On Springfield
You and Your CORI
Lest you think the recent changes to state criminal-record laws—known as the Criminal Offender Record Information, or CORI, system—don’t affect you, consider this: until recently, a criminal record was generated any time a person was arraigned in...DA Candidates Feeling the Heat
It’s been a rough news cycle for the candidates for Hampden County District Attorney, as one crucial election day—the Sept. 14 primary, which will narrow the crowded Democratic field to one—fast approaches. The drama was kicked off by a...Failure to Communicate in Mason Square
It’s hard to imagine how Henry Thomas, president of the Springfield Urban League, could have somehow missed this message. But let’s try it again: It’s time for you to leave 765 State St., and let Mason Square have back its library.Thomas’ first...The Elephant in the Race
I initially missed the first 15 minutes or so of the Sept. 2 debate, on Channel 22, between the two Democratic candidates for the 9th Hampden state rep seat. (The two face off in tomorrow’s primary.) Fortunately, I got an email from one of my favorite political...Familiar Faces, In and Out
Former City Councilor Bruce Stebbins is returning to City Hall. As of last Monday, Stebbins, who served two terms of the Council, from 2006 to 2009, is the city’s business development administrator.According to a press release from Mayor Domenic Sarno’s...Church's Prayers Are Answered
More than a year of hard work by parishioners at Indian Orchard’s Immaculate Conception has paid off: Over the weekend, the Rev. Timothy McDonnell, bishop of the Springfield Catholic Diocese, announced that the church will not close after all. Immaculate...Burning Mad
The McKnight Neighborhood Council is the latest community group to come out in opposition to a wood-burning power plant planned for Page Boulevard.Last week, the McKnight council announced that its board had decided, by unanimous support, to ask the City Council to...Time to Call in the Sheriff?
Is the City Council about the take dramatic action to finally restore full library services to Mason Square?At its Oct. 4 meeting, the Council will vote on an order to evict the Urban League from 765 State St., site of the former Mason Square branch library, which the...Springfield Charter Proposals Advance
Three proposed charter schools that would serve Springfield students have advanced to the final stage of the state approval process. Yesterday, Gov. Deval Patrick announced that the three were among 25 applications, selected from an initial group of 42, to be invited...Speak Out Tonight for Mason Square Library
The City Council will not, after all, vote tonight on whether to issue an eviction notice to get the Urban League out of 765 State St., which the Council took by eminent domain in August of 2009 in order to restore full library services to the Mason Square...Weigh In On the Mayor's Pay
Should Springfield mayor’s job come with a bigger paycheck?There’s been a move afoot over the last couple of years to raise the mayoral salary from its current $95,000 to something comparable to what a chief executive of a large operation in the private...Language Access on Tonight's Agenda
Three City Council committees will take up tonight a proposed ordinance to improve communications between the Springfield Police Department and residents who don’t speak English.The meeting of the Veterans, Administration and Human Services, Public Health and...ADP Convention This Weekend
“It is time to take back our democracy and demand that our elected officials stand with everyday people—not the greedy bankers and corporations that crashed our economy and put families in crisis. Together we will stand against the politics of division and...Crossing Party Lines
When Republican gubernatorial hopeful Charlie Baker makes a campaign in Springfield today, he’ll be joined by an unexpected supporter: City Councilor Tim Rooke, a life-long Democrat.Rooke tells the Advocate that he’s never before endorsed a Republican, but...Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa
During my (mercifully short-lived) tenure as an editor at the Advocate, at the top of my list of pet peeves were sloppy mistakes, the kind that make editors and reporters slap their foreheads and then scramble for a hole to crawl into. Ironically, and also mercifully,...Buoniconti's Headaches Increase
As Election Day fast approaches, the Hampden County DA’s race is being reduced to a fight over Steve Buoniconti’s refusal to release his personal tax returns. And it looks like Buoniconti has no one to blame but himself.Buoniconti has described all the...Bark in Peace, Simon
For reasons I can’t quite explain, I always get excited about Election Day. Don’t ask me why; I rarely find much to inspire me among the field of candidates, and even when I do, those candidates hardly ever win. But my misgivings about the larger political...New Year, Old Library
Mark Feb. 24, 2011, on your calendar: That’s the tentative date for the grand opening of the reclaimed Mason Square branch library. After interminable, and unconscionable, delays, it looks like the Springfield Urban League—which in 2003 bought the building...The Trash Fee Chronicles
Is there an issue that has proven more useful to Springfield politicians in recent years than the dread trash fee? To recap: in 2006, the Finance Control Board instituted a $90 annual fee for curbside trash pick-up, in an effort to plug up serious budget shortfalls in...So Long, Farewell…
Mason Square residents were treated to a welcomed sight last week: a large moving van outside of 765 State St. The van was there to move the Springfield Urban League to its new home on the campus of Springfield Technical Community College—opening the way,...Sneaker Gallery Opens
