News
by Advocate staff | Oct 22, 2013 | News
Drive-In Makes Pitch on Kickstarter The Northfield Drive-In, a beloved attraction in Franklin County since 1948 and one of only 364 drive-ins in the U.S., is fighting for survival. Its operators need to switch to digital projectors for the opening of next...
by Stephanie Kraft | Oct 22, 2013 | News
On October 30, something won’t happen at UMass-Amherst’s Mullins Center. That something is the Pretty Lights concert, the last in a series of three electronic dance music (EDM) concerts the university has cancelled since September 11. The reason for the...
by Owen Broadhurst | Oct 22, 2013 | News
When Holyoke City Councilors Daniel Bresnahan and Todd McGee found themselves the subject of an intense media storm breaking on Facebook and Twitter, prompting coverage in the Springfield Newspapers and finally becoming a national news story, predictable apologies...
by Tom Vannah | Oct 23, 2013 | News
With Election Day 2013 almost here, the communications channels overflow with pious messages from various political groups reminding citizens of their right to vote. The strongest campaigns to push voters to the polls usually come in the service of political...
by Advocate staff | Oct 30, 2013 | News
Newly Restored Documentary Spurs Conversation About Valley Farming By Maureen Turner e_SDLqMaybe it’s a hard way of life, but in some ways it’s quite satisfying,” Bernardston farmer Louise Taylor says in a voiceover, over footage of herself feeding...
by Maureen Turner | Oct 30, 2013 | News
The Springfield City Council voted last week to fund an ordinance that holds banks responsible for foreclosed houses in the city. But a second, connected ordinance that would require banks to mediate with homeowners before foreclosing remains on ice. The Council...
by Advocate staff | Oct 30, 2013 | News
Monte’s March, Take 4 If you listen to radio station 93.9-The River, you know morning host Monte Belmonte. For each of the past three years, Monte has pushed a shopping cart up the road to raise money for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and the 135,000...
by Daniel Ward | Oct 30, 2013 | News
The ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, look at a problem in a new light, find a solution from a different perspective, is an invaluable asset in almost every aspect of life. Yet it’s not something we find easy to learn, even to the extent...
by Advocate readers | Oct 30, 2013 | News
A Tea Party Convert? A woman from Orange wrote a letter to the editor last week (“Teabagger Takeover,” October 24, 2013) that revealed her intense, bubbling hostility toward the Tea Party. While it is apparent that this woman is misguided, there is more...
by Maureen Turner | Oct 30, 2013 | News
It’s been 18 years since Hampshire College professor Robert Goodman issued his sober warnings about what the proliferation of casino gambling would do to our economy, our society and our democracy in his book, The Luck Business: The Devastating Consequences and...
by James Heflin | Oct 30, 2013 | News
There’s something about fall in New England that makes it more than a brief flaming of arboreal colors. It’s hard to put a finger on. It’s a feeling more than anything. Walk down a street on a windy day and the leaves move in packs, scraping around...
by Tom Vannah | Nov 5, 2013 | News
Last week was a big one for Boston—a big week for all Massachusetts. All New England, really. Of course, most of the fanfare came as a result of the Red Sox World Series win. But it’s also not every day that the Bay State gets a visit from the president....
by Gary Carra | Nov 5, 2013 | Blogs, News, Nightcrawler
The name of the new disc and tour—Lightning Bolt—may suggest a quick, intense burst of energy. But as Pearl Jam pushed its way past the 30-song, three-hour mark at Harford’s XL Center on Friday, Oct. 25, it was evident to all in the sold-out audience...
by Advocate staff | Nov 5, 2013 | News
Racial Shock at Hampshire Halloween By Pete Redington On the homepage of its website, the Valley band Shokazoba highlights a quote from Bluebird Reviews describing it as “an Afrobeat ensemble that blends jazz and old school funk, with a West African beat...
by Chris Rohmann | Nov 5, 2013 | News
The Mystery of Irma Vep is a parody with a gimmick: all the roles, half of them female, are played by two male actors in a whirlwind of instant costume changes. Charles Ludlam’s outrageous homage to Gothic horror and B-movie monsters touches all the...
