Letter: North Adams Airport a Disappointment

To the Editor:

I submit my letter today as a commercial pilot and avid tourist of the Greater Berkshire region. In relative terms, and to be blunt, the current state of North Adams airport is in shambles. As a commercial pilot who often brings customers to the North Adams region by way of Harriman & West North Adam Airport, I am often left dumbfounded by the gross mismanagement of even the most basic of services my clients and fellow commercial pilots expect of an airport.

The airport is unattended, notice to air missions are not issued in a timely or safe manner, and other basic services typically provided by a fixed based operator (FBO) are completely absent: food, restrooms, and transportation. The lack of these services is disappointing considering the beautiful city of North Adams as an entry point to an area of our country that rivals all others, particularly in the autumn season. I've landed with clients at this airport and have had issues with arranging transportation, using a bathroom, finding food, or even just getting in and out of the gate to my own aircraft, is a major deterrent to my clients, fellow pilots, and other potential customers.

I don't presume to know or want take part within the financial and political specifics of the city of North Adams, but what I do know is that by bringing these basic services to North Adams airport, not only will the revenue create a thriving and self-sustained airport, but the town of North Adams will relish in the increased business and tourist traffic, as well.

Sean Falzarano
Southbury, Conn. 

MCLA Announces Four Finalists for Next President

03:46PM / Thursday, April 02, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts announced four finalists for the position of president, following a national search. 

 

The finalists were selected by the MCLA Presidential Search Committee and will participate in on-campus visits scheduled for the weeks of April 6 and April 13.

 

The successful candidate will replace President James Birge, who is retiring at the end of the term. 

 

The four finalists are David Jenemann, Michael J. Middleton, Sherri Givens Mylott, and Diana L. Rogers-Adkinson.

 

David Jenemann

David Jenemann is dean of the Patrick Leahy Honors College and professor of English and film and television studies at the University of Vermont, where he oversees recruitment, retention, curricular innovation, and advancement for an interdisciplinary college serving undergraduates from across the university, including UVM's campuswide Office of Fellowships, Opportunities, and Undergraduate Research. 

 

An internationally recognized scholar, he has published three books and numerous articles, with research spanning intellectual and cultural history, mass media, and the intersection of sports and society.

He holds a doctor of philosophy from the University of Minnesota and completed the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education.