Archive
Historic preservation vs. new fire station
At a recent press conference, the Springfield Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management Department announced a selected site for a newly-constructed fire station to serve multiple neighborhoods. Standing on the triangular lot where Vermont Street meets White Street,...“People Are Talking”
A new half-hour community-based television program in Springfield, “People Are Talking,” debuted last week four times daily on Comcast local government access channel 17—8:00 am, 12:00 noon, 7:00 pm, and 11:00 pm. Each episode will air for two weeks....Campaign 2007: Springfield City Council candidate Karen Powell
Springfield native Karen Powell is running for City Council. Following are her answers to a series of questions I sent her via email. The interview is part of an attempt to reach most, if not all, of the candidates for City Council this year and learn more about their...Amazing.net hearing follow-up
Yesterday afternoon’s long-anticipated entertainment license hearing for the downtown Springfield shop Amazing.net yielded ample testimony of interest, but no decision yet from Mayor Charles Ryan about what may happen with the store’s license. ABC40...Springfield school buses to reduce diesel emissions
Springfield has been awarded a $50,000 grant to retrofit city school buses with diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs). The grant, offered in May from the Environmental Protection Agency via the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives as part of its...Springfield receives Municipal Leadership Award
Fresh from the approval of a balanced fiscal budget for 2008, Springfield is the recipient of the 2007 Municipal Leadership Award presented by the Boston-based, non-profit Pioneer Institute, apparently in relation to its 16th annual Better Government Competition,...Holyoke panel: Modeling change for urban communities
The first Economic Forecasting Breakfast Speaker Series, apparently pulled together through the efforts of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, kicks off at Holyoke Community College’s Kittredge Center (pictured), 303 Homestead Avenue, on Tuesday, September...Some Longhill Gardens condo units condemned
22News has produced a report about units at Longhill Gardens Condominiums being condemned this week, saying that 32 tenants are being displaced due to the unlivable conditions there and three of the five buildings’ danger of collapse. Structural defects have...Campaign 2007: Springfield City Council candidate Gloria DeFillipo
Springfield resident Gloria DeFillipo is running for City Council. Following are her answers—part one of two—to questions I sent her via email. The interview is part of an attempt to reach candidates for City Council and learn more about their background,...Spotlight on homelessness
Springfield’s homeless providers have been going through a number of changes in the last several weeks. While I’ve been on a blogging hiatus here during a move from Springfield to Hartford, which took place June 30, on my other blog I’ve been able to...Medium Town: it's not trendy
Growing up in Springfield, and now living in New Haven—both medium-sized cities—says writer Mark Oppenheimer in an article (PDF) in his new publication, The New Haven Review of Books, has released him from a destructive quest for status into a realm of...Leslie Clement, developer versus VFW
Late last fall, on a walk, I came upon developer Leslie Clement’s housing construction underway along Springfield’s Tiffany Street (pictured at left), in the Forest Park neighborhood. The cluster of arts-and-crafts style homes can be found along Tiffany,...Small city in the Berkshires
Races brewing; perspective needed
Both Springfield and Hartford face mayoral races this fall. As a new Hartford resident, I have little clue what’s going on in my new city, but I’ll be doing some catching up at the blog Real Hartford, which documented a mayoral candidates’ forum in...Former York Street jail's last gasp
Springfield’s notorious riverfront prison, a late-1800s brick building complex, is slated for demolition, with interior remediation work to begin this month including the painstaking removal of asbestos and likely lead paint. North American Site Development...“That will never work here” and the State Street corridor
Springfield City Councilor Bud Williams held a public subcommittee meeting in the last week regarding planned changes to the State Street corridor at the intersection of Catharine Street and Wilbraham Road. Evidently the meeting stemmed from a July 16 City Council...Finance Control Board to hold first community forum
The Springfield Finance Control Board is planning to be in town for an unprecedentedly large “community forum” later this week. The event, slated for Thursday, September 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, will take place in the theater at Springfield Technical...Media storm after the calm
Events in Springfield over the weekend are now being treated to a range of media coverage, what some might call the first draft of history. The first annual Springfield Youth Olympics took place at Springfield College during less-than-ideal weather conditions. ABC40...Springfield mayoral debate Thursday 9/27
A mayoral debate in Springfield, hosted by the New England Black Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled for Thursday, September 27, at the Rebecca Johnson School (pictured) in McKnight starting at 5:30 pm. The two candidates, Mayor Charles Ryan and challenger Domenic...Finance Control Board speakout transcript, 7/19/07
