Northampton Redoubt
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 13, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
As the city of Northampton prepares to enter the bond market to finance its new police station, some cautionary tales seem worthy of consideration. The city plans to sell municipal bonds and pay interest to investors in order to build the station, then pay down the...
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 14, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Only 2.5% of the world's water is suitable for drinking. The following video is not an endorsement of Dow Chemical and its corporate citizenship. It presents nonetheless an interesting view of where the world is with regards to potable water, this as the city of...
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 15, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Innovative Approaches to Managing Northampton's Solid Waste The City of Northampton is exploring options to manage solid waste after the current landfill space is full, projected for 2011. Come and share your ideas! *** 7:00 P.M., Wednesday, November 19 *** JFK...
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 17, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Dave Reckhow, chair of Northampton's Board of Public Works, recently spoke with journalist Mary Serreze about the BPW's decision-making process on the Glendale Road Landfill expansion vote, about city council president Jim Dostal's recent resignation from...
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 18, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
As many of you are probably aware, the city closed the new Senior Center on Conz Street last Friday because of safety concerns related to a defective cupola. It was all over the media. There have been a host of issues reported arising from the center, from fallen...
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 19, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Northampton Community Fundraiser to Benefit a Northampton High School Student seriously injured this summerClara GardnerSunday, November 23, 2008Spaghetti Dinner: 1:00-4:30 PMElks Lodge #99717 Spring Street, Florence, MATel: 413-584-0297Donation: $10.00 RafflesFor...
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 20, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Springfield Public Forum presents "The Supreme Court" with Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 7:30pm. 34 Court Street, Springfield It has been said that among the most important decisions the new U.S. President will...
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 21, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Northampton blogger Mike Kirby continues his work on the Heritage Bank scandal and has released Part Three of, "The Fall Guys" on his blog Kirbyontheloose. Mike also reports that Doug Kohl has filed with the city for permits for 23 townhouses and a duplex on...
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 22, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
In a 6-1 vote the Northampton city council passed an amendment to section 22-1B of the Code of Ordinances of the city, which would regulate which city agencies councilors may serve on. At large councilors Dostal and Bardsley were not present. Councilor Murphy, who...
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 24, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
This is sure to top the charts!
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 26, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Panhandling. What to make of it. I don't know, the issue strikes very close to home, or should I say homelessness. It is difficult for me to write about it here, but once upon a time in the mid 1990s I had an in-your-face experience with panhandling and...
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 29, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
by Northampton Redoubt | Nov 30, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Spectacular arts/crafts, jewelry, gift baskets, homemade fudge and cookies, Christmas wreaths, handmade tree skirts and table runners, ornaments, secondhand books and other tag sale items. Cafe open all day with hot cider, sandwiches, pastries, plus performances of...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 1, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 2, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Joint Workshop of the Village Hill Citizens Advisory Committee, Northampton Planning Board, and Northampton Housing Partnership Monday, December 1, 2008 @7:00 PM J.F.K. Middle School Community Room 100 Bridge Road, Florence, MA Workshop Topic: Proposed Revised Master...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 3, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Crafts of all kinds, houseplants, notecards, aprons, as well as paintings, poetry, a recipe book, baked goods, decorations and collectables and more. Plus cider and doughnuts AND there’s no admission charge. Elevator available.Sales will benefit The Survival...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 4, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
From Zach Patton of Governing.com "Here's a typical Friday schedule for Jeff Herring, the director of human resources for the state of Utah: First, a leisurely breakfast with his wife and their two young kids. After driving his five-year-old son J.D. to...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 5, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
From the Economist.com: "The idea that graffiti-spraying and other forms of low-level delinquency promote further bad behaviour has now been tested experimentallyA PLACE that is covered in graffiti and festooned with rubbish makes people feel uneasy. And with...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 6, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Universal Human Rights Day Saturday, December 13, 12 noon On the Steps of First Churches 129 Main Street, Northampton (In case of inclement weather, inside First Churches)Organized by the Pioneer Valley Coalition Against Secrecy...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 8, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Hello everyone, We're still hard at work here at Notre Dame, finishing up our designs for Northampton, but we want to remind you that our studio will soon be returning to Northampton to present the results of our work from this semester. We'll be giving our...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 9, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
