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Tag Archives: Mike Fenton

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Doors, Campaign, & Politics Open in Hampden Senate…

**This post has been edited for accuracy.** This post is the third in a series about the Hampden Senate District Primary Election In the modern political campaign, the announcement almost certainly predates the real campaign.  This happens all the time.  Candidates announce and then little

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Biomass Bulletins: City Council Appeal Sustained…

More than five months after it had overturned Palmer Renewable Energy’s permit to begin construction, the Zoning Board of Appeals once again ruled against the proposed biomass plant.  Left unresolved from that January meeting was the Springfield City Council’s appeal. The ZBA sustained the Council’s

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Banks’ Suit to Strike Ordinances Foreclosed…

**This post has been edited for clarity.** Housing advocates and community activists breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday as United States District Court Judge Michael Ponsor killed a lawsuit by various banks to strike down Springfield’s new foreclosure ordinances.  Ponsor’s ruling sided with the

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Take My Council, Please: Sound & Fury Signifying What?…

For weeks now, tension has been building among city councilors over the mayor’s budget.  Even before Mayor Domenic Sarno presented his budget two weeks ago, many councilors were almost livid over the process.  Consequently, when the budget faced its annual scrutiny Wednesday evening, it was

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Take My Council, Please: Fee for Service…

This post has been updated to reflect confirmation from the Department of Revenue on the Hotel Tax. With tension high following last week’s release of the mayor’s budget, on Monday the Springfield City Council staked out its own position on the proposed financial plan and

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Take My Council, Please: Rules of Engagement…

The following Post refers to the 6/17/12 Council Meeting postponed from its originally scheduled date on 6/10/12 due to the death of Ofc. Kevin Ambrose on that day.  We apologize for the delay in its posting. Less than twenty-four hours before Mayor Domenic Sarno released

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Take My Council, Please: Historical Implications…

First, a note to our readers.  We apologize for failing to post on the last two city council meetings.  On balance, there was not much lost in our failure, however, we still regret our failure.  There is at least one issue that merited some further

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The Insight: A Valley of Ashe’s…

Six months ago, as Springfield voted in the shadow of a year of bizarre weather that almost certainly affected the election, a potentially subtler electoral coup emerged besides Domenic Sarno’s landslide victory.  Even as the weather had scrambled the predictions of the city’s punditocracy and

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Going on Offense on Crime…

With its capacity to capture headlines and late night news teasers, crime remains one of the troubles for which Springfield get plenty of attention.  Although the news can make the city appear to be a river of blood set against the din of incessant gunfire,

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A City Out from Under the Gun…

After  a year defined by piece-meal measures of debatable effect to rein in crime in the City of Springfield, two councilors are propsoing arguably the most comprehensive approach yet when compared to other efforts.  Early entertainment cessation and street closings have been the focus on