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.

Northern Berkshire United Way: 1990's Big Goals, Shifting Needs

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:18PM / Monday, September 07, 2026

Northern Berkshire United Way is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. Each month, we will take a look back at the agency's milestones over the decades. This part looks at the 1990s era as reported in the North Adams Transcript.

 

Northern Berkshire United Way saw its campaign goals rise to a half-million or more over the decade.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Northern Berkshire United Way entered the 1990s with big goals — and met almost all of them. It ended the decade with the largest campaign in its history.

 

It wasn't easy; the area was still reeling from closures and layoffs, including from General Electric and Waverly Fabrics. The first campaign of the decade saw a historic $500,000 goal only meet 93 percent of its goal. 

 

"We lost tens of thousands of dollars from firms and employees that contributed last year," said Daniel Bird, board vice president told the 150 gathered for the 1990 campaign conclusion, as reported by the Transcript. "There were just fewer to give because of closings and layoffs. What we did see were tens of thousands in new and increased gifts which brought us to the high percentage of  goal, and we are grateful."

 

The agency lowered its sights to $480,000 the following year and beat that number, possibly by pulling out all the stops. The four co-chairs that year could heavily rely on prayer — the Rev. Lawrence Provenzano of St. John's, the Rev. Betty Lou Ure of First Congregational, and Lts. Cheriann and Kevin Stoops of the Salvation Army.

 

They even sang a rap song that year, with lyrics including "the United Way is in our town to help the people who are down / some are young, some are old, some are living, some are cold / but you are here to make this work, to raise the funds, you will not shirk!"

 

Mayor John Barrett III and state Rep. Daniel Bosley promised a "big splash" for the campaign with a set up photo of a "plunge" into a wading pool. (They had promised the YMCA pool but were in Boston to talk about a museum in the former Sprague complex.)

 

Provenzano thought the success was because "people knew how desperate the situation was."