Letter: Jennifer Macksey for Mayor

To the Editor:

Jennifer Macksey is quite simply the best mayoral candidate for North Adams. As any of Jen's coworkers, current or former, will tell you, Jen is a strong independent woman who has been successful in every position she has held. I have personally seen her incredibly strong work ethic and she puts her whole heart into everything she does — just imagine what she will do for the city she loves.

What an incredible benefit to have our new mayor walk into City Hall with the knowledge of how city government works. She will brainstorm with all the city departments to figure out what needs to be prioritized and get to work on it. There will be no long learning curve.

I find it disturbing that the only reason I hear to not vote for Jen is that she will be our former mayor's "mouthpiece." For those of you who have made that statement, you obviously don't know Jen.

Rebecca Cellana
North Adams, Mass.

Clarksburg Meeting OKs All Articles on Warrant

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
08:45PM / Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Police Chief Michael Williams was recognized at the annual town meeting. The chief has shifted into a part-time administrative role since the Police Department was shuttered last year. 

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — With a total budget up by a modest 3 percent from fiscal year 2026, town meeting cruised through most of the fiscal articles on the warrant without much discussion.

 

But one item caught the eye of meeting members.

 

"Is this an increase from last year, and is there any way to compare it?" a resident asked when the meeting turned to the appropriation for the town's Sewer Enterprise Fund.

 

Yes, Moderator and Select Board member Seth Alexander informed the meeting, the requested appropriation for FY27 represents a 6.9 percent hike from the current year.

 

Higher costs are on the horizon, though.

 

"All the compost over [at the Hoosac Water Quality District], which they used to be able to sell, they're not going to be able to anymore," Boucher said. "They're looking at next year almost a 17 percent increase."

 

Clarksburg is the smallest member of the three-municipality solid waste district. The declining market for compost made from human waste because of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination has been a big topic in Williamstown, site of the HWQD treatment plant, for a couple of years.