On Springfield
With Relish
Mayor Domenic Sarno is left in an awkward position after an article in today's Springfield Republican, questioning his role in the eviction of a well-known downtown hot dog vendor.The vendor, John Verducci III, recently received a letter from city officials...Legislature to Take Up CORI and Sentencing Bills
On Monday, July 27, the legislative Joint Judiciary Committee will hold hearings on a bill sponsored by Springfield state Rep. Ben Swan that would reform sentencing laws that result in harsh penalties for people arrested for drug crimes within a designated...All Eyes on Hot Table
I admit that I don’t always pay much attention to the press releases that show up in my inbox plugging new business openings. But it was hard to ignore the press release announcing the opening today of Hot Table, a snazzy-looking new...Rooke Renews Press for Library
Oh, what joy Denise Jordan, chief of staff to Mayor Domenic Sarno, must feel every time she logs on to her email and finds a message waiting from City Councilor Tim Rooke.Rooke’s messages to the mayor’s office typically have what might called a persistent...Political Action, with Cake
As House Democrats and President Obama slogged forward to a healthcare reform compromise today, western Mass. activists got together to celebrate the granddaddy of single-payer healthcare—Medicare—and to press U.S. Rep. Richie Neal to sign on to an effort...Hot Dog Saga Goes National?
When City Councilor Tim Rooke mentioned to me a couple of days ago that John Verducci-Springfield's most famous hot dog vendor-was going to be interviewed by the "Today" show about his scuffle with City Hall, I wondered if Rooke was pulling my leg. While...Political and Personal Fall-out from Power Outage
No doubt recognizing the power of thousands of angry, sweaty residents struck with freezers full of prematurely defrosted food, City Councilor Bud Williams has stepped forward with a call for City Hall to file a class-action lawsuit against WMECO, after a power...Insert Hot Dog Pun Here
From the moment Springfield Republican reporter Stephanie Barry christened it "Wienergate," the battle between hot dog vendor John Verducci and the Sarno administration has proved irresistible to punsters and word-play aficionados across the city, with the...All Bud, All the Time
Acai berry peddlers exempted, my most devoted correspondent over the past week has been City Councilor and mayoral candidate Bud Williams, who filled up my inbox (and, lest I sound like I’m boasting, the inboxes of reporters throughout the Springfield area) with...Sick and Tired
Supporters of a bill that would guarantee paid sick days to Massachusetts workers will rally at Springfield’s Kenefick Park (on Plainfield Street, by the Gerena School) this Thursday. The “Family Fun Day for Paid Sick Days,” will run from 11 a.m. to...Calling All Library Supporters
Monday evening is the big moment for Mason Square residents who've been waiting for six years to get a full library branch restored to their neighborhood. That's when the City Council will vote on a proposal to take by eminent domain 765 State St., which had...Continuing Kennedy's Work
A previously scheduled prayer vigil for immigration reform has shifted focus a bit to also honor a champion of that cause: Sen. Ted Kennedy.The vigil—to be held this evening from 6 to 7 p.m. at the federal building at 300 State St. in Springfield— was...Unions Weigh in on September Elections
The Pioneer Valley Central Labor Council released over the weekend its endorsements for Springfield’s upcoming preliminary elections. Those elections, on Sept. 15, will winnow down the field of candidates for five of the eight newly created ward seats on the...Tom & Ted's (& Mitch's & Matty's) Excellent Adventures
Like political junkies around the Commonwealth, blogger Tom Devine marked the death of Teddy Kennedy with some reminiscing about the senator—albeit with a trademark Devinian twist.Devine recounts his sort-of up-close-and-personal encounter with Kennedy at the...Moms Take Legislators' Temperature
Members of Pioneer Valley MomsRising hit the Statehouse today to call on legislators to throw their support behind a bill that would guarantee Massachusetts workers a minimum of seven paid sick days a year—a measure that’s all the more vital as we gear up...Williams Takes Shot at Sarno and Hits the Poor
Springfield City Councilor and mayoral candidate Bud Williams has seized on one of the most contentious issues to hit the city in recent months: plans to redevelop the former Longhill Gardens apartments into low-income housing.In point of fact, William has launched a...Get Thee to Your Preliminary
Tuesday’s a big day for the first wave of ward representative candidates for Springfield’s City Council and School Committee—well, at least for some of them.Preliminaries are held for seats if there are more than twice the number of candidates than...The Voters Speak (at least a few of them)
Turn-out for Tuesday's preliminary election was disappointing, even by Springfield standards: Fewer than 10 percent of voters turned out to cast their votes in an election to narrow down a number of candidates for several City Council and School Committee seats to...GOP Smacks Springfield Reps
Earlier this week, as the state House of Representatives geared up to vote on a bill to allow Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint a temporary successor to fill Ted Kennedy’s U.S. Senate seat (they passed the bill late yesterday), the state GOP launched a last-minute...Rooke Calls Out Sarno and Patrick Over Fed Building
