It is frustrating to hear state officials speak opaquely about an old problem in desperate need of a solution.
The state’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and the Trial Court now have nine bids to replace the second-busiest courthouse in the state – a place that has been making people sick in Springfield for years.
What’s the timeline for reviewing the bids and when will a project be awarded? The division wouldn’t say when we asked.
In February, Gov. Maura Healey told The Republican she’s committed to replacing the 50-year-old Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse, which has been linked to cancer, ALS and other ailments among staff. Last June, she committed an initial $106 million to the effort.
”So very soon, we’ll have proposals and make some decisions and get design and construction underway,” the governor said in February.
If it is going to be “very soon,” the division should lay out the specific timeline. It will still be years before a new courthouse opens. Dates give people hope.
TRANSITION IN A HOLYOKE NEIGHBORHOOD: The people who founded and ran Gateway City Arts in Holyoke always marched to their own drummer. That spirit of doing interesting things differently inside the sprawling 92 Race St. space appears poised to carry over to a new occupant.
Lori Divine and Vitek Kruta created Gateway City Arts to help patrons discover new things. “Our mission was always to create a space for education, community, creativity and inspiration,” Divine said in a statement this week. Hmmm. That mission describes what a good school ought to be about. Divine and Kruta plan to sell the property to the nearby LightHouse Holyoke, a 9-year-old school that embraces self-directed “liberatory” education. LightHouse, located just down Race Street, has a current enrollment of 80 middle and high school students from 15 cities and towns. Its co-founder and executive director says the program plans to make special use of Gateway City’s performance spaces. We hope the transition goes well.
THE OTHER BARBARA OF BROADCASTING: For decades, Barbara Bernard helped narrate life in Western Massachusetts – in radio and TV programs and in countless newspaper stories and commentaries. As a near-daily public voice, Bernard helped build community around our region and earned a reputation for candor, humor and, well, being real.
On June 13, she’ll be recognized for the part of her career that lived on the airwaves when she’s inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Bernard, who is 97, will be the first woman from Western Massachusetts to gain that honor. The salute is overdue and wholly deserved. “I’ve had a pretty darn good life, for an old lady,” she told The Republican in a recent interview. “All things considered, I’m very fortunate because it was a delightful time. It’s been sheer fun. I’m a lucky lady.”
