Letter: Lynette Bond for Mayor

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.

MCLA Presidential Search Stirs Plenty of Interest

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:18AM / Wednesday, January 21, 2026

President James Birge speaks at his 20th and final semester opening breakfast on Tuesday. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts hopes to have a new president by July 1 this year. 

 

The college's search firm WittKieffer has already received 14 completed applications with another 15 expressing interest, said Trustees President Buffy Lord, and had more than 80 responses in the five days since the posting went up. 

 

"The farthest application so far is from California, so obviously it has great interest," she said. "I think we have a lot to offer, not least of all because of where we are in Massachusetts."

 

The deadline for candidate materials is March 13, Lord said, and "we anticipate that we will work properly to narrow the candidate bill and remain on track to have finals on campus for interviews in early April."

 

The update came at the opening breakfast Tuesday for the spring semester, with President James Birge summing up his tenure as he prepares for retirement at the end of the semester.

 

"This is my 20th and final opening breakfast address," he said. "In my first address, in fall of 2016, I offered my thoughts on expanding the institution's commitment to DEI and I'm grateful that we've embraced that work to the degree that I would say, has grown to be a defining characteristic of MCLA."

 

That first breakfast saw the announcement of a $2.2 million U.S. Department of Education Strengthening Institution Grant to support student academic achievement.