Letter: Macksey Understands How to Manage City

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.

GOP Senatorial Candidate Deaton Pledges Independence in North Adams Campaign Stop

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:31PM / Wednesday, October 28, 2026

GOP candidate John Deaton speaks to local residents about his positions during a campaign stop on Tuesday. The attorney says he's running on the GOP ticket but his stance is firmly independent.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton was in the Berkshires on Tuesday as part of a statewide listening tour to hear residents' concerns ahead of next week's election. 

 

His tour over a couple days included stops across Western Mass, including Greenfield, Pittsfield, Lee, and South Hadley.

 

Although Deaton is running as the Republican nominee against longtime Democratic incumbent Edward Markey, he said he identifies as an independent and he chose to run as a "non-Trump" Republican because he saw no viable path to victory as an independent candidate.

 

The attorney said he reached that conclusion after polling as an independent and finding that the Republican nominee was projected to receive approximately 30 percent of the vote, while the Democratic nominee was expected to receive about 40 percent.

 

"There's a lot of things we can do if you just put people over politics. I'm not going to be loyal to a person, i.e., President Trump, or anyone else … I'm not going to be loyal to a party. I'm not going to be loyal to a political agenda," he said. 

 

"I'm only going to be loyal to people and if you take that attitude, then you can work with any president. You can work with any party in power … I would just ask people to vote for the best candidate in each race. Don't go by party." 

 

Deaton kicked off his trip to Berkshire County at the North Adams American Legion where he heard from several people, particularly those expressing grievances over the North Adams Housing Authority's high rise on Ashland Street.