On Springfield
Reminder's Dobbs Queries MGM Losses
Should those folks counting on a casino to be Springfield’s economic savior be worried about the big losses posted recently by MGM? Not at all, an MGM executive insists in a recent interview with the Reminder’s Mike Dobbs. As Dobbs reports, MGM Resorts...Mattoon Arts Fest This Weekend
The Mattoon Streets Arts Festival is the longest-running event of its kind in the Valley, according to organizers. This year’s festival—the 41st—will feature the work of about 100 painters, photographers, fiber artists, ceramicists and other artists...Monday Rally Targets Pipeline Investment
Protestors will gather outside the TD Bank at 1441 Main St. on Monday, Sept. 9, at noon to draw attention to the bank’s investments in the controversial Keystone pipeline and “worsening climate change,” in the words of organizers. The protestors will...City Loses Former Mayor Dimauro
Former Mayor Teddy Dimauro will be waked tomorrow evening, then buried on Wednesday after a funeral mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Dimauro, a lawyer who served as mayor from 1978 to 1984 (and, before that, as a School Committee member and city councilor) died last...Two Down; One Casino Vote to Go
So the folks at MGM must be feeling pretty good today, right? Yesterday, voters in West Springfield eliminated one of MGM’s two competitors for the one casino license to be awarded in western Mass. By a margin of 55 to 45 percent, West Side voters sent Hard Rock...Ward 1 Candidate Forum Tonight
Ward 1 is seeing an especially lively election season this year, with incumbent City Councilor Zaida Luna facing three challengers: Jose Claudio and Miguel Rivas, both politically active residents of the North End, and Stephen Daly, who works for the city school...Puerto Rican Parade is Sunday
On Sunday, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center hosts the city’s 2013 Puerto Rican Parade. The parade kicks off at noon at Watson Avenue and Main Street, with marchers heading down Main to Boland Way—but get there a little early for a good spot, especially...Wards 1 and 5 Vote Today
There are preliminary elections in just two city wards today, but they’re juicy ones: in Ward 1, incumbent Councilor Zaida Luna faces challengers Jose Claudio, Stephen Daly and Miguel “Mike” Rivas. And in Ward 5, incumbent Clodo Concepcion is being...Making Friends in City Hall
Hey, look, the city now has its own Facebook page. Sure, it’s a little behind the curve—other local communities have been Facebooking it up for awhile now—but, hey, part of Springfield’s charm is its traditional nature. (Of course, that’s...Former School Committee Members Rally Around Hurst
Well, School Committee member Denise Hurst is certainly bringing out the big guns in her re-election campaign. Hurst, a first-term at-large member of the committee, is holding a fundraiser this evening at the Cedars banquet hall, where the hosts will include a number...On Violence in the City
In response to recent incidents of violent crime in the city—including three murders over a one-week period—the Spring of Hope Church of God in Christ is holding an emergency meeting this evening. The event, called “The Violence Must Stop,”...Protestors: No Ordinances, No Mayoral Raise
It’s been more than two years since the City Council approved unanimously a pair of ordinances designed to address the problems caused by the high number of foreclosures in the city. But the regulations still haven’t gone into effect. So this evening, a...Surprise! City Councilors Want a Raise
Wait, am I the only one who was a little caught off guard by the City Council’s vote the other night to give themselves a raise? Going into Monday’s meeting, the big news—besides the rally to pressure the Sarno administration to finally implement...Things to Do: For Peace, History and the Environment
Have you made it to any of the Springfield’s Library’s Peacefull City events? If not, there’s still time. Today there’s a discussion about starting a neighborhood watch program; it starts at noon at the East Springfield branch. Tomorrow, the...Viva la revolución
Hey, who’s the young radical in this video interview on Masslive saying, “Capitalism isn’t working for the masses”? Why, it’s former City Solicitor Pete Fenton. Fenton was one of several people stopped in downtown Springfield the other...Newsiness
• Kari Njiiri of NEPR (so are we not saying “WFCR” anymore? I’m always to last to know these things) reports on a $100,000 federal grant the Springfield schools just received for a super-sounding project: creating gardens in city schools. •...Who's Up for a Debate?
