“I just think he’s taking advantage of the taxpayers, and while it is not technically illegal, I think it’s unethical.”
— Linda Vacon, Holyoke Ward 5 City Councilor, on the city’s elected treasurer accepting a full-time job — and two paychecks, The Republican
“The issue is deep within the abyss of law and regulation at the moment.”
— Greenfield Mayor William Martin on the city’s decision to put the economic development director on paid leave for an unspecified reason, The Recorder
“I hope we don’t just get into word games about promotion versus hiring, I think we could have done better.”
— Gerald Levine, Leyden representative to the Franklin County Technical School Committee, on the selection of a new superintendent — the assistant super — without a full search, The Recorder
“I don’t think it was fair to the people that he presented himself as a pastor when in reality he is an administrator.”
— Michael Wood, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, on the reassignment of Agawam Catholic church’s Tomasz Parzyynski, an administrator who has been acting pastor, to another house of worship, The Republican
“He said people were already giving and he could not stop it. … We didn’t need money. We didn’t want money.”
— Cathy Machak, of South Hadley, on her attempts to stop Brian Abair from fraudulently collecting donations in the name of her deceased son, Seth, Daily Hampshire Gazette
“This is absolutely outrageous and ridiculous. I am going to fight this tooth and nail.”
— Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno on the state’s Office of Housing and Economic Development relocating 175 homeless families to live in the city, The Republican
“Greenfield has a lot of people without means. … Not everyone’s got a smartphone.”
— Linda McInerny, of Deerfield, on the lack of a ticket kiosk at the new train stop in Greenfield, The Republican
“There’s always room for really good beer.”
— Lawrence George, of Florence, on opening the Brick & Feather Brewery in Turners Falls, The Recorder
