ADAMS, Mass. — Voters returned Joseph Nowak to the Board of Selectmen for a fifth term and tapped Jay Meczywor to join him.

 

The annual town election Monday had only one race on the ballot as three candidates vied for two three-year seats on the board. Turnout was 1,012, or about 15 percent of registered voters. 

 

Meczywor, chair of the Finance Committee, polled the highest with 757 votes, followed by Nowak with 593 and Jerome Socolof with 496. 

 

"Just thank the voters. It's amazing," said Meczywor, who was congratulated by friends. "I'm going to work hard, I'm going to work hard."

 

Both he and Socolof were at the polls for the results, and shook hands afterward. 

 

"I'm disappointed, obviously, not to get elected, but I'm happy with how I did. I increased my vote count from last year," said Socolof, a professor at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts who ran unsuccessfully last year. "I'm amazed that on a day like this, we got over 1,000 people to turn out and vote. It's good. It says to me that we've got a good, engaged electorate in Adams, and I think that really speaks brightly for the future of the town."

 

Out of the five precincts, there were three write-ins and 169 blanks. Selectman Richard Blanchard did not run for re-election after serving four terms.

 

The new board will meet for the first time Wednesday evening. 

 

Town Clerk Haley Meczywor was pleased with the turnout that she had thought it would be lower.  

 

 "It was a good turnout for Adams. We always want more, obviously," she said. 

 

Cheshire also held its election on Monday and all incumbents were running unopposed as were newcomers James Zepka for Water Commission and Marcus Lyon for Cemetery Commission. They replaced Stephen LaFogg and Richard Francesconi, longtime cemetery commissioner, respectively.

 

Carol Francesconi was returned as moderator; Ronald DeAngelis and Michelle Francesconi as selectmen; Christopher Garner, Timothy Garner and Alison Warner as constables; Christopher Garner to Board of Health; William Craig to McCann School Committee, and John Duval and Erin Milne to Hoosac Valley Regional School Committee. 

 

Arthur Kaufman received 25 write-in votes for a seat on the Planning Board, if he wishes to accept it. Nancy Delorey received 109 votes for assessor but had resigned the post and will not accept the position, according to Town Clerk Whitney Flynn. 

 

Turnout was 128 registered voters, or about 5 percent.

 

 In Lenox, some 746, 20 percent of registered voters, went to the polls to re-elect Marybeth F. Mitts to third three-year term on the Select Board. She polled 445 votes to challenger Jared Weber's 289. The only other race was a three-way for a two-year seat on the School Committee that saw newcomer Jayson Messenger outpoll the current chairman, Oren Cass, 415-381. James Brook was third with 365 votes. 

 

School Committee incumbent Kimberly Winger and Meghan Kirby, who quit the committee last year, were elected to two three-year seats almost evenly, with 514 and 510 votes, respectively.