Election 2009: Bond Wants to Connect City to World

02:44AM / Saturday, October 31, 2009Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — North Adams needs a creative strategy to tackle the important issues of economic development and job creation. In order for North Adams to properly capitalize on the national and global exposure the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art has provided, a cutting-edge Web presence needs to be created.

The articles in Time Magazine, The New York Times and The Washington Post are read by tens of thousands of people whose access to the city is through the Internet. The new Web site should be interactive with video clips from Mary Grant the president of MCLA, Joe Thompson, director of Mass MoCA, elected officials, business owners and residents. The site should also include the ability to view all the requirements necessary to start a business whether it be retail or industrial. This Web site needs to bring North Adams out of the screen and right into the homes and offices of people around the world.

This new Web site will cost money and everyone knows that money is very hard to find. So, how does this project move forward? The computer science classes at MCLA, Drury High School and McCann Tech could be used to build the site. Local artists could be used to shoot the video clips and photograph all the scenic beauty throughout North Adams. By including our students and art community a sense of ownership is created among these groups of people. The city would monitor content and manage the Web site with the help of the students and artists.

In order to attract businesses in a very competitive market North Adams needs to think nationally as well as globally. The city cannot expect an employer to just waltz into town we need to go get them and the internet is the first step.

Let's show the world what we have to offer and let's do it together by combining our students, artists and residents. This is just the first step as a more in depth marketing plan would have to created to further put North Adams in front of as many businesses as possible. This first step is an important one and it can be done with everyone working towards the common goal of job creation.

Submitted by David Bond; Dbond48@hotmail.com

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Northern Berkshire United Way: War and Peace

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
09:38PM / Saturday, February 28, 2026

Northern Berkshire United Way is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. Each month, we will take a look back at the agency's milestones over the decades. This first part looks at its successes and challenges during the war years.

The Community Chest started the decade on the upswing but ended with a decline in fundraising. A bright spot was its establishment of new agencies to help the citizens of North Adams and Clarksburg.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Community Chest ended its first decade on an upswing, even as the clouds were darkening over Europe.

But what goes up, must eventually come down.

The 1940 campaign drive again set a goal of $39,600 and volunteers toted up $23,000 at the first meeting.

James Hunter Machine was the first to attain 100 percent enrollment with annual gift of $6.13 per person for a total of $1,275. Some 200 businesses and organizations hit their red feather level of 100 percent, including all of the schools as well as State Teachers College.

The litany of businesses and organizations included long-gone establishments such as Simmons Funeral Home, Spofford Motors, McCann Ice Cream Co., C.H. Cutting, West End Market, Apothecary Hall, Florini's Italian Garden, and Pizzi's, along with still existing enterprises like Whitney's Beverage Shop, Cascade Paper and Mount Williams Greenhouse.

The now annual dinner was served by the Ladies Aid Society of First Congregational at the YMCA, and attendees were entertained by singers from the Advent Christian Church, directed by the Rev. Martin Ball and accompanied by his wife on the piano. "Assisting in useful capacities" were YMCA junior members Howard Goodermote, Roy Modlinger, Fred Myers, Norman Remillard, George Grenier, Wallace Konopka and Anthony Pessolano.

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