Letter: Support Bond for Mayor

To the Editor:

Dear North Adams friends, I have been following the campaigns for the office of mayor of North Adams and the City Council races from my home in North Carolina. I was moved to send a letter of support for Lynette Bond after seeing a letter sent out by Jennifer Macksey's campaign, which stated that if you like what has happened in North Adams government the past 12 years Jennifer Macksey is not your candidate.

Since I was part of that government for six years, I feel a need to respond this way: What defined our government during the time I served was a willingness to be open and transparent in notable contrast to what came before.

So I feel a need to speak up! This summer when I was home, I met with Lynette Bond. I was impressed that she brings a very diverse life experience to the table as well as a very positive energy. I like her visibility and engagement with the citizens of North Adams including serving as a foster parent, leading the successful fight to save the Colegrove School, and serving on city boards. I see her as a team player who will make an excellent ambassador for the city of North Adams.

North Adams needs a mayor who will represent the people who vote for her and the people who vote against her. As you go to the voting booth on Tuesday, Nov. 2, I would urge my friends and supporters to vote for Lynette Bond.

Nancy Bullett
Newport, N.C.

Nancy Bullett is a former North Adams city councilor. 

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.