Well, we’ve reached that point in the election season when the challengers call for candidates’ debates and the incumbents nervously try to avoid eye contact with anyone even broaching the idea. Earlier this week, Justin Hurst, a candidate for an at-large...Give Food, Give Thanks
It’s that time of year when Bax & O’Brien show that, all evidence from the other 362.83 days of the year notwithstanding, they are, in fact, real sweethearts. At six o’clock this morning, the Rock 102 pair kicked off the 2013 “Mayflower...The Parading Dead
Listen, I don’t quite get the whole zombie mania; give me a moody, tortured werewolf any day. But the people have spoken, and they love their spooky guys with decaying flesh and a taste for brains. If you’re on board with the whole zombie thing, check out...Cathedral Kids Call on Diocese to Rebuild
A group of Cathedral High School students has launched an on-line petition calling on the Springfield Diocese to rebuild the school at its long-time home on Surrey Road. Cathedral’s campus was badly damaged by the freak tornado that hit the city in June of 2011....Politics, Insight & Coffee
Matt Szafranski, the man behind the blog Western Mass Politics & Insight, will be speaking about the upcoming election and city politics tonight at 7 p.m. at Sal’s Bakery, at 513 Belmont Ave. The bakery’s owner, Sal Circosta, has a vested interest in...Light Up Springfield
If you’re looking for something to do to shake off your turkey torpor (‘cause I know you’re not at the mall, for Pete’s sake), go check out the Holiday Wonderland at the Quadrangle. The day includes performances, holiday-themed exhibits...Medical-marijuana Plan Moves Forward
City Hall is moving ahead with developing an approval process for prospective medical-marijuana dispensaries in the city. Two groups have applied to open facilities in Springfield and received initial approval from the Mass. Department of Public Health, which is...Arieti Retires Quietly
Bob Arieti, who’s served as chief aide to the City Council since, I’m pretty sure, the Caleb Rice administration, has quietly retired. On Friday afternoon, Arieti sent an email to city councilors informing them that that was his last day on the job....Vote. Just Be Smart About It
Don’t you hate reading articles the day after Election Day about how crummy voter turnout was in the city? Me, too. So please, vote today. Unless, that is, you’re one of those people who picks a candidate because your kids went to school with his kids, or...Weinergate, the Sequel; Remembering Napolitan
This afternoon, the City Council’s Public Health and Safety Committee will take up again the question of regulating food trucks in the city. You’ll remember that the issue (which, frankly, seemed mostly like a non issue) was all over the news a few years...Shake It Up
Well, for a ostensibly quiet election season—no mayoral race; uncontested races in a number of wards—things turned out to be fairly hot at the polls yesterday, didn’t they? The final body count: two incumbent city councilors and two incumbent School...MGM Works on Deals With Neighbors
MGM has negotiated a “mitigation agreement” with Ludlow, guaranteeing that town an annual payment of $75,000 a year if the company opens a casino in Springfield. The Ludlow Select Board approved the deal earlier this week. The agreement also includes a...Ferrera Out, Fenton In
City Council President Jimmy Ferrera’s seat hasn’t yet gotten cold—in fact, he’ll be sitting in it through next month—but the next Council president is already lined up and ready to assume the gavel. Yesterday, Ward 2 Councilor Mike...Curran Won't Run for Re-election
State Rep. Sean Curran, who is now in his fifth term (I know; I can’t believe it’s been that long, either), has announced that he won’t run for re-election next year. “When I was elected to my first term in 2004, I was optimistic that public...Bloggers Weigh in on Election Results
Last week, I lamented the lack of political endorsements by some of my favorite local bloggers. But patience pays off. First up: Tom Devine’s post-election analysis, at his Pioneer Valleyist blog. Devine calls the shocking defeat of the casino proposal in Palmer...Considering Springfield's Tech Past and Future
Last month, a group of city residents and students spent a day traveling around the city as part of the Futurescape City Tours project, which encourages people to think about how new technology can shape their community’s future. The program, funded by the...Hurst Claims School Committee Vice Chair
With Election Day now in the rearview mirror, the City Council and School Committee are busy shifting seats and gearing up for next year. Last week, it was Ward 2 City Councilor Mike Fenton announcing that he had secured the votes to become the Council’s next...Out Now Honored for Justice Work
Out Now, Springfield’s LGBTQ youth group, has been recognized for its work—summed up in its motto: “Don’t Hate: Liberate!”—by the makers of an acclaimed documentary about the bullying of a gay teen. The group was named the 2013...Casino Opponents Call for Recusal
With the Mass. Gaming Commission poised to decide on MGM’s proposed South End casino—the vote is expected to happen sometime this week—a group that opposes the project has called on Commission member Bruce Stebbins, a one-time city councilor and City...Preservation Trust Seeks Nominees for Endangered List
On the heels of the City Council’s vote on Monday to create an automatic demolition delay on old properties in the city (you can read Pete Goonan’s story about the new ordinance here, and my coverage in next week’s Advocate), the Springfield...Gaming Commission Ties Scrutinized
An article in today’s Boston Herald comes down hard on the Mass Gaming Commission, calling it “an agency rife with potential conflicts that go far beyond the much-publicized ties of Chairman Stephen Crosby, with several staffers linked to people in the...Fenton Takes the Helm
Did you miss today’s inauguration ceremony at City Hall? Fear not; Masslive has a transcript of new Council President Mike Fenton’s speech, which touches on Springfield history (raise your hand if you feel old when you realize that the Council president...Northampton Worried About Casino Competition
