Election 2009: Alcombright Reaffirms Goals

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Dick Alcombright
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Mayoral candidate Richard "Dick" Alcombright is again stating the reasons he's running for mayor of the city.

I am about economic development and bringing good jobs to the city by exploring all sectors of opportunity in collaboration with local, regional, and state resources. I will rebuild relationships with our North Berkshire neighbors and work collaboratively to grow this region. I will work to streamline processes and make North Adams the most business friendly community in Berkshire County. I will work hard to create an attractive and diverse downtown.  I will work with officials at [Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts] and [Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art] to find ways to further connect the dots between those entities and the downtown.

I will only continue the Mohawk Theater project when we have a project committee raising funds and driving a solid business plan with a solid business partner, an effort that will provide significant cultural and financial benefit to our city. I fully support continued growth in the arts and creative economy and recognize its relevance and value in our community. I will foster and insist on inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability in our government. I will maintain public safety and public services at levels we have all come to expect.

I love to see people and I love to be seen, residents will have access to their mayor. I will empower our School Committee and administration so they can direct the system, review curriculum and provide a sustainable educational model for the children of this community. I will find ways to address substandard housing and strengthen our neighborhoods. I will have the difficult discussions about poverty and crime and the social issues that result. And I will utilize the energy that is in each and every one of our citizens by engaging a community vision, providing sound leadership, and sharing in our success.

Streets and buildings make a city. Vision, excitement, and inclusiveness make a community. We are truly at a point in time whereby we can change the political culture that has evolved. We are embarking on an election that will determine whether North Adams stays as is or whether North Adams can re-invent itself by capitalizing on the shared vision of all of the residents of this fine city. 

Over the next three months and into the debates, I will continue to focus on issues and solutions, accentuate my qualifications, and work towards gaining your confidence and support.

Together We Will Succeed.

Submitted by the Committee to Elect Alcombright.
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Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.
 
More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.
 
Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.
 
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 
 
"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."
 
Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.
 
Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC. 
 
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