Rambling VanDog

• November Evening Holyoke

  Number of comments: 3
  
  
  Taken at Positronic Dave's Scorpion Bowl party on Dwight Street. Check out the rest of the photo set here. [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 12:00am EST
  by VanDog

• The Unofficials Results Are....

  Number of comments: 5
  
  
  Mayor
  >Elaine A Pluta 4794 - 58%
  >Daniel C Boyle 3243 - 39%
  
  City Clerk
  >Susan M Egan (i) 5065 - 63%
  >Anthony Soto 2836 - 35%
  
  City Treasurer
  >Jon D Lumbra 4118 - 53%
  >David [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 9:30pm EST
  by VanDog

• Holyoke Youth Candidate Forum

  Number of comments: 2
  
  
  About 40 people attended Tuesday's candidate forum at Holyoke Health Center, and half of them were not old enough to vote. The forum was sponsored by the Holyoke Food and Fitness Policy Council, Holyoke Youth Commission, and featured' [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Oct 22 Candidate Forum

  Number of comments: 0
  

  Oct 22 Candidate Forum 1 - City Clerk from Peter Palombella on Vimeo.

  
  
  

  Oct 22 Candidate Forum 2 - City Treasurer from Peter Palombella on Vimeo.

  
  
  

  Oct 22 Candidate Forum 3 - Mayor from Peter Palombella on Vimeo.

  [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Oct 15 Candidate Forum

  Number of comments: 1
  

  Oct 15 Candidate Forum 1 - School Committee from Peter Palombella on Vimeo.

  
  
  

  Oct 15 Candidate Forum 2 - City Council, Ward from Peter Palombella on Vimeo.

  
  
  

  Oct 15 Candidate Forum 3 - City Council, At-Large from Peter Palombella on [...]

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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Sept 14 Candidate Forum

  Number of comments: 0
  

  Holyoke Candidate Forum Sept 14, 2009 - Opening Statements from Peter Palombella on Vimeo.

  
  
  

  Holyoke Candidate Forum Sept 14, 2009 - Q1 from Peter Palombella on Vimeo.

  
  
  

  Holyoke Candidate Forum Sept 14, 2009 - Q2 from Peter Palombella on [...]

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  Posted: September 28, 2009, 11:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• It's Pluta vs Boyle and Lumbra vs Donoghue

  Number of comments: 2
  In the Mayoral race Elaine Pluta captured 49% of Tuesday's vote while Daniel Boyle got 28%. Eva O'Connell, and Antonio Colon Jr were knocked out the race with just over 10% of the vote each.
  
  For Treasurer Jon Lumbra received 40% of the votes, and David Donoghue 35% leaving [...]
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  Posted: September 23, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Preliminary Election Day

  Number of comments: 2
  Today is preliminary election day in Holyoke. The polls are open from 7 am to 7 pm - the weather is great, and unless your not registered you don't have any reason to not vote. Springfield had a dismal voter turnout was last week, less than 10% of registered voters,' [...]
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  Posted: September 22, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Great Holyoke Block Party

  Number of comments: 7
  
  
  It was April of 2006 when everyone first heard that Celebrate Holyoke was canceled. Since then the city has struggled to find a replacement. Brennan's had hosted a summer music series in the city owned parking lot behind' [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Moutain Park Open House

  Number of comments: 5
  
  
  
  
  The first day of the new Mountain Park was baking hot, but that didn't discourage the enthusiasm for Eric Suher's newest venue. The free Saturday show [...]
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  Posted: August 18, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Hello Holyoke Fire

  Number of comments: 4
  The former home of Hello Holyoke, 188 Chestnut Street, went up in flames early this morning. The call came over the scanner after 2:00 AM, "a fire in the vicinity Appleton and Chestnut Streets". The police arrived first and reported the back porch was burning at 188 Chestnut. They quickly [...]
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  Posted: August 15, 2009, 7:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• 2009 Municipal Election Candidates

  Number of comments: 10
  Tuesday was the last day for Holyoke municipal candidates to file their papers. Not everyone who has taken out papers filed them. Most notably Miguel A Vasquez III who took out papers for mayor.
  
