Letter: Support Jennifer Macksey for Mayor

To the Editor:

The voters of North Adams have to take advantage of the great opportunity that has been given to them! The decision by Jennifer Macksey to run for mayor will give you the most qualified and experienced candidate to lead North Adams forward.

I had the opportunity to work with Jen while employed by the city Highway Department for 30 years. I first met Jen while she was working at the city landfill selling stickers and composting bins. Then she worked as director of finance/chief procurement cfficer for the city and the became the city tax collector/treasurer. Along with all of this she became the go-between employees and the administration, which at the time was greatly needed.

She treated us all with dignity and respect! One instance that sticks out in my mind is when the federal law for drug testing was put into place. Jen had a meeting with us all and explained the law to us and told us all about the programs that city was putting into place for us to use if the need arose. This skill in dealing with people is a great asset to have.

All this experience makes Jennifer Macksey the right choice for mayor — one that could step into the job and begin work immediately. I also would like to take the time to thank the Macksey campaign for keeping this election civil and free from personal attacks.

Edward Denault
Clarksburg, Mass. 

Edward Denault was highway superintendent for North Adams until his retirement.

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.