Today’s the grand opening of the “Art & Soles Gallery,” a display of the public art project organized earlier this year by the Springfield Business Improvement District. “Art & Soles” features about 20 giant fiberglass sneakers...Potty Mouths With Hearts of Gold
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving week without two sleep-deprived radio djs and a couple of giant tractor trailers.This morning, Rock 102’s Bax & O’Brien kicked off their annual Mayflower Marathon, a 52-hour fundraiser for Springfield’s Open...Armor On
Friday is the first home game of the Springfield Armor’s second season. The team, part of the NBA’s Development League, will play the Maine Red Claws at 7 p.m. at the MassMutual Center. Mayor Domenic Sarno will toss the ceremonial opening tip before the...Rally for the Unemployed
With unemployment benefits are set to expire today for about two million out-of-work Americans, activists in Springfield and around the state are organizing last-ditch rallies to persuade legislators to extend benefits.Congress has until midnight tonight to vote to...Get Out, Get Smart
Two great reasons to resist the early-December urge to hibernate and get out today:1) This morning, Springfield Technical Community College hosts a talk by Ramsey Clark, U.S. attorney general during the Johnson administration—a job he almost lost, event...Trash Fee Face-off
When the City Council meets on Monday, members will have to choose between two competing proposals regarding the controversial municipal trash free. And it’s hard not to see the battle as a kick-off to next year’s mayoral race. On the agenda for the Dec. 6...The Moment of (Trashy) Truth
Tonight’s the big showdown between Mayor Domenic Sarno and City Council President Jose Tosado over their competing visions for the future of the city’s controversial trash fee. Sarno wants to extend the fee for two more years; Tosado is calling for its...Riverwalk on the Agenda
On Thursday, a City Council subcommittee will take up a discussion of the city’s Riverwalk—and fans of the walking and bike path along the Connecticut River have a long list of the issues they hope will be on the table. An ad-hoc citizens’...Bummer News
Today’s a day of political disappointments in Springfield.First up on the list of bad news: U.S. Rep. Richie Neal has been bypassed for the much-coveted chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee—a powerful position that could have yielded great...Local Farmers Hit Springfield This Weekend
As if the early sunsets and frigid temperatures weren’t bad enough, the coming of winter also signals an end to all that great fresh, local produce we’ve enjoyed all summer and fall, right? Wrong. The Valley’s rich—and growing ever...Power Plant Fight Continues
Critics of the proposed wood-burning power plant in East Springfield continue to pressure the City Council to revoke the special permit it granted to the developers, Palmer Renewable Energy, in 2008. The $150 million project, which would be sited on Page Boulevard,...Fighting Foreclosures
Project No One Leaves, a group that fights for people living in foreclosed properties, had planned a protest this afternoon in Indian Orchard, where a family faces losing its home. The 1,260-square-foot home, at 38 Seneca St., was scheduled to be auctioned off at 4...Welcome to City Hall, Mr. Rivera
Amaad Rivera is not exactly receiving a universally warm welcome as he gets ready to join the Springfield City Council. Rivera will be sworn in to the Ward 6 seat at the first Council meeting of the new session, on Jan. 3. He’ll replace Keith Wright, who...Legal Victory for Our Lady of Hope
The city of Springfield has won a key victory in a high-stakes battle over the future of Hungry Hill’s now-closed Our Lady of Hope parish, with a federal court decision that keeps in place historic protections the church was granted last year. The Armory Street...Diocese Responds to Our Lady of Hope Ruling
The Catholic Diocese of Springfield has responded to Tuesday’s federal court decision in the Diocese’s lawsuit against the City of Springfield, over the 2010 creation of a historic district at Our Lady of Hope Church. The district was created after the...Two Views on Bennett
Last weekend, the Springfield Republican marked the end of Hampden DA Bill Bennett’s 20-year tenure with a rather flattering article headlined: “Hampden District Attorney Bill Bennett, who leaves office after 20 years, sought justice in unjust...A Loss for Springfield
The first time I met Perman Glenn was not long after I started working as a reporter for the Advocate. Glenn was representing a family who was suing in the city of Springfield after their elementary-school aged son was allegedly handcuffed to a chair by one of the...More Money for the Mayor?
The question of whether to raise the salary of Springfield’s mayor—right now, the job pays $95,000—has been kicking around for a couple of years. Now, a City Council committee charged with the matter will hold a series of public meetings to hear what...Economic Development, or Corporate Welfare?
The Reminder and the Springfield Intruder both report this week on a controversy brewing over a proposed tax-incentive deal for Smith & Wesson. Last week, the City Council was due to vote on the deal, which would save the gun manufacturer $600,000 in property...Today's Mayoral Pay Meeting Off
With an eye on tonight’s forecast of—that’s right—yet more snow, the City Council’s Mayor’s Compensation Review Committee has rescheduled a public hearing scheduled for this evening until Feb. 17. The committee is seeking...And We're Off!
