News
Court and Cassock
Last year, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield filed a lawsuit against the City of Springfield that touched on a crucial—and often politically touchy—legal question: where, exactly, is the line between the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of...The FCC Adds an Asterisk to Net Neutrality
For decades now, the Internet has thrived with minimal regulation. As it increasingly moves from a fringe medium to the primary one through which business, entertainment and ideas are carried on and exchanged, the threat of regulation looms large. To preserve what is...
Three Hilltown Schools to Close
Starting next fall, approximately 200 children will have to travel a bit farther to go to school, thanks to a 13-3 vote by the Gateway Regional School Committee whose primary effect will be the closing of three rural elementary schools. Russell Elementary, Blandford...Letters: What Do You Think?
Keeping Them in CollegeIf our government, both federal and state, had any interest in making college more affordable for low-income independent students, they could take two very simple steps (see "A Matter of Degree," Jan. 7, 2010). On the federal level,...Imperium Watch: The Money Siphon
In a video communication last October, bin Laden lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahiri's threats to the U.S. included a vow to drain its economy. But the economy can be drained without al-Zawahiri's help. America's own financial institutions are doing it. A...
The DIY Big-Bank Bustup
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has filed a bill to force the Treasury Department to bust up banks and other financial institutions seen as "too big to fail." While consumers damn Wall Street and wait for the government to do something about the...
Boots on the Ground
Through freezing, dismal weather that had others in the region huddling in their houses, people from Vermont and Massachusetts walked 126 miles over 12 days— from Brattleboro to Montpelier, from Jan. 2 to 13—to ask the Vermont Legislature to vote against...
Support When It's Needed
When Liz Friedman gave birth to her first child seven years ago, she experienced what she calls a "severe post-partum crisis." She felt isolated and alone, a problem exacerbated by her partner's demanding work schedule. She was mourning the loss of an...Craven Boosts Dinosaur Mural
Each year in Holyoke, Highland Hardware and Bike Shop and Mansir Printing collaborate on printing a calendar illustrated with a selection of the historic images from the collection of Harry Craven, the owner of Highland Hardware. Profits are donated to a local...Between the Lines: Patrick's Pander
“The public has lost confidence in Parole, and I have lost confidence in Parole.” So says Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, referring to the state Parole Board. In the last few weeks, the governor has come under pressure from police groups, victim rights...
Reading, 'Riting and Retail
Earlier this year, the makers of the fruit-flavored drink SunnyD launched a national promotion called the “SunnyD Book Spree.” Schools were invited to submit UPC codes collected from SunnyD bottles to the company, which, in turn, would send the schools...Stepping Up for Local Seniors
Their fields may be frozen, but winter is still a busy time for farmers, who use the break between last year's harvest and this year's sowing to order seeds, plot out their fields and otherwise prepare for the coming growing season.This winter, the South...
District Attorney, Double Take
For the first time in two decades, Hampden County has a new top prosecutor, with the inauguration of District Attorney Mark Mastroianni earlier this month. A few days before Mastroianni’s inauguration, the Springfield Republican marked the end of the 20-year...Letters: What Do You Think?
Foreclosure: More Consumers Should Speak Up The Massachusetts court decision [that foreclosures cannot proceed without proper documentation of ownership; see “Putting the Brake on Foreclosures,” January 13, 2011] is fantastic news because Wells Fargo in...Imperium Watch: What DeLay Didn't Go to Jail For
Ex-U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) has been sentenced to three years in prison for money laundering and conspiracy to launder money in connection with the illegal funneling of corporate donations to candidates for the Texas state legislature in 2002. (DeLay’s own...A Double Standard in Terrorism Response?
After the events of September 11, 2001, a response was unleashed wherein two wars were launched–one against a country that had no evident involvement in the terrorist attacks–that have cost thousands of lives and trillions of dollars, and are still going...Telltale Tritium
Radioactive tritium has been discovered in a well that monitors groundwater flow from the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant near Brattleboro, and in a concrete trench at the plant. (Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen; it's the element that gives exit...More on Vermont Yankee
In other news about Vermont Yankee, the Vermont Citizens Action Network has struck on a rather ingenious way to raise money for its efforts to shut down the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor, which sits just north of the Valley, in Vernon, Vt.: a green-tinged raffle....Church Historic District Challenged in Court
As expected, the Diocese of Springfield has filed a lawsuit against the Springfield City Council in response to the Council's decision to create a protected historic district at the recently closed Our Lady of Hope parish on Armory Street. The lawsuit, which was...Between the Lines: Why Martha Lost
If this is how it feels to live in a swing state, a colleague recently suggested, living in a swing state must be a pain in the ass.That was about the best take-away point I heard over the last few weeks as pundits near and far endeavored to explain the cataclysmic...ImperiumWatch: Information, Please!
