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Did You Read This?
• First, this article that ran earlier this week in the New York Times, about a “green beret” approach to combating crime in the North End. The article describes how two state troopers decided to apply strategies they learned while fighting in the...Sticking Up for Their Park
It’s budget-hearing season, that exciting time of year when City Hall department heads make their cases for funding for fiscal 2013 before the mayor and his fiscal staff. The hearings begin tomorrow and run through next week; city councilors and the public are...Opposing “Stand Your Ground”
The City Council isn’t the only Springfield group to oppose a bill that would expand the state’s so-called “Stand Your Ground” law—the local NAACP branch has also voiced its opposition, arguing the proposed law would cause more harm than...Guns, Gambling and Money
Recently, a reader left me a voicemail drawing my attention to some strange doings at the Smith & Wesson shooting center. She’d shown up there a couple of times for safety instruction but found the place was closed, and workers there had few satisfactory...Councilors Call Out Mayor on Budget
Mayor Domenic Sarno has always had a somewhat rocky relationship with the City Council, with tensions especially apparent during the annual budget season, going back to the mayor’s attempt, in his first term, to bar councilors from attending department budget...… And the Mayor Swings Back
Mayor Domenic Sarno has responded to a letter from city councilors complaining that they’ve been left out of the municipal budget process with a scathing letter of his own, in which he suggests that councilors have forgotten their limited role in the process. In...Superintendent Search: Let the Drama Begin
No big surprise here: Danny Warwick, a long-time School Department employee and deputy superintendent since 2004, was named one of two finalists for the city’s school superintendent job. The other finalist, named yesterday by a search committee, is Jesus Jara,...Crapshoot
Bill Dusty has a good piece in the Springfield Intruder this week about what a casino would mean for the city’s arts community—including a surprising perspective. To many people who’d like to see the city reap the economic benefits a thriving arts...You Can Take Tommy Shea Out of Hungry Hill…
Add me to the long list of people stunned and saddened by the news that Tommy Shea—the long-time Republican columnist and reporter and all-around best of the good eggs—is packing up and leaving town. And I mean really leaving town. As reported over the...Proud in Springfield—and Boston
Springfield LGBT Pride Week kicked off today with a flag-raising ceremony at City Hall—while in Boston, a federal appeals court found the federal Defense of Marriage Act to be unconstitutional. For a full schedule of Pride events, go here.Shein Skips Dems' Convention in Protest
The Democrats are descending on Springfield in droves today for their state party’s annual convention, where much of the attention will focus, no doubt, on the expected coronation of Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren. But the gathering won’t include one of...Democrats Back Baystate Nurses
While the big news was, of course, Elizabeth Warren’s sewing up the party’s Senate nomination (boxing out her would-be primary challenger Marisa DeFranco), that wasn’t the only thing going on at the Democratic convention that took place in...In Mourning
Flags are at half-mast around the city today to honor Kevin Ambrose, the Springfield police officer who was shot and killed yesterday responding to a domestic disturbance. Ambrose, a 36-year veteran of the SPD, had been sent to a Sixteen Acres apartment after a woman...Wilhite Supporters Plan Vigil
Supporters of Charles Wilhite plan a sunrise vigil at the Hampden County courthouse tomorrow, where they’ll call for his release from prison. Wilhite and a co-defendant were convicted of first-degree murder in 2010 for the shooting death of a man named Alberto...Neal Joins Clinton in Hot Water Over Tax Cuts
U.S. Rep. Richie Neal is being slammed by his opponents in the September primary for recent comments he made about the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy, which are due to expire this year. Earlier this month, the Washington, D.C., paper The Hill reported on Democrats...Missed
There’s a line I especially love in Norton Juster’s 2005 picture book The Hello, Goodbye Window: the little girl narrator, recounting her busy day visiting her grandparents, asserts, with a preschooler’s absolute certainty that she’s the center...Where You Live
Lots going on tomorrow morning for social-justice activists in the city. First up: the Springfield Institute will host an “Environmental Justice Tour” of the North End. This is SI’s second such tour; last summer, about 70 people, on foot and bike,...Bus-Fare Showdown
Oops—yesterday, I wrote about a couple of important events happening in the city today, but I forgot about a big one. Today at noon, the PVTA’s advisory board will vote on much-controversial proposed fare increases. The proposed hikes, announced earlier...Bucks for Books
Ward 7 City Councilor Tim Allen has an intriguing idea: using a trash-fee increase to keep open three library branches slated to close under the fiscal 2013 municipal budget. Allen is proposing that the trash fee be increased by $15—from $75 to $90—with a...What Are We Waiting For?
