http://www.valleyadvocate.com/section.cfm?uid=50 Copyright 2013 The Valley Advocate TheOtherRoom.com CFML RSS Generator Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 AM MST en-us Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16794 Over the past several weeks, Town Meetings in nine Franklin County communities have passed non-binding resolutions expressing concern about changes at Baystate Franklin Medical Center—the county’s sole hospital—that supporters say have reduced residents’ access to necessary... By Maureen Turner http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16794 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16793 Wayne Shorter Quartet Without A Net (Blue Note)   For over a decade, Wayne Shorter’s acoustic quartet has been the most exciting working band in jazz. Unfortunately, there’s been too little recorded evidence of their telepathic ability to erase the line between improvisation... By Advocate staff http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16793 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16791 The president’s new choices for Commerce secretary and FCC chair underscore how far down the rabbit hole his populist conceits have tumbled. Yet the Obama rhetoric about standing up for working people against “special interests” is as profuse as ever. Would you care for a spot of... By Norman Solomon http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16791 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16790 EOPSS Spin Fails Sniff Test The spokesman for the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s claim that “the department has received no public feedback about the plan” to start dog sniff searches in Massachusetts prison waiting rooms (“Critics Fight Dog Searches of... By Advocate readers http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16790 Wed, 15 May 2013 8:09:13 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16778 Sports equality history was made recently when twelve-year NBA veteran Jason Collins became the first openly gay male athlete to come out while still playing a major American sport. Collins played center for the Boston Celtics this past season before being traded to the Washington Wizards for guard... by Pete Redington http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16778 Wed, 15 May 2013 8:08:05 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16777 Last month, the National Hockey League (NHL) took an unprecedented step on behalf of the athletic equality movement by announcing its partnership with the You Can Play Project, an organization dedicated to confronting and challenging homophobia in sports. “The official partnership with You Can... by Pete Redington http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16777 Wed, 15 May 2013 8:06:06 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16776 The state’s top teacher is inspiring Springfield Central High School’s ninth graders. Anne Marie Bettencourt, 31, of Hatfield is the Massachusetts 2013 Teacher of the Year, which makes her eligible for the National Teacher of the Year Program. In an interview with the Daily Hampshire Gazette,... By Advocate staff http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16776 Wed, 15 May 2013 8:04:26 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16775 There is a lot of talk, pro and con, about Pioneer Valley Energy Center, a natural gas-fired power plant proposed for Westfield. For the chosen host city, the project offers some attractive features. The 400 megawatts the plant would generate could power 430,000 homes, the operators say, and Westfield... by Stephanie Kraft http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16775 Wed, 15 May 2013 8:02:32 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16774 As the Trash Piles Up, Will Incinerators Come Back? by Advocate Staff The state’s new Solid Waste Master Plan has a lot of important ideas for reducing waste and promoting recycling, but the part of the plan drawing the most heat deals with burning trash. The state has modified its... By Advocate staff http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16774 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16772 “Let the unskilled jobs that take absolutely no knowledge whatsoever to do — let stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work. This is the voice of Rush Limbaugh, host of the most popular talk radio program in America. Limbaugh, whose palm closes over $50 a year when it’s not clutching... By Stephanie Kraft http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16772