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After adopting an Irish sight hound, Laura Schenone discovers a remarkable and little-known fight to gain justice for dogs and for all animals. The Dogs of Avalon introduces us to the strong-willed Marion Fitzgibbon, born in rural Ireland, where animals are valued only for their utility. But Fitzgibbon believes that suffering is felt by all creatures, and she champions the cause of strays, baffling those around her - including her family - as she and a group of local women rescue any animal in need and taking on increasingly risky missions.
Laura Schenone is an award-winning author who has written A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove and The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken. Her newest book is The Dogs of Avalon: The Race to Save Animals in Peril.
Listen to the interview with Matt Szafranski. With two recent announcements the field is taking shape in the race for mayor in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The mayor’s office is up for grabs with the announcement last month by Alex Morse that he would not seek another term. For a status report on the race, WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with Matt Szafranski, editor-in-chief of Western Mass Politics & Insight.
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Listen to the interview with Jesse Lederman.
Environmentalists and elected officials in the largest city in western Massachusetts are monitoring the progress to repair hundreds of small natural gas leaks.
In what was considered a breakthrough agreement in 2017, Columbia Gas committed to an accelerated leak repair program and infrastructure upgrades in Springfield.
Eversource has now taken over operations for Columbia Gas. Officials from the utility company recently briefed the Springfield City Council Committee on Sustainability and Environment on gas leak repairs.
WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with City Councilor Jesse Lederman, who chairs the committee.
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Listen to the interview with Brian Foote.
There will be no fireworks in downtown Northampton this year to ring in the new year. First Night Northampton is not hosting any in-person events.
Credit Twitter
Since 1985, large crowds of people have gathered in downtown Northampton, Massachusetts for First Night – the family-friendly New Year’s Eve festival.
This year, the producer of the event, the Northampton Arts Council, has announced there will be no in-person entertainment.
Performances have been pre-recorded and will be livestreamed on the organization’s website and shown on local cable access channels in Northampton from noon to midnight on December 31st.
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Taxes on gasoline and cigarettes are set to increase after Massachusetts lawmakers voted to override Governor Deval Patrick s veto of a transportation financing bill.
The bill contains a 3 cent per gallon hike in the gas tax, along with a $1 per pack increase in the cigarette tax. Those tax hikes are scheduled to take effect in seven days.
Patrick vetoed the bill after lawmakers rejected his demand to add a provision allowing for an additional gas tax hike if tolls on the western portion of the Massachusetts Turnpike come down as scheduled in 2017.