by Sarah Jaffe | Nov 5, 2013 | News
On September 15, the fifth anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, progressives toasted a victory. True, thanks to Congressional timidity, the biggest banks have only gotten bigger since the financial crisis five years ago, and the men (yes, mostly men) in...
by Advocate staff | Nov 5, 2013 | News
A fter the blood and sweat, now the tears: The Norwottuck Shoppes mall in Hadley was totally destroyed by a fire on October 26. The simple wooden structure was home to mom-and-pop businesses, some owned by immigrants, that kept going on more hard work than capital. A...
by by Mary King | Nov 5, 2013 | News
This coming January, the General Education Development test (GED) is set to undergo significant changes. Passing the GED is a requirement for those without a high school diploma to enter military service, enroll in college or obtain an entry level job. Yet in 2011,...
by Advocate readers | Nov 6, 2013 | News
Bill Maher Fan Mail In regard to your recent cover story about Bill Maher (“Bill Maher Stands Up,” October 24, 2013): I love you, Bill! I’ve always wanted to have 10 of the most influential people in my life sit down for great wine and food and just...
by Tom Vannah | Nov 12, 2013 | News
I took the scenic route from Northampton to Palmer last week, avoiding the highway in favor of Bay Road through Hadley and Amherst and Route 181 through Belchertown. On the sunny morning of Election Day, my ride was not only relaxing but a feast for the eyes as I...
by Advocate staff | Nov 12, 2013 | News
Warren Joins Markey and McGovern in Pushing ERA Extension By Maureen Turner Remember the ERA, the proposed Constitutional amendment from the early 1970s that sought to guarantee that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United...
by Advocate readers | Nov 12, 2013 | News
Why Be a GMO Guinea Pig? C.E. Dunne’s recent letter (“Forget It, Fearmongers: GMOs Are Safe,” October 17, 2013) shows an ignorance of the very real dangers of genetically modified “food” and sounds more like biotech industry propaganda...
by Stephanie Kraft | Nov 12, 2013 | News
The work is going on quietly, with no news events at the moment. The planning is so long-range that it’s easy to forget what was reported when the meetings were held and the grants were handed out. But a year from now, we’ll be close to a new era in...
by by Philip Korman and Kristen Wilmer | Nov 12, 2013 | News
Local agriculture is strong in the Pioneer Valley, with over 150 farm stands, 40 farmers’ markets, and countless restaurants and grocery stores offering local food. We are lucky to have such a thriving local food system, and access to farm-fresh food is...
by Advocate staff | Nov 13, 2013 | News
Warren Gets Headlines With Solar Project Shovels went into the ground Nov. 5 for what will be the second-largest solar project in Massachusetts, a 14-megawatt plant in Warren, to be joined by a 3-megawatt installation in Millbury. Most of the power from the two...
by Maureen Turner | Dec 17, 2013 | News
As a teenager, Andrea James went to a Roxbury courthouse with a friend whose brother was on trial there. The scene—the mostly young black men in shackles; the families gathered to support their loved one—conveyed to her “a sense of suffering that I...
by Maureen Turner | Nov 13, 2013 | News
The Big Gamble Will casino election results shift the odds against gaming development? With two more communities rejecting casino plans on Election Day, it’s hard not to ask the question: Did Massachusetts lawmakers think to check with their constituents...
by Advocate staff | Dec 17, 2013 | News
Revolution Catching Fire? T he Hunger Games: Catching Fire may be a big-budget film that made over $670 million in its first two weeks at the box office, but that hasn’t stopped economic justice activists from using its story to highlight their inequality...
by by Advocate staff | Nov 19, 2013 | News
By the Numbers That’s the length of the newly installed bike lane on Plumtree Road in Springfield. The result of a collaboration between the non-profit MassBike, City Hall, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and Partners for a Healthier Community,...
by Jo Comerford | Dec 17, 2013 | News
In the spirit of the holiday season, Congress should set aside dysfunction and the austerity mindset and give the American people a reason to be thankful: a federal spending and revenue plan that takes our best interests to heart. In late November, House...
