Northampton Redoubt
As Northampton BIDs Farewell by Ken Mitchell
I support the Valley Advocate's criticism of the Northampton BID over the last few weeks. If the Chamber of Commerce had looked for best solutions to redress their failures to raise money for Holiday lighting, flower boxes, and whatever else business owners could...BID meeting Wednesday/Zero lot line workshop tonight postponed
Former mayoral candidate Gene Tacy is organizing an independent BID informational meeting.Wednesday, March 4 @ 6 PM at the American Legion, Riverside Drive in the Bay State section of Northampton (by the high school.)All are welcome. The zero lot line workshop...Free Econ. Stimulus Webinar/State Hospital CAC meeting Wednesday
Economic Stimulus & Powering Through the Recession When: Tuesday, March 10th at 1pm Eastern time. Free registration is now open at: http://edweek.org/go/economic-stimulus What will President Obama's stimulus package mean for K-12 budgets? How can you make...Cast your vote on Northampton's shovel ready Economic Stimulus proposals
Image from Wikimedia Commons page. Click: >>>>>>> Economic stimulus Northampton Click on the link above to cast your vote for or against the shovel ready projects as put forth by the city of Northampton for the federal economic stimulus plan. You...Why Northampton's BID is sure to pass
Tonight the city council could take its first vote on the proposed Business Improvement District for downtown. If it does it will likely pass due to overwhelming support from Mayor Mary Clare Higgins who has her fingers on the levers for some significant players in...Legal services correction
In watching Mayor Higgins' recent budget meeting with the Finance Committee she took issue with a recent, "tabloid article" regarding the amount of money paid for legal services and she was right. Only it was a blog posting on Northampton Redoubt. In...Northampton Design Forum…forum
Dear Northampton Citizens: The Northampton Design Forum is a local citizen group which invited the Notre Dame Urban Design Studio to Northampton last fall. This was funded entirely by private donations. We have planned a public forum to discuss the intersection of...Kirkland Avenue Project: Art-Out
Friday, March 13, 2009 from 4pm to 8pmLocation: Kirkland Ave, NorthamptonBe sure to check out the Kirkland Avenue website for some great new pictures: http://www.kirklandave.blog…Contact Info: 413.522.1319Organized By: storefrontARTAlso visit Valley Art Share...Tea Party, March at 6 O'clock by Kenneth Mitchell
All in a golden afternoon, I slid into downtown thinking about the letter I just got explaining that Arnold Ave. must now be repaved. Mayor Higgins decided to permanently cut off all parking to street residents because Smith College needed two wide sidewalks to get to...Charles Moore: Sailing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Here's something to think about the next time you bite into a tuna salad sandwich. A yachting competition across the Pacific led veteran seafarer Charles Moore to discover what some have since deemed the world's largest "landfill" — actually a...Kunstler on the future of planning…really James-no foolin'?
Planetizen, the planning, design and development network, publishes a weekly newswire. This week there is a link to an article on the, "Whistling past the Graveyard," blog (WPTG) regarding cemeteries and planning. I have not thought much about planning and...Northampton BID protest, PINAC pushed back-2 arrested
The media reported Friday evening on the television (Channel 22) news and Saturday morning in the print media (Gazette, subscription required) on the BID protest held Friday, March 13, 2009 in Northampton. Poverty is Not a Crime has released the following video...Mayor's magical mystery tour leads to a Schwartz candidacy
Mayor Mary Clare Higgins continues her magical mystery budget tour through the city's seven wards. Strong allies in her tour are some of the parents in the public school system. Note the turnout as reported in the Gazette at the Finn-Ryan Road School briefing of...A visit at Smith College's Ford Hall
Kenneth Mitchell posted an article here on Redoubt a few days ago concerning the reconstruction of Arnold Avenue, and the installation of new sidewalks and granite curbing. This means, apparently, that on-street parking is to become a thing of the past in the area....Dear Andrew, thanks for writing
Ah, if I only had a brain, but no I was not attempting to create a straw man argument in my last post. Rather, I am describing, from my point of view, the less than shocking intertwining of the city's partisan political system and power infrastructure with its...The clock is ticking, 30 days to opt out of the BID
Well no surprises, Northampton's Business Improvement District passed its second reading last night and, pending some kind of litigation, is now law. That means property owners within its boundaries have thirty days to opt out. Those choosing not to opt out will...Hamp Planning staff endorses Kohl development on North St.
