Angela Plassmann - Northampton Ward 3 City Councilor

Northampton Farmers Market Committee Conducts Customer and Public Survey

2010-07-19T15:05:00Z

I encourage you to complete this survey.

PRESS RELEASE
FOR RELEASE ON JULY 14, 2010

For More Information about this Press Release Contact:
Teri Anderson, Community & Economic Development Director
413-587-1253
tanderson@northamptonma.gov

Northampton Farmers Market Committee Conducts Customer and Public Survey

The Farmers Market Subcommittee of the Northampton Agricultural Commission has created an online survey for customers and for the general public to gather information on how Northampton Farmers Markets can better serve the community. The 15-question survey seeks to learn how often people shop at the markets, why people shop at the Farmers Markets, other locations people shop for locally grown food and plants, which existing features customers enjoy at the markets and which new features might be desirable.

"This survey will help us learn from our customers, generate new customers, and support the long-term health of the markets", said Maureen Dempsey of Intervale Farm in Westhampton, a regular vendor at the Saturday and Wednesday markets.

The Farmers Market Subcommittee is charged with evaluating existing markets in the City and to make recommendations on how the growth and sustainability of the markets can be promoted. The Committee will also recommend a policy for use of City property by Farmers Markets. Merchants and Farmers Market vendors will be surveyed later this year. The Committee consists of farmers, market managers, residents, businesses and city government representatives.

Everyone is encouraged to complete the survey.

The survey will be available online from July 15, 2010 to August 15, 2010 at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/farmersmarkets

For those who don't have access to a computer, a paper copy of the survey can be obtained at the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday Markets or at the Northampton Community and Economic Development Office in City Hall (413-587-1286).

See also:

CISA: Farmers Markets in Western Massachusetts

Ward 3 Neighborhood Association to Sponsor Ward 3 Vegetable Garden Tour

2010-07-18T19:27:00Z

It is my pleasure to share this press release with you:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jerry Budgar
(413) 584-2964

WARD 3 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION TO SPONSOR WARD 3 VEGETABLE GARDEN TOUR

Local residents will have an opportunity to celebrate the agricultural and food-growing heritage of Northampton and talk with farmers and gardeners about growing local food as the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association sponsors its Ward 3 Vegetable Garden Tour on Saturday, August 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The self-guided tour will showcase seven diverse gardens and small farms in Ward 3. Some gardens are located in the meadows and floodplain and others represent urban gardening where small spaces can be transformed into substantial food-growing operations.

The selection of gardens in the tour ranges from one featuring heirloom tomatoes and seed collection to others focusing on fruit and berry production, utilizing raised beds built from recycled materials, and growing with mulch or plastic to retain warmth and moisture and reduce weed growth. Many of the gardens employ sustainable and organic techniques that are rapidly growing in popularity.

“We think this event will give people an opportunity to see Ward 3 in a way they might not have known it before,” notes Jerry Budgar, president of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association and one of the individuals whose gardens are featured on the tour. “While many think of us as an urban ward in the city’s core, we love the fact we have this magnificent agricultural land and soil located so close to the city center. The juxtaposition makes Ward 3 a very unique and wonderful place to live. Our area of the city is undergoing a revival and expansion of agriculture and food production, and we want to showcase some of these efforts with this event.”

Those participating on the tour will be able to talk with gardeners and farmers about the food varieties they grow, get tips on methods to encourage healthy plant growth, and discuss ways to fend off such negatives as animal pests, insects, and airborne viruses and bacteria.

Tickets for the Ward 3 Vegetable Garden Tour, with a map and garden descriptions, are available at the A2Z Science Store on King Street, Deals and Steals on Pearl Street, and Serio’s Market on State Street. Tickets will also be available at upcoming Saturday and Tuesday Farmers Markets in Northampton. Tickets are $8 if purchased in advance and $10 if purchased on the day of the tour.

Further information about the Ward 3 Vegetable Garden Tour can be obtained from Tour Chair Joanne Mackiewicz at (413) 374-0550, Lola Reid at (413) 584-9463 or at the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association website at www.WardThree.com.

Calendar: Upcoming Events of Interest to Ward 3

2010-07-05T21:37:00Z

Here are upcoming events and meetings of interest to residents in Ward 3. Please click the event titles for additional information. You may see some events listed twice since they are both on my calendar and the calendar of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association.