With newspapers all over the country on the brink of collapse and an epicenter shift occurring in the way people get their news, it's worth a look at the Pew Research Center's recent survey of where core news—genuinely new information—is coming...A Supreme Opportunity
It's a remarkable statement: "For too long, some in this country have been deprived of full participation in the political process," [Republican Senator Mitch] McConnell said. "With today's monumental decision, the Supreme Court took an...State Hospital Memorial Eligible for CPA Funding
A memo sent out last week to the Northampton State Hospital Fountain Committee by Jacky Duda, the group's chair, announced that the committee is eligible to apply for Community Preservation Funds for the planning and building of a memorial on the former property...
Power Play
Like many Springfield residents, Walter Kroll says, when he first heard about a proposal to build a power plant in the East Springfield neighborhood, he assumed that government officials were in the best position to decide whether the project would be right for the...Between the Lines: Goodbye, Joe
Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut won’t be running for another term in Congress. Lieberman, whose political identity has morphed confusingly through the years—a Democrat who campaigned actively for a Republican presidential candidate, an...State Budget: A New Report on an Old Issue
As the budget process for 2012 gets underway, a new report released last week by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center gives the state high marks for “efficient” spending. The report compares the cost of services purchased by state government,...Letters: What Do You Think?
Citizens Treated as Terrorists? In “A Double Standard in Terrorism Response?” [January 20, 2011], Tom Sturm asks us to imagine a world where everyone resembling the Tucson shooter is treated the way U.S. government has treated Muslims for a decade....Letters: What Do You Think?
More on the BeastThank you for your recent article ("Mountain Power," Jan. 14, 2010) revealing the heart-warming history of Berkshire East. As a California native, I grew up skiing Tahoe Donner's local mountain in Truckee and have many blissful childhood...Imperium Watch: Plight of the Honey Bee
An Environmental Protection Agency memo written last November goes a long way toward solving the mystery of honey bee colony collapse disorder. It also provides a snapshot of the conflict between corporate interests and the natural world that’s one of the major...Pittsfield: G.E. Superfund Site Cleanup
The year 2010 may well be a significantly cleaner one for the city of Pittsfield. The decade-long process of cleaning up the former site of General Electric's shuttered plant and its surrounding area was initially mandated by a consent decree from a U.S. district...
Valley Rail: Cash for Clickity-Clackers
Train service will return to towns along the Connecticut River in Massachusetts within the next two years, along with three new station stops: one new and two renovated. Last week, President Obama announced $8 billion dollars in federal stimulus grants for high-speed...
New Hampshire: Howl
The New Hampshire state bird is the purple finch. The official state flower is the purple lilac. Last week, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development announced the designation of the state's first official T-shirt, "Three Wolf Moon," a garment...Plenty of Protein
Something pretty important happened last week at Protein Attachment Technologies, an Amherst bio-tech firm started by UMass chemistry professors. It just wasn't initially clear what that was. The press release read like one of those weird bridge columns for card...New York AG: No to Nuke Spinoff
As tension builds about when the Vermont Legislature will vote to allow or deny a 20-year license extension for the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, it's time to look at what's going on between the state of New York and Yankee's owners, Entergy. Wrapped...Imperium Watch: Who's Your Daddy?
Saudi Arabian billionaire Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud has announced that he would support James Murdoch, son of Rupert Murdoch and reportedly an outspoken critic of Israel's treatment of Palestinians, for CEO of News Corporation, the Rupert Murdoch...
Springfield: North End Story
When Tim Black first met Fausto Rivera in 1990, the odds were stacked dramatically against the 15-year-old Rivera. A sophomore at Springfield's Commerce High, he could neither read nor write. He was already a father, with a daughter who had severe medical...Between the Lines: People's President, American Patriot, Howard Zinn
Our country just lost one of its greatest patriots, and I lost a friend and longtime role model and inspiration, when historian and activist Howard Zinn passed away.I still remember as if it were yesterday the first time I ever saw him. It was the tumultuous year of...Letters: What Do You Think?
Vermont Yankee Destroyed TrustIt used to really burn me up to have my trust violated by my mate when I was in an intimate relationship with her. Now I know what I deserve and if a woman violates my trust, I say goodbye. Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee just violated the...Frustration Without Representation
A recent UMass Daily Collegian piece pointed out to students that one-third of Amherst's Town Meeting seats will be up for grabs in March, an especially important fact in light of the severe underrepresentation of student-age (18-24) Amherst residents. The piece...Bailout for Bank Bonuses?
On Jan. 25, the executive director of MassPIRG (the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group), Janet Domenitz, announced a new campaign to demand that banks that were assisted by government bailouts a little over a year ago pay taxpayers back before paying bonuses...