The Springfield Finance Control Board held a meeting on Thursday, July 19, at which ten people participated in a now-routine 30-minute public speakout session. Below is the transcript of what was said, provided by resident Sheila McElwaine, and slightly edited for...Springfield community forum yields… community
Town-hall style meetings can be an opportunity not so much to try to solve problems and wrap up matters cleanly, but to let them rise to the surface and get a little air. Such was apparently the case at last Friday’s Springfield Finance Control Board community...Springfield's South End gets some love
This week Springfield’s South End neighborhood got extra attention not just from area newsrooms hungry for more crime news to attract aggrieved eyeballs, but from one-day visitors from New York City, the Guardian Angels. Blogger Bill Dusty has all the gritty...Campaign 2007: Springfield City Council candidate Bruce Stebbins
Springfield resident Bruce Stebbins is running for City Council. Following are his answers to questions I sent via email. The interview is part of an attempt to reach candidates for City Council and learn more about their background, unique qualities, and thoughts...Striking gold on the shores of Loon Pond
Early last week, a planning and economic development committee of the Springfield City Council met at a site being considered for a new Golden Corral chain restaurant on the shores of Loon Pond near Boston Road. The city’s Planning and Economic Development...Springfield mayoral candidates debate: the coverage so far
Follow-up coverage of yesterday’s mayoral debate in Springfield can be found in a couple of places for those tracking the issues. Today’s Republican includes an article by Peter Goonan outlining the topics addressed during the moderated panel format....Class action lawsuit alleges racial discrimination at Springfield City Hall
Late last night, two regional television stations posted their reports online about a class action lawsuit filed against Springfield City Hall yesterday on behalf of eight city employees. In speaking to a 22News reporter, Springfield-based attorney Devin Moriarty...Timorous times and health hazards
“So how are your kids liking their new school?” my daughter’s fourth-grade teacher asked me last week. “Things are going pretty well overall,” I replied, “except for some bullying. My son had a problem yesterday in gym class....Random media roundup
The latest Business West features a folksy interview with new Springfield Finance Control Board chairman Christopher Gabrieli, who identifies four top priorities that must be “addressed simultaneously and with equal vigor”—new job sources and the...Old First Church on Springfield's Court Square
The city giveth and the city taketh away
A number of press releases from the Springfield mayor’s office crossed the wires late last week, covering the matters of the city’s trash collection, the facelift reconstruction about to take place on Main Street downtown, and the demolition of a vacant...Springfield to build high-speed Internet network, Spring Net
At a press conference last week, Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan, Police Commissioner Edward Flynn, board members of the non-profit Springfield Media and Telecommunications Group and others were on hand to announce a new Internet network to be built in the city to...Things fall apart
Follow-up coverage of some events yesterday in Springfield, including the start of demolition for a South End apartment building, can be found on the wires today.Regarding the demolition: CBS3 has a report by Anne Ebeling, in which the charming grey skies add an air...Eye on local elections
Some important upcoming events in Springfield and Hartford will help residents sort out where they may wish to direct their votes on November 6, election day for both cities’ mayors and city councils. Springfield: Mayoral candidates debate, Wednesday October 17,...Initial findings for Springfield's State Street corridor
A team of consultants headed by Maryland-based ZHA, Inc. visited Springfield’s Dunbar Community Center on Oak Street in mid-August to make a public presentation. The purpose was to share initial findings for a study underway, funded by the State Street Alliance,...Campaign 2007: Springfield City Council candidate Pat Markey
Springfield resident Pat Markey is running for City Council. Following are his answers to questions I sent via email. The interview is part of an attempt to reach candidates for City Council and learn more about their background, unique qualities, and thoughts about...Springfield's mayoral match
Last week, Springfield incumbent Mayor Charles Ryan and challenger City Councilor Domenic Sarno met for a televised debate at the downtown studio of public television station WGBY. The debate, hosted by Jim Madigan, was aired as a special, one-hour edition of...Campaign 2007 results: uncertainty prevails
In Springfield and Hartford, challenger Domenic Sarno and incumbent Mayor Eddie Perez both achieved victories in yesterday’s mayoral elections. Sarno won with just over half the vote at 52.5 percent, and Perez won with just under at 49 percent. In Sarno’s...Campaign 2007: Springfield City Council candidate Charles Rucks
Springfield resident Charles Rucks is running for City Council. Following are his answers to questions I sent via email—just in late yesterday morning from the candidate. The interview is part of an attempt to reach candidates for City Council and learn more...I think I figgered it out
I don’t like a thing you can’t spit on. It’s hard, working on the internet. But I got it licked for now.Test4
how the hell you work this damn thing? I got glue all over my hands.wolfs in New Hampshire