Video, Pictures and Handouts from Meeting on North Street Reconstruction; Truck Traffic

2010-06-11T17:47:00Z

A well-attended meeting last night at Bridge Street School provided a good venue for residents in the North Street neighborhood to express their hopes and concerns to the Department of Public Works. Key issues included truck traffic on inappropriate streets and the general condition of the road. The DPW outlined options and tradeoffs to be considered in the upcoming reconstruction of North Street. These included the number and width of sidewalks, the quality of materials used for curbing, and the cultivation of tree belts.

Here is a complete blip.tv video from the meeting. It's 1 hour and 44 minutes long. The audio is a bit rough for the first two minutes but improves as fans in the background were turned off.

These charts displayed by the DPW show areas where the sidewalks might be extended. This might result in a loss of greenspace and trees, however.

Here are the handouts that were provided by the DPW to attendees:

In the traffic study below, some residents expressed concern that the traffic counter was not well placed to record trucks using streets like Lincoln Avenue and North Street to access Industrial Drive.

It is my expectation there will be additional public meetings before reconstruction work takes place. I will inform you about them. In the meantime, please continue to send me your questions and comments.

See also:

Transportation and Parking Commission: Traffic Calming

June 10: Attend the North Street Road/Traffic/Tree Meeting - Download Flyer

Mayor: Conz Street Slated for Reconstruction This Year, North Street for Next Year

June 16: Organizational Meeting for Neighborhood Clean Up and Party

2010-06-11T14:31:00Z

I'm sharing this announcement from the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association. Please help pitch in for a more beautiful ward!

Neighborhood Clean Up and Party

Place: Bridge Street School
Date: June 16
Time: 6:00pm

I would like to call a meeting for Wednesday, June 16, at Bridge Street School at 6:00pm. At this meeting we will announce the dates for our ''kickoff'' and the location for a little party once the work has been completed. Areas to be addressed include:

The Holyoke railroad bridge area,

The Conz street Walter Salvo-Cahill apartment area,

The bike path in the areas from Woodmont to Damon road, and

The portion of Main Street that is in Ward 3.

This is an ambitious undertaking so we need your help in organizing this event and asking for volunteers. We hope to divide the day with the cleanup from 10 to 11:30 followed by a party with refreshments from 12 to 2.

I personally want to thank the members of our leadership team Michael Bardsley, Angela Plassmann, Valerie Lavender, Boss Hill, and Owen Freeman-Daniels for help in organizing these projects. However, there is still much more work that needs to be done and we need your help and suggestions; so please attend this upcoming meeting.

For questions: Arnold Levinson at toarnie41@yahoo.com

May your days be sunny and bright and the wind at your back......Arnie

Download FY2011 School Budget Documents; Class Size Projections

2010-06-02T00:23:00Z

Here for your review are documents related to the proposed 2011 fiscal year budget for Northampton's public schools. I encourage you to send me your questions and comments. -Angela

Northampton Public Schools FY2011 Proposed Budget: Executive Summary (PDF)

Northampton Public Schools: Superintendent's Proposed Budget, 2011-2012 (PDF of slideshow)

Northampton Public Schools Budget for FY2011: Line Item Budget (PDF)

Projected Class Size, 2010-2011: Northampton High School and JFK Middle School (PDF)

See also:

Northampton Community Television: Video of the Joint Meeting of the Northampton City Council and School Committee, May 27, 2010

Mayor's Budget Proposal for the 2011 Fiscal Year; May 25 Hearing

Calendar: Upcoming Events of Interest to Ward 3

2010-05-31T22:44:00Z

Here are upcoming events and meetings of interest to residents in Ward 3. Please click the event titles for additional information. You'll see some events listed twice since they are both on my calendar and the calendar of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association.

June 5: Paul's Memorial Garden Project

2010-05-31T14:52:00Z

Please give this project your support:

Paul’s Memorial Garden Project

In loving memory of Paul Yeskie, Sr. & Paul Yeskie, Jr.,

Victims of the Northampton Arson Fires December 2009

DATE: Saturday, June 5th, 2010 11 AM - 3 PM

PLACE: Meet at the Main Entrance of Smith Vocational School, Northampton

Please join us to make this garden a reality. Bring plants, seeds, tools or just yourself. The organic vegetables grown will be donated to Meals on Wheels and others, just as Paul Yeskie, Sr. did during the last years of his life.

