Letter: My Vote For Alcombright

To the Editor:

Most of you probably don't know me. I tend to not be the "face" of any group or organization, more of a background doer myself. That said, I am a homeowner in North Adams, a member of the Northern Berkshire YMCA board, a business owner in the city, and someone who whole-heartedly loves and dreams for our little corner of the world here in North Adams.

When I first moved to this area in 2007, I was coming from a community that had gone through many similar changes to those that North Adams had encountered. Similar to my love for North Adams now, I loved that place, and loved what the people and leaders had done to make dreams a reality. At the time of my arrival, North Adams was ... OK. I lived on campus for my job, went downtown when I absolutely needed to, and had a decent existence. For my 22-year-old self, it was a very quiet life, and one that I figured I could survive for a couple of years and then move on to bigger better things.

Then something happened. A dramatic change toward vision, aspirations, and hope. While I could never give 100 percent of the credit for this dramatic change to a single person, I can whole-heartedly say it has been a matter of night and day from when I arrived here and where we are today. I see brilliant ideas being brought to reality through both public and private entities, a new pulse in this place coming from grassroots activities that I know were consistently shot down by previous administrations, and above all, I see happiness and a sense of pride in accomplishment. Through my own love for this place, friends and family have become inspired as well. Some are now even moving here to become part of this community to live, work and play.

Emily Schiavoni
North Adams

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.