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City Council Race
Narkewicz Elected Council President in 5-4 Vote
by Mary Serreze | Jan 4, 2010 4:13 pm | Comments (0)
The newly-elected Northampton City Council met at a special 3:00 p.m. meeting today to elect a council president and approve rules for the 2010-2011 session.
At-Large Councilor David Narkewicz was elected council president for the 2010-2011 session in a 5-4 vote. Councilors Schwartz, Spector, Carney, and Murphy supported Narkewicz. Marianne LaBarge, the most senior member of the council, was supported by Plassmann, Adams, and Tacy.
Continue reading ‘Narkewicz Elected Council President in 5-4 Vote’ »
NCTV Live Election Coverage
by Mary Serreze | Nov 4, 2009 1:57 am | Comments (1)
Mary Serreze and Henry White anchor the studio while David Pakman works City Hall. Election Night 2009, Northampton, Massachusetts on Vimeo. Real-time collaboration between Northampton Community Television, Northampton Media, and the syndicated radio show Midweek Politics.
Television production by NCTV; Rip, encode, and video upload by Northampton Media courtesy of NCTV. Click on the image to watch video on Vimeo.
Watch the Ward 3 upset, as upstart Angela Plassmann defeats Bob Reckman… The landslide No vote on the non-binding landfill expansion question, along with a great interview with Mimi Odgers, the organizer of that ballot initiative… the Pakman interview with Tim Carpenter, director of Progressive Democrats of America... conversations with Jesse Adams, David Narkewicz, Gene Tacy, Mayor Clare Higgins, and more.
HIggins Re-elected; Plassmann Upsets Reckman, Landfill Expansion a Resounding No
by Mary Serreze | Nov 4, 2009 12:22 am | Comments (1)
Mayoral Race:
Incumbent Mayor Mary Clare Higgins: 5034
Challenger Michael Bardsley: 4690
At-Large City Council:
David Narkewicz: 5950
Jesse Adams: 4844
Katy Silva: 3328
Ward One:
Incumbent Maureen Carney: 853
Challenger Andrew Vidal McNair: 364
Ward Two:
Paul Spector: 657
Ward Three:
Challenger Angela Plassmann: 576
Incumbent Bob Reckman: 508
Ward Four:
Pamela Schwartz: 741
Brian Foote: 217
Ward Five:
David Murphy: 1043
Ward Six:
Marianne LaBarge: 1392
Ward Seven:
Gene Tacy: 936
Deb Jacobs: 731
At-Large School Committee: (two winners)
Michael Flynn: 5224
James Young: 2787
Blue Duval: 2443
Robert Schroeder: 1805
Non-Binding Ballot Question:
Shall the City of Northampton Expand the Landfill over the Barnes Aquifer?
NO: 5,482
YES: 3,107
NorthamptonMedia Endorses….
by Mary Serreze | Nov 1, 2009 10:06 am | Comments (0)
NorthamptonMedia will not be endorsing any candidates in this year’s mayoral, city council and school committee elections.
Endorsing candidates is a newspaper tradition—but one that, we believe, compromises objectivity and independence.
Continue reading ‘NorthamptonMedia Endorses….’ »
It’s Not News
by Mary Serreze | Oct 31, 2009 4:14 pm | Comments (0)
NorthamptonMedia has deemed that the following topics do not meet the standard of “news:”
• Radio talk-show host Bill Dwight’s characterization of Ward One candidate Andrew Vidal-McNair.
• Self-described “radical” and Poverty Is Not a Crime organizer Caty Simon’s characterization of anyone at all.
• Professor Laurel R. Davis-Delano’s widely-circulated email message about McNair’s purported beliefs.
The fact that the Ward One race has been marked by attacks against Vidal-McNair’s character has been duly noted. Are these attacks valid? The evidence is slim, consisting exclusively of word-of-mouth accounts by supporters of incumbent Maureen Carney. We do not have enough information to draw a conclusion.
Ward One Debate Cantankerous
by Mary Serreze | Oct 31, 2009 10:12 am | Comments (0)
video: http://www.northassoc.org
Thursday’s Ward One debate, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, drew a standing-room-only crowd at Council Chambers. Council President James Dostal took a front-row seat next to the Gazette’s Owen Boss. Northampton Community Television showed up to live-broadcast the event. Developer Doug Kohl stood at the back of the room, waiting for his turn to ask a question.
This race, which pits two-term incumbent Maureen Carney against newcomer Andy Vidal-McNair, has been marked in the days before the November 3 election by radio, viral emails, and internet messaging suggesting that candidate McNair is a foe of subsidized housing.