Dear Northampton Community Member,

    It was just five short months ago that our City called the "Paradise of America" was reeling from serial arson. My loved ones Paul Yeskie, Sr. and Paul Yeskie, Jr. were the two victims of the fires. The father and son died huddled in each other’s arms unable to escape the blazing inferno their home had become as a result of this senseless and horrific crime. The loving outpouring of community support was so healing to all touched with loss. As I personally attempted to heal, I recalled many fond memories of being with both Paul and his son Paul Jr., again. Paul Sr. had taught me how to garden many years ago so I remembered us being at his garden. My memories of his son Paul Jr. were of his cute, quirky, warmth and the immense generosity of his spirit. He gave me a beautiful wooden box he had made for me once. Another anecdote from the wake was the time he told his boss he didn't have to pay him this week because he had won big at the Three County Fair races over the weekend. So it was in those fond memories of the two, that the seeds of The Paul's Garden Memorial Project were sown.

    I decided to continue growing vegetables just like Paul Sr. did and donating the harvest to The Meals on Wheels program like he had also done for years. The generosity of Paul Jr’s kind nature and his respect for his elder that seemed not of this era, were a perfect remembrance of him. Below is an update on how the project has continued to blossom and how we could use the support of your organization and the entire community in this effort.

    Paul's Memorial Garden Project~Growing Food & Teaching Peace is in its infancy and like all newly born it needs a lot of tender, love and care. Above all it needs the generosity and compassion from the Northampton community that we witnessed after the tragic fires that took the lives of these two men that Paul's Garden commemorates.

    Smith Vocational High School embodies that spirit of community. They have generously offered to host the project by providing a beautiful 10,000 sq ft piece of land to grow this garden design to nourish and heal. Horticulture & Forestry Director John Kelley and I collaborated to bring this vision of growing food and teaching the principals of "do no harm" in organic agriculture for Smith Voc students as well as workshops for the entire community. I co-authored a curriculum called Wake Up & Smell the Soil: Conscious Careers in Agriculture to teach organic farming practices to the students at the school who are part of the Future Farmers of America program. The curriculum also looks at the carbon footprint of food and educates all Smith Voc students on why local is good! The educational component of this program couldn't achieve the funding it needed to get off the ground this spring. It is our goal to launch this aspect of our project in the fall.

    When I saw what the student’s had made and left on the site long before anyone knew what the land would be used for it seemed fitting. This circle shows how all life in our community is interconnected and we can strengthen each other!

    Right now, we need the Northampton community to come together and support us to grow food and distribute the majority of the harvest to the Meals on Wheels Program in Northampton. We would appreciate your contributions in any form: monetary donations, plant contributions, your time and energy to nourish the community with local, organic agriculture that has the power of sustaining land and sustaining people. Visit us via our Facebook Page Paul’s Garden Memorial Project or @ site.paulsgarden.net.

JOIN US FOR PLANTING, FUN & GROWING FELLOWSHIP!

JUNE 5^th, 2010

11 AM THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF SMITH VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

In Deepest Gratitude,

Bernadette Giblin
Founder of Paul's Memorial Garden Project

Gazette: "Renewed police effort tackles misuse of Northampton Meadows"

2010-05-31T14:46:00Z

I'd like to call your attention to this article in the May 27 Gazette:

Renewed police effort tackles misuse of Northampton Meadows

...Earlier this month, Northampton and Environmental police stepped up patrols of the Meadows to send a message: Keep out.

Working with a neighborhood group, police have streamlined the process for issuing trespassing notices, and can arrest anyone who returns and violates those notices.

"Anybody going in there after 9 or 10 at night really has no business there," said Ward 3 City Councilor Angela Plassmann, who lives in the Meadows on Fair Street Extension. As a candidate last year, she vowed to address problems with bonfires and all-terrain vehicles in the Meadows.

Warm-weather weekends have for years brought streams of ATVs and other traffic to the neighborhood, Plassmann said. Farmers are fed up with finding crops damaged or stolen, she said...

In addition to the property damage vehicles and revelers cause, Plassmann said litter, including drug paraphernalia, is concern.

She also noted property owners could be held liable if someone is hurt or killed on their land...

Click for the full article
(a subscription may be required)

June 10: Attend the North Street Road/Traffic/Tree Meeting - Download Flyer

2010-05-29T14:37:00Z

Please download this flyer (PDF) and post freely!

