Campaign Statement: Morrow Running for North Adams City Council

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Deanna Morrow, a direct care support worker at the Brien Center's Keenan House North, and recent Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts graduate, announced on March 10 that she will run for a seat on the North Adams City Council.
 
Morrow has resided in North Adams since 2018.
 
Her priorities for City Council focus on increasing addiction resources, expanding affordable and accessible housing, and more development in public transportation. She is dedicated to making North Adams a welcoming community, especially for future generations. 
 
In the last decade, she said, there's been a sharp increase in addiction without a corresponding reaction for addiction resources available to the public. 
 
As a young person looking for housing in North Adams, she has experienced firsthand how difficult it is to find an affordable place to live. 
 
As a working adult without a car, Morrow knows how difficult it is to get around North Adams and the Northern Berkshires with the current state of public transportation. 
 
Growing up in Boston, she has seen how the public transportation system has the capacity to thrive and run well. It is important to have  additional routes, stops, and funding within BRTA. She is also excited about expanding the city's bike lanes and encouraging residents to use more sustainable transportation.
 
When asked why she decided to run for City Council, Morrow stated, "Because I want to be more involved in the community's decision making process. I also bring a unique perspective being a young woman, a walker, and a renter. These experiences could be better represented on the council. I know I have spent little time in politics but I believe I have a lot to bring to the table based on experiences I've had throughout my life and career."
 
Morrow grew up in Hyde Park, a neighborhood of Boston, and moved to North Adams to attend MCLA in 2018. In high school, she was very involved in Student Government and National Honors Society, and contributed to her community by organizing blood drives, field days, and
fundraisers. During her sophomore year, her school was on the verge of being shut down, but because of Morrow's tireless efforts in organizing and attending meetings, protests, and walkouts, her school remained open to serve and educate students.
 
During her time at MCLA, Morrow spent most of her time volunteering. She developed a food insecurity program called MCLA Swipes, attended the Days of Service and the Winter Blitz, and gave her afternoons to the MCLA Volunteer Center's after school programming.
 
She can be reached at deannamorrow2023@gmail.com.
 

 

 


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Airport Commission Drama Surfaces at North Adams Council Meeting

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff

Ashley Shade takes the president's seat after being sworn in again as vice president. Bryan Sapienza, who was attending remotely, was re-elected president. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The controversies stewing at the Airport Commission bubbled over to City Council on Tuesday night with a councilor demanding an investigation and the subject of a failed lease agreement claiming conflicts of interest and mayoral tampering.
 
The spark was an agenda item appointing Doug Herrick of Williamstown to fill the term of one of two commissioners who resigned after a vote to enter into a lease agreement with airport user Michael Milazzo and Brian Doyle for the Northeast Hangar back in October. That vote was rescinded in December after a letter from Mayor Jennifer Macksey called the process into question, particularly noting the recommendation by a subcommittee to reject Milazzo's proposal and concerns from the inspector general's office.  
 
Milazzo and Doyle are involved in civil lawsuits around the hangar going back to 2019 as both a plaintiffs and defendents with former hangar owners and Milazzo is accused of damaging the structure, to the point it was taken over by the city and restored at a cost of more than $750,000. 
 
City Councilor Peter Breen repeatedly called for an investigation into the commissioners' resignations, pointing to the reasons given by Michael McCarron in his email in November. Herrick would fill his term. 
 
"It says that it is the unexpired term of Mike McCarron, my understanding, after reading his email, that he said that he's resigning because the city official is telling him how to vote," he said. "I think we should send this to committee to investigate why we would have a commissioner be forced to make a vote."
 
Breen, the council's liaison to the commission, also referred to an email by Airport Manager Bruce Goff describing the situation and raised concerns about federal and state laws being broken. 
 
"There are two investigations going on now. And then there is a third one, because it's $750,000 worth of grant money from the federal government," he said. 
 
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