On Springfield
Sarno Appears Poised to Announce New SPD Leader
Mayor Domenic Sarno will hold a press conference at 10:30 this morning, when, according to a press release from his office, “A Significant Announcement regarding Public Safety Personnel Will Be Made.” Presumably, this won’t be about the hiring of new...Sarno Hires SPD Head; Fenton Vows to Push for Commission
So Springfield has a new police commissioner, and efforts to revive a Police Commission are on ice, at least for the time being. Yesterday, the protracted battle between Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and a group of pro-Police Commission city councilors over...City Councilors Want to be Your Friend
Or at least some of them do. Last night, councilors sent to committee a proposal by freshman Councilor Justin Hurst to start up a City Council Facebook page. Hurst had suggested the page as a way for councilors to connect with their constituents. What initially might...Edwards Enters 10th Hampden Race
Ward 3 City Councilor Melvin Edwards is the latest candidate to join the race to replace state Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera in the 10th Hampden district. Edwards—whose name has been circulating heavily in the city’s rumor mill as a possible candidate since...Love Your City Schools
Sometimes it seems like all you hear about the Springfield schools is bad news: poor test scores, high drop-out rates, safety concerns. So tomorrow’s fifth annual United in Hope celebration is a much-welcomed reminder of the good things going on in the city...Important Casino Hearing Tomorrow
Want to weigh in on MGM’s South End casino proposal? Then be sure to make it to the Mass Gaming Commission’s final community meeting on the matter, to be held tomorrow—Tuesday, April 1—from 4 to 6 p.m. (or later, if necessary) at the Mass...Tonight: Meet the Next SPD Head
Want to know what John Barbieri has planned for the Springfield Police Department? Tonight, the city’s incoming police commissioner will make a public presentation of his top priorities in his new position. Barbieri, an SPD deputy chief who was recently selected...Sarno Takes Another Swing at Lux
Mayor Domenic Sarno is continuing to put pressure on Lux nightclub, the site of a shooting last weekend. This afternoon, the city Law Department issued a cease-and-desist letter to Lux’s manager ordering it to shut down an event planned later this month. A flyer...Today: Job Resource Fair at Central Library
As of January, 26,527 residents of the metro Springfield area (or 7.9 percent of the population) were unemployed, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While that’s better than it had been— last summer, the rate hit 8.5...Friday Odds & Ends
On the off chance you’re running down the work-week clock by poking around the web, here are a few places to click your mouse: In this week’s Reminder, managing editor and columnist Mike Dobbs considers the tricky question of how to end violent crime in...Follow Your Money
They may not be thrilling, but they’re sure important. City departmental budget hearings continue this week, with representatives from numerous city departments on deck to present their spending plans for the coming fiscal year to the Sarno administration. While...Allen: Limit National Influence on Senate Race
Tim Allen has called for his fellow candidates for the First Hampden/Hampshire state Senate seat to just say no to (most) out-of-state contributions—a pledge that would presumably affect one of his competitors more dramatically than the others. In a campaign...Circosta Opts Out of State Rep Race
A month after announcing that he would run for the 10th Hampden state rep seat being vacated by Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, Sal Circosta has decided not to pursue the race after all. I talked to Circosta earlier today about his decision for a story in next week’s...MGM Requests Delay on Casino Award
What to make of MGM’s effort to slow down the awarding of the casino license the company has been working—and spending—so hard to obtain? Earlier this week, Michael Mathis, head of MGM’s proposal for the South End, asked the Mass. Gaming...Channel 40 Takes on Albano. Boy, Does it Ever
It’s nothing to be proud of, but every time I see one of these rearview-mirror takes on the rottenness of the Albano administration—like Channel 40’s week-long series, which kicked off last night, with the juicy title “Crime and Corruption: the...The Albano Strikes Back
Fours days into Channel 40’s retrospective series on his administration—bearing the colorful name “Crime and Corruption: the Albano Years”—former Mayor Mike Albano is swinging back. Yesterday on Facebook (and no, Albano and I are not...Clear the Air
“This is how racist your air is,” reads the headline of a recent piece on Mother Jones’ website. The story addresses a recent study by University of Minnesota researchers that found that “different demographic groups are exposed to drastically...Friday Odds & Ends: Politics & Casinos
• In a year thick with contested elections, the race for the 1st Hampden/Hampshire state Senate seat is a particularly lively one, attracting a crowded field of Democratic contenders and a Republican challenger (something, alas, we don’t always see in state...Do You Feel a Chill?
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard the phrase “tip of the iceberg” since Stephanie Barry broke the news yesterday that the FBI is looking into city construction contracts, well, I’d have a lot of dollars—but nowhere near the $4.6...Sanctuary City, a Decade Later
It’s been 10 years since scores of homeless people set up a community called Sanctuary City on the edge of downtown Springfield. The group lived in tents, first on the lawn of St. Michael’s Cathedral then, later, on a lot further up State Street owned by...NAACP Banquet Tonight
The Greater Springfield NAACP chapter holds its annual banquet tonight at Chez Josef in Agawam. The banquet’s theme is “All in for Justice and Equality.” In an announcement of the event, the local chapter notes its work in area including...Library Event Looks at Girls, Education & Empowerment
It’s a question that resonates all the more in the wake of the recent kidnapping of more than 300 schoolgirls in Nigeria: “Despite advances, mothers, women, and girls still face obstacles to achieving all they are capable of, worldwide and here at home....Globe Weighs in on Springfield Casino
Did you catch the pretty pro-casino story in today’s Boston Globe? Pretty pro-Springfield casino, that is. “Springfield betting on MGM for downtown turnaround” reads the headline of the article, by Mark Arsenault. The piece starts with a predictable,...Poll: Yes to Casino Repeal Vote; Yes to Casinos
Last summer, Springfield voters indicated, by a split of 58 to 42 percent, their approval of MGM’s proposed South End casino. But should all Massachusetts voters get a say on whether casinos come to the commonwealth? According to a new poll from WBUR and...Book Group Looks at Study of Springfield Family
If you’ve never read sociologist Tim Black’s 2009 book When a Heart Turns Rock Solid: The Lives of Three Puerto Rican Brothers On and Off the Streets, well, you really ought to. The book chronicles Black’s 20-year relationship with a Springfield...Rooke Pushes for More Vets Funding
So much for the idea that this year’s budget process might turn out to be pretty smooth sailing. At-large City Councilor Tim Rooke is threatening to vote against Mayor Domenic Sarno’s proposed budget unless there’s an increase in funding for the...Rise Together
Arise for Social Justice holds its annual meeting this Saturday, June 14. “We’ll get reports from our campaigns, elect a board of directors, sing, learn a dance for a flashmob, unite!” organizers say. Topics for discussion include criminal justice,...Casino Decision This Week
Friday’s the big day for MGM. That’s when the Mass. Gaming Commission will be in town to announce whether the company will be awarded the sole casino license to be granted in western Mass. Spoiler alert: It will, at least based on earlier comments made by...E-Edition
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