To the Editor:

I am writing to encourage all of your North Adams readers to vote Yes on Tuesday to invest in our school district, our students, and the future of our community.

I moved to North Adams in 2021, and I have been overwhelmingly impressed by the spirit of collaboration on perseverance that I have experienced here. New England is littered with small factory — or mill — towns that were decimated by the loss of one singular employer, and North Adams still feels the absence of so many families that no longer call this place home. But the people here now — the entrepreneurs developing new industries, the artists finding inspiration among the

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To the Editor:

A lot has been said for and against building a new Greylock School in the city of North Adams. The rhetoric is getting heated over the cost, over the impact on property taxes, over the need for a new school building faced with a declining student population. These are all good points for discussion and the cost to the city and further to the taxpayer should not be ignored.

As former mayor, city councilor, School Committee member and School Building Committee member, I have certainly had my share of whether or not things are needed and affordable. Managing a city and a school district are full of choices based not only on need but on funding. Today as a city and a school

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To the Editor:

I'm writing today to express my concerns about the proposition to build a new K-2 school to replace the current K-2 school, Brayton Elementary. There are several reasons why voters should vote "No" on this proposal: the declining school population, the tax burden on the citizens of North Adams and our crumbling infrastructure.

It was projected that by the time the build is completed, there will be only 250 children attending this school. In addition to that, the cost of the bond (approximately $270 on average per year) will be pushed to the taxpayers of North Adams.

The tax increase of $270 is really for the next few years, but with taking a $20 million loan

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When you invest, you'll find that knowledge is power. The more you know about your investment choices, and who is offering them, the better prepared you'll be to make good decisions. And this diligence can also help protect you against investment scams.

How widespread is this activity? Consider this: Investment fraud losses totaled more than $4.5 billion in 2023, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Report.

Here are some common types of scams:

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To the Editor:

We are in a crucial point where we are in a place to receive a substantial amount of money, $45 million to be exact to go towards the Greylock School Project. Some may walk into Brayton Elementary School and think to themselves this building is fine.

What you don't see is that students are in classrooms with no windows, the number of stairs these students have to walk up and down, the lack of updated technology services, security systems. The HVAC and roof have out lived their life span and will need repairs and upgrades in the immediate future. There are likely other repairs that will need to be addressed if the project does not move forward.

There are only so many

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To the Editor:

The start of the school year is full of excitement and anticipation for both students and teachers. North Adams is no exception. The recent tours of the Brayton and Greylock elementary schools brought home the culture that teachers create to bring out the best in their students.

Signs were posted everywhere to reinforce the qualities and culture needed to make students successful. At the same time, one cannot ignore the physical plant that creates an uphill climb for students and teachers to realize their aspirations even when they bring their best game to the table. The recent concerns about mold at Brayton School serve to reinforce these challenges.

We must face the fact

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To the Editor:

Although I no longer reside in North Adams, after moving to eastern Massachusetts a few years ago to be closer to family, my roots in North Adams run deep. As a native of North Adams, a Drury High School graduate, a 16-year member of the North Adams School Committee, and a father of children who greatly benefited from their education in North Adams schools, I will always care about the future of North Adams and its children.

I have long been an advocate for a K-8 grade school configuration. However, the current infrastructure of North Adams schools cannot support this approach. You would need significant investment in a much larger facility, at a substantially higher cost

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To the Editor:

North Adams voters have an important decision to make on Oct. 8. Will we approve a Proposition 2 1/2 exclusion authorizing a 30-year increase above real estate tax limits to fund the city's share of the cost to build a new elementary school? Or will voters decide there are other, more fiscally responsible options available?

While a new school would be nice, it's not that simple. Many North Adams residents live paycheck-to-paycheck. Others are limited to the amount of their monthly Social Security check to try to make ends meet. For homeowners, the additional tax will be a hardship. For renters, landlords will pass along the increase, raising rents when we already

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To the Editor:

I'll say it again and again, I think all the yay-sayers are missing the point of priorities in North Adams, why we moved to another town.

The brown water, the water breaks, sewage backing up in the streets, the constant flow of power outages, the huge potholes everywhere, closed roads/bridges, cement barricades left halfway in road passage ways for years, vegetation overgrowth throughout the roadsides, the multiple promises of attractions that never materialized, dilapidated buildings both city owned and privately left to rot, and on and on.

The major problem with your yes vote is no promises to fix any of these issues, just to spend more taxpayers' money, including

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