From a Planning Dept. staff report prepared by Carolyn Misch and approved by Wayne Feiden to the Planning Board on March 26. To see the latest plans visit NorthAssoc.org: Conformance with Sustainable NH: This is in-town lot abutting the rail trail that will have...Bardsley a candidate
It's official, Northampton city councilor at large Mike Bardsley has declared his candidacy for mayor. Of course as soon as he takes out nomination papers some will opine that he is grandstanding and a political opportunist as opposed to a willing public servant....Lawsuit poised to challenge validity of Northampton BID
Caty Simon of Poverty is Not a Crime posted an entry this morning regarding a lawsuit opposing Northampton's Business Improvement District or BID.Read the full entry >>>>> Lawsuit poised to challenge the validity of the BID. Some excerpts:Alan...Account of a mayor's budget meeting-first hand!
A few days ago I penned a blog regarding Pam Schwartz's candidacy for Ward 4 city council, a seat being vacated by councilor Narkewicz. In that post I commented on second hand reports I'd received regarding the budget meetings turning into as I called them, de...The Kohl condo proposal and the Struggle Over the Meaning of Infill
by Adam Cohen. Back in June 2007, Doug Kohl’s Kohl Construction gave a presentation at Bridge Street School. He proposed to build 31 condo units in the woods between North Street and a new bike trail in Northampton. Today, many Conservation Commission and...Klaus A. Becker to perform at Smith College May 8
Keyboard artist Klaus A. Becker will be performing "A Dance on the Keyboards" May 8th at 7:30 P.M. in Helen Hills Hills Chapel, Smith College, Northampton. An accomplished concert performer on both piano and organ, he will be bringing together these two...New videos of Meadowbrook fire and its aftermath by RJ
Monday's fire has left numerous families without a home. If you can help, contact the Red Cross to make a donation athttp://www.redcrosspioneervalley.org/donate/ "rjisinspired" posted these videos on Youtube of the Meadowbrook fire and its aftermath....Call for artists to benefit Swaziland AIDS orphans
Nonhle is one of over 1,000 AIDS orphans that Young Heroes Foundation, a Northampton-based nonprofit, supports in Swaziland – the country with the world’s highest rate of HIV. Nonhle This year, to make the Day of the African Child into a day of action on...Higgins gambling on a municipal budget
Northampton is caught in a downward fiscal spiral and some are content to frame its context as one of outside forces imposing their will on the city. Blame is cast on the national economy, cuts in state funding and rising health insurance costs. It's too bad...The future of newspapers
As senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) and represenative John Conyers (D-Mich.) prepare for hearings on saving the newspaper industry, newspaper designer Jacek Utko has succeeded in breathing new life into a declining but not dead trade. But can an industry beholden to...Silva seeks Ethics Commission ruling on pro-override organizing activity
Former Ward 5 city council candidate Kathy Silva has filed a complaint with the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission regarding the formation of the pro-override city committee in Northampton. The text of that complaint is included below: Massachusetts Enforcement...Gilbert Allen Smith, alleged deadbeat dad taken into custody in Virginia
According to Northampton resident Mary Likins, Smith was apprehended last Thursday in Petersburg, VA. Smith owes Likins more than $44 thousand in back child support payments and Likins spoke out publicly regarding her family's situation a short time ago. Smith was...Bike repairs and the Manhan Rail Trail
As I walked downtown last Saturday afternoon to get what's left of my hair cut I happened upon Ruthy Woodring of the Pedal People. Ruthy was offering free bicycle repairs and maintenance in Pulaski Park. Ever cordial, Ruthy let me take a few pictures to share with...Cycle Interactive Documentary Project by Dani Slabaugh
Hampshire College student and artist Dani Slabaugh had her interactive art display set up in Pulaski Park on April 26-27. Through headphones patrons could listen to bicyclists describe in their own words why they bike and why they feel that it's good for the...Higgins groupthink breaking bad
The Boston Globe is reporting on a dismal future indeed for the state's fiscal capacity. Years of a contracting budget scenario are projected. During times like this communities must scale back ambitious plans that don't contribute to the bottom line....Bikers of all varieties to support Steph's Wild Ride June 6