From Milton J. Valencia of the Boston Globe:"Panhandlers come and go, moving on to the next street corner or the next fix, but Robbie Felder has claimed his own block on Morton Street in Mattapan, by his account and others, for more than a decade.With a...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 10, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
By Jim Cline NORTHAMPTON, Mass (abc40)– Seven families living at the Meadowbrook apartment complex in Florence had to evacuate Saturday when raw sewage started backing up in their bathrooms. Benjamin Warawka said he heard a loud noise, opened the bathroom door...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 11, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
From Umass.edu:"Scientists from UMass Amherst are finding solutions to the latest threat to drinking water—contamination from over-the-counter and prescription drugs.David Reckhow, a professor in environmental engineering, and Kathleen Arcaro, a faculty...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 12, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Planning Board Hearing Deferred to January; Conservation Commission Hearing Still on for December 11 Posted by NorthAssocAdmin at 12/9/2008 11:54 AM and is filed under Infill,Neighborhood News,Wetlands,Kohl Construction Plans,What You Can Do Northampton's Planning...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 14, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
I happened upon a newer blog in the region Thursday evening known as Rich Pulasky's Blog. Mr. Pulasky covers an article he read in USA Today concerning toxic air near schools. I looked it up by following a link on his blog and found all of the schools in the...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 16, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
In response to the national subprime mortgage fiasco, the Valley Community Development Corporation is proposing a pilot Foreclosure Rescue Fund loan program (PDF) and is currently applying for $86 thousand in Community Preservation funds to provide grants to lower...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 20, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
The economist the late Edward Gramlich, who died in September, 2007 before the height of the subprime mortgage problems, penned the essay, "Boom and Busts: The Case of Subprime Mortgages" (PDF) for the "Economic Review" fourth quarter, 2007. This...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 22, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
I oppose the use of CPA funds to create or deposit monies into existing reserve accounts. If you approve the CDC and Cons. Com. applications for reserve funds there may be pressure for you to approve other similar requests. In my view the discretion to expend CPA...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 23, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 24, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 26, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 29, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
While watching this Ted Talk I kept thinking of the proposal to create a Business Improvement District in Northampton. Often actions speak as loudly as words so examining the current proposals for the downtown area is telling. There is the proposed solicitation...
by Northampton Redoubt | Dec 31, 2008 | Northampton Redoubt
Northampton conservation commission chairperson and Williamsburg resident Paul Wetzel (left) and conservation commission staff person Bruce Young work on breaching the Barrett Street Marsh beaver dam in December 2006. Northampton is a quaint city for the most part,...
by Northampton Redoubt | Jan 3, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
The following link is to Frontline's, "A Class Divided." In 1968 after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jane Elliott segregated her Riceville, Iowa third grade class for two days, based on eye color. Elliott ran the exercise each year...
by Northampton Redoubt | Jan 4, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
The following came out over the Paradise City Forum listserv the other day. Apparently Northampton is near the top of the heap when it comes to its sustainability efforts. It is not clear what the highest achievable score is, but Northampton efforts are outpacing the...
by Northampton Redoubt | Jan 6, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
The civic group, "Poverty is not a crime," is hosting an event Tuesday next regarding the proposed, "panhandling ordinance," and the proposed business improvement district for downtown Northampton. The following is from...
by Northampton Redoubt | Jan 7, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
The public is invited to comment on the draft recommendations of the Best Practices Committtee tonight. Click on the link to view the draft proposal. http://www.northamptonma.gov/bestpractices/ PUBLIC FORUM ON DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS Monday, January 5, 2009 7:00 PM City...
by Northampton Redoubt | Jan 8, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
Recently I received a press release stating that the Academy of Music Board of Trustees decided to use the Academy of Music for a screening of the presidential inauguration. The keynote speaker is to be current Northampton mayor Mary Clare Higgins, who is actively...
by Northampton Redoubt | Jan 9, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
The recent panhandling demonstration was met without an agenda item as apparently the Public Safety Committee was not ready with its revised draft, thus the demonstrators from Poverty is Not a Crime were left without an agenda item to protest. Blogger Bill Dusty of...
by Northampton Redoubt | Jan 18, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
Many thanks to the Northampton Design Forum and Northampton Community Television Northampton, MA Notre Dame Design Forum Results from Northampton Community Television on Vimeo.
by Northampton Redoubt | Jan 25, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
Much has been written on how the introduction of the interstate highway system in America in the 1950s induces sprawl development. In fact the interstate highway system was constructed in part to secure the country's defense capacity. The city of Northampton has...
by Northampton Redoubt | Jan 29, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
Last August Northampton Redoubt interviewed James Howard Kunstler, noted author, social critic and a leading proponent of New Urbanism. He spoke on infill development, specifically as it pertains to the thirty-one unit Kohl condominium proposal off of North Street in...
