Michael Seward: Council resolution backing paper’s union a dangerous move
Published: 5/11/2021 12:33:04 PM Congratulations to the Northampton City Council for exploiting the opportunity to unapologetically pander to the press. Its resolution supporting the reporters and staff of the Daily Hampshire Gazette will undoubtedly be rewarded in future coverage of the government body at the public’s expense. Reporters who cover the council owe you one.
Between the council’s collusive resolution and the platform the newspaper provides to a state representative and state senator for unscrutinized, regular columns, the line between the Fourth Estate and government is blurred even further, thereby decreasing the value of the newspaper they are trying to save.
Michael Seward: Addressing the region’s affordable housing shortage
Matt Mainville, the executive director of the Holyoke housing authority, shows left, Governor Charlie Baker and Mayor Alex Morse the plans for the MassWorks grant received that will help build 88 units of affordable housing in Holyoke. Gazette file photo
Published: 4/13/2021 6:30:46 AM
After reading April 5’s article about a $250,000 grant Northampton received for affordable housing, I thought it would be helpful to note that it was part of a $5 million disbursement of capital improvement grants to 14 communities designated as House Choice Communities. It’s a good program that citizens should know about. Northampton wasn’t the only local community that received such funds, and other towns can benefit from the program, which isn’t just for subsidized, affordable housing, but all housing. This is an important program with an urgent goal given the housing shortage exacerbated by the pandemic.
Jan Wright
This backstory is a part of a collection of articles that describes some of the obstacles that Seven Days
reporters faced while pursuing Vermont news, events and people in 2020. I wrote a couple of stories last year about police using fake social media accounts to engage citizens anonymously. After the practice brought down two top law enforcement officials in Burlington, I got an email from Kati Hime of Laramie, Wyo. I have a strong suspicion that we are in a similar situation . regarding an officer here, Hime wrote to me on March 8. I m trying to learn what my options are.