Letter: Jennifer Macksey for Mayor

To the Editor:

Jennifer Macksey is quite simply the best mayoral candidate for North Adams. As any of Jen's coworkers, current or former, will tell you, Jen is a strong independent woman who has been successful in every position she has held. I have personally seen her incredibly strong work ethic and she puts her whole heart into everything she does — just imagine what she will do for the city she loves.

What an incredible benefit to have our new mayor walk into City Hall with the knowledge of how city government works. She will brainstorm with all the city departments to figure out what needs to be prioritized and get to work on it. There will be no long learning curve.

I find it disturbing that the only reason I hear to not vote for Jen is that she will be our former mayor's "mouthpiece." For those of you who have made that statement, you obviously don't know Jen.

Rebecca Cellana
North Adams, Mass.

North Adams Planners OK MCLA Arts Center, Italian Restaurant

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:14AM / Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Nick Moulton, left, and Peter Belmonte were introduced as the chefs for the new Zio Roberto. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' new arts center was given the go-ahead by the Planning Board on Monday, along with a new Italian restaurant on Marshall Street. 

 

The 7,500-square-foot Campagna Kleefeld Center for Creativity in the Arts will be located at the corner of Porter and Church Street. 

 

The center, funded by California artist and writer Carolyn Kleefeld and the MCLA Foundation, will be a stepping stone for the college to build a graduate program in arts management, said Robert Ziomek, vice president for institutional advancement.

 

"The center will be a vital focus for faculty to engage in the arts, offering a dynamic and flexible space that will serve as a catalyst for curricular innovation and will provide a compelling teaching and learning environment," he told the planners.

 

"It's going to allow for an expanded visiting artist program that we're trying to do, and plus our graduate program will be able to grow as we will apply for, once this building is online, for a graduate program in arts management."

 

He said Kleefeld is "really excited about having students engaged with artists of all of all types, but also giving faculty the ability to be creative with the curriculum around arts."

 

Designer George Dole of Jones Whitsett Architects and landscape architect Rachel Loeffler, principal at Berkshire Design Group presented the plans.