Letter: Vote Yes for New Greylock

To the Editor:

Following years of hard work by the North Adams School Building Committee, voters in North Adams will decide on Oct. 8 whether to vote "Yes" and have the city move further forward into the 21st century by building a new state-of-the-art Greylock Elementary School, or to vote "No" and keep using the aging and deteriorating Brayton Elementary School.

The state has agreed to fund 80 percent of the project's $65 million cost by ponying up $42.2 million. The federal government will kick in another $3.6 million for energy incentives, leaving North Adams' share at just under $20 million. A YES vote means we get a brand-new school which will be designed to last at least 50 years. It will have brand-new everything (under warranty) saving money in maintenance costs

A No vote means our students will be educated in Brayton School which is already over 30 years old and in need of major renovations including the roof, outdated electrical systems and a need for a new boiler among other issues. Some of the classrooms will be in the subterranean level which is subject to ongoing mold and mildew issues. That school also has no sprinkler system in case of fire.

The costs to keep maintaining Brayton are estimated at $45 million, about the same amount the state and federal government are willing to give us for a brand-new school. Those estimates are likely to increase if maintenance is done on a project-by-project basis over time because costs increase over time. To me, it's a no-brainer. Either we spend $45 million, if not more, to keep Brayton going or we take that same amount from the state and federal government and put it towards a new school.

Those of us who have lived here most of our lives have often felt we're ignored by Boston because we don't get the state aid for things we want to accomplish. Now it's being offered and all we have to do is say Yes.

Join me on Oct. 8 by voting Yes for a new Greylock School. Remember, we can't expect anyone to invest in us unless we first invest in ourselves.

Paul J. Moriarty
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.