Letter: North Adams Not Addressing Current Drought Emergency

To the Editor:

About a week ago, I decided to take a walk along the North Adams reservoir. I'm sure it's been at least a year since I had last done so. What I discovered shocked and amazed me: the reservoir is at most about two-thirds full. Given the extent of the drought we've experienced in Massachusetts, I shouldn't have been surprised.

What did surprise me is that we haven't heard a word from City Hall about the possibility of a water shortage and measures we might take to conserve our water supply. When I did some research, I found that the Adams Fire District posted a "State Declaration" about the level 2 drought we are experiencing and the water-use restrictions that residents
and businesses are to observe.

As far as I've been able to tell, the city of North Adams has posted no such restrictions.

The past two administrations at City Hall often made a point of leaving phone messages warning citizens of emergencies, especially those related to weather. The current administration very rarely makes this type of effort. Given what seems to be City Hall's cavalier attitude toward our water supply (remember last year's fight over the proposal to clear-cut cut forest around the reservoir, which posed a danger to the water supply?), I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Since this is an election year in North Adams, it might be time for the mayor to address this emergency and lay out her plans for dealing with it (before we face a potentially more dire situation next spring.

Daniel Spinella
North Adams, Mass. 

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.