Letter: Elect Lynette Bond for Mayor

To the editor:

"All politics is local" … I'll speak to that later.

As the former mayor of the City of North Adams, I vowed that I would not get involved again in local politics but I am very willing to go out on a limb here and say that in January 2022, the city will be swearing in its first woman mayor. With four candidates, all women, the city is well-positioned for new leadership, new vision, a new approach to the administration and delivery of city services, as well as growth and problem solving through collaboration. I fully believe that Lynette Bond is the woman who can and will provide that leadership.

One of the wonderful successes that I had as mayor was the renovation of the former Conte Middle School into Colegrove Park Elementary School. This effort was brought to a public vote for approval and if not for Lynette's support, advocacy, and voice, Colegrove would not have come to fruition. Additionally, as mayor, I was able to reach out to local communities to work with the city on a variety of issues.

Lynette worked in the Community Development Office for the Town of Adams and our paths crossed many times. We discussed the economic opportunities we had in common such as the bike path and the Berkshire Scenic Rail. In her role with the town, Lynette managed Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars. She worked to see that the streetscape project on Park Street and the roundabout projects were funded, designed and built. Lynette has and continues to serve on the city's Planning Board and with that she has had a role in the approval process of many new businesses that have opened in the city. Lynette is an exceptional grant writer and in that role she has had direct contact and built relationships with Massachusetts Department of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM), Department of Housing and Community Development (CDBG), the Department of Higher Education (DHE), and the Department of Early and Secondary Education (DESE).

Since moving to North Adams some 12 years ago, Lynette has infused herself into the community on the Planning Board, as a parent and foster parent, a member of the board of Child Care of the Berkshires, as a coach and mentor, and even a host family for our beloved SteepleCats.

Dick Alcombright
North Adams, Mass.

North Adams Unveils Hometown Heroes Banners

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
04:30PM / Friday, May 22, 2026

Carol Ethier-Kipp holds up the first aid kit her father used as an Army medic in World War II. See more photos here. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City of North Adams honored its own on Friday afternoon, unveiling 50 downtown street banners representing local veterans who served — and continue to serve — the community and the country.

 

More than 300 residents packed the front lawn of City Hall as the community took a moment to reflect on its "Hometown Heroes" during the morning unveiling ceremony.

 

"In a city like North Adams, service is personal. The men and women we honor today are not strangers to us. They are our neighbors, our classmates, our parents, our grandparents," Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the crowd. "... These banners are far more than names and pictures hanging along our streets. They are visible reminders of the values that define North Adams: courage, sacrifice, humility, duty, resilience, and the love of country. They remind every person who passes by that this community remembers our veterans."

 

The banner program launched exactly a year ago. Veterans Services Agent Kurtis Durocher opened applications in October and spent the next six months working with families to bring the project to Main Street and over the Hadley Overpass. 

 

"We gather to recognize the brave men and women from our community who have served or who are currently serving in the United States armed forces," Durocher said. "These banners are more than images. They bear a tribute to service, sacrifice, courage, and pride, and they remind us that the freedoms we enjoy every day have been protected by our neighbors, family members, friends, and Hometown Heroes."

 

Each banner features a portrait of a veteran alongside their military branch and dates of service.

 

Durocher noted that the program was something residents clearly wanted, pointing to how fast applications flooded his desk. He praised the volunteers who stepped up to get the banners made and displayed — including city firefighters and Mitchell Meranti of Wire & Alarm Department, who were installing them as late as Thursday night.