Letter: Response 10/23 Letter: Vote Rikleen for Senate

To the Editor:

The recent letter supporting Senator Markey in the 2026 Senate primary focuses on only one of his opponents (Congressman Moulton), quickly dismissing my candidacy with a passing parenthetical.

The writer criticizes Moulton for running only on age, and that's a fair critique. So far, it's the only clear thing he's running on.

My campaign is completely different. I'm not running on age at all — you won't find a single mention of it on my website or in my stump speech. I'm running because our democracy is in crisis, and too many of our Democratic leaders are failing to meet the moment. I include Senator Markey and Representative Moulton in that critique.

The letter says Senator Markey is "fighting Trump's fascist policies every single day." I wish that were true. He talks a good game, but he's done less to resist this administration than he did during Trump's first term. Individual senators have many procedural tools to slow or block Trump's agenda — and Markey has used none of them, despite that he occasionally used some during Trump's first term.

Alex Rikleen
Acton, Mass.

Rikleen is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

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.