A large banner laid on the ground near the front steps of Northampton City Hall on Tuesday, exactly a year from when George Floyd, a Black Minneapolis man, was murdered at the hands of a former police officer on May 25, 2020. The sign was largely blank at the beginning of the memorial. By the end of the event, though, the banner had virtually no empty space left on it. Written on the white .
Visitors to downtown Northampton dropped dramatically due to COVID; New program seeks to help businesses bounce back MassLive.com 6 hrs ago Jackson Cote, masslive.com
Findings from an outside consultant group hired by the state to look at the challenges posed to businesses in downtown Northampton amid the coronavirus pandemic paint a bleak picture for the typically bustling area.
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Northampton’s primary business district wasn’t immune to the economic effects of the COVID-19 public health crisis, according to Karl Alexander, a project planner for Civic Space Collaborative. The pandemic caused a 50% decline in vehicle traffic and a 41% decrease in foot traffic in the Pioneer Valley city’s downtown.
Taking the pulse of Northampton’s downtown: Consultant’s survey highlights COVID impacts
Lit Dechanupong, and Chokchai Pongkan, of the family-owned Noodles Restaurant on Main Street in Northampton, set up for outdoor dining Tuesday afternoon. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS
Lit Dechanupong, of the family-owned Noodles Restaurant on Main Street in Northampton, sets up for outdoor dining Tuesday afternoon, April 27, 2021. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS
Lit Dechanupong, and Chokchai Pongkan, of the family-owned Noodles Restaurant on Main Street in Northampton, set up for outdoor dining Tuesday afternoon, April 27, 2021. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS
Mark Lattanzi eats lunch from Local Burger on Strong Avenue in Northampton. Starting on Memorial Day, Strong Avenue will be closed to traffic from Main Street to the parking lot next to Eastside Grill. The street will have a gazebo in the middle which will at times have musicians playing for dinners, and seating for Familiars Coffee and Tea, Eas
Northampton Arts Council becomes 1st city board to back activist group’s call to defund police by 50%
Updated 6:55 AM;
The Northampton Arts Council last week became the first city board or agency to back a local activist organization’s call to defund the community’s police department by 50%.
At the group’s April 3 meeting, the cultural council, which works to fund, promote and present high-quality arts programming in it Northampton, voted to sign onto the official demands of Northampton Abolition Now (NAN), including its call for the significant cut to the police department’s budget.
The 11-member arts council held a five-minute period of silence and reflection before a majority voted to back NAN’s list of demands. The members who voted yes are Dana Osterling, Danielle Amodeo, Jesse Hassinger, Kent Alexander, Lori Steiner, Michael Abbatiello, Rachel Hart and Thulani Davis. Eamonn Crowley-Edge opted to abstain from voting, and Freeman Stein cast a no vote. One member