Activists are applauding a recent federal court ruling that upholds some tough anti-foreclosure ordinances passed unanimously last year by the City Council—and calling on the Sarno administration to being applying the new laws. Under the ordinances, mortgage...Let the Debating Begin
First Congressional District candidate Andrea Nuciforo is calling for a series of debates with his opponents—well, at least with one of them. Earlier this week, Nuciforo, a former state senator and now Middle Berkshire register of deeds, sent a letter to U.S....Springfield Citizens Unite?
Will Springfield become the latest community to signal its support of a proposed Constitutional amendment overturning the Supreme Court’s controversial 2010 Citizens United ruling? (That decision, in case you’ve somehow missed it—and really, if you...Nuciforo and Shein Talk to Voters
Voters will have what promises to be a great opportunity to hear from—and perhaps even talk to— two of the candidates for the 1st Congressional District seat this week. New England Public Radio has scheduled hour-long live interviews with two of the men...Money Changes Everything
Campaign finance reports for the second quarter were due to the Federal Elections Commission this week—and, in a surprise to no one, incumbent U.S. Rep. Richie Neal outraised dramatically his two opponents for the Democratic nomination for the 1st Congressional...Say Cheese
“There are many sound reasons why Senator Scott Brown should be elected over Elizabeth Warren,” my friend Tom Devine recently wrote on his blog, The Valleyist. I will respectfully disagree. But boy, even the most devout Warrenite’s heart would stop...Fighting for Homeless Families
A rally is planned today to protest proposed regulations for families seeking emergency shelter—regulations that Arise for Social Justice calls the state’s “biggest attack on homeless families to date.” Activists will gather at noon outside...Nice Guys Publish First
‘Wherever you live, make Springfield a city you care about,” Nancy Urbschat writes in the inaugural issue of Speaking of Springfield, a new, free, online publication celebrating the city that all too often gets dumped on. Urbschat, the owner of the...Cheap Eats, Valuable Democracy
Will you be chowing down with Michelle Obama at the fundraising luncheon for her husband to be held at the Basketball Hall of Fame today? Tickets start at $1,000 a person—$2,500 if you want your photo snapped with the First Lady. Couples who plunk down $10,000...Problems of Succession
If Ward 3 City Councilor Melvin Edwards wins his race for the Hampden Senate seat this fall, it will be a nice victory for Springfield, giving the city its only hometown member of the state Senate. (Neither of the two incumbent senators who represent the city live in...Remembering Kevin O'Hare
The Valley music scene lost a well-respected voice last weekend with the death of Kevin O’Hare, a long-time music writer for the Springfield Republican. The Republican has published several pieces about O’Hare by his friends and colleagues, including this...Edwards Gets Green Thumbs-up
Ward 3 City Councilor Melvin Edwards has won the endorsement of the Mass Sierra Club in the Sept. 6 Democratic primary for the Hampden state Senate seat, where he’ll face incumbent Sen. Jim Welch. Among Edwards’ pro-environmental credentials: he has been...Can't-Miss Debate Tonight
Tonight, voters in the 1st Congressional District will have a rare chance to evaluate the three candidates for the seat all at once. At 8 p.m., WGBY will broadcast a debate among the candidates competing in the Sept. 6 Democratic primary: Bill Shein, Andrea Nuciforo...So, Did You Watch?
What do you think went through Andrea Nuciforo’s and Bill Shein’s minds when they heard the first question posed to them at this week’s candidates’ debate for the 1st Congressional District? The question, asked by Jim Madigan, host of the WGBY...1st District Debate Goes On—In a Fashion
This evening, voters in the 1st Congressional District were supposed to hear from the three candidates competing in next week’s Democratic primary, at a debate hosted by the Westfield News and Westfield State University. But the debate was scrapped after U.S....Campaign Finance: The Forbidden Topic
Yeesh—and I thought last week’s WGBY debate among the three Democratic candidates for the 1st Congressional District seat was overly incumbent-friendly in tone. Then I read about plans for the second, and final, debate, to be held this evening at WBEC...Newsflash: Republican (Hearts) Neal
The Springfield Republican ran a glowing endorsement of U.S. Rep. Richie Neal this weekend—no surprise there; the Republican would go steady with Neal if it could—while beating the lemon off one of his two Democratic challengers for the 1st Congressional...Results
File under same-old, same-old:Richie Neal remains Springfield’s congressman, after handily winning his Democratic primary. Jim Welch holds on to the Hampden Senate seat, with a strong victory over Melvin Edwards, meaning Edwards will stay on as Ward 3’s...Senate Scraps
While the Springfield Intruder blog is largely the work of Bill Dusty, he’s open to running commentary by other writers, even soliciting contributions on his site. As far as I can tell, the only person who’s taken Dusty up on the invitation is Jerold...WNEU Panel Considers Wilhite Case
Supporters of Charles Wilhite will gather outside Springfield District Court at 6 a.m. tomorrow for a vigil, before moving into the courthouse for a hearing on a motion to dismiss murder charges he faces. Wilhite was convicted of first-degree murder in 2010 for the...Talking Casino
The City Council’s Casino Site Committee meets tonight to discuss some key issues: should the city create a special “casino zone” that would allow casino-specific regulations? And should the entire city vote on whether to approve a casino, or just...Local Families Take on Freddie and Fannie
Tomorrow, a group of Springfield families and their allies will join a mass rally in Washington, D.C., where they’ll protest the foreclosure and eviction policies of the mortgage agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This evening, the Springfield...No Zoning Ordinance for You!