See also:

June 10: Informational Meeting on North Street Reconstruction (date changed)

Mayor: Conz Street Slated for Reconstruction This Year, North Street for Next Year"
Laura Hanson will be meeting with North Street residents to begin the process for the reconstruction of North Street in Fiscal Year 2011 (July 2010 - June 2011). North Street is expected to cost over $600,000; the project will use the lion’s share of our 2011 Chapter 90 allocation.

Mayor's Budget Proposal for the 2011 Fiscal Year; May 25 Hearing

2010-05-24T19:40:00Z

Here for your review is Northampton's FY2011 budget proposal (PDF, 19MB) and detail budget report (PDF, 2MB) recently circulated to the city councilors by the mayor. I encourage you to attend the May 25 hearing on this budget. As always, please send me your questions, concerns and suggestions. -Angela

Michael Bardsley: "It's about what's right for kids"

2010-05-24T13:50:00Z

Ward 3 resident and former City Councilor Michael Bardsley has kindly given me permission to reprint his column from the May 22 Gazette. It's a follow-up to his April 24 column, "Gauging Northampton's drug problem":

It's about what's right for kids

"What we've got here is a failure to communicate."

The line from "Cool Hand Luke" came to mind as I read the May 7 letter to the editor by Northampton attorney Dick Evans [link]. Responding to my April column regarding drug concerns for Northampton's adolescents, Evans stated that I was selling "the same-old, same-old pretense that illegal drug use can be controlled by harsher laws, harsher enforcement and sterner looks."

Implying that I am out of touch with the majority of my peers, he cites that 58 percent of Northampton voters supported marijuana legalization in 2004 and that 79 percent voted for decriminalization in 2008.

I find the disparity between what I actually wrote and Evans' characterization of my concerns useful. My primary focus was on adolescent use of alcohol and drugs. Stating my belief that this problem is a community responsibility, I asked for public support of the newly formed Northampton Prevention Coalition, an organization committed to education and positive early interventions. Nowhere in my piece did I address the use of marijuana by adults, nor did I call for increased or "harsher" law enforcement efforts.

For the sake of transparency, I want to state that not only have I become a volunteer member of the coalition, but I voted "yes" for each of the referendum questions Evans may assume I opposed.

Clearly, the topic of drug use is not an easy one for public discussion. As with most controversial issues, resistance can run deep. My concern with the heath and well-being of young people is based upon my 33 years as an educational professional. In no way am I interested in interfering with the pleasure of those who believe our society should eventually legalize marijuana for adults. However, a pro-marijuana vote in 2004 or 2008 has little relevance for adolescents and their families who are or will be struggling with the trauma of substance abuse.

Those in official positions have the ethical responsibility to ensure that all reasonable measures are considered when addressing issues affecting young people of our community. For example, there has recently been considerable public attention given to the painful consequences of adolescent bullying. However, we all know that bullying has existed in public schools for decades.

Yet it took a senseless tragedy in South Hadley to motivate adults to take action. Those who attended a recent forum on bullying sponsored by WHMP and the Daily Hampshire Gazette heard stories from adults who suffered from being bullied when they were adolescents. In almost all those instances, the adults who were then in positions of authority did not intervene because they failed to recognize a real problem.

I see some similarities between bullying and drug abuse. Both interfere with healthy development, including the education, of young people. Both have victims (I include here the bullies) who do not understand the full impact of their actions. Both involve young people who often have other issues and problems not being addressed. Both have lifelong impacts on the victims as well as devastating effects on families involved. Both can be costly in many ways for the community.

And in many instances, both can be prevented by early intervention from caring, responsible and well-informed adults.

On May 5, two days after the Evans' letter appeared, the Gazette's Living section ran an article [link] about Piper Kerman, a 1992 graduate of Smith College who has written her first book, "Orange Is the New Black: My Year In a Women's Prison." Kerman's memoir chronicles her involvement in drug-trafficking, which began from social contacts she made while living and working in downtown Northampton.

A local upscale and seemingly successful businesswoman lured her into activities that eventually lead to her arrest and conviction. It did not seem possible to me that such a story could unfold here in our little paradise. The disturbing truth is that drug involvement can happen to folks in a wide range circumstances. We cannot afford to be naïve about the presence of drugs in our community, nor look away from the damage they can inflict on our young people.

As I said last month here, I deeply believe our community is capable of effectively addressing the issue of adolescent alcohol and drug abuse. However, adults must be willing to put aside personal agendas and to engage in an honest, open and possibly uncomfortable discussion as to whether this community has a significant problem - and what appropriate actions should be taken.

