Letter: Sweeney for North Adams City Council

To the Editor:

I feel a sense of obligation and duty to bring a unique voice to the City Council chambers. I represent a younger demographic, which my work throughout North Adams and the surrounding towns has led me to connect and work with closely. I aim to connect those voices to our local government, as well as serve, and advocate for all residents who share my passion for North Adams.

Upon relocating here to attend MCLA in 2007, I immediately felt a calling to dive deeply into the community and embrace the incredible sense of growth that has been emerging here. I've been proud to contribute to this growth in the 12 years I've lived here. My path started with the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition (NBCC) where I organized UNITY Youth Programs and the Northern Berkshire Neighbors program. This work inspired me to found Roots Teen Center, where I served as executive director for close to three years. Recently my focus has been on furthering the growth of Common Folk Artist Collective, a project I've been working on since 2011. The collective provides a platform for local and emerging artists to grow and thrive in their creative work. I have also found myself a seat on the board of NBCC as my passion for the organization has not fizzled.

As a City Council member, I will focus my energy on supporting grassroots initiatives, community impact models, youth, and creative community development. I will also support downtown development and exploring opportunities for grassroots economic development.

Jessica Sweeney
North Adams, Mass.

GOP Senatorial Candidate Deaton Pledges Independence in North Adams Campaign Stop

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:31PM / Wednesday, October 28, 2026

GOP candidate John Deaton speaks to local residents about his positions during a campaign stop on Tuesday. The attorney says he's running on the GOP ticket but his stance is firmly independent.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton was in the Berkshires on Tuesday as part of a statewide listening tour to hear residents' concerns ahead of next week's election. 

 

His tour over a couple days included stops across Western Mass, including Greenfield, Pittsfield, Lee, and South Hadley.

 

Although Deaton is running as the Republican nominee against longtime Democratic incumbent Edward Markey, he said he identifies as an independent and he chose to run as a "non-Trump" Republican because he saw no viable path to victory as an independent candidate.

 

The attorney said he reached that conclusion after polling as an independent and finding that the Republican nominee was projected to receive approximately 30 percent of the vote, while the Democratic nominee was expected to receive about 40 percent.

 

"There's a lot of things we can do if you just put people over politics. I'm not going to be loyal to a person, i.e., President Trump, or anyone else … I'm not going to be loyal to a party. I'm not going to be loyal to a political agenda," he said. 

 

"I'm only going to be loyal to people and if you take that attitude, then you can work with any president. You can work with any party in power … I would just ask people to vote for the best candidate in each race. Don't go by party." 

 

Deaton kicked off his trip to Berkshire County at the North Adams American Legion where he heard from several people, particularly those expressing grievances over the North Adams Housing Authority's high rise on Ashland Street.