NORTHAMPTON — From panhandlers and potholes to empty storefronts and the school system, voters across Paradise City shared their views this week in advance of a preliminary election to fill an empty at-large seat on the City Council.
Four candidates vying for the at-large City Council seat being vacated by Jesse M. Adams will square off in the preliminary election Thursday, narrowing the pool to two candidates. From there, a new city councilor will be decided in an Aug. 4 election.
Blue DuVal, Marlene A. Morin, Ryan O’Donnell and Andrew B. Smith are the four names on the ballot.
Voters from Northampton, Florence and Leeds shared their ideas and concerns this week. Most are not sure who they will vote for Thursday, but all had ideas about how the city could improve.
Charlotte Cathro, of 71 Pine St., was riding her bicycle in a parking lot in Florence Wednesday afternoon with her two young sons in tow. Oliver, 5, and Graham, 2, sat in a bicycle trailer, cheering as their mother rounded the corners.
For Cathro, 36, infrastructure and potholes in the city are a major concern. She said there is “a little craziness” when it comes to potholes, which she often notices while riding her bike with her children.
Cathro, an accountant and a professor at Elms College, said she wants to see the City Council address the opioid epidemic and expand development on King Street beyond “endless banks.”
Affordability for homeowners, renters and students is another concern for Cathro. She said she enjoys living in Northampton, but the city should increase affordability.
“I’ve told friends, ‘You should come live here!’ and they say they wouldn’t be able to afford a house,” Cathro said. “Affordability is an issue, especially for renters and students, too.”
Cathro said she supports the city’s public schools, and her son Graham will attend Leeds Elementary School in the fall.
Public schools have been a hot topic for candidates. At a forum Monday, candidates agreed they, too, support the city’s public schools and do not favor increasing the number of charter schools in the state. A potential ballot question in November could lift the cap on charter schools in the state.
Moises Diaz, of 67 West St., was tending to his plot at Northampton Community Gardens off Burts Pit Road with the help of his two younger children Thursday morning.
Diaz, a 46-year-old father of four, came to Northampton from Guatemala by himself when he was 17 years old. He said he hopes the City Council will confront racism in the city, something he deals with often.
“It’s like when you’re shopping. They treat you different. They don’t even notice you,” Diaz said.
Diaz, who works as a chef downtown at Paul and Elizabeth’s, said he has no complaints regarding “wage theft,” or workers not receiving pay for hours worked. He acknowledged other restaurants in the city have raised concerns, but said he is well taken care of at his job.
Since coming to the city 30 years ago, Diaz said he has seen a decline in the quality of downtown.
“Downtown is dirty, there are potholes and people are asking you for money. Someone has got to do something about it,” Diaz said. “People are afraid to walk on Main Street. It did not used to be like that.”
Diaz said at the end of the night he donates food from the kitchen he works in to the city’s homeless population, but people do not seem to need it. What they do need, he said, is help with drug addiction.
“There are a lot of people on the streets asking for drugs, and asking for money for drugs,” Diaz said.
Former Fort River Elementary School principal Bobbie Finocchio, 33, was walking her dog on Main Street Tuesday afternoon. The educator moved to Northampton about a year ago, and said she wants to see fewer empty storefronts downtown.
“It looks run down, and I’d like to see more control over the haggling and begging,” Finocchio said.
Azariah Raheem, 25, declined to share an address but said he passes through Northampton often. According to Raheem, people who choose to live alternative lifestyles should be educated, not shamed. The California native said living outdoors and traveling is more common in his home state.
“There is a difference between people who want to live alternative lifestyles and people who are forced into the street,” Raheem said. “There should be more housing opportunities for people that are forced out. But those who choose that lifestyle, there should be education for how they can live and areas where they can live outdoors.”
Raheem suggested the city look into dedicating public land to those who want to live outdoors and have the proper education.
“Homelessness is not a crime … They’re not going to put an end to poverty, but they could manage it,” Raheem said.
Raheem agreed Northampton has plenty of food to donate and that drug addiction is prevalent in the city. Again, he pointed to education and mental health as ways to help those living on the streets.
“Part of it is mental health. If you need something you’d ask for it. You need food, you’ll ask for food. There’s a lot of food out here. When people are asking for money, they are not asking for food,” Raheem said. “But if these people are given value in their lives, you never know, the next great scientific breakthrough could be from one of these minds.”
Jacob Bridgman, of Florence, is a 19-year-old sophomore at Emerson College majoring in digital media art production with a minor in political science. He grew up in Florence and graduated from Northampton High School.
Bridgman, the director of media and communications for the campaign of state representative hopeful Solomon Goldstein-Rose, intends to vote for Ryan O’Donnell next week.
Bridgman said he sees a disconnect between young adults and local politics. It is a phenomenon he tries to address with his own friends.
“So many of my peers are engaged in the presidential election but no one I know, except for a few people, are engaged in state and local politics,” Bridgman said. “But local government deals with the issues that are more likely to affect you. It’s personal things, from potholes to the businesses downtown.”
Bridgman called on the City Council to reach out to younger people and increase engagement.
“They should catch the attention of younger people,” he said. “It’s not usual for a city council to do, but I think the city councilors should be engaging with the high schools, with the colleges.
There are so many decisions that shape the way you think, it’s the town you’re growing up in.”
Bridgman said he hopes City Council will address downtown Florence and usher it a new era with businesses and arts. He believes there needs to be something that sets Florence apart and pulls people in.
“Florence downtown is one of the most dead places I’ve ever seen,” Bridgman said.
Northampton also needs an arts district that includes not just galleries and paintings, but new media and civic media that engages people in contemporary ways.
Priscilla Deane, 88, was gardening in the yard of her home on Audubon Road in Leeds Wednesday. A resident of Northampton since 1958, Deane has lived on Washington and Ward avenues before moving to Leeds and said she has enjoyed it all. Dean has been “satisfied with the lively discourse” that has gone on in City Council chambers over the years.
Deane said she is sorry to see empty storefronts downtown and would be happy if they were filled by new businesses attracted to the city, but she does not have much to complain about when it comes to city government.
“The city has listened to it’s citzens and made decisions matching with our ideas,” Deane said. “I always vote, but who I vote for will be decided on voting day.”