The City Council is keeping the pressure on the Sarno administration over the controversial decision to move the School Department to the old federal courthouse building on Main Street, rather then send out a request for bids to let other potential landlords compete...Election News
The Pioneer Valley Central Labor Council has released its latest round of endorsements for this year’s election season, although the group has yet to announce a pick in the biggest race, that for Springfield’s mayor.The labor council’s newest...City Focuses on Homeless Families
On the eve of Springfield’s “Project Homeless Connect,” Mayor Domenic Sarno announced today that two local agencies that serve the homeless population have been awarded $1.7 million in federal grants: the housing-assistance agency HAP, Inc., and...“Project Homeless Connect” by the Numbers
Mayor Domenic Sarno’s office yesterday released some stats from “Project Homeless Connect,” held Tuesday at the MassMutual Center, where homeless people were invited to meet with representatives from various service agencies and to partake of free...Rooke Ratchets Up Federal Building Fight
“I am at a level of frustration that I have never experienced before in all the years that I have been allowed to serve on the City Council,” Tim Rooke wrote in a recent email to a group of reporters who cover Springfield. That’s saying a lot. Rooke...Bring Your Voice (and Your Kids) to the Statehouse
Local families are invited to join Pioneer Valley MomsRising on a trip to the Statehouse this Wed., Oct. 7, to call for a new law that would guarantee paid sick days to Massachusetts workers. Supporters of the bill plan to show up in force that day for a 10:30 hearing...City History Museum Set to Open
Tomorrow is the official public grand opening of the new Museum of Springfield History at the Quadrangle (members get a sneak preview at 5:30 tonight). The new museum, in the former Verizon building, across the street from the Quadrangle visitor center, will be heavy...Labor Council Sticks With Sarno
The Pioneer Valley Central Labor Council announced this weekend its endorsement of incumbent Domenic Sarno over Bud Williams in next month’s mayoral contest.The labor council—made up of 58 affiliate groups in Hampden County, as well as a few Hampshire...A Look at Springfield's Job Loss
Robert Forrant, a former worker at American Bosch and now a history professor at UMass-Lowell, will be at the Museum of Springfield History tomorrow evening to discuss his new book, Metal Fatigue: American Bosch and the Demise of Metalworking in the Connecticut River...More Questions About 1550 Main
Last Friday’s press conference announcing that MassDevelopment has finalized its purchase of the former federal courthouse at 1550 Main St. was, presumably, an effort to inject some positive momentum into City Hall’s plan to move the School Department...Walsh Campaign Revs Up
With Election Day just two weeks away, the campaign to get mayoral aide Tom Walsh elected to the City Council as a write-in candidate is heating up.Neighbors of Walsh launched the effort last month, shortly before the Sept. 15 preliminary. Over the summer, Walsh had...Forest Park Hears from (Most of) its Candidates
The Forest Park Civic Association has released questionnaires it sent to the four candidates for the City Council’s Wards 3 and 6 seats, each of which will represent parts of that neighborhood. The results are on the association’s website (which, by the...Mr. and Ms. Moneybags Come to Springfield
Health New England is due for a dubious honor tomorrow: Billionaires for Wealthcare plans to stop by the insurance company’s Springfield office to deliver a thank-you card for “its participation in the vital work of American Health Insurance Plans...Four More Years?
A couple of days ago, I got a letter from city activist Karen Powell (co-founder of the Citizens Action Network, or CANE) that she was hoping to submit as a letter to the editor.Unfortunately, the letter came just a bit too late for publication in this week's...'Tis the Season
With just a couple of days until Tuesday’s election, it’s time for the local media to endorse candidates, and this year there’s a lot of work to do: In addition to a mayor’s race, Springfield voters will also choose five at-large city...And Now, the Republican
In a not particularly surprising development, the Springfield Republican yesterday endorsed Domenic Sarno in tomorrow’s mayoral election.Two years ago, the newspaper endorsed Sarno’s opponent, then-incumbent Mayor Charlie Ryan, as the candidate with the...Go Vote. Please.
The Springfield election office is predicting a 30 percent voter turnout today in this morning’s Republican. While that would be a step up from the abysmal turnout at the Sept. preliminary (when fewer than 10 percent of voters bothered to show up at the polls),...Thank heavens, Springfield
I can’t say I’ve always understood the decisions made by the Springfield electorate. Electing Mike Albano to multiple terms, even over such superior candidates as Charlie Ryan (in 1995) and Paul Caron (in 2001)? Robotically returning the same batch of...Evaluating Ward Rep
Ward representation was a long time coming in Springfield, and expectations for the changes the new system will bring to city government have been high. So, one week after Election Day, has ward rep lived up to the expectations?Not so much, is the verdict from the...Tosado in 2011?
