Letter: Jennifer Macksey for Mayor

Letter to the Editor07:15PM / Tuesday, October 12, 2021Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

I am writing to encourage you to cast your vote for Jennifer Macksey as the next mayor of North Adams. I have worked very closely with Jennifer in matters of the Northern Berkshire School Union. Jennifer's success rate for improving our schools has been 100 percent.

I am the chairperson for the Northern Berkshire School Union's joint school committees. Jennifer was hired as business manager for NBSU with her main goal to write grants for the five town school districts. Jennifer went way above and beyond finding grant money for all of the schools. To Jennifer's position as business manager, assistant superintendent was added to her job description as she was able to receive building grants and then proceeded to oversee the projects from bids to final completion. Jennifer has done an amazing job working with all five towns in the NBSU. Jennifer is always there with answers and suggestions to improve all of the school communities.

On the business manager side of her job, Jennifer has been able to organize all of the individual budgets for each school and was able to set up an account so each of the shared employees did not have to receive five different checks from five different towns that belong to the NBSU. Jennifer's accounting skills have enabled the towns to file end of year reports for their schools. Jennifer has always met all grant deadlines and has made sure that all NBSU bills are paid in a timely fashion.

Leadership and compassion are two words that I would use to describe Jennifer. Jennifer has the ability to evaluate situations and she has incredible skills with which to make professional decisions. Jennifer has strong, effective, decision making skills. Jennifer has a passion for service.

Jennifer has been personally connected to North Adams her entire life. She has been a resident of North Adams, an employee in the City of North Adams, an employee in MCLA, vice president of Southern Vermont College and is currently the assistant superintendent/business manager of the Northern Berkshire School Union, which serves five towns and four schools. Jennifer has the best interests for the City of North Adams in her decision to be mayor of North Adams.

Judith Oleson
Florida, Mass.

Judith Oleson is chair of the Abbott Memorial School Committee and the Northern Berkshire School Union Committee.

Tags: election 2021, letters to the editor,

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North Adams Council Gets Update on Opioid Collaborative Actions

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
12:05PM / Friday, September 25, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council got an update from the Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative on Tuesday.

Andy Ottoson and Anna Youngman, of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, spoke about the Into the Light Project and other work being undertaken by the collaborative.

"The HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Coalition, with funding from the city and from [Berkshire Health Systems], brought the Into the Light Project to our area to reduce stigma, encourage compassion, and promote dialog, inviting viewers to advocate for improved treatment access and respectful disruptions around addiction," said Youngman, North County HEAL Coalition community coordinator.

The exhibit of artist illustrations and narratives of those lost to overdose, including residents of North Berkshire, was displayed at Hotel Downstreet earlier this year; partial versions of the exhibit are now being displayed in municipal buildings, including City Hall and Adams Town Hall.

Youngman said about 1,000 people from seven states viewed the exhibit and that the "feedback from the project was exceptional." The exhibit is the brainchild of nonprofit's founder and artist Theresa Clower who has put on nearly two dozen installations around the country.

"We extend our deepest gratitude to the local families who shared the stories of their loved ones with us throughout this project by allowing us to see the whole person, their joys, their talents, and their dreams," said Youngman. "These families have helped break down stigma and remind us that every life matters."

She continued that the number of outreach specialists has doubled to 12 and that the collaborative is doing a needs assessment to determine the most crucial needs and create a strategic plan for use of the opioid settlement funds.

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