Letter: Vote for Right Team for North Adams

Letter to the Editor03:00PM / Thursday, November 02, 2023Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

Hi there! How many North Adams folks know that Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 7? How many residents realize that the current mayor is up for re-election? Luckily for us, the signs on the lawn of City Hall remind us of our civic duty.

Me, I voted early right there in City Hall, for nine members for City Council (phew!) plus the city mayor. I'm eager to earn bragging rights for electing the right team. Because, coming soon, North Adams will be reviewing the 10-year update to our Vision 2030 Comprehensive Plan.

We have made progress, despite the COVID-19 setback, and now we are looking ahead to a prosperous future. Vote, and get the right team on board in City Hall. Thank you.

Alice Bojanowski
North Adams, Mass.

Tags: election 2023,

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North Adams Council Gets Update on Opioid Collaborative Actions

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
12:05PM / Friday, September 25, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council got an update from the Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative on Tuesday.

Andy Ottoson and Anna Youngman, of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, spoke about the Into the Light Project and other work being undertaken by the collaborative.

"The HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Coalition, with funding from the city and from [Berkshire Health Systems], brought the Into the Light Project to our area to reduce stigma, encourage compassion, and promote dialog, inviting viewers to advocate for improved treatment access and respectful disruptions around addiction," said Youngman, North County HEAL Coalition community coordinator.

The exhibit of artist illustrations and narratives of those lost to overdose, including residents of North Berkshire, was displayed at Hotel Downstreet earlier this year; partial versions of the exhibit are now being displayed in municipal buildings, including City Hall and Adams Town Hall.

Youngman said about 1,000 people from seven states viewed the exhibit and that the "feedback from the project was exceptional." The exhibit is the brainchild of nonprofit's founder and artist Theresa Clower who has put on nearly two dozen installations around the country.

"We extend our deepest gratitude to the local families who shared the stories of their loved ones with us throughout this project by allowing us to see the whole person, their joys, their talents, and their dreams," said Youngman. "These families have helped break down stigma and remind us that every life matters."

She continued that the number of outreach specialists has doubled to 12 and that the collaborative is doing a needs assessment to determine the most crucial needs and create a strategic plan for use of the opioid settlement funds.

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