by Ira Helfand | Nov 19, 2013 | News
In the 1980s, there was a general understanding that a large-scale nuclear war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union would be a disaster for the whole world. Recent research has shown that even a limited nuclear war, as might happen between India and Pakistan, would...
by Advocate staff | Dec 18, 2013 | News
Bernie in 2016? By Maureen Turner “Anyone who really, really wants to be president is slightly crazy, because this is an unbelievably difficult job given the crises that this country faces today,” Vermont’s always frank Sen. Bernie Sanders recently...
by Advocate readers | Nov 19, 2013 | News
Hampshire College’s Moral Police That crank faction of Hampshire college students who went after the Valley band Shokazoba needs to get a grip (“Racial Shock at Hampshire Halloween,” November 7, 2013). It took a couple reads of this piece to...
by Tom Vannah | Dec 24, 2013 | News
It isn’t often that I find myself feeling grateful that Comcast is my cable provider. Like most people, I suspect, I’m more inclined to grumble about my bill than rave about the bounty of high-def channels I can enjoy. By the same token, it’s not...
by Pete Redington | Nov 19, 2013 | News
It may be true that even bad publicity is better than no publicity. But these days, the NFL (National Football League) is certainly putting that marketing philosophy to the test. Richie (not so) Incognito and the Miami Dolphins bullying scandal. The Oneida Nation...
by Advocate staff | Dec 24, 2013 | News
Building Berkshire East As the 2013/2014 ski season got into full swing last week, Berkshire East Ski Resort in Charlemont had plenty to show for its efforts over the summer, including a major expansion of its base lodge, which will open in January. The latest...
by by Advocate staff | Nov 19, 2013 | News
Dobelle: A Flash in the Sky, a Crash on the Ground By Stephanie Kraft Evan Dobelle has retired from his post as president of Westfield State University. But as of now, his retirement has not written an end either to the suit he filed against the school’s...
by Advocate staff | Dec 24, 2013 | News
Horn: Let’s send ex-Westfield State University president Evan Dobelle to a warm place—and this time it won’t be Hawaii, where he went down in flames in 2004 just as he did this year at WSU, clutching a fat wad of cash as he exited both places. Now...
by Tom Vannah | Nov 20, 2013 | News
Together we can! That’s what Deval Patrick told us in his magical first campaign to become governor of Massachusetts. Now, a lame duck with a year left in office, the governor is a bit more qualified in his rallying cry. Today it’s more like,...
by Advocate staff | Dec 24, 2013 | News
Bugged Station Leads to Lawsuits By Stephanie Kraft When the new UMass-Amherst police station opened in April, 2011, then-chief Johnny Whitehead announced that the $12.5-million facility “provides our department with all of the tools that a highly...
by by Advocate staff | Nov 27, 2013 | News
Think Outside the Big Box Two ways to stand up against the big-box-frenzy, fighting-for-parking-spots-at-the-mall, skipping-out-on-Thanksgiving-dessert-to-line-up-for-Black-Friday-sales vibe that’s come to characterize too much of the holiday season: 1) Join a...
by by No Casino Springfield | Dec 24, 2013 | News
Expendable: “not worth saving”… “meant to be used or thrown away”…”open to sacrifice in the interest of gaining an objective.” The gambling legislation of 2011, born of desperation in a struggling economy, laid...
by by Advocate staff | Nov 27, 2013 | News
Working Toward a Waste-Free Valley The notion of a zero-waste society might sound far-fetched; even with diligent recycling and devoted composting, how, exactly, can we ever truly eliminate waste? The answer, suggests Jessica Tanner, is to reframe the way we think...
by Advocate readers | Dec 26, 2013 | News
UMass Football Program: Touchdown or Fumble? Great article [“False Start: UMass struggles to find its place in upper division football,” December 12, 2013)! Just something to think about for the future: While I respect the USAToday numbers, they...
by Advocate readers | Nov 27, 2013 | News
Needle Exchange: “A Great First Step” With the Holyoke City Council set to vote on the city’s controversial needle exchange program this Tuesday, it’s important for the issue to be approached levelheadedly, with rational thought as the basis...
