Letter: Saturday Rally: Diversity Makes Us Great

Letter to the Editor12:09PM / Wednesday, May 07, 2025Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

Several months ago, I was a North Adams teacher and a member of a school DEIJ committee. (Working for Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Justice.) I did not think this was radical work.

Yet here I am today, asking friends and neighbors to join us on Saturday, May 10, at the North Adams City Hall from 1:15-2:15 p.m. at a "Diversity MAKES America Great Rally." Because apparently, the idea that people of all races, abilities, orientation, gender identity — the idea that all people are endowed "with certain unalienable rights" is now up for debate.

Please stand with me to show that Berkshire County believes diversity really is what makes this nation great.

We need to say it is not OK for this administration to grab (apparently, only brown) people and fly them to, and abandon them in, foreign prisons. Without due process. Tell me my fears about what could happen to the people just grabbed in Great Barrington are not justified.

Words can be manipulated. But how this administration is twisting the word diversity defies belief. They started by erasing web pages that discussed veterans, anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, Head Start programs, women, people of color, and more. Then they began disappearing people. And now they are trying to erase ideas.

Mass MoCA was just notified that it has lost a grant to support Jeffrey Gibson's commission "Power Full Because We're Different." With a title like that, could their reason for objecting be any clearer?

The letter Mass MoCA received stated that the NEA is now focusing on "projects that reflect the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President."

"As prioritized by the President."

This move is not about our honoring our nation's rich heritage, not about upholding the constitution or protecting the bill of rights. This is about catering to the president's singular agenda. Which he has made very clear in both actions and words.

Let's make clear with our own actions and words what we believe: The diversity makes America Great. Stronger. Better

Come Saturday, May 10, from 1:15-2:15 to stand with us. Let's fill all four corners by City Hall in North Adams! If you can't get here, check local listing for other local rallies. But stand up wherever you are.

Eileen Gloster
North Adams, Mass.

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Companion Corner: Ellie at No Paws Left Behind

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
02:58PM / Wednesday, September 23, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There is a spicy orange tabby looking for her new home.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Ellie is a 5-year-old domestic shorthair who has been at the shelter for about a month. Kennel assistant Claire Morin introduced us to her.

"The family's living situation was changing, and so they surrendered her on that day," she said.

Like a typical orange, Ellie can have a "spicy" side to her and may hiss or growl. But she is also in a shelter setting which can cause more stress.

"Ellie is a very sassy girl. She's been a little bit challenging to handle here because she hates all cats, so ideally she would want to be in a single-cat home," Morin said. "When we get her out, she enjoys being out, but she starts to smell the other cats that are here, and she becomes very antagonistic. The cats are antagonistic toward her as well, but overall she's a very sweet girl."

While Ellie is not a fan of other cats, and since she is in a room with other cats, it can be hard to show off how great she can be without the stress.

Ellie is big on food and likes her wet treats. She also likes being brushed with a toothbrush.

"Ellie loves wet food, which she is devouring right now because it's lunchtime. She loves catnip. She loves being brushed with this giant toothbrush-like brush, and she loves treats," she said.

She can be in a home with older children who can understand her boundaries.

"Ellie would do beautifully if she was the only cat in the house. It would take her a few minutes to warm up with whoever adopts her."

She would also do best as the only one getting attention on her terms and to be respectful of her boundaries. But once out of the shelter setting she may find herself more comfortable and more loving with one-on-one attention.

"We think she would do fantastic in a home where she was the only one getting the attention. She'd be much more comfortable on her own terms."

If you think Ellie could be your companion, be sure to fill out the form on the shelter's website and email or drop it off to No Paws Left Behind on Hodges Cross Road.

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