Letter: Macksey Understands How to Manage City

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To the Editor:

As a former administrative officer for the city of North Adams (2001-2008), I write to urge the citizens of North Adams to elect Jennifer Macksey their next mayor. I can attest to Jen's sharp intellect, skilled financial management and good nature during the years we worked together when she was the city's top financial officer. Jen worked tirelessly on behalf of the residents of North Adams and has prepared herself, with her strong municipal background and experience in education administration, to be exceptionally qualified to do this remarkably difficult work.

There is no more difficult or important job than that of a mayor; I say this with confidence based on my own diverse and challenging work experience in both the private and public sectors. Jen Macksey has experienced firsthand the inherent difficulties in managing a city to meet the needs of its citizens while continually struggling to obtain and effectively use limited financial and other resources. She knows how to do this job and do it well.

It's been concerning to observe the current city government difficulties resulting in multiple resignations from incumbent city councilors. Now is not the time for on-the-job learning or training. Experience matters. Jen Macksey knows how to effectively position and utilize key resources on day one, which will be critical to the future success of North Adams. For these reasons, I urge the residents of North Adams to cast their vote for Jen Macksey on Nov. 2.
 

Mary Katherine Eade
North Adams, Mass. 

Mary Katherine Eade is a former administrative office for the city of North Adams.

 

 


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Clarksburg School Eying ADA Improvements This Summer

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — School officials are hoping to take the next stop in renovations to the 60-year-old school with a refit of the bathrooms. 
 
Some upgrades had been done but there have been issues with obsolete parts and making them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 
 
"There's multiple bathroom issues. Every bathroom and the, obviously, we talked about the front entryway with the dangerous concrete," said Superintendent John Franzoni at last week's School Committee meeting. "There's some other things about the exterior, the brick and mortar, ... we look at the garage this summer because we're concerned about some of the access to the outdoors in that area, along with paving issues and the grease trap in the kitchen."
 
The town was able to get an ADA grant through the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and has some funds put away in stabilization that could be used toward the project. 
 
Town Administrator Ronald Boucher and Thomas Bona, who's taken on the oversight of several construction projects at the school, agreed to get some estimates on the bathroom work and the cement entry during school vacation next week. 
 
"My goal was, if we could start that work right after school ends in June, we could front load the grant money there so we could use that first because we got to probably do an extensive abatement, I can pretty much guarantee you on whatever ones we decide to do," Franzoni said. 
 
He anticipates a "pretty extensive renvation," and thought it important to get some numbers to see whether it was worth pursuing as it could take up a chunk of the stabilization account. It might be better to do the entryway first if it's a more reasonable project, he said. 
 
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