by Advocate staff | Dec 31, 2013 | News
Music in the ancient style: The Arcadia Players, the Valley’s own historic music ensemble, performed Handel’s Messiah on period instruments at Mount Holyoke College’s lofty Abbey Chapel Dec. 20. Started up here by nationally known harpsichord and...
by Michael James Barton | Nov 27, 2013 | News
The Obama Administration is currently working with the international community to relieve Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad of his chemical weapons stockpile. Of course, there’s ample reason for pessimism. Even if American and Russian officials were to work in...
by Advocate readers | Dec 31, 2013 | News
For Shame And in this week’s “I can’t believe what I just read” is the piece by Maureen Turner (“Prison Politics,” December 17, 2013) in which she attempts to frame the argument against the prison-industrial complex by describing...
by Maureen Turner | Nov 27, 2013 | News
When I moved to the Valley in 1996, casino gambling was a red-hot issue. A number of communities had already voted on whether they would welcome a casino inside their borders. In Holyoke, they’d said yes; in Springfield, where the matter was a major factor in...
by Clive Thompson | Dec 31, 2013 | News
In the spring, members of Congress set off to fly home for a holiday—and ran into mammoth lines at the airports. Why were things so bad? Because of airport furloughs caused by the “sequester.” Critics warned that the sequester would cause hardship...
by Maureen Turner | Dec 4, 2013 | News
There’s something rather romantic about the way Mitchell Etess, Mohegan Sun’s CEO, talks about his company’s new partnership with the Suffolk Downs racetrack. In a statement announcing the deal last week, Etess might have been describing two new...
by Sal Circosta | Dec 31, 2013 | News
Two years ago I opened the doors to my new business, Sal’s Bakery and Café in Springfield. As a new small business owner, I had my ups and downs. Taxes, inventory, utilities, advertising, everything comes with an ever-increasing price tag. Now our...
by Advocate staff | Dec 4, 2013 | News
No Fun What’s on the kiddies’ Christmas list this year? A potty seat with a built-in tablet screen, so toddlers can watch videos and play with apps while they do their business? The Monopoly Empire game, which replaces the iconic tokens with branded...
by Advocate staff | Jan 2, 2014 | News
The Health Care Scrimmage: A Few Yards Gained The lurching machinery of the Affordable Care Act moves slowly forward as people continue to sign up for health insurance in spite of daunting technical difficulties. In Massachusetts, where 97 percent of the...
by Advocate staff | Dec 4, 2013 | News
Who’s Been Slacking Off in Santa’s Workshop? By Maureen Turner What conveys the magic of the holiday season better than a toy box full of lead, toxic plastics and lots of little parts that toddlers can choke on? Last week, MassPIRG released its 28th...
by Advocate staff | Jan 7, 2014 | News
Worker-owned, patron-supported: On the brink of being forced to empty its shelves, the Food For Thought Bookstore workers’ collective appealed to its supporters and raised $40,573—more than its goal of $38,000— between Nov. 16 and the end of 2013,...
by Bernadette Giblin | Dec 4, 2013 | News
A bevy of emails has landed in my inbox, each raising the same question: Is there a safe, effective, economical way to remove the weeds growing on Northampton’s Florence Fields besides a broad spraying of Roundup? Yes, of course! After all, the best-selling...
by Advocate readers | Jan 7, 2014 | News
Horns for the Advocate? Regarding the Halos and Horns issue (December 26, 2013), I think you missed a good opportunity to assess yourselves as deserving horns for failing to offer sufficient coverage of perhaps the two biggest anniversaries affecting our lives: the...
by Advocate readers | Dec 4, 2013 | News
Patrick’s Puzzling Priorities Tom Vannah got it right in his column, “Our NIMBY Governor” (November 21, 2013): Deval Patrick is indeed “smug” and “tone deaf” and, furthermore, he has a strange set of priorities. He recently...
by Pete Redington | Jan 7, 2014 | News
The Olympics are never political. Except when they are. The question of what, if anything, might be done by the gay rights community and its supporters to address Russia’s stringent anti-gay laws came to a crescendo recently when President Obama named the...
