Letter: Sweeney for North Adams City Council

To the Editor:

I feel a sense of obligation and duty to bring a unique voice to the City Council chambers. I represent a younger demographic, which my work throughout North Adams and the surrounding towns has led me to connect and work with closely. I aim to connect those voices to our local government, as well as serve, and advocate for all residents who share my passion for North Adams.

Upon relocating here to attend MCLA in 2007, I immediately felt a calling to dive deeply into the community and embrace the incredible sense of growth that has been emerging here. I've been proud to contribute to this growth in the 12 years I've lived here. My path started with the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition (NBCC) where I organized UNITY Youth Programs and the Northern Berkshire Neighbors program. This work inspired me to found Roots Teen Center, where I served as executive director for close to three years. Recently my focus has been on furthering the growth of Common Folk Artist Collective, a project I've been working on since 2011. The collective provides a platform for local and emerging artists to grow and thrive in their creative work. I have also found myself a seat on the board of NBCC as my passion for the organization has not fizzled.

As a City Council member, I will focus my energy on supporting grassroots initiatives, community impact models, youth, and creative community development. I will also support downtown development and exploring opportunities for grassroots economic development.

Jessica Sweeney
North Adams, Mass.

Eagle Street Shop Peddles in the Unique and the Utilitarian

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:45AM / Tuesday, May 12, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Kitchenware, historic prints, spiritual accessories, local makers, books, artwork and a range of tchochtkes from around the world.

 

Jared Shockcor's little shop on Eagle Street offers new and thrifted wares from the utilitarian to the unique. 

 

The software engineer's turned the former Hearts Pace Tea Lounge into Mastic, fulfilling a dream of doing something different.

 

"I've always liked retail, particularly like finding weird and unusual things. So last year I became gainfully unemployed and so I decided to try it," he said.

 

He chose to name his shop Mastic after tree resin, an old form of chewing gum. 

 

"It's a tree resin. It's used in cooking. It's a flavoring ingredient, and a lot of Greek cooking, or some Greek cooking particularly, and it's also used in esoterica as an incense. So it seems like a kind of, it was kind of crossing the things that I do," Shockcor said.

 

He felt the name fit because it bridges the two worlds he loves and stocks in the shop: kitchen items and unique items, so it reflects the blend of themes in his store.