Street Level News, Stories about the Workplace
It’s enough to restore your faith in state government and the Department of Environmental Protection, and the guys and women that work there. I called an enforcement officer there on Wednesday mornng, and Wednesday afternoon he called me back. “I’m returning both your calls,” he said, a little on the curt side. “Well,” I said, … Continue reading Going, going….The Dirt Pile Part Three:
When Dave Reid of Northampton Media called me a water carrier for Angela Plassman, I went right to my electronic dictionary to find out what it meant. It means, I think, a hard-working dope who will crank out propaganda for his candidate. Well, this water carrier will miss his councilor. As almost everyone knows, … Continue reading The Water Carrier Speaks Out
“That pile of dirt?” says the neighbor, looking down the road toward the airport. “I hear there’s money over there. I hear if you got money, all this stuff about flood plain means nothing. If you got enough money, you’ll get your permits.” In March the flood water were almost to his door. “I got … Continue reading Dirt Pile saga, part two: Blogger files complaint with DEP and the Conservation Commission
Too much going on in her life already? Two of her businesses have been dissolved by the State, a lien has been filed against one of her restaurants for more than $16,000 in back taxes, and Pioneer Valley Balloons is defunct. Venus and the Cellar Bar announced they were closing today. The other day Lisa … Continue reading Lisa Fusco’s candidacy for Ward Three Council seat raises questions.
The last few days I have been spending some enjoyable time out in the Meadows section of Northampton. This is the area that the city voted to keep forever flat and unbuildable back in 2005. It’s where Angela Plassman, her husband and her mother live. It’s another world, fields in all directions flat and rich … Continue reading The mountain and the Molehill: Part one of my adventures in God’s country.
I dreaded the task before me, telling Verizon that the kitchen phone wasn’t working. In the good old days when human beings still sat behind desks and answered phones, it would have been a snap. Call them up and someone would come over and repair things. But this is the twilight era for the land-line … Continue reading Hating Verizon
And here I thought that all this California sun I have subjected myself to over the last four months would have made my disposition sunnier and less critical of the ruling order. I would fulminate less. I came back to Northampton on Tuesday night, and on Friday afternoon I learn that Angela Plassman has quit. … Continue reading Back three days and fed up all ready
