Letter: Vote No on Oct. 8 Proposition 2 1/2 Exclusion

To the Editor:

North Adams voters have an important decision to make on Oct. 8. Will we approve a Proposition 2 1/2 exclusion authorizing a 30-year increase above real estate tax limits to fund the city's share of the cost to build a new elementary school? Or will voters decide there are other, more fiscally responsible options available?

While a new school would be nice, it's not that simple. Many North Adams residents live paycheck-to-paycheck. Others are limited to the amount of their monthly Social Security check to try to make ends meet. For homeowners, the additional tax will be a hardship. For renters, landlords will pass along the increase, raising rents when we already lack affordable apartments.

Even for those who could absorb the additional tax, approving the Proposition 2 1/2 exclusion would be a mistake. North Adams has other major expenses looming on the horizon.

North Adams needs a new fire/police station. NAPD now rents space. Our Fire Department remains in a building suffering from far too many ills to fix. They deserve better. The time is rapidly approaching when North Adams will no longer be able to put off building a new public safety facility. Another Proposition 2 1/2 vote.

Deborah Benoit
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.