Letter: Vote for Right Team for North Adams

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.

MCLA, Drury Students Vouch for Early College Programs

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
08:04AM / Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Northern Berkshire educators attend the gathering in Murdock Hall. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts Secretary of Education Stephen Zrike and Department of Higher Education Deputy Commissioner for Policy Michael Dannenberg held a roundtable Monday with MCLA students and local high school students in the early college program.

 

The gathering at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts was part of an education focus in 413 Day, a celebration of Western Mass. Zrike and other state educators had also been in Pittsfield to learn about the needs for early childhood education. 

 

"To hear your stories is very helpful as we try to make sure that we craft policy, and we leverage resources in order to make those dreams more possible for people," Zrike said. "... We want to make sure that we're supporting as many people to get through college in a way that doesn't leave them behind."

 

The conversation was held in the college's Murdock Hall. Zrike, who was only 11 days on the job, said he felt the best way to prepare himself for the position was to talk to real students on different sides of the timeline: those exiting high school and those in the middle of college.

 

Dannenberg spoke to the Fair Share Amendment that Gov. Maura Healey deployed to make higher education more affordable. He said one key to making college accessible is giving students the opportunity to get a head start before they even set foot on a campus.

 

"The importance of time," he said. "Today, the typical student graduates from community college in just over 3 1/2 years; the average student graduates from a four-year college in 5.5 years. We can make college exceptionally more affordable still if we get students to accelerate. It becomes more affordable, and it opens up possibilities so they can graduate debt-free."

 

Drury High School seniors shared their own experiences in the early college program.