Letter: Macksey Has the Qualifications for Mayor

To the Editor:

A lot has happened in North Adams over the past several years. There have been many positives including outside investment and Mass MoCA, however, our beautiful city is not what it used to be.

Attention to our taxpayers and local business has declined. As we approach a new era (first female mayor), it is ever so important that we do not stay stagnant. The new mayor of North Adams needs experience in business as well as the management of personnel. We need a leader who is open to ideas and help from our citizens. We need a leader who is strong, yet compassionate. A leader who will work with outside investors without missing the needs of our own people.

While we have two very intelligent candidates, it is abundantly clear to me that Jennifer Macksey has all the qualifications to move our city in a direction that is all inclusive.

Jennifer has the strength and character to get the job done while being held accountable. As I believe Jennifer's resume stands on its own, I think people need to know her as the person she is. I have known Jennifer for many years and have had many conversations with her about politics, education, youth, safety and family. While we may not agree on everything, she has always listened and if she did not know the answer, she found it very quickly.

I have not met many people who possess the organizational skills, work ethic or the ability to deal with adversity as Jennifer does. She may be of small stature, but she lacks nothing in leadership or personal skills.

Please join me in brining North Adams back to the future and vote Jennifer Macksey for mayor on Nov. 2.

Mark Moulton
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.