Hampshire College, which ran a non-traditional baccalaureate program for undergraduates, is not representative of the 413’s higher education institutions. Yet, the closures of colleges do happen. Hundreds of layoffs will follow Hampshire’s demise. Just as important, the episode underscores the stakes for the wider Western Mass region.
Amid the stream of mayoral photos on the misnamed City of Springfield Office of Communications Facebook page was a curious post. It was a meeting that would have been unimaginable 11 months ago. Mayor Domenic Sarno and members of his cabinet had met with government affairs staff from Amtrak. Last June, Sarno was at war with the railroad.
Weeks after reports appeared that MGM Resorts International is considering selling MGM Springfield, another blow has come to a city economic anchor. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportations Authority, or SEPTA, has cancelled a contract with CRRC.
UPDATED 8/17/17 8:25PM: For a Correction. The top photo originally misidentified 1211 Avenue of the Americas. Not much links MGM Springfield’s construction site with 1211 Avenue of the Americas in New York. The former is feted as evidence of “momentum” in Springfield, like many a
Governor Charlie Baker, an arm hoisted skyward, smiled and merrily snapped one of his famous selfies with the pols and construction workers at the CRRC railcar plant topping-out. The August scene was classic Baker, happily schmoozing and riding high on heady polling numbers that yielded,