Again, nothing less than the health and well-being of a younger generation is at stake.

Community members are welcome to join us in the good work of the Northampton Prevention Coalition. To get involved, contact Sue Cairn at scairn@collaborative.org or 586-4900, Ext 177.

Informational Meeting on North Street Reconstruction Rescheduled to June 10

2010-05-20T20:56:00Z

The Department of Public Works' informational meeting on the reconstruction of North Street has been pushed back one day to Thursday, June 10, 7:00pm at the Bridge Street School. Please see my original article for more information about this meeting.

June 14: Exit 19 Public Meeting

2010-05-16T21:14:00Z

This is a crucial meeting about Exit 19. Different options have very different impacts on the neighborhood. Now is the time to make yourself heard. -Angela

Here is one of the concepts with the heaviest impacts:

Learn more at the Interchange 19 website, and download these PDFs relating to the May 10 Project Advisory Committee meeting:

Alternatives Slide Presentation (11MB), Slide 76 Replacement

Evaluation Matrix

Calculation of Effects of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Alternatives

May 18: Chat with the Ward 3 School Committee Representative, Tim Fisher

2010-05-16T20:45:00Z

Tim Fisher writes:

I'll be holding an informal chat about school committee issues this coming Tuesday, May 18, from 7pm to 9pm at the Bridge Street School library.

Though I am the Ward 3 School Committee Rep, anyone is welcome to attend.

Please [share this with] anyone you think might be interested!

Thanks, and hope to see you Tuesday.

Tim
_______________
TIM FISHER
413-695-3513

Click for all the members of the School Committee and their contact information

June 10: Informational Meeting on North Street Reconstruction (date changed)

2010-05-07T21:26:00Z

Good news for North Street residents!

Since taking office in January as the City Councilor for Ward 3, I have heard from many constituents on North Street, and surrounding streets, in regards to the deplorable condition of the road.

The concerns that have been expressed to me include the general condition of the road, sidewalks, traffic calming, truck traffic and most recently, the number of trees that were removed by National Grid. Given that there are plans to address the condition of North Street in the 2011 fiscal year, (July 2010-June 2011 -- see email from the Mayor), I thought it would be best to start the planning process by scheduling an informational meeting with the Department of Public Works and all the residents. I have asked the DPW to meet to hear from you and receive any suggestions for improvements that you may have.

After much patience on your part (thank you!), I am pleased to let you know that I have been able to finalize a date today with Ned Huntley and Laura Hanson from the DPW. I have also asked Felix Harvey, DPW liaison to the Tree Committee, to attend. The meeting will be held on ~~Wednesday,~~ ~~June 9th~~ Thursday, June 10th (new date) at 7:00 p.m. at the Bridge Street School. If you have any suggestions as to additional city representatives who should attend, please let me know and I will reach out to that person.

Please pass this information along to anyone who might be interested. I'd like to have as much feedback from the neighborhood as possible. I look forward to working towards a much-needed new and improved North Street that we all can be proud of.

As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.

Talk budget with YOUR legislators: Monday, May 17th!

2010-05-07T19:54:00Z

I'd like to share this announcement with you. - Angela

We are pleased to invite you to a joint meeting sponsored by Yes! Northampton and Yes! Amherst to hear from our state legislators, Senator Stan Rosenberg, Representative Peter Kocot and Representative Ellen Story, about the state budget crisis, its impact on our city and town, and the solutions that DO EXIST on a state level. Please join us on:

Monday, May 17
7-8:30 pm
JFK Middle School Community Room
Northampton

This is an important opportunity to ask for new and continued leadership on critical revenue-raising legislation on the table right now. Members of Yes!Northampton and Amherst have played a critical role in the development of a statewide campaign with One Massachusetts that includes the following:

Build Shared Commitment and Contribution:
Restoring the tax rate on investment interest and dividends to 12%, while exempting the income of seniors, would generate an estimated $500 million each year, almost exclusively from those at the top end of the income scale (just 5 percent of Mass. residents).

Reevaluate All Tax Breaks:
Starting to address the giveaways in the tax expenditure budget by capping the film credit tax for one year would generate an estimated $75 million; limiting life sciences tax credits would generate another $5 million; repealing the sales tax exemption on purchases of aircraft would generate another $4.2 million, for a total yield of $84.5 million.

