Summertime 2009

Done Come and Gone

 




At 5:18 today the season officially switched from Summer to Fall. How appropriate then that I should spend a little time this morning on Summer Street in Northampton. Not many people know the name of that street, they just call it "the street next to Dunkin' Donuts."

There appears to be a political sign war underway on Summer Street, with Michael Bardsley the clear winner so far. There is also a lot of flowers in the front yards of the houses on Summer Street.

Fall? The flowers of summer still linger on the street bearing its name.

Planting flowers around the telephone pole? Now that's dedication.

I once won a photo contest put on by WWLP-TV22 with this photo of Springfield's Saint Michael's Cemetery taken in the Autumn. The prize was a twenty-five dollar gift certificate from Russell's 60 Minute Photo in Tower Square (Baystate West). That little prize allows me to accurately refer to myself as "an award-winning photographer."

Autumn is the most beautiful New England season if you ask me.

 

Fleitman Attacks

 



Dr. Jay Fleitman of Northampton, who is running to unseat Congressman Richard Neal, has launched a blog where he confronts the longtime incumbent head on, such as this rebuke for Neal's vote to continue funding for the corrupt political organization ACORN. But then when has Neal ever been opposed to corrupt organizations? Writes Dr. Fleitman:

Richard Neal was one of the small group of Congressmen that voted to continue federal funding of Acorn.

Richard, what is it going to take for you to stop giving taxpayer dollars to this organization? They have members being indicted for voter fraud, they have been caught on film helping to create a business plan for importing teen age prostitutes from Central America, and that's not enough for you. How about bank robbery? Piracy on the open seas? What?

To read more of the Doctor's good government prescriptions go here.

 

News From Edge City

 



SPRINGFIELD OREGON - The Merry Pranksters visited Springfield High School today in the “Further” bus to celebrate Ken Kesey’s Birthday. The author of “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” would be 74 today.

Three Springfield High School students created a stained glass panel to honor Kesey, who was an alumnus. The panel shows the “Further” bus in a landscape with the words “One Flew East, One Flew West, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”.

Sunshine Kesey: “My father had an amazing work ethic and had some crazy ideals that were hard to even deal with while he was alive. He really held everyone to high ideals” Ken Kesey died in 2001. His mother, wife and children all came to the dedication along with friends.

Among the friends was Mountain Girl, widow of Jerry Garcia, and John Babbs, brother of the infamous Ken and also an alumnus of the 1964 bus trip.

Ken Babbs was the main speaker.

An excerpt from Babbs speech:

In the beginning was the word and the word it was good. Good words
have power, Kesey knew, like Shazam! One single word can change a
crippled newsboy into a superhero. Words can get you in trouble.
Words can also talk you out of trouble. Words can keep you alive. We
no longer have Kesey but we will always have his words.