Letter: Macksey Is the Best Candidate to Lead North Adams

To the Editor:

I'm proud to state my public support for Jennifer Macksey, the one candidate for mayor in North Adams who is truly prepared to lead North Adams starting on Jan. 1 and going forward.

I've known Jen since we were both very much younger and working on Marshall Street in our respective family businesses. I have always admired Jen's ability to listen and talk to everyone she would encounter, as well as her ability to remain focused and calm in all situations. Jen has dedicated her life to being a positive advocate for her family and the people of North Adams. She has worked diligently through a variety of municipal and educational leadership experiences to prepare herself thoroughly for the one position that she has always had as a goal, mayor of North Adams.

Two and a half years ago, the North Berkshire School Union Joint Committee made the decision to hire Jen as the new business administrator for the small, rural districts managed by the superintendent's office. Jen took this opportunity on with a strong advocacy from day one to make positive changes that were certainly needed to improve the budgeting and financial management processes in these school districts.

Jen led school building improvement projects in several of the districts due to her strong municipal background, as well as implementing an improved budgeting process that incorporated much needed transparency and integrity to show the town leaders and residents the full cost of education in their communities. It must also be stated that during Jen's tenure in the NBSU, she has brought in an unprecedented amount of grant funding to benefit all NBSU districts to support upgrades in technology, education, and building safety, especially during the last school year when all four NBSU districts were safely open for in-person learning (while most schools were closed across the county and state).

The true standard of a good leader is to leave a job better than you found it through the positive improvements made during your time spent in the leadership position. Jennifer Macksey will be leaving the NBSU districts in much better condition than she found them almost three years ago, and I have no doubt whatsoever that she will do the same thing as the first female Mayor of North Adams. Please join me in voting for the best and most prepared leader to be our next mayor of North Adams, Jennifer Macksey!

John Franzoni
North Adams, Mass. 

John Franzoni is the superintendent of the Northern Berkshire School Union.

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.