Letter: Support Bond for Mayor

To the Editor:

I have struggled with whether or not to write this letter, and as I write it, am still struggling with the right way to say what I want to say. I am not a political person, and hope that I don't get the backlash that some do for putting their opinion forward. I was born and raised here in North Adams and John Barrett III was my teacher in fourth grade when he was elected, so I have experienced many elections, some more tumultuous than others.

This mayoral election has been a bit stressful for me since I know both candidates and many of their supporters, on both sides. I worked for Jennifer Macksey and I work closely with Lynette Bond currently. I have felt a bit of pressure to be loyal to someone I worked for and the assumption my vote is going in that direction. I do appreciate Jennifer's support of me while I worked under her so I hope that message does not get lost here.

Both of these women have great qualities to lead our city and I'm confident that we will be just fine with either one sitting in the corner office.

For me, working with both of these women, it is coming down to the style of leadership. I see one as being a bit more cut and dry, and the other having a softer approach to issues but gets the job done. I have seen both exert power just in different ways. I know our city needs a bit of both of these type of leaders, but each of us have our own preference.

After watching the campaigns unfold, keeping an eye on the social media posts, the campaign letters, and the style of outreach, I will be casting my vote for Lynette Bond. Lynette's leadership style and experience outside of city government is just what I think our city needs.

Bonnie Howland
North Adams, Mass.

North Adams Hopes to Transform Y Into Community Recreation Center

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:19AM / Thursday, May 02, 2024

Mayor Jennifer Macksey updates members of the former YMCA on the status of the roof project and plans for reopening. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city has plans to keep the former YMCA as a community center.

 

"The city of North Adams is very committed to having a recreation center not only for our youth but our young at heart," Mayor Jennifer Macksey said to the applause of some 50 or more YMCA members on Wednesday. "So we are really working hard and making sure we can have all those touch points."

 

The fate of the facility attached to Brayton School has been in limbo since the closure of the pool last year because of structural issues and the departure of the Berkshire Family YMCA in March.

 

The mayor said the city will run some programming over the summer until an operator can be found to take over the facility. It will also need a new name. 

 

"The YMCA, as you know, has departed from our facilities and will not return to our facility in the form that we had," she said to the crowd in Council Chambers. "And that's been mostly a decision on their part. The city of North Adams wanted to really keep our relationship with the Y, certainly, but they wanted to be a Y without borders, and we're going a different direction."

 

The pool was closed in March 2023 after the roof failed a structural inspection. Kyle Lamb, owner of Geary Builders, the contractor on the roof project, said the condition of the laminated beams was far worse than expected. 

 

"When we first went into the Y to do an inspection, we certainly found a lot more than we anticipated. The beams were actually rotted themselves on the bottom where they have to sit on the walls structurally," he said. "The beams actually, from the weight of snow and other things, actually crushed themselves eight to 11 inches. They were actually falling apart. ...