Letter: Let's Celebrate Diversity in the Northern Berkshires

To the Editor:

With the Jan. 1 swearing in of our city of North Adams mayor and City Council, we have an opportunity to celebrate diversity. For the first time in North Adams history, we have a woman for mayor, a woman majority council, and a council which is at least one-third LGBTQIA-plus. I believe this is something which should be celebrated, openly.

Despite a worrying national conversation which advocates that diversity equates weakness, the opposite is true, and has been proven time and time again. McKinsey & Co., a global consulting firm, has conducted a series of studies, which have made a strong business case for diversity, showing it is a competitive advantage for organizations, linked to innovation, financial success, and social benefits. It is indicated that it's especially beneficial to have diverse leadership teams.

I think North Adams is well-positioned to leverage fresh ideas and innovate. Our diversity will help set us up for a more successful future.

Andrew J Fitch
North Adams, Mass. 

Andrew Fitch is vice president of the North Adams City Council. 

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.