Subscribe via email

Grab our RSS Feed

Local News Briefs & Tidbits: 12-01-08

by Bill Dusty

December is here!
Jingle bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All The Way…..

MAYFLOWER MARATHON RESULTS:
This year’s edition of the Bax & O’Brien Mayflower Marathon reportedly netted $77,000 worth of food donations from folks who stopped by the Basketball Hall of Fame during the November 24-26 event. The marathon filled nearly four trailers-worth of food for the non-profit Open Pantry Services.

For photos and audio clips from the event, click here and here.

*

GLASS HOUSES
This past year, there’s been ample debate on the awarding of tax credits and other goodies to Boston real estate developer, WinnCompanies, for the rehab of the vacant Longhill Gardens properties in the Forest Park section of Springfield. The former condominiums were ordered vacated last year. Winn plans on demolishing a portion of the buildings there and developing the remainder into affordable housing. In supporting the Winn plan, the neighborhood civic groups Concerned Citizens for Springfield and the Forest Park Civic Association decried the property neglect that affects various rental properties throughout the city, and they cited Winn’s strong commitment to safety, security, and property upkeep as pluses for the neighborhood and the city. A third civic group, Springfield Forward, has opposed the Winn plan, asserting that it places too much low-income housing in a concentrated area of the city (what they term low-income “warehousing”).

In an ironic twist to this long battle, a recent explosion at the 20-unit Parkview Apartments, on Sumner Avenue, caught the attention of at least a few observers. The explosion took place in the basement of the building, and an electrical inspector called to the scene reportedly found numerous wiring code violations, according to this Republican story. The story reported that a spokesperson for the property management firm “could not be reached” for comment. But a quick search of the City GIS and Assessor’s online database did manage to find the owner of the complex: Russel L. Seelig – who also happens to be a leading member of Concerned Citizens for Springfield.

*

NEW LOOKS:
The regional collaborative blog Pioneer Valley Central recently underwent a design facelift. The Springfield Intruder is a part of the project that involves other writers from throughout the Valley. Check out the website here.

The Reminder Online has also recently transformed itself. The sleek new layout and design is easier to navigate and allows readers to comment on stories (requires login). Check out that site here.

And then there is the new-look Rock102 website. The only bummer about this site is that for some reason, they obliterated their old Bax & O’Brien audio archives and started out fresh. This means that any audio clips recorded before the site do-over are now poof. That’s a shame, because there were some good ones there. This also means that any audio clips The Intruder previously linked now no longer work. Double bummer.

*

LYNN CLOSES IN ON SPRINGFIELD:
The Daily Item, in Lynn, MA, reports that “Lynn, Lynn, the City of Sin” is currently ranked as the third most dangerous city in the state. The bad news is it’s still safer than number two-ranked Springfield. Read it here.

*

PEPE’S INQUIRING MIND:
In last week’s Springfield edition of The Reminder, managing editor Mike Dobbs writes about a minor controversly swirling between Springfield School Committee member Antonette Pepe, Schools Superintendent Alan Ingram, and the Springfield Police Department’s (SPD) “Quebec” program that fields officers to patrol Sprigfield schools.

In the article, Pepe says she was acting on concerns brought forward by teachers when she emailed Ingram with several questions regarding the police presence at the schools. Ingram, however, took the discussion from private email to an official memo in responding to her inquiries. That memo then made its way to various city officials, according to the Reminder article. Check out the entire article here.

*

CHANGING TIMES:
The South End of Springfield has undergone various changes in the past few decades – some for the good, most for the bad…

This old image (above) shows how the corner of Saratoga and Main Street looked many years ago.

This is Saratoga and Main Street today, with only the HAPCO building remaining on Main Street (left, boarded up).

*

That’s all, folks!

~ ~

Posted by Bill Dusty on Dec 1st, 2008 and filed under Latest Posts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.