North Adams Seeing Races for Mayor, City Council

Staff ReportsPrint Story | Email Story
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — It looks like the city may avoid a preliminary election, based on the number of candidates as of last week. 
 
There are two candidates certified for the November ballot: Jennifer Macksey is running for her third term in the corner office and Scott Berglund, a sales representative, is challenging her. Richard David Greene, who has taken out papers in the past for office, has not returned papers for mayor. 
 
Fourteen people have taken out papers for City Council, including seven incumbents. Of those, Peter Breen, Bryan Sapienza and Ashley Shade have had their signatures certified. Wayne Wilkinson and Deanna Morrow have not taken papers out. 
 
Newcomers  Aprilyn Carsno, Virginia Riehl, Joshua Vallieres, Thomas Wallace and Lillian Zavatsky have not returned papers. 
 
Carsno twice unsuccessfully ran for mayor against Macksey; Riehl has become involved in local housing efforts and was recently appointed to the Planning Board; Zavatsky is also a housing advocate and works at the Brien Center; and Vallieres was briefly city clerk and served on the School Committee. 
 
School Committee incumbents Emily Daunis and David Sookey are running for re-election; Richard Alcombright has not taken out papers. They are being challenged for one of the three seats by Eric Wilson, who ran unsuccessfully in 2023. Wilson has had his signatures certified.
 
Incumbents Gary F. Rivers and Tyler Gibeau have returned papers for the two seats on the McCann School Committee.
 
A preliminary election would be required if at least one of the positions had twice the number of candidates as seats plus one. Should Greene return papers for mayor, an election would be held to narrow the field to two. 
 
The last day to submit nomination papers is July 29; all papers must be certified by Aug. 12. Mayor, City Council and both school committee require 50 signatures of registered voters. Aug. 14 is the last day to withdraw or file objections. 
 

 


Tags: election 2025,   municipal election,   


If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Clarksburg Students Write in Support of Rural School Aid

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

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. 
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories