Eesha Williams's Blog, page 168
July 1, 2012
June 30, 2012
Thomas Mapfumo in Northampton July 22
Thomas Mapfumo, a musician and activist from Zimbabwe, will perform a public concert in Northampton on July 22 at 7 p.m. Mapfumo was forced to leave Zimbabwe because he spoke out against the government. He lives in Oregon. Samples of his music can be heard for free at:
www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-k...
Transportation Victories
In a victory for poor people and the environment, activists got a group of local governments in the Valley to reverse its plan to raise the local bus fare. The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) wanted to hike the fare from $1.25 to $1.50. About 370 people attended public hearings about the scheme. The vast majority spoke out against the fare boost. At the most recent hearing, on June 27 in Springfield, city resident Aunush Dawidjan led the audience in a chant: “Tax Mercedes,” she said....
June 24, 2012
Thomas Mapfumo in Northampton July 22
Thomas Mapfumo, a musician and activist from Zimbabwe, will perform a public concert in Northampton on July 22 at 7 p.m. Mapfumo was forced to leave Zimbabwe because he spoke out against the government. He lives in Oregon. Samples of his music can be heard for free at:
www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-k...
June 23, 2012
Concert Review: Sierra Leone All Stars
The Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars performed an outstanding public concert at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton on June 23. The night club appeared to be almost sold out and most of the people at the concert danced. In April, the All Stars released an excellent album, Radio Salone. Most of the songs on the new album are Afro-Pop or “high life” style. Some are reggae.
‘No Enforcement’ on Valley River
“On summer afternoons, it’s like the Wild West,” Jim Dietz told the Valley Post. He’s head coach of the UMass women’s rowing team. Dietz was speaking about motor boats on the Connecticut river in Massachusetts. His rowing team is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division I, which means it’s at the highest level of college sports. Before coming to UMass, Dietz worked for the U.S. Coast Guard in Connecticut for nine years.
June 16, 2012
Workers Will Rally for Justice in Springfield and Hadley
In the Valley, hundreds of workers at Verizon are negotiating a union contract with the phone, cable TV, and internet company. While paying its CEO millions of dollars annually, Verizon says it can’t afford to continue paying workers’ pensions. There will be protests in West Springfield, Springfield, and Hadley, near Northampton, on June 16, June 22, and June 30. The public is invited.
Last year, Verizon, which is based in New York City, paid its top five executives about $66 million. That’s a...
June 10, 2012
Bills to Address Bullying by Bosses
Bullying by bosses leads some workers to commit acts of violence, and causes stress-related health problems in many more workers. Massachusetts is poised to become the first state in the nation to pass a law against workplace bullying. Vermont is likely to pass similar legislation next year. Legislation in New Hampshire is stalled.
June 3, 2012
Sierra Leone All Stars in Northampton June 23
The Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars will perform a public concert at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton on June 23 at 7 p.m. In April, the group released an excellent album, Radio Salone. Most of the songs on the new album are Afro-Pop or “high life” style. Some are reggae.
Between 1991 and 2002, there was a civil war in the west African nation of Sierra Leone. Thousands of people, including the future members of the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, left their homes and sought safety in th...
Town Near Amherst to Get Universal Fast Internet
On June 2, the people of Leverett, Massachusetts voted to spend $3.6 million to provide every home in their town with fast internet. Leverett has a population of about 2,000. It borders Amherst.
The vote was 462 to 90.
Every home in Leverett will have fast internet by 2014, a town spokesman said. This will increase the value of homes in Leverett, according to the town web site. Currently, 6 percent of homes in Leverett have no internet access and 23 percent have dial-up, according to the town w...
