Letter: Bond Will Be a Reliable Community Leader

Letter to the Editor06:45PM / Tuesday, October 26, 2021Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

When looking toward the future of this great city, it is important not to neglect the voices of the younger generations. It is also important not to underscore the value community service has in shaping a candidate. Coming from an MCLA student and soon to be officeholder, I believe the person to best connect with our youth and represent the value of community service is Lynette Bond.

The most important memories I've made as a college student were through active volunteerism. As a person who dedicates my time in such a way, I can see how volunteer work has influenced Lynette Bond as a person, and how it will shape her tenure as the next mayor of North Adams. Through her dedication as a foster parent, her time in the Peace Corps, and her intense dedication toward the Colegrove Park Elementary School project, she has proven to me that she will be a reliable community leader.

I have been able to call North Adams my home for 22 years. MCLA was my school of choice because of this beautiful city I have been able to call my home. I think the school is especially emblematic of our community's younger demographics, and it makes me pleased to see who younger people want as their leader. The feedback we have received from the overwhelming majority of them? The future is with Lynette.

With students who want to make North Adams their home after they graduate, and have taken on our community as one that represents them, Lynette is an especially symbolic person to take office as our next mayor. Lynette may not have been born in North Adams, but she chose our city as her home like so many others here do. I am confident in Lynette's experience, transparency, and communicative nature to lead our city for the next two years. I hope with all this information in mind, you will vote for her assuredly on Nov. 2.

Joshua Vallieres
North Adams, Mass.

Joshua Vallieres is a candidate for North Adams School Committee.

Tags: city election, election 2021, letters to the editor,

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MCLA Green Living Seminar to Explore Climate Change Perceptions in the Middle East

03:56PM / Monday, February 02, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' (MCLA) Green Living Seminar Series continues on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 5:30 p.m. with a presentation by Dr. Nimah Mazaheri, Professor of Political Science and Dean of Academic Affairs at Tufts University.

The presentation, titled "Faith Under Fire: How Religion Shapes Climate Concern in the Middle East," will take place in MCLA's Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, Room 121.

The event is free and open to the public.

Mazaheri will discuss his research on how religion influences climate change perceptions across the Middle East, a region facing significant environmental challenges including extreme heat, recurring droughts, and water salinization.

Drawing from Arab Barometer surveys of 13,700 people across twelve countries, Mazaheri's research reveals unexpected patterns in how Middle Eastern populations view the climate crisis. His findings show that while Muslims tend to be less concerned about climate change compared to Christians in the region, individuals with a strong sense of religiosity across all faiths demonstrate greater concern about environmental threats. The research also uncovers a "culture war" dynamic, with religious Muslims who endorse Islamist government showing less concern than their secular counterparts.

Mazaheri's work focuses on the political economy of the Middle East and North Africa, with particular emphasis on how oil wealth shapes politics and economics in the region. His research has been published in leading journals including Comparative Political Studies, World Politics, and World Development.

This semester's Green Living Seminar series explores "Nature and Spirituality," a 12-week examination of how faith, religion, and spiritual traditions shape our relationship with the natural world.

All presentations will be recorded as podcasts available at www.mcla.edu/greenliving.

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