UPDATED: 1/1/2020 3:53PM: To note the passing of the mayor’s father. Cities around the Pioneer Valley inaugurated their governments elected in last November’s election. For many communities, it heralded a new start. On Monday, Chicopee and Westfield both took on new mayors with varying degrees
NORTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 91, Vt.—These days, highway travel, not constituent work, dominates outgoing Ward 4 Holyoke city councilor Jossie Valentin’s time. The Saturday before her successor would take office, she was leading Pioneer Valley supporters of US Senator Elizabeth Warren to New Hampshire on a
Holyoke will experience its first “midterm” election in 2019. It may be easy forget as he is running for something, but Alex Morse is not on the ballot this year. The four-term mayor is halfway through his first four-year mayoral term. But the City Council and much of the School Committee remain on a two-year election cycle. Voters rejected doubling councilors’ term in 2015 even as they lengthened the mayoral term to four years.
UPDATED 9:37PM: On Tuesday night, the Holyoke City Council voted to advance the two-school debt exclusion question to voters on November 5. HOLYOKE—Not quite two weeks ago, supporters of a debt exclusion ballot question rallied on the High Street lawn outside City Hall here. Buffeting
WORCESTER—On a seasonably brisk spring day, College Democrats had assembled in the basement of Clark University’s student center for their annual convention. There was drama, but that did not concern their guests, including one who was a few years out of college himself, Holyoke Mayor
A pair of retirements in two Lower Valley cities announced Friday mark transition for their respective councils. The now-open positions in Holyoke and Springfield are both ward seats. and the outcome of neither’s election is likely to alter any balances of power. Rather, the significance
UPDATED 11/26/18 6:20PM: To note Roman’s resignation letter and his new job’s location. Transition will come early to the Holyoke City Council. Ward 2 Councilor Nelson Roman will be resigning December 31 to pursue a job out of state. Although Roman’s exit will have an
Puerto Rico has no voting representation in Congress. That has invariably hobbled its ability to obtain necessary relief after Hurricanes Maria and Irma. But some in Washington are paying attention and using the island’s mainland advocates to press the issue. On Friday US Senator Elizabeth
Are the stakes low in Holyoke’s mayoral election? Not in the least. The city will be, for the first time, electing a mayor for four years. That person will have twice the time to imprint their agenda onto the city before facing voters again. At
Holyoke faces a unique set of choices this election cycle. It is dropping two at-large council seats. The ward seats increasingly, are where the city’s minority population finds its strongest voices. However, this transition comes at an inflection point in Holyoke politics. The mayor’s race