Deadline Approaching for North Adams Election

03:08PM / Wednesday, July 23, 2025Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The deadline is fast approaching to get nomination papers in for the city election in November.

Papers with the signatures of 50 registered voters for mayor, City Council and city and McCann school committees are due by Tuesday, July 29, by 5 p.m. The city clerk's office will be open until 5 p.m. that day.

As of Wednesday, there are two candidates for the two-year term for mayor. Incumbent Jennifer Macksey, running for a third term, is being challenged by newcomer Scott Berglund. Both have submitted their papers and had their signatures certified. A third candidate, Richard Greene, took out papers but has not returned them.

Seven of the nine City Council incumbents are running for two-year terms: Lisa Blackmer, Keith Bona, Peter Breen, Andrew Fitch, Peter Oleskiewicz, Bryan Sapienza and Ashley Shade. All have been certified except Fitch, who has not yet returned his papers.

Eight potential challengers have taken out papers for council and Aprilyn Carsno, Virginia Riehl and Lillian Zavatsky have had their signatures certified. CarrieAnn Crews, Alexa MacDonald, Ronald Sheldon, Joshua Vallieres and Thomas Wallace have not yet returned papers.

The council seats are at large and the nine highest vote-getters will be seated for the 2026-28 term.

School Committee incumbents Emily Daunis, David Sookey and Richard Alcombright have taken out papers running for re-election; so far only Sookey has returned his for certification. Also taking out papers are Chelsey Lyn Ciolkowski and Eric Wilson, who has had his signatures certified.

Incumbents Gary F. Rivers and Tyler Gibeau have returned papers for the two seats on the McCann School Committee.

Tags: election 2025, municipal election,

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North Adams Housing Authority Director Steps Down

Staff Reports09:16AM / Friday, October 09, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Jennifer Hohn, the longtime executive director of the North Adams Housing Authority (NAHA), has stepped down after 24 years with the agency.

The Berkshire Eagle reported that Hohn resigned from her position on Thursday. The NAHA Board of Commissioners is currently developing a transition plan.

Her resignation follows rising tension between Hohn and the tenants association. Residents—particularly at the Spring and Ashland Park apartments—have raised specific concerns regarding building security, drug activity, and trespassers.

This summer, Tenants Association President Corey Fortin posted a video on social media demonstrating that door alarms in some of the buildings were not functioning.

Shortly after the video was posted, the tenants association's office was locked. Members alleged Hohn locked the space in retaliation, while Hohn maintained it was a matter of tenant safety. Hohn also stated that NAHA does not officially recognize the association because it has yet to go through official channels for certification—a claim the tenants association disputes.

The dispute culminated in plans for a formal grievance hearing between Hohn and the association. Both sides agreed to hold a meeting on Oct. 3, but the hearing had not yet been scheduled at the time of her resignation.
During her tenure as director, Hohn oversaw significant changes at NAHA, including expansion and the dissolution of Housing Opportunities Incorporated, a program founded over 30 years ago to assist first-time homebuyers. Most recently, she led efforts to transition NAHA properties from traditional public housing models to the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. She also directed the rebuilding of a Greylock Valley Apartments building after it was severely damaged by a fire.

The NAHA Board of Commissioners meets monthly, typically on Mondays.

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