Letter: Lynette Bond Is a Leader for the Future

To the Editor:

To me, elections mean hope. My hope with this mayoral election is that our first female mayor will bring fresh energy and ideas to the corner office and usher in a new era for North Adams. As someone who has been involved in our city for many decades, I know it is time to hand the baton to the younger generation. But it gives me tremendous pause when one of the candidates voices contempt for all of the progress and hard work that has taken place in North Adams over the last 12 years and actively alienates anyone who supported this work. It certainly does not give me hope for tomorrow when Ms. Macksey is nostalgic for the past — specifically the past under former mayor John Barrett III.

Some of you may remember La Festa,which was a particular passion of mine back in the 90s. It was an incredible group of volunteers who came together to bring a weeklong Italian festival to our city. We had everything from fireworks to a baseball exchange with kids from Boston's North End (which continues to this day) to games and food and, let's not forget, big name concerts. It was a tremendous amount of work but so incredibly rewarding when you saw how much everyone enjoyed it. By far the hardest part of executing La Festa, in my opinion, was having to work with the then-Mayor Barrett. He stood in our way whenever he could and expected us to pay homage to him in order to get anything done. If Ms. Macksey is nostalgic for this type of leadership, we should all be worried.

Lynette Bond is a leader for the future for all of us. She believes strongly in collaboration and cares deeply for our city. Service and volunteer work is an intrinsic part of who she is and I'm so impressed with all she has accomplished. This ranges from serving on the Planning Board for eight years to ensuring that the Colegrove Park Elementary School project was realized to coaching boys youth basketball. Her energy is boundless and I have absolutely no doubt that she will put everything she has and everything she is into ensuring that our city thrives.

I strongly support Lynette for mayor and hope you will join me in voting for her on Nov. 2. Remember, signs do not win elections, votes do!

Tony and Mary Ann Abuisi
North Adams, Mass. 

Mary Ann Abuisi is a retired North Adams city clerk. 

Clarksburg Students Write in Support of Rural School Aid

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
07:25AM / Sunday, March 15, 2026

Mason Langenback calculated that Clarksburg would get almost $1 million if the $60 million was allocated equally.

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Eighth-graders at Clarksburg School took a lesson in civic advocacy this week, researching school funding and writing letters to Beacon Hill that call for fully funding rural school aid. 

 

The students focused on the hardships for small rural schools and their importance to the community — that they struggle with limited funding and teacher shortages, but offer safe and supportive spaces for learning and are a hub for community connections.

 

"They all address the main issue, the funding for rural schools, and how there's a gap, and there's the $4 million gap this year, and then it's about the $40 million next year, and that rural schools need that equitable funding," said social studies teacher Mark Karhan.

 

A rural schools report in 2022 found smaller school districts cost from nearly 17 percent to 23 percent more to operate, and recommended "at least" $60 million be appropriated annually for rural school aid. 

 

Gov. Maura Healey has filed for more Chapter 70 school aid, but that often is little help to small rural schools with declining or static enrollment. For fiscal 2027, she's budgeted $20 million for rural schools, up from around $13 million this year but still far below the hoped for $60 million. 

 

Karhan said the class was broken into four groups and the students were provided a submission letter from Rural Schools Advocacy. The students used the first paragraph, which laid out the funding facts, and then did research and wrote their own letters. 

 

They will submit those with a school picture to the governor.