SPRINGFIELD—The City Council’s first February meeting, lasting about four hours, made up for the meager agenda at the last regular meeting. The stage was set for breaking the logjam on the district fire chiefs. A solar farm tax deal advanced. The body confirmed Auditor Yong
On Friday, nomination papers for state offices became available, prompting an early salvo of pols’ intentions. For example, despite an investigation into his husband, Amherst Senator Stanley Rosenberg picked up nomination papers last week. However, that was not the only Senate news. Springfield Ward 1
SPRINGFIELD—The skimpiness of the evening’s agenda was no impediment for a lengthy and at times Byzantine City Council meeting. Though subjects like tax rates, snow removal and parking bans are familiar matters, councilors managed to expend considerable time and summon from the well of procedural
UPDATED 9/22/17 11:22PM: To issue a correction. Robles was born in Puerto Rico, not Springfield. In the hours after his death last week, Jafet Robles’s gaze was everywhere. Often rocking a cap and Neighbor 2 Neighbor (N2N) T-shirts and sweatshirts, the Springfield activist’s fierce eyes
UPDATED 7/5/17 7:43PM: To include comment from School Committee member Denise Hurst. For the second time in less than a year, the Springfield School Committee is losing a member. Rosa Perez, who represents Wards 1 and 3 on the Committee, offered her resignation on June
SPRINGFIELD—Ahead of its summer slowdown, the City Council ripped through a potpourri agenda featuring new ordinances, support for added rail service and derailment of a labor contract. Earlier in the evening, the City Council had unanimously passed Mayor Domenic Sarno’s budget without any cuts. Similar
SPRINGFIELD—Last Monday the City Council dispatched two big issues that had been hovering over it for weeks and even months. A revised version of a public safety measure aimed at reassuring undocumented immigrants passed unanimously. Meanwhile, the Council approved the first public safety labor contract
SPRINGFIELD—It was not the most crowded kickoff this election cycle and the at-large field is hypercompetitive this year. But as Jynai McDonald strode into Palate on Boston Road, the energy was hard to miss. The prospect of an open at-large seat has uncorked interest and
SPRINGFIELD—Donald Trump’s policies, like his “Mexico-financed” wall, face push back everywhere. It is no different here. However, an effort to urge Springfield’s Finest to stay out of immigration enforcement ran aground procedural complaints and clerical minutiae. The result was a flip from the prior regular
SPRINGFIELD—Emotion and politics ran high at Monday night’s City Council meeting as a labor pact with district fire chiefs failed and the food truck ordinance returned to committee. Both items faced months or even years of anticipation. The rejection of the labor pact with the