  Since more than two candidates are certified for the Mayoral, and Treasurer's race there will' [...]
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  Posted: July 30, 2009, 12:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Just What Are The Issues?

  Number of comments: 10
  In regards to the Mayor's race, many people have asked me where the candidates stand on the issues, but just what are "the issues"?
  
  A few months back I started a list of questions for the candidates, and I also have the excellent information gathered from the community conversation' [...]
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  Posted: July 25, 2009, 2:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Motorcycle Fire

  Number of comments: 6
  My friend, and I were headed out in the car last Friday when we turned the corner of our street, and saw smoke rising nearby. A quick detour down North Summer Street and we found this. A motorcycle, Just laying there in the road burning up.
  
  [...]
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  Posted: July 15, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Holyoke Loves The 4th

  Number of comments: 8
  
  
  With perfect weather on Sunday how could I stay away from HCC, and the Holyoke Fireworks. I had a nice picnic with friends who live close to the campus, and walked in before dark.
  
  [...]
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  Posted: July 06, 2009, 11:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• July 4th in the Flats

  Number of comments: 4
  People get a little carried away with displays of aerial patriotism down here on the 4th. After sundown you can stand at almost any intersection and be surrounded by fireworks shooting from blocks around. Here are few photos I took of the displays with Moonlight in the sky. Enjoy..
  [...]
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  Posted: July 05, 2009, 1:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Round ?

  Number of comments: 1
  It wasn't much a hearing last night at the Morgan School in South Holyoke. Some regular business like a permit for a Verizon Wireless cell tower, as well as a car lot. Most people were there for the Transfer Station hearing, and after 30 minutes the regular stuff was finished' [...]
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  Posted: July 01, 2009, 1:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Stories Of The Past Week

  Number of comments: 0
  Holyoke's Irish Heart
  
  Police Use Cell Phone To Track Down Murderer
  
  Holyoke City Council rejects proposal to study use of Lynch Middle School as school administration offices
  
  Holyoke police chief Anthony Scott renews call for election of judges in aftermath of shooting death' [...]
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  Posted: June 29, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Stories Of The Past Week

  Number of comments: 0
  Amtrak Adventures
  
  Parking garage projects weighed
  
  Library faulted in Internet case
  
  3-car I-91 crash injures 2
  
  Man who fell off ladder in Agawam plant identified as Jose Montoya of Holyoke
  
  Holyoke officials welcome plans for The Decemberists concert at [...]
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  Posted: June 23, 2009, 11:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Founders Day Fun

  Number of comments: 6
  last Sunday afternoon I walked up to High Street to see the Founder's Day Car Show. The music made for a cool ambiance around City Hall while the people, dressed to impress, made for great watching.
  
  Being a lifelong motor head, I'm kind of jaded on cars, but it [...]
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  Posted: June 18, 2009, 11:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Stories Of The Past Week

  Number of comments: 0
  The Big Story
  
  Holyoke to be site of high performance computer center
  
  High Performance Computing as the Future of Holyoke's E-conomy, Part I
  
  Twittering Holyoke's Future
  
  High-Performance Computing as the Future of Holyoke's E-conomy, Part II
  
  Holyoke First - A' [...]
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  Posted: June 16, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Lyman Street Fire

  Number of comments: 2
  
  
  I was sitting at my computer when a report of smoke coming from a house at Lyman and Center came over the scanner. This made me jump to attention rather quickly. I live just down the block. In [...]
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  Posted: June 11, 2009, 5:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Parsons Fire - One Year Later

  Number of comments: 5
  Can you believe it was one year ago today that Parsons burned?
  