For crying out loud, did the City Council really once again delay action on long-delayed revisions to the city’s zoning ordinance? Why, yes—yes it did. At a public hearing earlier this week, councilors voted to send the proposed zoning ordinance—six...Nurses Rally Before Strike
Nurses and their supporters will walk a picket line outside Baystate Medical Center this afternoon, to show their support as fellow nurses in Greenfield prepare to strike. Nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center recently voted to strike in protest of what they call...Shubh Kaamnaayein
It was a sad day last winter when Sitar shut its doors; as Ray Kelly reported at the time in the Republican, the popular Indian restaurant closed due to the bad economy. But good news for lovers of Indian cuisine: last week, a new restaurant, Panjabi Tadka, opened in...Family and Supporters Stop Eviction
An update to the story below: Jack Flynn of the Republican reports here that the eviction of the Mendez family was called off at the last minute, apparently at the request of Aurora Bank. Flynn reports that about 70 people showed up in support of the Mendezes, and...Check Out—and Speak Out on—Casino Plans
The City Council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee holds another meeting tonight to hear residents’ thoughts on whether all city residents should vote on a proposed casino plan or just those in the ward where the casino would be located. This...Voices on New Homeless Rules
On Monday, the Mass. Department of Housing and Community Development held a public hearing in Springfield to get feedback on new regulations governing how families qualify for emergency shelter—regulations that critics say are unduly restrictive and are leaving...It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
It’s 11 days until the election, and local bloggers are getting revved up. At the Springfield Intruder, Bill Dusty has a Q&A with Mike Franco, the man who will lose to Mike Albano in the race for the 8th District Governor’s Council seat. Franco talks...Win Some, Lose Some
Early in my time at the Advocate, I wrote an article about the demise of the once-grand Hotel Charles, adjacent to the once-hopping Union Station, despite the valiant efforts by the Springfield Preservation Trust to save it. I visited the hotel site—by that...Rooke Backs Brown
If there’s one thing that’s been made abundantly clear over the course of Tim Rooke’s time on the City Council, it’s this: he really doesn’t care if the positions he takes tick people off. I’ll even venture to guess that sometimes...Casino Talk; Disaster Relief
Want to know more about MGM Resorts’ proposal to build a casino in the South End? Tomorrow evening, Nov. 13, MGM representatives will meet with residents and answer questions at a meeting hosted by the Maple High Six Corners Neighborhood Council. The meeting...“Residents Clamoring for MGM” … Says MGM
The people of Hungry Hill are just dying for MGM to build a casino in the South End. How do we know? Well, the flack for the casino company tells us so. Really, am I the only one to feel a wee bit skeptical of some of the details in this morning’s Republican...Fire Fight
Mayor Domenic Sarno has asked the City Council to lower the necessary requirements for the city’s fire commissioner. Sarno wants to name Joseph Conant, who’s been the acting commissioner since Gary Cassanelli retired earlier this year, but Conant lacks the...New Shelter Regs Expected
A final version of proposed new state regulations governing which homeless families qualify for emergency shelter is expected to be released today. While still not finalized, the new regulations are already being implemented—resulting, say homeless activists and...Mercy, Already
The city of Springfield, of late, seems like a biblical figure, one of those poor, put-upon characters whose patience and endurance are continually being tested by God—in the city’s case, with freak urban tornadoes and pre-season snowstorms and, last...Oh, Right, Springfield's Considering a Casino, Too
Sure, Holyoke might be grabbing all the casino-related headlines these days, but let’s not forget the three gaming companies angling to build in Springfield. The City Council hasn’t; its Planning and Economic Development Committee has two more public...Kidding!
Oh, dear. So after reading this report by MassLive’s Greg Saulmon, on arch-conservative minister Scott Lively’s suggestion that perhaps God caused last week’s strip club explosion as a form of punishment for wickedness, I feel compelled to say that...Sorry to See Him Go
Add me to the list of people saddened—and intrigued—by the news that Tom Walsh has resigned as Mayor Domenic Sarno’s communications director, a job he held for five years. Walsh, as far as I can tell, was generally well liked and respected by local...Battle for the Gavel
Western Mass. Politics and Insight has a juicy piece about the battle for the City Council presidency, which pits at-large Councilor (and incumbent President) Jimmy Ferrera against Ward 8 Councilor John Lysak. If Lysak wins, notes WMPI writer Matt Szafranski,...E-Edition
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