Continue reading ‘Ward One Debate Cantankerous’ »
Angela Plassmann Issues Candidate Statement
by Guest Columnist | Oct 28, 2009 8:40 am | Comments (0)
Ward Three City Council Candidate Angela Plassmann has submitted a candidate statement to NorthamptonMedia. Plassmann is running against incumbent Robert Reckman (statement), who is finishing his first term in elected office. Plassmann writes:
Continue reading ‘Angela Plassmann Issues Candidate Statement’ »
Tonight: Ward Six Candidates Forum
by Mary Serreze | Oct 27, 2009 9:44 am | Comments (0)
Expect lots of questions about the city’s landfill at tonight’s candidates’ forum at the Ryan Road Elementary School. It will be a long night, starting at 6:00 pm and ending at 9:30. Bring a snack and a pillow?
6:00 School Committee-at-Large Candidates; Moderator Michael Holroyde
7:00 City Councilor-at-Large Candidates; Moderator Fran Volkmann
8:00-9:30 Mayoral Candidates; Moderator Fran Volkmann
This forum is sponsored by Ward Six City Councilor Marianne Labarge, the Ward Six Association, and Water not Waste, a citizens’ group that opposes any expansion of the City’s municipal landfill.
At-Large Candidates Forum
by Mary Serreze | Oct 25, 2009 8:47 pm | Comments (0)
Bay State Village Association Candidates’ Forum, Wednesday, October 21st. Featuring at-large City Council candidates Kathy Silva, David Narkewicz, and Jesse Adams. Two at-large seats are up for grabs this year. Video by North Street Neighborhood Association.
Bob Reckman Consents to Interview, Submits Statement
by Mary Serreze | Oct 22, 2009 6:06 pm | Comments (0)
Ward Three Councilor Bob Reckman, candidate for re-election, initially declined to be interviewed by NorthamptonMedia as part of our Northampton City Council candidate series, citing concerns that our able staff (or a third party) would apply creative edits to the video in the spirit of The Onion. He recently changed his mind, and requested that he be given the opportunity to present his views. Reckman is being challenged by Angela Plassmann for the ward 3 council seat that he has held for two years.
Reckman’s official candidate statement can be accessed here. (Plassmann’s statement can be found here.)
Plassman v Reckman
by Mary Serreze | Oct 20, 2009 9:19 pm | Comments (0)
Ward three city council candidates Angela Plassmann and Bob Reckman, incumbent, duked it out Monday night at a debate held at the Bridge Street School. Gerry Budgar, president of the Ward Three Neighborhood Association, moderated. While Plassmann identified drug use as a priority issue, Reckman opined that there is no drug problem in the City of Northampton.
Plassman spoke of problems at the Walter Salvo House, a medium-rise public housing project. Reckman countered that such housing problems are beyond the purview of the council.
Continue reading ‘Plassman v Reckman’ »
Ward Three Debate
by Mary Serreze | Oct 20, 2009 3:56 pm | Comments (0)
Architect Tris Metcalfe listens to Mayor Clare Higgins defend her handling of design and site plan considerations in the planning and permitting of the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel that is permitted to be built behind Northampton’s Pulaski Park. Video of the debate will be posted soon.
Adam Cohen photograph, www.northassoc.org
Green Northampton Debate
by Mary Serreze | Oct 20, 2009 6:20 am | Comments (0)
Candidate Silva Clarifies Classroom Size Remark
by Guest Columnist | Oct 19, 2009 2:45 pm | Comments (0)
During last Wednesday’s at-large councilors’ debate at the Bridge Street School, candidate Kathy Silva was asked by an audience member if she would stand by a remark she was purported to have made regarding class size in city schools. Silva was said to have remarked that 38 students, maximum, could be accommodated in a classroom. Silva responded in the affirmative, which elicited an audible reaction in the audience.
Kathleen Silva has submitted a statement to NorthamptonMedia in which she clarifies her position.
Continue reading ‘Candidate Silva Clarifies Classroom Size Remark’ »
The Teabagger Email Thread
by Mary Serreze | Oct 1, 2009 8:46 am | Comments (1)
From Bill Dwight to a small group of Higgins supporters, including Councilors Paul Spector and David Narkewicz, democratic party fundraiser Lisa Baskin, fundraising consultant and Community Preservation Committee member Jack Hornor, and others. Baskin and Spector forwarded this message widely:
Subject: Clare will win.. Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:58:58 -0400
Yesterday, a friend of mine was ambivalent as he went to the polls. He wasn’t clear about who to choose for mayor. He had heard from friends that he respects championing both Clare and MRB and he just didn’t know. But he said… his mind was made up when he passed the angry white men holding Bardsley signs and pulled up along Phil Broklesby’s car festooned with Bardsley for mayor stickers alongside gun rights stickers and other Libertarian claptrap.