After months of rumors, it looks like City Council President Jose Tosado will officially announce his plans to run for mayor this afternoon. An email sent to members of the media by Tosado’s longtime friend (and new mayoral campaign manager?) Jorge Castellano...What's Next for The Congressman?
Did you know that U.S. Rep. Richie Neal spent a whopping $2.2 million during the last election to hold off a challenge from Republican Tom Wesley, a Tea Party guy from the central Mass. reaches of his sprawling district? I didn’t, until last week, when I had the...Now This Is Getting Really Interesting
A few weeks ago, I began to hear rumors that School Committee member Antonette Pepe was considering running for mayor. Now, Pete Goonan reports in today’s Springfield Republican that Pepe has indeed taken out nomination papers, although, according to the...The State of the City
Late last month, Jose Tosado officially kicked off the 2011 campaign season with his announcement that he plans to run for mayor. This week, Mayor Domenic Sarno more or less kicked off his own campaign, with his State of the City address on Monday. The mayor’s...Meet the Artists
A new art gallery is opening in downtown Springfield, with a free open house scheduled for this Friday, Feb. 11. The Artist Square Group Gallery, on the second floor of Tower Square, is a collaborative effort of 14 Valley artists whose work includes paintings,...Three Guesses What They'll Be Talking About
The Forest Park Civic Association holds it annual meeting this Sunday, where neighbors will get together over a potluck meal and hear addresses from a number of state and city officials about issues relevant to the neighborhood. At the top of that list, I’m...Another Go for Forest Park Middle School
This evening, the City Council will again take up a vote that would move forward long-in-the-works plans to expand and renovate the Forest Park Middle School. The Council was supposed to vote on the matter at its meeting last Monday. But that vote was postponed by a...“Superman” Lands in Springfield This Friday
Love the idea of charter schools and consider them the best, most innovative and exciting way to revive our failing public education system? Hate charter schools, and consider them feel-good but unproven band aids that undercut teacher unions and divert money from...Springfield Rally for Wisconsin Workers
In 2004, with the city of Springfield as on the verge of financial collapse, then-Gov. Mitt Romney offered a financial lifeline: a $20 million state grant to shore up the city’s budget. But the check came with a significant catch: to get the funds, the city...Some Days I Love the Springfield Republican
I love it when the Springfield Republican gets something good stuck in its editorial craw. No, I haven’t forgotten my tiresome list of grievances against Springfield’s daily newspaper, most of them relating to its historic tendency to give certain,...Very Nice, Veritas
Western Mass. did not fare well in the most recent round of charter-school approvals by the state: only one from the region—Springfield’s Veritas Prep—made the cut this time. Earlier this week, the Mass. Board of Elementary and Secondary Education...Help from Her Friends
Last November, in the early morning hours on the day before Thanksgiving, a fire consumed a home on Wing Street, in Indian Orchard. The house’s owner, Betty Agin, was, luckily, staying at a friend’s house at the time. But her luck was limited: her home was...Tosado Takes Aim at Drop-out Rate
With the mayoral election eight months away, candidate (and City Council president) Jose Tosado has begun carving out his platform, with the city’s high drop-out rates topping the list. Tosado points to state figures showing that Springfield students are failing...DA Calls for a New Approach to Murder Cases
New Hampden County DA Mark Mastroianni has decided that state police will handle murder cases in the city of Springfield for the immediate future, Patrick Johnson reports in today’s Springfield Republican. Under the temporary policy, detectives from the state...Time to Weigh in on Wood-burning Plant
Earlier this week, a coalition of public health, environmental and social justice groups from around the Valley launched a petition drive calling for a moratorium on new biomass energy plants in the state through the end of 2013. The group included opponents of...Will Health Council Take on Biomass Plant Question?
On the heels of an opinion by the Springfield Law Department that the City Council does not have the legal authority to revoke a 2008 special permit it granted to a controversial wood-burning energy plant proposed for East Springfield—a move opponents of the...Power Plant Meeting Today
This afternoon, two City Council committees will hold a joint meeting to discuss the controversial wood-burning plant proposed for East Springfield. The meeting of the planning and economic development and public health and safety committees will take place at 4:30...Political Catch-all: Pepe, Coakley-Rivera and Redistricting
Over at the Springfield Intruder, Bill Dusty reports that School Committee member Antonette Pepe is poised to announce that she’ll run for mayor this fall, joining a race that already includes incumbent Mayor Domenic Sarno and City Council President Jose Tosado....Don't Count Out City Council Yet
Perhaps I spoke too soon in a recent blog post when I suggested the City Council has been sidelined in the battle over wood-burning power plant proposed for East Springfield: Despite a recent opinion by the city Law Department reiterating the contention that the...E-Edition
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