Letter: Vote to Re-Elect Macksey as Mayor

To the Editor:

It's that time when voters will again get to make their choice for mayor. This year Scott Berglund is challenging Mayor Jennifer Macksey.

Other than being a political newcomer and a fairly new resident to the city, little is known about Mr. Berglund. I know he's twice defeated cancer and while I sincerely congratulate him on beating the beast, it is not a credential for overseeing a municipality with a $50-plus million budget.

He says if elected there will be "transparency" in his administration. Ironically, his campaign has been anything but transparent. Not once, even in the mayoral debate, did he cite any qualifications to be mayor. What experience does he have? What's he bringing to the table? In fact, what does he even do for work? I've never seen or heard that reported.

Throughout the debate with Mayor Macksey his replies to questions were riddled with "from what I hear", "people tell me," and "it's my understanding that ... ." Not one answer was specific to his personal knowledge of anything nor did he talk about any firsthand experience he has. He recited a wish list of things he'd like to do but not once said how he'd get them done or paid for.

On the flip side, Mayor Macksey has a strong financial and administrative background. Prior to being mayor, she served in several administrative roles in the city including treasurer/tax collector and has administrative backgrounds in education through positions at MCLA, Southern Vermont College and the Northern Berkshire School Union.

As mayor, she is not only the city's chief executive but is also chairman of the School Committee and School Building Committee. Under her leadership, the Police Department is now housed in an ADA-compliant facility; she worked with Berkshire Health Systems to re-open our hospital after 10 years; her administration obtained grant money for work on the Ashland Street corridor (including new sidewalks); the Brown Street bridge is slated to re-open and a new elementary school is being built with the majority of the cost being paid for by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

Mayor Macksey is a lifelong resident of North Adams who knows its history and cares about its residents. She's not the Johnny-Come-Lately trying to persuade you that after just two years in town, he can fix things without telling you how. I urge everyone to join me on Nov. 4 in voting to re-elect Jennifer Macksey as mayor of North Adams.

Paul J. Moriarty
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 fulling 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.