  
  
  Over last Winter I began to realize that the fire was the end of the paper making era in Holyoke, and a 'New Holyoke' was [...]
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  Posted: June 10, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Stories Of The Past Week

  Number of comments: 0
  Water Power to the People of Holyoke
  
  IRS, Holyoke resolve dispute
  
  Holyoke police arrest Clemente Street woman on heroin charges
  
  Holyoke School Department faces $1.3 million cut by City Council
  
  WWII hand grenade found in Holyoke
  
  Ex-House Speaker Salvatore [...]
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  Posted: June 09, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Stuff I Missed in May

  Number of comments: 5
  Last month started out good, in blogging terms. I was getting back on track, posting regularly, but then I started to get very busy. I had taken a lot of photos, but just couldn't get a breather from all the meetings, events, and campaign kick offs to sit down, and' [...]
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  Posted: June 08, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Stories Of The Past Week

  Number of comments: 0
  Man pleads guilty to accessory after the fact in Holyoke slaying
  
  Sullivan seeks walkers, sponsors
  
  Holyoke City Council endorses 2 initial appropriations for new senior citizen's center
  
  The Shad Loses Ground
  
  Holyoke Police Chief: Man with 58 Arraignments Calls Judges' [...]
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  Posted: June 02, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• New York To Vermont And Holyoke In Between

  Number of comments: 4
  On first entering the conference room at the Clarion Hotel in Northampton I could quickly see every seat was taken. I was arriving late to the May 20th meeting because I found it hard to leave Elaine Pluta's campaign kick off before she gave her speech. I really wanted to' [...]
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  Posted: June 01, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Stories Of The Past Week

  Number of comments: 0
  Vacant mill site in Holyoke declared clean of oil contamination
  
  Trial to resume in 2007 attack
  
  Costly plans top Holyoke agenda
  
  Rotary literacy efforts show results, more set
  
  Nuestras Raices readies for new growing season
  
  Holyoke man accused of [...]
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  Posted: May 26, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Holyoke Community Conversation

  Number of comments: 4
  Holding a community conversation event has been a dream of Alan Gilburg's for two years. When he first suggested it at a Crush meeting a few months ago I was a bit skeptical of its value, but after the April 7th rehearsal event I was totally on board.
  [...]
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  Posted: May 21, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Stories Of The Past Week

  Number of comments: 0
  Fresh produce a growing market
  
  Polluted sites slated for cleanup
  
  Green GEDs and Job Training
  
  Policy on bullying put under review
  
  Mayor testifies in parks case
  
  Census: Mass. numbers flat
  
  YMCA offers a Swim Fit program to [...]
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  Posted: May 18, 2009, 11:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Bashing Holyoke

  Number of comments: 3
  The weather couldn't have been nicer on Wednesday. It was just a gorgeous day, and I was looking for any excuse to go back out before the sun went down. While browsing the interwebatubes of the Crush site, I suddenly found a reason, and with less than ten minutes' [...]
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  Posted: May 14, 2009, 11:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Final Days of Holyoke's Trolleys

  Number of comments: 3
  [...]
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  Posted: May 13, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Stories Of The Past Week

  Number of comments: 2
  600 attend Future Begins Here event in Holyoke to benefit charities
  
  Teen task force put on agenda
  
  Holyoke firms to be feted
  
  Holyoke eyes 'painful' budget
  
  Gas station set for vacant lot
  
  3 residents escalate battle to stop Lowe's' [...]
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  Posted: May 10, 2009, 11:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Spring Open Studios, Day 1

  Number of comments: 2
  Here's a quick post of some photos from “Pulp Science Fiction”, the Spring Open Studios Event, Day 1.
  
  
  
  Complete set at Flickr.
  .' [...]
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  Posted: May 09, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Reflections of Holyoke

  Number of comments: 0
  
  
  Here are a few scenes from last Friday's 'Reflections of Holyoke' Art Gallery Opening at the Holyoke Health Center on Maple Street.
  
  
  
  [...]
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  Posted: May 08, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Urban Visioning

  Number of comments: 4
  Around 50 people attended the Redevelopment Authority's public hearing last Thursday, April 30th, with the purpose of "Creating a Vision for Holyoke's City Center". The Authority is undertaking a comprehensive planning study of the Flats, Churchill, South Holyoke, and the greater downtown in order to create a plan/vision for Holyoke's' [...]
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  Posted: May 06, 2009, 6:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Smoldering Crocker Mill

  Number of comments: 0
  
  
  Smoke filled the Crocker Mill, on Water St this afternoon from a smoldering fire on the upper floors. The fire was in the back, northeast section of the old complex, and wind pushed the smoke through the mill, [...]
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  Posted: May 06, 2009, 5:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Road Closed

