NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The two final candidates running to be the first woman mayor of North Adams will debate on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 p.m. at the MCLA Church Street Center.
The event is open to the public; face coverings are required.
This debate is being sponsored by iBerkshires.com and the MCLA Political Science Club, and hosted by Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Northern Berkshire Community Television will be recording the event for later broadcast. It will also be uploaded to iBerkshires' YouTube channel.
The two candidates, Lynette Bond and Jennifer Macksey, will be asked questions by a panel of journalists from iBerkshires, The Berkshire Eagle, WAMC Northeast Public Radio and the MCLA Beacon. The moderator will be Adams Town Moderator Myra Wilk.
We'd also like to hear from the community and incorporate some of your questions into the debate. Please take a couple minutes to fill out this online survey by Friday, Oct. 15.
Macksey and Bond were the top vote-getters in the preliminary election held on Sept. 21. Both newcomers in terms of political office, they do have extensive experience in municipal and educational finance and planning.
Macksey is the current assistant superintendent for operations and finance for the Northern Berkshire School Union and the former treasurer for the city of North Adams. She also worked in finance administration at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and, as vice president, at the former Southern Vermont College. She holds a bachelor's in accounting and business management from Trinity College and a master's in higher education administration from Bay Path University.
Bond is director of development for grants and research for MCLA and was the grant coordinator and a project manager for the town of Adams, working in the Community Development Office. She also oversaw projects and operations at Columbia University and was a recruiter and economic development volunteer with the Peace Corps. She holds a bachelor of science from Iowa State University and a master's in nonprofit management from New School University.
The election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last day to register to vote in the election is Wednesday, Oct. 13, online or by 8 p.m. in the city clerk's office; and the deadline to request a mail-in ballot is 5 p.m. on Oct. 27.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Colegrove Park Recognized as Top 10 School Statewide in Attendance
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Superintendent Barbara Malkas, left, Colegrove Principal Amy Meehan, Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Dean of Students Jonathan Slocum pose with the Celtics basketball award on Friday.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year.
Tim Connor, assistant director for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's west and central district, arrived with a gold basketball signed by the champion team to reward the students for their achievement.
"An award like this doesn't come easy. It takes a lot of work from all of you, the students, the parents, and especially Ms. Meehan and her wonderful staff, so a big round of applause," said Mayor Jennifer Macksey, after leading the assembly in the gym to chants of "Colegrove rocks!" "I am so proud of this school and the community that all of you have built. So everyone should be really excited about today, and this is an excellent way to start your school."
Superintendent Barbara Malkas asked last year's fifth-graders at Colegrove to join her at the front of the gym for a special applause.
"When we track attendance of all the students in the whole district, these students have the highest attendance rate, the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the entire district," Malkas said. "While all Colegrove students have been recognized as attendance all-stars, these students led the way in being attendance all-stars, so let's give them one more round of applause."
Colegrove switched this year to house Grades 3 to 6, so some of the younger students who helped earn the award are now at Brayton Elementary. However, all three elementary schools open last year saw improvement in attendance.
Schools statewide have been working to reduce chronic absenteeism — the percentage of students missing 10 percent of the school year, or 18 days — which peaked during the pandemic.
Last week, the nonprofit held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a 900-square-foot wooden structure with a full foundation and a composting toilet. The excavation process began this week, and completion is expected in 2026.
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The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year. click for more