Stephanie Micka Steph's Wild Ride is a new organization created in memory of local resident Stephanie Micka who succumbed to cancer not long ago. Her family and friends are devoted to keeping Steph's memory alive while working to help others fight cancer....May 20 a popular day for a meeting
The Paradise City Forum's listserv is hopping today with city meeting notices and May 20 seems to be the day for municipal meetings. Meetings for that day include:Neighborhood meeting for Hospital Hill neighbors @ 6:30 PM at 375 South Street, aka Cahillane Motors....Heigh-Ho, Gazette digs for Higgins
The Daily Hampshire Gazette is ramping up its presses for the upcoming mayoral election in Northampton but I'm not sure what we're reading is objective reporting. Make no mistake about it, Redoubt and its host The Valley Advocate have been critical of the...City scores $181K in federal Recovery and Reinvestment funds for James House, $20K for Planning Dept.
PUBLIC NOTICE DRAFT SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE 2008-2009 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN UNDER THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT- RECOVERY FUNDS (CDBG-R) The City of Northampton receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding each year as an...Please keep your sewer out of my residence! Steve Susco
Longtime Northampton resident Steve Susco addresses Northampton mayor Mary Clare Higgins and the city council regarding sewer back ups into his home. (Meeting excerpt courtesy Northampton Community Television and camera operator Dann Vazquez.) In an interview at his...Northampton's residential tax levy increases 61% between 2000 and 2009
A few days ago I penned a blog on the tax levy increases for single family parcels in the city of Northampton. Upon further examination I found more information in plain view on the state's website regarding all of the classes of property in the city, and their...Northampton BID melodrama hits the big time
Northampton's Business Improvement District was featured recently on MSNBC, the professional home of Northampton's favorite daughter and liberal talk show host, Dr. Rachel Maddow. Besides a factual error in stating that Northampton is located in the...W3NA tax increase forum draws 50
Since the local media continues to booster Mayor Higgins' position on the override I'll go with the flow on the topic. I attended last Monday night's override forum held at Bridge Street School and in my view there was no clear winner, if you'll pardon...Northampton area residents respond to California court ruling on gay marriage
Video courtesy Dan-X and YouTube.Resident Ben Spencer on Hospital Hill's bike path extension-submitted to Gazette
Manhan Rail Trail Extension to Village Hill Northampton: Yesterday I was contacted by Wayne Feiden , the Director of Planning and Development for Northampton and Ward Four City Councilor David Narkewicz regarding my concerns over the Manhan Rail Trail Extension to...If approved, Northampton's tax override will perpetuate the political status quo
As the days dwindle down toward the June 16 vote on Northampton's proposed tax increase, the hysteria is building. In the Boston area the trend is that a majority of municipalities attempting local tax increases are successful. Eleven out of sixteen communities...Welcome to Village Hill Northampton by Benjamin Spencer
From the South Campus of Village Hill the views of the Pioneer Valley and the Holyoke and Mount Tom Ranges are stunning. Unfortunately, the Planning Board's decision to accept the site plan presented by Kollmorgen at their June 11 meeting means these views will...Hilton Garden Inn update from Gene Tacy
Northampton Hilton Garden Inn, an official's version
Below is planning director Wayne Feiden's presentation as delivered to the city council on Thursday, June 18, 2009 regarding the status of the Northampton Hilton Garden Inn. (About 65 minutes. Here's a tip, play them all at once to save time! If you are...Higgins' proposal a policy paradox
The following are excerpts from a June 9 budget briefing. It appears that Northampton mayor Mary Clare Higgins has no long range plan to fund her proposal to spin off from the Office of Planning and Development (OPD) a new department of Community and Economic...Dostal out, Dnark back in
An anonymous tip left this afternoon on my home telephone indicates Northampton at large City Councilor James Dostal has announced he is not going to run for re-election. In his place Ward 4 City Councilor David Narkewicz has announced he will run for the vacated...local Northampton blogs on the move
New reports have hit some other local blogs recently.Check out Mary Serreze's for updates on Northampton's negative pension fund performance which turns out to be a positive. The city's -19% performance is the best of the worst I suppose, but it's...Kollmorgen's TIF, the taking of prosperity?
