phone 413.664.0729
web- kbona@bonamarketing.com
A changed local government that is more receptive to new ideas. City hall has built a wall around itself that many fear to climb, or forced to stay out. These people have creative solutions that can help our financial situation, build a welcoming city for tourist and locals, and develop more businesses and jobs. City Hall needs to be the people's place, where issues are discussed, ideas are tossed around, and innovative and fiscally sound solutions become reality. A new mayor and council will not be able to make these changes immediately nor on their own. We need a roadmap of where we want go, and find our community resources that will build the vehicle to get us there.
Once the attitude of local government changes we need to move immediately to community and economic development. Keeping and expanding the existing business, and finding new entrepreneurs. I vision a full downtown with a strong connection to Mass MoCA and MCLA. I vision the empty mill spaces, industrial buildings, office and retail spaces filled with new and expanding businesses.
3. What is the roll of the city council in North Adams government and how should a city councilor’s vision of North Adams come into play in the course of governing North Adams?
The official role of the city council is to be the checks and balances and legislative body for local ordinances. Beyond that, the council needs to be a role model to others. They should be visible, interact with people, and be the ambassadors for the city. One rarely sees a city councilor beside the televised meetings or a couple of the largest events. They need to endorse their downtown by simply using it themselves. They need to go beyond the council chambers and committee meetings and get to know the people they are representing.
4. Give concrete examples of how you would tackle three or more of the following issues.
a. Employment in North Adams I served on the Berkshire Regional Employment Board and the North Adams Community Development Board. Both dealt with job creations and developing small businesses. Sad to say NACDC no longer exists and the presence of BREB is not as prevalent as other parts of the county. City hall has been uncooperative at times making it difficult for third party organizations to accomplish their tasks. Many give up and dissolve their local presence and organization.
b. Poverty In North Adams
c. Housing in North Adams
g. Engaging the people, skills, and talents, of North Adams toward a better North Adams.
web- kbona@bonamarketing.com
Age:41
Spouse/Children: wife: Anne-Marie Puricelli Bona, Children: Alexander 15 -
McCann sophomore; Elizabeth 11, Brayton 5th grade
Ancestors dates back to North Adams shortly after civil war.
Education:Graduate McCann Tech, Electronics; BFA Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester NY, Graphic Design, Computer Graphics and Communications.
Occupation and Employer: Self Employed since 1990. Own Bona Marketing & Printing, and Creations Outlet (retail gift shop), Instructor at MCLA since 1994, Landlord.
Civic or Charitable Affiliations:
The several years I was away from the council, I spent that time working with the North Adams Elks, and served as their president. The local Elks raises almost $50k per year for local charities. I continued to come up with new fund raisers that raised $10k for the Children's Hospital, $20k for scholarships, and joined new boards and organizations to learn more about what our community offers.
I am proud to see the United Neighborhood Organization (UNO) is still active under the guidance of NBCC nearly twenty years after I co-founded it with Shirley Davis and David Dunn. Many of our local issues need to be attacked with grassroots effort, and UNO is a great example of how that works. Other organizations I worked with: North Adams Community Development Corp, Northern Berkshire Industrial Parks & Management, Berkshire Regional Employment Board, Northern Berkshire Visiting Nurse Assoc, North Adams Open Studios and several others. When on the council, I served as the liaison to Mass MoCA, School Committee, Hoosac Water Quality District along with Community Development chair and Public Works and Public Safety Committees.
2. What is your vision for a reinvigorated North Adams 10 years down the road?
Spouse/Children: wife: Anne-Marie Puricelli Bona, Children: Alexander 15 -
McCann sophomore; Elizabeth 11, Brayton 5th grade
Ancestors dates back to North Adams shortly after civil war.
Education:Graduate McCann Tech, Electronics; BFA Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester NY, Graphic Design, Computer Graphics and Communications.
Occupation and Employer: Self Employed since 1990. Own Bona Marketing & Printing, and Creations Outlet (retail gift shop), Instructor at MCLA since 1994, Landlord.
Civic or Charitable Affiliations:
The several years I was away from the council, I spent that time working with the North Adams Elks, and served as their president. The local Elks raises almost $50k per year for local charities. I continued to come up with new fund raisers that raised $10k for the Children's Hospital, $20k for scholarships, and joined new boards and organizations to learn more about what our community offers.
I am proud to see the United Neighborhood Organization (UNO) is still active under the guidance of NBCC nearly twenty years after I co-founded it with Shirley Davis and David Dunn. Many of our local issues need to be attacked with grassroots effort, and UNO is a great example of how that works. Other organizations I worked with: North Adams Community Development Corp, Northern Berkshire Industrial Parks & Management, Berkshire Regional Employment Board, Northern Berkshire Visiting Nurse Assoc, North Adams Open Studios and several others. When on the council, I served as the liaison to Mass MoCA, School Committee, Hoosac Water Quality District along with Community Development chair and Public Works and Public Safety Committees.
2. What is your vision for a reinvigorated North Adams 10 years down the road?
A changed local government that is more receptive to new ideas. City hall has built a wall around itself that many fear to climb, or forced to stay out. These people have creative solutions that can help our financial situation, build a welcoming city for tourist and locals, and develop more businesses and jobs. City Hall needs to be the people's place, where issues are discussed, ideas are tossed around, and innovative and fiscally sound solutions become reality. A new mayor and council will not be able to make these changes immediately nor on their own. We need a roadmap of where we want go, and find our community resources that will build the vehicle to get us there.
