SPRINGFIELD—The battle for Ward 8’s council seat is a familiar one. Incumbent John Lysak is seeking reelection and the challenger is Orlando Ramos, whom Lysak beat twice, sometimes very narrowly. Even if the race may seem like rerun, the players are anything but conventional in
EDITORS NOTE: We apologize that this post was delayed two weeks due to illness and other events. SPRINGFIELD—Miles away from ocean and acclimated to the extremes inherent in New England weather, Springfield seems better insulated from the catastrophic effects of climate change than Boston. But
Marching on to November 5, the election to fill Mike Knapik’s Senate seat will feature Republican Westfield Representative Don Humason and Democrat David Bartley, a Holyoke ward Councilor. Humason thumped Mike Franco, a Republican perennial candidate from Holyoke. Bartley succeeded on a four point spread,
UPDATED 10/10/13 3:32PM: Comments from the Council’s Public Safety Committee Chair Thomas Ashe added; clarification between last month’s defeated pawnbroker ordinance and the one referred to committee; and confirmation as to when the old holding period was shortened to the current 10 days. SPRINGFIELD—With elections
What is in a name? In a low turnout, GOTV-driven election like tomorrow’s primary, it could count for a lot. David K. Bartley, the Ward 3 Councilor from Holyoke running in tomorrow Democrat’s primary, probably hopes it will help scoop up enough votes to win
The Feds: We begin today, again in Washington, where the standoff over government funding continues. Speaker Boehner seemed resolute, if contrarian, in an interview with ABC News over the weekend refusing to negotiate with the president under any terms except under the threat of material
UPDATED 10/6/13 11:07AM: With links and for grammar. EASTHAMPTON—After a lengthy tenure as the only mayor the town has had since the office was created in the mid 1990’s, Michael Tautznik had planned to enter the private sector. But after Senator Mike Knapik resigned to
EASTHAMPTON—Crossing swords for the second time in the remarkably short primary campaign, Easthampton Mayor Michael Tautznik and Holyoke Ward 3 Councilor David Bartley displayed the choice Democrats will have in next week‘s special primary election. Monday’s 90 minutes debate at the high school here, organized
The Feds: We being today in Washington, where the Republican party continues to insist that the Affordable Care Act a.k.a. Obamacare, be delayed a year before they agree to fund the government. A proposal that GOP sent back to the Senate Saturday did not just
It is often forgotten that the return of ward representation to Springfield was a jarring change not just to the City Council, but to the School Committee as well. Because the body has a four year term, this is the first time it is up