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Victory Theater

The Elusive, Post-Pandemic Path to Victory for Valley Performing Arts…

Grandees in Western Massachusetts have long seen the arts as key to bolstering the region’s economy. One endeavor, the restoration of the Victory Theater in Holyoke, seemingly scored big. It received a $2 million American Rescue Plan Act grant from the city. When Holyoke had to claw back the grant this month, it dealt a blow to efforts to build out downtown as an arts hub.

Springfield

Take My Council, Please: To be There or to Be Just a Square…?

A week before the Springfield City Council was to consider tax rates for residential and commercial properties, members briefly clashed over funding to close deficits from prior years. There was another mayor-Council flashpoint last week, albeit one that took the guise of old school political territorialism. The removal of the historic Stearns Square bench had reached the Council. However, the body punted on a resolve at the request of one councilor.