Once the attitude of local government changes we need to move immediately to community and economic development. Keeping and expanding the existing business, and finding new entrepreneurs. I vision a full downtown with a strong connection to Mass MoCA and MCLA. I vision the empty mill spaces, industrial buildings, office and retail spaces filled with new and expanding businesses.
3. What is the roll of the city council in North Adams government and how should a city councilor’s vision of North Adams come into play in the course of governing North Adams?
The official role of the city council is to be the checks and balances and legislative body for local ordinances. Beyond that, the council needs to be a role model to others. They should be visible, interact with people, and be the ambassadors for the city. One rarely sees a city councilor beside the televised meetings or a couple of the largest events. They need to endorse their downtown by simply using it themselves. They need to go beyond the council chambers and committee meetings and get to know the people they are representing.
4. Give concrete examples of how you would tackle three or more of the following issues.
a. Employment in North Adams I served on the Berkshire Regional Employment Board and the North Adams Community Development Board. Both dealt with job creations and developing small businesses. Sad to say NACDC no longer exists and the presence of BREB is not as prevalent as other parts of the county. City hall has been uncooperative at times making it difficult for third party organizations to accomplish their tasks. Many give up and dissolve their local presence and organization.
b. Poverty In North Adams
Increase the quantity and quality of jobs. Improve what people make for a living and it will trickle down and improve most of our major issues including poverty. But before we get there we can increase grassroots efforts. I co-founded the United Neighborhood Organization which still exist nearly twenty years later. This group empowered neighbors to have pride in their neighborhoods no matter what income level they were at.
c. Housing in North Adams
I grew up helping my father renovate apartment houses worse than those being torn down today. I fought to save some historic beauties, but city hall insisted on razing the painted ladies. Their scars still show today with empty gravel lots scattered in neighborhoods. The blighted homes are not a problem until they fall in long-term disrepair where they no longer are economically worth saving or a safety issue. The city should evaluate these homes early on and try to save any with historical value. What causes the blight? Abandoned homes, absentee landlords, disrespectful tenants and jobs. Loss of jobs decreased our population by thousands. The demand for housing went down. There are more homes and apartments then people needing them. Work on creating jobs and encourage first time home buyers with assistance from the banks is one way to eliminate a portion of the problem. I would rather support more housing similar to the eclipse mill, than the Clark Biscuit mill. I am thrilled the Clark Biscuit mill is preserved, but disappointed it's reserved for low-income housing with rent that is mostly subsidized.
d. Crime in North Adams.
d. Crime in North Adams.
As mentioned above, when I co-founded the United Neighborhood Organization for the Bracewell, River, Hall, Houghton, Holden and Eagle Street areas crime was a major concern of the residents. We formed local crime watch. There are new programs other communities are doing which strongly connect volunteer crime watch groups to the police department. I encourage our city to examine these and expand from what we already have. If we see increase in violent crime and gang related activity we cannot continue to decrease police presence.
e. Attracting business to North Adams.
e. Attracting business to North Adams.
Start with an internal community/economic development director, reinitiate programs that have gone defunct in the past that helped small and expanding businesses. Create a relationship with financial and local venture groups that make it a priority to invest in those who want to grow here. It's not necessary to find businesses that employ 1000s of people. Having many micro-businesses is a healthier long-term approach.
f. Preserving, utilizing, and promoting the Natural Resources of North Adams.
It wasn't until recently that the Berkshire Visitors Bureau realized tourist are more interested in our natural resources than our man made art and cultural events. The Cascade Falls is one of my favorite places to walk with my family, and is a hidden treasure to most visitors and locals. We can make better use of our campground, trails, forests, and mountains to attract and market our area. Big cities don't have peace and quiet, the Appalachians, and awesome scenic views. We got it, let's use it to bring people here along with reminding ourselves these natural resources are precious.
g. Engaging the people, skills, and talents, of North Adams toward a better North Adams.
We have an excellent college that can train a needed workforce. We also have many current residents with talents and experience the city isn't utilizing. Many of these people may be willing to volunteer for the city if given a chance and treated with respect. Minimally get these talents on the appropriate committees that benefit the city.
h. Engaging with and utilizing the neighbors and the region surrounding North Adams.
h. Engaging with and utilizing the neighbors and the region surrounding North Adams.
North Adams is too small on its own to accomplish everything. If it's us or a neighboring town that has the opportunity to grow business we should support it. For decades hundreds of residents of North Adams have worked in Pittsfield GE plants. When GE and Sprague pulled out it was detrimental to the entire county. Our relationships with neighboring towns is strained and needs to be healed, strengthened and bonded. Time to clean the slate, work together, create a cooperative team that empowers the best of all communities, and form a strategic plan that works on all the issues listed above.
i. The Downtown of North Adams
I disagree with Mayor Barrett that we don't have space for new businesses. We have the: former Sprague's building on Curran Hwy; the NoAMA mill (former Delftree) on Rt 2 has an infamous amount of space; Windsor Mill is only 1/3 occupied; Mass MoCA still has several empty buildings; there's an abundance of downtown office space; a large lot behind Big Y; a lot next to the Transcript; the Son's of Italy building or lot; Shapiro buildings on Ashland Street, space on Curran Hwy that we are hoping for development but has not come to fruition at this point, the Brown Street lot that was recently cleaned; the former waste water treatment lot that has been abandoned for years off of Mass Ave, and there may be more spaces coming available soon. Let's start by filling these before we say "we don't have space for more businesses." That's just an excuse why we haven't been looking for new business.
