Video: Conservation Commission Rebuts Dawson, Discusses Plassmann

Here is a complete YouTube video of the 4/14/11 meeting of Northampton’s Conservation Commission. This video is 1 hour 47 minutes long and was recorded by Adam Cohen. Highlights: 0:51:45-1:01:32 Members of the commission craft a letter to the Gazette that responds to a March 17 guest column by Alexandra Dawson. She had written: The […]

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New York Times: Non-Native Species Contribute to “Mother Nature’s Melting Pot”

In the March 17 Gazette, Alexandra Dawson cautioned against well-intentioned efforts to “improve” wetlands, as opposed to giving them adequate buffer zones and leaving them undisturbed. An opinion piece by Hugh Raffles in the April 2 New York Times underscores this sentiment, cautioning against indiscriminate attempts to eradicate non-native species: Mother Nature’s Melting Pot …just […]

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Alexandra Dawson: “Standing tall for our wetlands”

Alexandra Dawson has an excellent column in today’s Gazette. Here is an excerpt: …in the long run, nearby development [to wetlands] can result in grass clippings, raked leaves and dog droppings – or worse – getting pushed over the line. And then the wetland loses a lot of its resource value.The Northampton City Council some […]

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Ward 3 Open Space Survey Results

The Ward 3 Neighborhood Association and Smith College have just released the results of an informal survey regarding open space and recreation. Here are the top five responses to Question 7 (among the 94 respondents who answered the question correctly): If you could tell the City three things that we needed in Ward 3 that would make […]

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September 23: Second Forum on Northampton Open Space, Recreation & Multi-Use Trail Plan

Northampton’s Office of Planning and Development announces today: The second public forum on the draft Northampton Open Space, Recreation, & Multi-Use Trail Plan: 2011-2017 will be held this coming Thursday, September 23rd, at 7:00 PM in the basement of the Unitarian Church next to City Hall. The first public forum was held on Tuesday [see video]. […]

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Video: Wayne Feiden Presents Draft 2011-2017 Open Space, Recreation & Multi-Use Trail Plan

Wayne Feiden, Director of Northampton’s Office of Planning and Development, presented highlights from a draft of the 2011-2017 Open Space, Recreation & Multi-Use Trail Plan (PDF, 237 pages, 5MB) to the public at Northampton High School’s Little Theater last night. Here is a complete blip.tv video of the presentation and discussion (1 hour 20 minutes). The recording was […]

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Summer Thunderstorm Pressures Stormwater Infrastructure

This afternoon’s thunderstorm pressured Northampton’s downtown storm drains. Police closed the North Street underpass after a car began floating and had to be pushed out. Photos by Adam Cohen. Water at the corner of Hampton Avenue and Old South Street overran the sidewalk… State Street approaching Summer Street… See also: Flooding Incidents in the North […]

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Video: Conservation Commission Reviews Montessori Work off Bates Street, Beaver-Related Flooding on State and Stoddard Streets

Here is a complete blip.tv video of the 6/10/10 meeting of Northampton’s Conservation Commission. This video is 1 hour 48 minutes long and was recorded by Lachlan Ziegler. Here is the agenda for this meeting: Northampton Conservation Commission Agenda 5:00 PM, Thursday June 10, 2010 City Hall Hearing Room 2nd floor, 210 Main Street, Northampton […]

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MSNBC: “‘Hell of a year’ for hurricanes, expert warns”

MSNBC reports yesterday: William Gray, the hurricane forecast pioneer who founded Colorado State University’s respected storm research team, said CSU would ramp up their prediction for the 2010 season in a report due out on June 2. “The numbers are going to go up quite high,” Gray said. “This looks like a hell of a […]

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Christian Science Monitor: “How to plan better for New England floods”

The April 3 Christian Science Monitor uses the occasion of the recent flooding along the New England coast to look at climate trends: How to plan better for New England floods   As flood waters recede in rain-soaked New England, March’s record-smashing storms highlight the need for planners in the region to place an increased emphasis […]

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