Support our Common Health:
Eliminating the sales tax exemption on soda and candy would generate an estimated $51.7 million each year for public health programs; ending the exemption on cigars, smoking and smokeless tobacco would generate another $15 million, for a total of $66.7 million each year.

As we face in Northampton the potential loss of 10 teachers and 12 aides in our schools, these proposals make clear that there ARE choices to be made. This meeting is a chance to make our voices loud and clear on the choices we're asking all state legislators to make.

The good news is that Rep. Kocot is a sponsor of these amendments and Rep. Story is a vocal supporter. They both need to be thanked and encouraged to keep up the fight! We will have a chance to hear from Senator Rosenberg about his stand on these proposals and what leadership he intends to offer on them. We need to demonstrate our constituency power, so our legislators can feel not only “safe” but compelled to be out front on smart revenue increases.

Consider this the official start to a multi-year campaign to reform our state tax structure to ensure fairness and sufficient revenues to pay for the services we all depend upon. IT IS POSSIBLE. Let’s start on May 17th.

Please let us know if you can make it by [sending an email to yesnorthampton@gmail.com] and please spread the word - numbers really do count, so let's pack the room!

Dorothy, Jane, Joel, Max and Pamela
on behalf of Yes! Northampton and Yes! Amherst

Calendar: Upcoming Events of Interest to Ward 3

2010-04-29T23:31:00Z

Here are upcoming events and meetings of interest to residents in Ward 3. I have also pulled in events from the public calendar of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association. Please click the event titles for additional information.

Michael Bardsley: "Gauging Northampton's drug problem"

2010-04-27T23:46:00Z

Ward 3 resident and former City Councilor Michael Bardsley has kindly given me permission to reprint his column from the April 24 Gazette:

Gauging Northampton's drug problem

A discussion about illegal drug use seems guaranteed to generate intense emotions.

During its Feb. 22 meeting, the Northampton City Council Committee on Social Services and Veteran Affairs discussed concerns related to the increased use of marijuana by local youth. That informal public dialogue triggered heated comments, both on-line as well as during the council's public comment session.

Though no one seems to be denying there is drug-related activity in the city, the description of the extent of the problem varies greatly. One recent speaker at a City Council session stated that the city's drug problems are no greater than those faced by other communities.

In marked contrast is the frustrated mother who wrote the following to a city councilor:

I recently read an article about drugs plaguing our teens here in Northampton. I am a parent of teens and have noticed this trend. I fight the battle each and every day and am almost at the end of my rope because of the lack of help out there. I am writing to find out what we can do as a family to battle this huge problem in our city schools. My fight continues and I will not quit. I am tired but I cannot let it eat my family away... I do feel alone at times.

The public debate regarding the city's drug issues surfaced during the 2009 city elections. At a candidates' forum sponsored by the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association, Jerry Budgar, the debate's moderator and association president, asked the two candidates for the Ward 3 City Council seat what they thought the city should be doing to address its drug problem and whether they would be willing to bring the issue to the council floor for discussion.

The incumbent, Robert Reckman, responded that he was not particularly concerned. "If there were a drug problem I would be happy if the City Council talked about it," Reckman said, "but I do not believe that there is a substantial drug problem in Northampton."

The challenger, Angela Plassmann, offered a different perspective. "I happen to believe that there is a drug problem in Northampton, and I think that it is time that we not brush it under the rug and that we talk about it."

She concluded her response unequivocally: "I will advocate very strongly to address what I believe is a drug problem."

Plassmann has proven true to her word. She has placed the issue of youth substance abuse on the agendas of both the Social Services and Public Safety Committees. The elephant in the room, or in this case the Council Chambers, has been identified.

Recent Gazette headlines have provided little comfort to those concerned about drug-related activities. For example, from March 27 to April 6 there were news stories regarding three arrests related to alleged heroin trafficking on Munroe Street, two arrests for marijuana distribution on Hubbard Avenue, a drug-related death on Locust Street, an arrest for marijuana distribution on Main Street and an arrest on I-91 for driving under the influence of drugs.

Other incidents were reflected in the police log, the court reports and the obituary columns.

The willingness of a few members of the City Council to address various drug-related issues is commendable. However, one has to wonder if the council has the expertise, the ability or the time to thoroughly address these growing concerns. Adolescent drug use is not a problem that belongs to any one department, such as the schools or the police. It is a community problem and as such needs a response that involves the entire community.

