SPRINGFIELD—The battle for Ward 8’s council seat is a familiar one. Incumbent John Lysak is seeking reelection and the challenger is Orlando Ramos, whom Lysak beat twice, sometimes very narrowly. Even if the race may seem like rerun, the players are anything but conventional in
With today’s results, the field is set for November in most of Western Massachusetts’s biggest cities. Holyoke’s mayoral contest is set. That city’s Ward 4 race was more or less over before voting began as one of the three candidates running had disclaimed interest in
EDITED 10/6/13 10:30AM: For grammar. This post is the first in a series profiling the wards with contested races this year. SPRINGFIELD—Last weekend artists and makers of all manner of crafts plied their wares on a charming side street lined with well-maintained brownstones. At the
SPRINGFIELD—During a marathon session Monday night that was largely driven by the sheer weight of the agenda and not the outsized volume of councilors’ egos, the Council digested a massive list of financial orders and considered several ordinances. The meeting opened with a Audit Committee
UPDATED 9:07PM: As originally published, this post failed to note WMassP&I Editor Matt Szafranski served as moderator/part of the media panel for the Holyoke candidate debate referenced below. Note: WMassP&I will not be making ANY endorsements for the preliminary this year. There is no election
SPRINGFIELD—If at first you don’t succeed try, try again. This age-old chestnut may aptly describe the upcoming race for City Council’s Ward 8 representative. Crossing swords for the third time in as many cycles, incumbent councilor John Lysak will again face Orlando Ramos in a
SPRINGFIELD—Speaking before a crowded hall at the Cedars on Island Pond Road after delaying the start to his campaign several months, city resident and activist, Ernesto Cruz kicked off his bid Thursday for one of the City Council’s five at-large seats. In a speech capped
UPDATED 7/6/13 12:05AM: For accuracy. In stark contrast to 2011, the City Council election cycle for 2013 is shaping up to be competitive with numerous ward councilors facing challenges in addition to at least some competition among at-large seats and the School Committee. The Ward
SPRINGFIELD—After years in the making, the City of Homes finally adopted a citywide revision of its four decade old zoning ordinance, which one activist described as so old it lacked the word “condo.” In stark contrast the tepid to frosty reception many councilors and developers
SPRINGFIELD—The preliminary election is still four months away and nomination papers have another two months to be completed, but campaign kickoffs are already underway. For some it is a repeat act, but hopefully with differing results. Justin Hurst, an attorney and the scion of one