Google Drowns Norman Rockwell Museum
Stockbridge's Norman Rockwell Museum experienced an unexpected temporary crash of its website last Wednesday, Feb. 3 due to a surge in Internet traffic brought on by a Google tribute to the artist on his 116th birthday. Google, as it has been known to do for...Imperium Watch: “Help” for Haiti
Did anyone else get the feeling that the speedy response of countless countries and organizations to the earthquake in Haiti showed the eagerness human beings exude when they think they see a chance to make up for something? (This doesn't apply to individuals,...Letters: What Do You Think?
Religious Freedom—Really?I am writing in response to the January 28 story (News and Commentary, "Church Historic District Challenged in Court") about the Roman Catholic Diocese suit over the creation of the Our Lady of Hope Local Historic District. The...Between the Lines: Move It Along, Folks
It's been more than five months since the Springfield City Council voted to take the Urban League building at 765 State Street and return it to its previous use, as a branch library for the Mason Square neighborhood. So why is the Urban League still in the...Broadband: Going the Extra Mile
The Massachusetts Broadband Initiative (MBI) made the glum announcement on Jan. 26 that its application for federal stimulus funds had been taken out of the running for the first funding phase. MBI would receive none of the $100 million the group hoped would help...Williams College Reverses Loan Policy
In the fall of 2008, Williams College announced the replacement of student loans with grants and direct scholarships, a program designed to help students to prevent an excessive accumulation of debt while pursuing higher education. Now, however, it appears that the...
Mercury on the Loose
In 2006, Massachusetts legislators passed a law that prohibited the sale of thermostats that contain mercury. They weren't alone; over the past decade, 15 states have passed similar laws, in response to increasing concerns about the serious public health risks...
Holyoke: Historic Octagonal House Fire
On the morning of February 9, the Holyoke Fire Department responded to reports of a fire in the octagonal house on the corner of Hampden and Parker streets. The fire broke out in the attic, and destroyed much of that and the second floor. Owner David Casali had been...Letters: What Do You Think?
Keep Nuke RunningSo the owners and managers of Vermont Yankee cover up problems and downplay risks—this is my surprised face. The solution, however, is not shutting the plant down. What would take its place? A coal plant? Even so-called clean coal is far dirtier...Between the Lines: Another Shoe Drops at VT Yankee
As the Vermont Department of Health and the operators of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant agree that tritium-contaminated water from the plant is moving toward the Connecticut River, a plan to bundle a relicensed Vermont Yankee with five other plants owned by...BCC to Soak Up Some Sun
Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield is clobbering every Ivy League school in at least one area: next fall, it's going solar. A $3.5 million project is already out to bid to install more than 1,800 solar panels on six of the campus's newly renovated...Amherst: Open Arms
When Amherst Town Meeting voted last November to invite two released Guantanamo inmates to settle in town, it made national news, reinforcing Amherst's ultra-liberal reputation among skeptical conservatives. Recent goings-on at UMass-Amherst Veteran Services...Bill Would Give Homeowners a Day in Court
The Hampden County Bar Association’s Foreclosure Task Force, whose staff is still busy answering calls from people threatened with foreclosure (dial 413-322-7404), is rooting for a proposed new state law that may offer relief to more than one homeowner at a...The Price of a Mayor
Help wanted: chief executive to run large 374-year-old organization. Oversee 6,700 employees and a $530 million budget. Responsibilities include public safety, economic development and public education. Fundraising ability essential; a thick skin a plus. Benefits...Sick in Amherst
As Amherst residents brace for a Proposition 2 1/2 override vote next month, many eyes, naturally, turn to how the town is spending the money it already has. Among those budget matters to get closer inspection are the very generous benefits included in Superintendent...Between the Lines: Blood on the Dashboard
While Springfield residents and officials continue to grapple with the seemingly irresolvable issue of how to police the city’s police, there has been a resolution in one recent high-profile case of alleged police misconduct. Last week, a settlement was...Letters: What Do You Think?
The Health Care Americans Need I am flabbergasted by the letters appearing in the Advocate and other newspapers celebrating Scott Brown’s victory as a repudiation of “a government takeover of healthcare.” Do the writers of these letters really think...Plot Thickens in Bruno Murder Case
The federal indictment last week of reputed local mob leader Anthony Arillotta in connection with the murder of his predecessor, Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno, has added another layer of intrigue to that still unresolved case. Arillotta was described in the...Big Box Battle
Hadley, long known as a community that welcomes big box retailers, hasn’t been so hospitable to Lowe’s, the home improvement retailer. Starting in 2003, the town voted down—three times—requests to rezone agricultural land (the Long Hollow Bison...E-Edition
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