In light of the recent Kollomorgen TIF agreement I've reprised an earlier blog regarding Tax Increment Financing and Wright Builders. There is no meeting Thursday night to be clear and Wright Builders was granted TIF status. I've also included a sampling of...Councilors Bardsley and M. LaBarge move to put landfill expansion on public ballot
Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JULY 3, 2009 On Thursday, July 2, 2009, At Large City Councilor Michael Bardsley and Ward Six City Councilor Marianne LaBarge submitted an Order to be place on the agenda of the meeting of the Nothampton City Council scheduled for...Green Street Cafe saga continues
According to a letter I received today dated July 4, 2009, Smith College has rejected an offer from one of its graduates to save the cafe from extinction. Northampton resident Jan Carhart-'75, is willing to take responsibility for the Cafe's past rent due if...Northampton Design Public Forum July 27
Leeds, Baystate and Florence July 27 at 7 PM at the Florence Civic Center next to Lilly Library. The Northampton Design Forum, in cooperation with the Baystate Village Association, Florence Civic and Business Association and the Leeds Civic Association is sponsoring a...Water Not Waste launches to Save Barnes Aquifer
The following material is from Water Not Waste's website. WNW is a new citizens' group committed to preserving the quality of the Barnes Aquifer in Western Massachusetts. They oppose the expansion of the Northampton Landfill over this aquifer. Their current...Northampton's meals tax–Where's the beef?
Well Northampton Mayor Mary Clare Higgins finally got her way–the state has approved a local option meals tax of .75% or seventy-five cents tax on a one hundred dollar meal. Higgins has made this one of the hallmarks of her administration. Going back half a...Can Northampton handle the truth over public process?
Some recent scuttlebutt going around the city concerns a potential violation of the state's Public Records laws. It is alleged that public records pertaining to the executive sessions on the landfill settlements were destroyed, before the meeting minutes of said...New England Grass Roots Environment Fund application deadline approaching
This source of funds could benefit some recent activities in the city, like refuse recycling at the landfill, the Barrett Street Marsh beaver woes, the Bleiman land gift or the preservation of the North Street wetlands among others. I’m sure the Broad Brook...Should City Council pass landfill decision to Planning Board?
A few days prior to the recent July 30 special city council meeting regarding a citizens' intitiative to place a nonbinding public opinion advisory question before the voters the Daily Hampshire Gazette's editors presented the public its own red herring by...WNW hosting meeting tonight, signatures needed
Water Not Waste is hosting a meeting this Wednesday, August 5th, 7 p.m. at the Florence Community Center located at 140 Pine Street, in the auditorium, about the petition drive underway for a referendum vote on expanding the Northampton landfill over an acquifer. From...Green Street Cafe
The following was sent to me by the owners of the Green Street Cafe in response to a recent blog I posted. Daryl: We would love to lay to rest the issue of the closing of the cafe in 2007. The reason the cafe was closed was building code violations that were the...E-Edition
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