Letter: Bullett Endorses Blackmer for State Representative

To the Editor:

I served with Lisa Blackmer for almost six years on the North Adams City Council. In that capacity I had the opportunity to witness first hand her commitment to municipal government and the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to make government work.

She was an active member of the Finance Committee, the Community Development Committee, and others. She currently she serves as a board member of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. Lisa always showed up for community events and fundraisers, and she was a good colleague.
 
I believe Lisa will be a zealous advocate for the needs of the communities that comprise the 1st Berkshire District. She will be able to work collaboratively with fellow legislators to address the issues of concern to our economy and community and work in partnership with local officials.
 
It is worth noting that barely one in four people who serve in the Massachusetts Legislature are women. I know that Lisa Blackmer is the strongest candidate to continue Gailanne Cariddi's vision and move her legislative agenda forward, and I urge residents of the district to vote for her on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
 

Nancy P. Bullett
Newport, N.C. 

Bullett had served on the City Council for three terms until retiring in June this year.

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.