Springfield officials tout police reforms ahead of forum Saturday
Updated Dec 18, 2020;
Posted Dec 18, 2020
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, shown here in a file photo, says the city has made progress in reforming its police department, but more work is still needed.
(Don Treeger / The Republican)
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SPRINGFIELD Five months after a scathing U.S. Department of Justice report alleged systematic illegal activity by the police Narcotics Unit, Mayor Domenic Sarno said the city continues to make the changes necessary to make the department right again.
The city either has implemented or is working on a number of structural changes, and more changes are in the works to improve transparency and accountability, Sarno said this week.
Eversource pledges to continue efforts to reduce gas leaks in Springfield
Updated Dec 18, 2020;
SPRINGFIELD Representatives of Eversource met this week with city councilors, saying they are committed to reducing gas leaks in Springfield as begun by its predecessor, Columbia Gas.
Councilor Jesse Lederman, chairman of the council’s Sustainability and Environment Committee, said the pledge and the results to date are great news for the city.
“Ensuring that leaks are repaired and infrastructure is upgraded appropriately is essential to protecting public safety, health, and our environment,” Lederman said, in a statement following the meeting. “It is good to see the number continue to come down, and we will continue to work together with Eversource to move that number lower and lower towards total elimination.”
Springfield City Council presidency up for grabs in 2021; Tracye Whitfield lined up for vice president
Updated Dec 18, 2020;
Posted Dec 18, 2020
The three Springfield City Councilors who appear to have advance votes for the presidency are, from left, Melvin Edwards, current President Justin Hurst and Marcus Williams. (The Republican file photos)
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SPRINGFIELD There is no clear front-runner for the presidency of the City Council in 2021, as three councilors appear to have split support from their colleagues.
Meanwhile, Councilor at Large Tracye Whitfield said Friday she has the unanimous support of the 13-member council to be vice president in 2021.
The three councilors who appear to have advance votes for the presidency are current President Justin Hurst, Melvin Edwards of Ward 3 and Marcus Williams of Ward 5.
30 of the Best Art and Design Books of 2020
Got some shelf space?
We hope you have a lot of it. Because the amount of great design books that were published this year is daunting. (Really as I glance to my left, I see a teetering column of hardcovers that’s a Darwin Award in the making.)
But to start: disclaimer time! When we write “The Best Books of 2020,” what we really mean is “our favorite design books that we came across in 2020.”
Though many publications might be hesitant to admit it, lists like this are wildly subjective, and there are no doubt brilliant books that we didn’t come across. But these are the ones we did, and these are the ones we fell in love with this year as we’ve hunkered down in quarantine.