Northampton is, however, fortunate to have a resource that many other communities would covet. The Strategic Planning Initiative for Families and Youth (resulting in the unfortunate acronym, SPIFFY), has been addressing adolescent substance abuse in the region for the past several years.

Last year, SPIFFY formed the Northampton Prevention Coalition, an organization that has the mission of preventing alcohol and illegal drug use by city youth. In addition to national research and professional trainers, this new coalition has access to data generated by the surveys of local teens.

For example, 44 percent of Northampton 10th-graders used alcohol within a given 30-day period and 19 percent engaged in binge drinking. In regard to the use of marijuana by Northampton's 10th-graders, the survey shows it has jumped from 22.6 percent in 2007 to 35.8 percent in 2009.

In terms of expertise and information, the Northampton Prevention Coalition is well situated to help lead a community-based discussion about adolescent drug-related issues. However, being newly formed, the coalition is short on volunteers and funding.

Thus, the challenge for the community is whether there are folks with the motivation and the time willing to work with this new organization in fulfilling its mission. Those interested should contact Sue Cairn, SPIFFY Coalition Coordinator, by email at scairn@collaborative.org or by phone at 586-4900, Ext. 177 or via the website at spiffycoalition.org.

I deeply believe that our community is capable of effectively addressing the issue of adolescents using alcohol and illegal drugs. However, adults must first put aside personal preferences and self-serving political agendas. Nothing less than the health and well-being of a younger generation is at stake.

See also:

WWLP: "Are drugs plaguing Northampton teens?" (3/17/10)

Mayor: Conz Street Slated for Reconstruction This Year, North Street for Next Year

2010-04-13T11:31:00Z

I would like to share with you my recent correspondence with Mayor Higgins on plans to reconstruct Conz Street and North Street. -Angela

April 7, 2010

Mayor Higgins:

I have constituents contacting me around the conditions of roads in Ward 3. Specifically, North Street although as you know there are many others in desperate need of repair. It is my understanding that North Street is not slated to be repaired until possibly next year. For many of my constituents, this just simply is not acceptable. I am very concerned with the deplorable condition of North Street and the negative effects it is having on both the residents and businesses there.

Recently, I read the following article:

Massachusetts increases road and bridge repair money for cities and towns [link]
By The Associated Press
April 03, 2010, 12:01AM

ROAD FUNDS
The following is a list of state Chapter 90 grants for some Western Massachusetts communities to use for road projects. Most communities received about a 3 percent increase over this fiscal year. The grants, financed through a state bond law, are for the fiscal year that starts July 1:

...Northampton: $802,306...

BOSTON - Amid the gloom and doom of a bad economy, Massachusetts cities and towns got good news Friday when the Patrick administration announced a $5 million increase in road and bridge repair money prized by communities.

Spending from so-called Chapter 90 funding will increase to $155 million statewide in the fiscal year beginning July 1...

[click for the full article on MassLive]

================================

Would this money perhaps bring additional roads back into shape? I would ask that you would consider the condition of North Street and look for means of repairing it in a more timely manner.

In a similar vein, I would like to advocate for accessing money from the parking reserves to maintain and improve our city streets. I am looking forward to working with you to address this ongoing concern.

Respectfully,
Angela Plassmann

Mayor Higgins responds:

April 12, 2010

Dear Councilor Plassman,

Thank you for contacting me about North Street. In your email you referenced a MassLive article about an increase in Chapter 90 funds to the City of Northampton. The increase was $20,000 or 2 ½ % of our total allocation. The City is eligible for reimbursements up to a maximum amount for allowed uses.

The DPW will be using almost all of this year’s Chapter 90 allocation to do major reconstruction of the roadway and sidewalks on Conz Street. Pedestrian safety is a paramount concern on Conz Street because of Salvo House and the Senior Center. We expect that to be a fall project.

Laura Hanson will be meeting with North Street residents to begin the process for the reconstruction of North Street in Fiscal Year 2011 (July 2010 - June 2011). North Street is expected to cost over $600,000; the project will use the lion’s share of our 2011 Chapter 90 allocation.

I will again propose that the Parking Meter Fund contribute money to the DPW for O & M (Operations and Maintenance) costs. I have almost tripled the amount of support to the DPW from Parking since coming into office. This comes to the DPW as unrestricted funds; they can use it for any lawful purpose.

I look forward to working with you on the improvements to both Conz and North Streets. Please let me know if you need any more information or assistance.

Sincerely,
Clare Higgins