Letter: Tom Bernard Best Bet to Move North Adams Forward

To the Editor:

I am writing to voice my strong and enthusiastic support of Tom Bernard for mayor of North Adams. Truth be told, I had been hoping this would happen for years.

Despite my longstanding wish to see Tom take on this level of leadership, when I learned from him that he was running I asked him why. I wanted to know his reasons. I could not have been more excited about his response, which could be summed up as this: he believed he could be of use.

Among the many reasons people consider running for office or assuming other types of leadership, this is probably the one I value most. It is a public servant mentality that inspires those who hold it to approach their work collaboratively, to research deeply, to approach problems with an open and creative mind, to seek diverse perspectives, and to serve with humility. These are all strengths I can see Tom embodying as mayor.

Kate Merrigan
North Adams, Mass. 

Merrigan is a North Adams city councilor.

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.