It’s hard not to see City Councilor Jose Tosado’s recent announcement that he’s sewn up enough support to become the Council’s next president as the start of perhaps a bigger campaign, for a higher seat. Tosado was the highest vote-getter in...Frankie in Hot Water, Again
When Frankie Keough was sentenced in three years in federal prison in 2007 for stealing from Friends of the Homeless, the Springfield shelter he ran, the disgraced former city councilor offered an apology before the court that, in the words of Springfield Republican...Biomass Opponents Speak Out
The Springfield Public Health Council will meet Wednesday evening to discuss a proposal to build a wood-burning power plant on Page Boulevard—and project opponents plan to show up to let the council members know that they don’t want it. The $150 million...Here We Go, Armor
Springfield’s new basketball team, The Armor, is off to a good start: Last night, the team won its only pre-season game, against the Maine Red Claws, 86-78. But things really start to count on Friday, when the Armor opens its inaugural season with a 7 p.m. game...On Waste, and Keough
Mike Dobbs, managing editor for the Reminder, has added his voice to the chorus of Springfield residents opposed to a wood-burning biomass plant proposed for Page Boulevard.The Mass Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing on the project on...Pepe Takes on the Mayor
“Antonette Pepe is a fireball, and she’s burning up about something,” John O’Brien said by way of introducing the kick-ass School Committee member on this morning’s Bax & O’Brien show. I’ll say: Pepe appeared on the show...The City Never Sleeps
When I went on vacation 10 days, I left fairly confident that I wouldn’t miss much while I was gone. After all, I thought, in this post-election, pre-holiday lull, how hot a news week could Springfield have? Certainly, I assumed, nothing could top the bombshell...A Question About Palmer Renewable Energy
Not long ago, I wrote on this blog about the controversial proposal by Palmer Renewable Energy to build a $150 million wood-burning plant on Page Boulevard—a plan that has prompted activists concerned about the potential public health and environmental effects...Too Late to Save Hughes Academy?
With the state education commissioner looking to pull their charter, officials at the Robert M. Hughes Academy are apparently trying a last-ditch effort to save the school. As Jack Flynn reported in today’s Republican, the board at the charter school discussed...Goodbye, Larry
Is it my imagination, or has the Springfield Republican had remarkably little to say about the fast-impending retirement of its publisher, Larry McDermott? The paper announced the 61-year-old McDermott’s retirement in the Dec. 15 issue, just a couple of weeks...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...Tax Battle, Part 2
The City Council will have another go at the city’s new tax rate at a special meeting scheduled for tonight, at 5:15 p.m. in the City Council chambers. The meeting will include a public speak-out period (for those residents and business owners who will actually...New Day, and New Taxes, in Springfield
Springfield’s newest city councilors and School Committee members (and a few old ones) took their seats today, during inauguration ceremonies at City Hall. The official invitation from Mayor Domenic Sarno’s office noted today’s ceremony marked...Down to Business
The newly seated Springfield City Council has elected as its president Jose Tosado, a veteran councilor who secured the necessary votes weeks ago. Tosado, in turn, has announced his committee assignments, with some interesting picks. Among the plum positions handed...Health & Safety
Two important meetings coming up in Springfield:On Jan. 8, the McKnight Neighborhood Council will host an open-forum meeting “on ending violence and crime in the City of Springfield.” Organizers say both Mayor Domenic Sarno and Police Commissioner William...Asher, Again
If you saw a group of men beating another man, you'd probably call the police.But what if the men doing the beating were police officers themselves? In Springfield, you might run and get your video camera. That's what one unnamed bystander did on to record a...Tosado Ticked Off
For a guy rumored to be gearing up for a mayoral run in 2011, Jose Tosado’s recent griping about the state of the City Council chambers seems remarkably ill advised.Peter Goonan reports in today’s Republican that Tosado, the council president, is upset...Mysteries of Springfield
1) The Case of the Cramped Councilors: How, oh how, can the Springfield City Council possibly squeeze its newly expanded 13 members into a chamber that previously sat just nine? It's a mystery that's loosened hundreds of thousands of dollars from a city budget...Tax Bills Drama Settled (For Now)
After much drama and fuss, in the end, the city of Springfield will, indeed, exercise an option to mail out of tax bills late this quarter.As reported by Michael McAuliffe in the Republican, the City Council voted this week to take advantage of a recently passed state...Berkshire Catholics on Church Closings
Valley Catholics dealing with the aftermath of the Springfield Diocese’s decision last year to close a number of local churches might find inspiration—or at least some kindred spirits—in an excellent piece by reporter Charlie Deitz that aired on...Two Voices on the Jones/Asher Case
The Springfield-based Alliance to Develop Power, or ADP, has released a statement from Alvina Williams Jackson, the mother of Melvin Jones III, the 28-year-old city man at the center of a recent case of alleged police brutality. In November, Jones had been in a car...E-Edition
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