Everything & Nothing (& How to Help in the Wake of Northampton Arsons)
In times of crisis, I’ve noticed there’s everything and nothing to say. Here’s what happened: early Sunday morning, my little town, a friendly and generally trusting—and trustworthy—place was deeply shaken when, for just over an hour, a...Taxes and Religion
It’s an annual tradition: with the end of the calendar year approaching, city councilors in Springfield find themselves scrambling to approve the city’s new tax rate for the coming year, before a Dec. 31 deadline. Turns out, though, that deadline...Between the Lines: McDermott's Missed Moment
Valley Advocate Senior Writer Maureen Turner sent me a teasing email last week to ask me if I planned to write a farewell column to Larry McDermott, the longtime editor and, since 1999, publisher of the Springfield Republican. "Did I dream this," Turner...
Halos and Horns
Horns to Springfield State Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera and West Springfield State Sen. Stephen Buoniconti for their so-called attempts to "improve" the state's endangered species protection program. In truth, the bills pushed by these two urban...E-Edition
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