Lot of talk about this new wolf reintroduction program in New Hampshire. Not sure I’m for it, really. Wolfs tend to eat sheep. I don’t have any sheep, but I know folks what do. Mainly, I’m thinking that wolfs can swim across the river into Vermont....that damn librarian
There is this one librarian with a pegleg who says I owe six dollars for a book I took out last year. Some book about building rockets or some such thing. I never took that book out. And this librarian tells me i can’t use the internets until i either pay the...that damn trevor banks wisconsin
see i got someone writing to me about them wolfs. a mister trevor banks wisconsin. Well here’s something for you, Mr. Wisonscin: we don’t call them cougars. We call them catamounts. And theres no such thing as that program, except for one guy from the...Supported by our members
Now, I don’t listen all that much to the radio. But I did happen to get into my truck the other day after Jake borrowed it, and he not only had left the wipers on but he also had it tuned full blast to that NPR station. Which I don’t mind so much, except...what i am willing to do
Noticed Virgil asked me a question the other day. I been getting wood in and nursing a bad gash i got when the chain came off my saw. Whipped around but good, caught me on the leg. Nothing that hasn’t happened before, so don’t get worried on my behalf....My Pipes Froze
Pipes froze last night. Went for Dody’s hair dryer this morning but it wasn’t where I left it. She don’t know where it is neither. But I slicked up those pipes with some Ben Gay I had from that time I hurt my back pulling Jake out of this hole he...Vote early and often
Me and Jake and Dodie went and got our absentee ballots yesterday. We always vote absentee because its easier to get extra ballots that way. I know its not supposed to be this way, but for a bottle of screech up at duty free, Mrs Mogan will throw a few more ballots...Halloween with Captain Slow
Well, it sure has been busy lately. First off, Jake got some extra ballots from mrs. mogan, and he done so in a way I just wouldnt of done, and I bet neighther would you. Which brings me to what happens when jackolanterns get all old and sunken, with mossy stuff...Anyone who laughs like that
So in the national election the democrats beat the other guys. I am surprised it took this long. All politics is kids playing at recess, is what i say. And all you got to do to know the president is a bit off kilter is to listen to him laugh. Anyone who laughs like...christmas should be like the olympics
Seen my first xmas decoration in a store window. here it is not even thanksgiving yet and frosty and santa and rudolf and the gang are invading us. soometimes i think this is what an invasion from canada wld look like. anyway, i have come to the conclusion that xmas...Suddenly Mexican Wrestlers Were Everywhere
Two nights ago I and jake found a camera in a plastic bag tied to a tree right next to where some campers were sleeping. It took a while, and I had to get Captain Slow’s help (which took even longer) but I finally figgered out how to put them where you can see...not what i thot wld happen to my bucket of dead mice
I had about 65 dead mice in this big yellow bucket i borrowed from jake. i had planned on freezing them to use for cie fishing but when i brot the bucket up from the cellar yesterday i got distracted by this awful whirring, grinding sound coming from over there at...That plan to dam up the Connecticut and flood VT, NH, and part of NY and Canada is just not a good idea
i know Massachusetts and Connecticut and NYC have to get their power from somewhere but I just can not go along with that plan to build a huge dam on the connecticut river. This dam they are talking abt for the CT river wld be almost as big as that 3 Gorgeous Dam over...there is a connection between sillicone breasts implants and neanderthal dna
Sez here that the Federal Detection Agency (FDA) is approving silicone for use in titty implants again. you probably remember how they stopped using siloone a few yrs ago and started using saline (which is doctor talk for salt water), and which was when women on TV...Whose blood are they using to make plasma TVs?
on Sunday I and jake figgered out how to tap into the cable line outside on that phone pole they put it on my land without asking permission or anything, and now we each got about 500 channels, which is the least we shld have for me having to have that pole on my...a thanksgiving story about a car that went into a river
Yesterday I and Dody were driving to the grange supper when we seen a blue car go through a puddle and then jump into the air and land in one of those streams on the side of the road that when it rains a lot turn into small brown rivers. It wasnt just us on the road...Does Iraq have a lot of Playstations?
Now that we got free cable and the big TV, I been catching up with the news. I saw that thing abt people rioting to get that video game what just came out. At first i thot it was more footage from iraq. i know that sounds like a bad joke but it is what i truly thot....Dody hit a beefalo in my truck
I cannot believe that as soon as i got my tires back from jake, who had borrowed them again, dody went and hit a beefalo. i always knew those beefalo wld prove to be a menace and i was right. this one just went right thru that fence Travis made. i have told him...Even the priest says the weather is fucked up
I was in the hardware store yesterday (that is another whole story) when i saw father ziggy (short for zigowski or zignatius or somethinglike that) and i asked him what he thot abt what it says here, that novembers average temperature was 7 degrees higher than normal,...E-Edition
Best Of 2025
Readers Choice 2025
