Letter: Vote for Greylock on Oct. 8

To the Editor:

Dear North Adams Neighbors,

We are writing today in support of the new Greylock School project. Education has always been our family's priority, and we were very lucky to have received a complete early childhood education. Early education is the foundation on which everything in a community, such as ours, is built upon.

The effects of the new school project will be felt for generations and build a strong foundation for the future of our community. This is why the passing of the Greylock School Project, an opportunity provided to all children in North Adams, is important to us and our family.

Please support the Greylock School Project and come out to vote on Oct. 8 because it will be crucial for securing a brighter, stronger community. Let’s come together to make a lasting impact on the children of North Adams.

Grace and Charlotte Towler
North Adams, Mass. 

New Greylock School Vote Edges Yes Victory

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
08:54PM / Tuesday, October 08, 2024

The vote was close with some 1,309 voting no for the debt exclusion over concerns of burdensome tax increases.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The new Greylock School project will move forward after a successful debt exclusion vote on Tuesday. 

The proponents won a narrow victory with a 136 votes. The unofficial tally was 1,445 yes to 1,309 no.

The vote was to determine a debt exclusion that would allow the city to bond out nearly $20 million over 30 years. The Massachusetts School Building Authority will be picking up $42.2 million of the $65 million cost with the balance being covered by a federal grant for a geothermal system. 

 

"We're very excited, and we look forward to moving this project forward, in the best interest of our kids and the future generations of North Adams," said Mayor Jennifer Macksey. 

 

Opponents of taking on the debt are considering appealing. One of the leaders of the effort, Marie T. Harpin, said she thought there were enough irregularities in the close vote to take another look. She referred to a number of voters who had been deemed inactive and other issues. 

 

Both opponents and proponents of the new school, however, were cheered by the amount of engagement they'd seen from the community. 

 

Harpin, a former city councilor and a leader on the vote no side, said she'd spoken to one man who was voting for the first time in four years. 

 

"He was showing up for this vote, so people are concerned," she said. "I think it's probably going to be close. I think there's division in the community, just naturally, so I think it'll be close ...