Getting Out Of Town

Sometimes I leave the insanity of Holyoke only to encounter even more insanity. Maybe it's just the people I encounter, but I sometimes think everyone in the Pioneer Valley has lost their minds.

This story from the Paradise City blog about a General Public Forum in Northampton perfectly illustrates what I'm talking about.


PUBLIC COMMENTS

1) It's the public officials who make the trouble

2) Casa Latina has numerous support services for the Latin
community. It needs support from the whole community especially so
children can change their lives www.casalatinainc.org

3) Pioneer Valley Local First www.pvlocalfirst.org

4) Get Vermont Nuclear Power Plant out of the valley. Read the
resolution

5) Northampton living wage coalition seeks $9.52 per hour with
insurance or $11 per hour without

6) Public Blog/bulletin Board
Public indoor spaces-warm, safe, and with bathrooms for all
Housing that promotes good health (not near highways etc.)
Environmentally healthy, fit quiet homes(no motorcycle noise)

7) New England is too far north for enough vitamin D

8) Citizens united for a Healthy Future works against expansion of
landfill over Barnes Aquifer www.savingparadise.info

9) Special Permit regarding: landfill is before city Council

10) (this one is really unclear) Define, measure, implement, control
adn continuously improve

11) Website: storyofstuff.com

12) Google ITER

13) Northassoc.org Elements of the sustainable Northampton Plan could
increase density so much as to damage our natural environment

14) African americans are harassed in Northampton

15) Underlying US versus: Them (racial, sexual, orientation, etc.)

16) Need an "overseeing" (umbrella?) organization community center to
pull information together

17) We need to find other (non-car) ways to get around
We need sustainable, affordable energy
We need to welcome (not terrorize immigrants)

18) Commonwealth center for change David Simpson, community
center(www.commonwealthcenter.org/index.html)

19) May 10th Northampton Free Trade 2:45 in front of Ten Thousand
Villages on Main Street

20) "Chocolate" movie, Media Education Foundation May 9 (www.mediaed.org)

21) Alert NCTV regarding: any event of this sort (www.northamptontv.org)

22) Best pratices Forum Tuesday May 13 See flyer for info
(northamptonma.gov/bestpractices)

23) Consider taking meeting feedback forms

24) Consider taking an Application for Northampton commitees

25) The city council-Maureen Carney should look into harassment of
people of color

26) We have a serious culture of consumerism and so have to find other
ways to bring in money especially with gas prices

27) There is a quiet ugliness/rage here that won't get better without
better economic opportunity

28) Real People nearby.com-local virtual community