley Elementary School and Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School classes were cancelled for Wednesday. The schools are located not far from the structure.

Their post also reads, "Children on the bus already for Hoosac Valley Elementary School will be brought to the middle school gym at Hoosac Valley High School."

"BArT was already in session and will be evacuating to the Adams Visitor Center."

Fire Chief John Pansecchi said firefighters are approaching the blaze by pouring water at it from every angle.

"We have a fire in the building, looks like we have a lot of fire in the building and we're trying to get to it," he said. "Places have already collapsed prior to the fire, place that have collapsed since the fire, so not a lot of activity inside the building."

The mill, the former W.R. Grace, is made up of a number two- and three-story structures covering about 236,749 square feet. The fire was located in a long building toward the back of the property that runs alongside the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. The roof was fully engulfed in flames and collapsed in on itself around by 8 a.m.

Trucks from Williamstown were being situated in the Russell Field parking lot and firefighters were trying to find a location where they could attack the blaze from the trail.

Pansecchi said the building is supposed to be vacant.

"I was working when the call came in," he said. "My guys did a great job getting set up putting some hose lines and being prepared and got some plans put together when I got here to extend that and that's what were looking at."

The cause of the blaze is unknown at this time but the state fire marshal was on the scene.

Pansecchi said firefighters are providing observations from the outside and the North Adams drone has been deployed to determine the extent of the blaze. The buildings are large and unsafe in most cases to enter.

"We're making good progress but we're not at a point I'd call it contained," he said. "There's already places that have caved in prior to this."

He's been joined by fire chiefs from the various departments, who have been aiding the attack from different fronts.

"It's a really big help [having them] because you've got so much going on fighting a fire you don't think of the other things," the Adams chief said. "They start making suggestions."

Some of the structures on the complex date to 1881, when Renfrew Manufacturing built to produce jacquard textiles. It was the last asset of the company, and its machines and inventory were stripped out in 1927.

The mill's had various owners and periods of vacancy over the last century, but was probably best known as W.R. Grace, a specialty chemical company that bought it as part of the acquisition of Dewey & Almy Chemical in the mid-1950s.

MacDermid took it over in 1999 but closed the plant three years later, putting 86 people out of work.

The property has been vacant since and was purchased by 10 Harmony Street LLC for $53,500 in 2019, according the online assessor's records. Principal of the LLC is listed as John D. Duquette Jr.

Staff writers and photographers Breanna Steele, Jack Guerino, Tammy Daniels and Marty Alvarez contributed to this article.

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