Gordon Murphy of 76 North Elm St. has been elected president of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, succeeding William A. Burke. He owns The Murphy’s real estate business. Theodore Blauvelt, owner of Plantation Valley Homes in Florence, is the new first vice president of the chamber.
A familiar face has joined the already crowded field of candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for the two councilor-at-large seats this fall. John J. Rockett Jr. of Leeds said today that he will run for the post. Rockett served as representative of Ward 7 on the council from 1968 to 1972. He is presently principal of the Florence Grammar School.
The portion of Elm Street that passes through the Smith College campus will undergo a major renovation over the next several weeks, as the school takes steps to make crossing the street safer for its students. Two new bike lanes will be added. Crosswalks will be raised slightly off the blacktop. And the sidewalk will be extended about 7 feet into the street at crosswalks.
Under a bill passed by the Senate Thursday, police would be required to write down the gender and race of every person cited for a traffic violation in Massachusetts. Supporters of the measure say it will help determine whether police unfairly stop drivers because they are part of a minority group — a practice known as “racial profiling.”
The Northampton Department of Public Works began removing benches and other structures from Pulaksi Park on Wednesday in preparation for a major renovation of the park. Most of the trees that were slated to be removed have already been taken down.
With successful bike-share programs in Boston and San Francisco in mind, a planning group has launched an effort to start a similar program in Hampshire and Hampden counties. “A walkable, bikeable city is a thriving city,” said Northampton resident and cycling advocate James Lowenthal.