Letter: Macksey Is a Proven Leader

To the Editor:

I am proud to support the re-election of Mayor Macksey. I have known Mayor Macksey for more than 20 years and I have had the pleasure of working closely with her and seeing firsthand her leadership for North Adams.

Mayor Macksey is special because she truly cares about people. Her values are founded on compassion, and that comes through when you see her supporting local youth sports, rebuilding our senior center, and ensuring that our schools have everything our community can muster. She has remained close to the community as a mayor, but more importantly, as a neighbor, mentor, and friend.

Mayor Macksey does not shy away from big challenges; she confronts them head-on. The rec center revitalization speaks volumes about her resolution. What was once a facility on the brink now serves as a hub for community activity thanks to her leadership, dedication, and coordination.

Mayor Macksey’s time in office has demonstrated her rare combination of strategic vision and personal commitment. She is equally capable of securing funding through state and local grants to improve our city and following through on those projects. Her attention to the issues, great and small, reflects her devotion to those whom she serves.

Not only will you see her greet residents with genuine warmth, but she listens and acts on the needs of her constituents. Her leadership is not about policy, but about people.

Constructive and collaborative leadership is more essential than ever, and Jennifer Macksey has proven herself to be exactly the kind of leader North Adams needs.

On Nov. 4, I will be voting for Mayor Jennifer Macksey. I encourage all my neighbors who want to move our city toward a better future to join me.

Ian Bergeron
North Adams, Mass.

North Adams, Pittsfield Mark King Day With Calls for Activism

By Tammy Daniels & Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:01PM / Monday, January 19, 2026

Alÿcia Bacon, community engagement officer for the Berkshire Taconic Foundation, speaks at the MLK service held Price Memorial AME Church in Pittsfield. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Wendy Penner can be found pretty much everywhere: leading local initiatives to address climate change and sustainability, championing public health approaches for substance abuse, and motivating citizens to defend their rights and the rights of others. 

 

That's all when she's not working her day job in public health, or being co-president of Congregation Beth Israel, or chairing the Williamstown COOL Committee, or volunteering on a local board. 

 

"Wendy is deeply committed to the Northern Berkshire community and to the idea of think globally, act locally," said Gabrielle Glasier, master of ceremonies for Northern Berkshire Community Coalition's annual Day of Service. 

 

Her community recognized her efforts with the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Peacemaker Award, which is presented to individuals and organizations who have substantially contributed to the Northern Berkshires. The award has been presented by the MLK Committee for 30 years, several times a year at first and at the MLK Day of Service over the past 20 years. 

 

"This event is at heart a celebration of our national and local striving to live up to the ideals of Dr. King and his committed work for racial equality, economic justice, nonviolence and anti-militarism," said Penner. "There is so much I want to say about this community that I love, about how we show up for each other, how we demonstrate community care for those who are struggling, how we support and and celebrate the natural environment that we love and how we understand how important it is that every community member feels deserves to feel valued, seen and uplifted."

 

King's legacy is in peril "as I never could have imagined," she said, noting the accumulation of vast wealth at the top while the bottom 50 percent share only 2.5 percent the country's assets. Even in "safe" Massachusetts, there are people struggling with food and housing, others afraid to leave their homes. 

 

In response, the community has risen to organize and make themselves visible and vocal through groups such as Greylock Together, supporting mutual aid networks, calling representatives, writing cards and letters, and using their privilege to protect vulnerable community members.