Would a Springfield casino affect the entertainment-and-restaurant-heavy downtown of Northampton? Yes, according to a new report by Camoin Associates. (The consultants prudently left out the “duh” many of us would have added to our response to that...MLK Event Wednesday
The national holiday may be next Monday, but this Wednesday, Jan. 15, is Martin Luther King Jr.’s actual birthday. The Greater Springfield NAACP and Mayor Domenic Sarno will mark the day with a celebration and flag-raising ceremony at 11 a.m. at City Hall, room...A Lively Anecdote and Antidote
It’s always pretty thrilling when a local person’s name pops up in the national media. Well, maybe not always. Last night, viewers of “The Daily Show” might have caught the name of Scott Lively, the conservative Springfield minister and...CommonWealth Mag Looks at SPD Shooting Case
The new issue of CommonWealth magazine has an article looking at how cases of deadly use of force by police are investigated—including a recent Springfield incident. In some cases, reporter Jack Sullivan writes, the use of deadly force was clearly justified; he...Read It
• Mike Dobbs makes the case in his latest Reminder column that Northampton won’t be all that badly hurt if MGM is successful in its bid to open a casino in the South End. That’s the case Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz makes in his city’s...City's Graduation Rates Climb
New figures from the Mass. Department of Education show that the city’s high-school graduation rates, while still low, are climbing. According to the DOE, Springfield’s graduation rate in 2012 was 56.6 percent, up from 52.1 percent the year before....Rally Calls for Foreclosure Reforms
Members of the anti-foreclosure group Springfield No One Leaves/Nadie Se Mude and their allies are joining a national day action today calling on mortgage Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to stop foreclosing on homeowners. The group gathered this morning outside the Housing...Battle Over Police Commission Looms
A group of city councilors is proposing the restoration of a Police Commission, whose citizen members would oversee policy, personnel decisions and—this is the one that’s reliably most controversial—discipline in the Springfield Police Department....Puppolo Stays Put; Tosado Aims for Statehouse
Well, so much for Sen. Puppolo: state Rep. Angelo Puppolo Jr. has announced that he’ll be running for re-election to his 12th Hampden seat—not jumping into the race to succeed state Sen. Gale Candaras, who will leave the 1st Hampden and Hampshire seat to...9th Hampden Field Gets Crowded
Another candidate has entered the race for the 9th Hampden state rep seat, soon to be vacated by incumbent Sean Curran, who has decided not to run for re-election. Earlier this week, Robert J. Underwood announced that he’s taken out nomination papers for the...This Weekend: Spike Lee Films; Forest Park Meets
• Saturday is the kick-off of a Spike Lee film series and discussion program-with free popcorn-at the Mason Square branch library. Films will be screened at noon on three consecutive Saturdays (Feb. 8, 15 and 22) in the library’s community room. On the...On the Fates of Union House Hotel and Cathedral High
Would a casino in the South End mean the end of the former Union House Hotel? As Pete Goonan reports in today’s Republican, the city’s Historical Commission is asking MGM to preserve the building, at the corner of Main and Bliss, if its casino application...Allen Joins Senate Race
Oh, boy, is this shaping up to be an exciting election year. As if it weren’t enough that the constitutional offices are on the ballot this year—with the departure of Gov. Deval Patrick leading to an especially packed gubernatorial...Committee Takes Up Police Commission; Mystery Satirist Lets Loose
The City Council’s Public Safety Committee takes up the proposal to reinstate a Police Commission today at 4:30 in City Hall. [Author’s note: I’d just posted this when I spotted a tweet from Councilor Melvin Edwards announcing that the meeting has...Tosado Makes It Official
Former City Council President and 2011 mayoral candidate Jose Tosado officially announced his plans to run for the 9th Hampden state rep seat today. “The residents and business owners of the 9th Hampden District deserve experienced representation,” Tosado...Should Police Cruisers Have Cameras?
As the city grapples with a proposal to restore a Police Commission, a new controversy related to police accountability has emerged, about the installation of video cameras in city police cruisers. City Hall has argued that dashboard cameras, as well as audio...Sarno Cites Review Board on Cruiser Cameras
Following a recent state arbitration ruling that put on ice his plans to install cameras in police cruisers, Mayor Domenic Sarno is reminding the public that the idea originated with the city’s citizens’ police review board. Earlier this week, the Joint...Would Sarno Slow SPD Hire?
Tonight, city councilors will debate whether to formally ask Mayor Domenic Sarno to hold off on appointing a new police commissioner until the Council has the chance to vote on a proposal to restore a city Police Commission. But would that formal request even matter?...So That Would Be a No
“Would Sarno Slow SPD Hire?” I asked in this space a couple of days ago. The answer: nope. On Monday, the City Council approved a non-binding resolution asking Mayor Domenic Sarno to hold off on selecting a replacement for Police Commissioner William...Friday Odds and Ends
As the battle over the Police Commission proposal and the hiring of a new SPD head rages on (in a nutshell: a group of city councilors is proposing a revived five-member commission and calling on Mayor Domenic Sarno to hold off on hiring a successor to Commissioner...Circosta Joins Gonzalez in 10th Hampden Race
State Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera had barely finished confirming that she is, indeed, leaving office for another job before she named the person she’d like to see succeed her. Coakley-Rivera, who’s held the 10th Hampden seat since the 1998 election,...E-Edition
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