  Number of comments: 6
  
  
  Mass Highway closed the road at the intersection of Lyman, where Main turns into North Canal Street today. Crews will be replacing the Lyman Street canal bridges, and the road is expected to stay closed for over [...]
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  Posted: May 04, 2009, 6:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Stories Of The Past Week

  Number of comments: 0
  Massachusetts House of Representatives OKs raising sales tax to 6.25 percent in late-night vote
  
  New England Farm Workers' Council renovating downtown Holyoke buildings
  
  Hector Santiago of Connecticut gets 2-4 years for shooting at Holyoke police
  
  Full-time students at Holyoke Community College to pay' [...]
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  Posted: May 03, 2009, 5:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Scenes From The April 24th Open Performance Salon

  Number of comments: 0
  
  
  Full Set at Flickr.
  . [...]
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  Posted: May 02, 2009, 1:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Rambling About Town

  Number of comments: 8
  The Planning Board was already in session when I arrived at the Annex building on Tuesday. They were in the process of approving a site plan review, and special permits for the new Main St gas station. I snapped some photos so everyone can see the pretty plans. Let's hope' [...]
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  Posted: April 29, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Stories Of The Past Week

  Number of comments: 0
  Budget Cuts Threaten Programs at the Boys and Girls Club
  
  Polish Food in Holyoke - Gramps Restaurant
  
  Education For Young Single Moms in Holyoke
  
  Holyoke children's museum fun
  
  Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan says latest proposed state budget could result in 60' [...]
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  Posted: April 28, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Wooden Block Street Paving Under Holyoke

  Number of comments: 4
  One of the little projects I am working on right now is to help update some of the city's historical building inventory forms. Many of them have not been updated since the 70's, so city historian, Kate Navarra Thibodeau, gave me a list, and sent me out to photograph exteriors [...]
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  Posted: April 27, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• North Canal to Water Street - Walkabout

  Number of comments: 3
  My apologizes to the readers of RVD for the lack of posts recently. I've been busy with a variety of little projects around town that are taking up all my time.
  
  Sunday, a week ago, while enjoying the nice weather I walked past the back of 45 North Canal' [...]
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  Posted: April 25, 2009, 11:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Stories Of The Past Week

  Number of comments: 0
  Bay State receiving child care funds
  
  Holyoke police crack down on crime over weekend
  
  Holyoke police crime sweep nets 22 weekend arrests
  
  Films aid Girls Inc.
  
  Online Exhibit Peaks Interest of Community
  
  Holyoke Man Struggles with Police
  
  [...]
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  Posted: April 20, 2009, 11:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Golden Gala

  Number of comments: 0
  Holyoke as came out in style last Friday night to enjoy Wistariahurst's Golden Gala - a celebration of 50 years as Holyoke's museum of history and culture.
  
  
  
  I was happy to pay $35 at the door [...]
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  Posted: April 19, 2009, 2:00am EDT
  by VanDog

• Main Street Take Down

  Number of comments: 5
  
  
  The wreckers came on Wednesday to knock down the old United Gas Station on the corner of Cabot and Main.
  
  
  
  They also took down a [...]
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  Posted: April 15, 2009, 11:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• What Is It?

  Number of comments: 6
  Earlier today I spotted an optical phenomenon while driving up 141 near Mt Tom. I pulled over at the Tavern On The Hill, and snapped a few shots.
  
  
  [...]
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  Posted: April 15, 2009, 8:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Stories Of The Past Week

  Number of comments: 0
  Tax probe to take 6 months
  
  Scholarships placed in peril
  
  Tapestry Health May Face More Cuts
  
  Health Center receives grant
  
  Actor Paul Sorvino gives Holyoke High students an inside look at the acting life
  
  HCC freshmen to get helping [...]
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  Posted: April 13, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  by VanDog

• Community Conversation (part one)

  Number of comments: 1
  In an effort to create a list of issues important to the people of Holyoke, a group has formed inside Crush with the purpose of having a Community Conversation event. This came about because another Crush group was planning a mayoral debate, and was getting hung up on what [...]
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  Posted: April 08, 2009, 6:00pm EDT
  by VanDog