by Northampton Redoubt | Jan 30, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
PLEASE vote for The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens, Northampton, MA as your choice to receive donations from a local food co-op! Voting ends on Sunday, February 1st. ONE vote per computer. The Garden provides support to children and families who have...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 2, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
Daryl, Another winter ice and snow storm has just deposited 6-8 inches on the parking lot at McDonald House. The maintenance crew is cleaning the lot again, they worked through tough weather yesterday so people (handicapped and elderly) might get out in the storm. I...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 4, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
I've written here before about the political activity that transpires in Northampton's public school system. Northampton mayor Mary Clare Higgins, a former day care teacher with the defunct Hampshire Community Action Commission, makes regular forays into the...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 5, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
Can you say, blackball?Below is a letter sent to me by a neighbor via email regarding tonight's NEAT meeting at JFK Middle School. I've registered myself twice at the NEAT website for email updates, but strangely none have been forthcoming. Okay, so perhaps I...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 6, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
College Hall, photo by Ken Mitchell. Included in tonight's city council packet is a memo dated December 8, 2008 from Smith College attorney Ed Etheredge to the city's ordinance committee and by name councilors Michael Bardsley, David Narkewicz and Robert...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 8, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
As I watched the city council meeting last night, riveted by the public hearing on the proposed Business Improvement District which brought out some of the city's heavy hitters, I couldn't help but wonder.The opponents argue that the BID is too costly, not...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 9, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
"night" photo by Ken Mitchell.The Green Street Cafe is offering its friends and supporters a special offer of a 10% discount by subscribing to a pre-paid dinner plan or add funds to existing accounts. John and Jim need your help to stay in business and want...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 10, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
Hi all, The Friends of Forbes and Lilly Libraries will once again be having their edible book contest fundraiser! This year's event is Sunday April 5, 2009 2-4 pm at Forbes Library in Northampton. If you need inspiration to create a book, here is a link to photos...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 11, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
New landfill flare. On September 22, 2008 the Mass. DEP sent to Stantec a Notice of Noncompliance: NON-WE_08_4018 (PDF). Apparently, Stantec signed off on the "complete" installation of the new methane gas flare even though it was not fully installed because...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 12, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
The Ad Hoc Committee on Best Practices in Northampton Decision-Making presented its draft recommendations to the Northampton City Council in December. The draft recommendations are now subject to a 90-day public comment period and must be finalized no later than March...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 13, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
To host protest & Smith College teach-in/call-in. The following is from their facebook group in its entirety: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=49727836129&ref=ts#/group.php?gid=30901936261 email contact: poverty-is-not-a-crime@googlegroups.com ***EVEN...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 15, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
In June 2008 I posted a blog entry entitled, "Spray Can Alley," the topic of which was the graffiti in an alley behind some Main Street buildings in downtown Northampton. The entry contained 12 pictures. I neglected to cite the proper name of the alley which...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 19, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
In reaction to information posted here on Northampton Redoubt and some of the articles in the Valley Advocate related to Northampton's proposed Business Improvement District I received an email correspondence from Jeff Keck, executive director of Springfield's...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 20, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
Valley Art Share is a new website created to help you stay connected to the arts in the Pioneer Valley. It is designed for local artists, organizations, galleries and art lovers alike. As a member of Valley Art Share you can: upload your work, connect with other...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 22, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
Adam Cohen and the North Street Neighborhood Association and cameraman Ken Mitchell bring you the latest Best Practices Public Forum of Feb. 11, 2009. Learn more at northamptonma.gov/bestpractices/Best Practices Forum of 2/11/09 from Adam Cohen on Vimeo. Below Adam...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 24, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
Tuesday February 24, 2009 7:00-9:00 PM Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School Library Main Building, 80 Locust Street, Northampton AGENDA 7:00-7:10 Introduction to the City of Northampton Agricultural Commission by John Omasta, Chair 7:10-7:30 Overview of the...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 26, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
There was another moment during Northampton's last city council meeting where if you'd blinked you would have missed something important. Let's see if you caught it. With the council's focus on the proposed Business Improvement District, the BID, it...
by Northampton Redoubt | Feb 27, 2009 | Northampton Redoubt
The news about Massachusetts top ten dead-beat dads is spreading across the state. As part of the state's poster campaign, Northampton resident Mary Likins delivered her personal testimonial yesterday in Boston, a testimony which is a sad but inspiring story of a...