Letter: Disappointment in Local Leadership to secure Shelter Solutions

To the Editor:

I have a pit in my stomach this morning after reading about the decision against making Berkshire Towers a homeless shelter.

I am utterly disappointed by Mayor Macksey, The North Adams City Council, Representative Barrett, and President Birge in your handling of this situation.

You have all aided in the further traumatization of families seeking shelter.

There will never be enough resources to support people who are unhoused until you all make it a priority to support those resources. When someone redevelops an apartment building — no one questions whether we have enough resources available to support tenants moving in. But suddenly when we are talking about unhoused people our hackles rise. You have let assumptions and fears about being homeless take the focal point of your attention. You have allowed "not in my back yard" rhetoric take precedence over suffering families. This approach has directly contributed to keeping those families living on the streets. Are you proud of this?

Rather than push against a solution that came to the table, you all should have helped the community understand why giving people shelter is necessary right now. You know that we are facing a crisis. And that crisis is deepening as a recession nears. You are all prioritizing your comfort over the survival of our neighbors. And for that, you should be ashamed.

Jessica Sweeney
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.