Letter: Lynette Bond for Mayor

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To the Editor:

I am writing to encourage you to cast your vote for Lynette Bond as the next mayor of North Adams. I've known Lynette for more than 10 years and can't think of a better person to represent the City. Lynette is everything you'd want in a mayor. She is honest, a great leader, has the tenacity to make tough decisions, and an amazing ability to inspire others to reach their goals.

I have been lucky to have Lynette as my assistant coach for the past four years. She has brought many of these same qualities to the court. She inspires the players and is disciplined in her coaching. Lynette has a passion for youth sports and understands how important it is for young people to be part of a team, to learn the fundamentals of sports, and most importantly, to have fun with their friends. For me and my family, this is the heart of a community, on the courts and on the ballfields. This is where communities are formed and Lynette is there-as a coach or as a fan cheering on the youth of this community.

Lynette has proven that she can work well in stressful situations while maintaining a professional and respectful composure. Her ability to lift people up is something we could all learn from. Lynette is compassionate and real. She understands the stressors of being a working parent with kids involved in many activities and coordinates rides between families and often provided rides to those without transportation. She gets it. Lynette is someone who gives her all and does not tire easily. She will champion youth sports and ensure our young people have access to recreation. She will make North Adams proud. I am asking you to vote for Lynette Bond. I can't imagine it will be anything less than a slam dunk!

Al Arnold
Selectman, Clarksburg, Mass.

 

 

 


Tags: election 2021,   


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Letter: CDBG Funding for Housing Fix-Up, Purchase Assistance, and Affordable Housing Trust

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

At the public hearing (03/25/26) on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Application submitted by North Adams, the presentation indicated that no funding was allocated to assisting residents with housing fix-up and housing purchase.

North Adams remains the only jurisdiction in Berkshire County that does not include these types of programs in their CDBG application. The grant application also misses an opportunity to fund the newly created Affordable Housing Trust which receives CDBG funds in other jurisdictions.

North Adams funded housing fix-up and housing purchase assistance in the past and these programs helped many residents with home upkeep and purchases. The need for these programs has only increased since they were abandoned by North Adams.

For the median income resident of North Adams the median home price is $40,000 more than they can afford. Over 27 percent of homeowners spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing and 12.5 percent of homeowners spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing. Over 20 percent of properties in North Adams are rated as below average condition by the North Adams assessor.

There should be no doubt that North Adams needs both fix-up and home purchase assistance programs and a well supported Affordable Housing Trust. I urge North Adams residents to advocate for funding for these programs during the upcoming budget review meetings.

Virginia Riehl
North Adams, Mass. 

Riehl is co-founder of the North Adams Community Housing Organization (NACHO)

 

 

 

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