Virginia Schulman calls our attention to the following article from The Boston Globe, which originally appeared on 1/2/09. Evidence is piling up that greenspace within a city is vital for mental health. A few excerpts: How the city hurts your brain …And what you can do about it …scientists have begun to examine how the […]
Health
Video and Slides: Public Forum on Innovative Approaches to Manage Northampton’s Solid Waste, 11/19/08
Here is a complete Google video of the Public Forum on Innovative Approaches to Manage Northampton’s Solid Waste, a special meeting of Northampton’s Board of Public Works. This meeting, also known as the Landfill Alternatives Forum, took place on November 19, 2008 in the Community Room of John F. Kennedy Middle School. Jeff Edelstein moderated. […]
Video: Department of Public Health Presents Landfill Study
NSNA sent its newest videographer, Lachlan Ziegler, to record the state’s presentation of its Northampton landfill health study on September 23. Lachlan is a student at Northampton High School. The Department of Public Health presented its study at a Board of Public Works meeting held at JFK Middle School. This Google video is 3 hours and […]
Northampton: Dr. Rutherford Platt to Speak on The Humane Metropolis, March 9
We are pleased to publicize the following announcement: The Environment Task Force of the Hampshire Interfaith Council is pleased to presentThe Humane Metropolis–People and Nature in the 21st Century CityAn illustrated talk byRutherford H. PlattSunday, March 9, at 7 p.m.Edwards Church299 Main Street at corner of Main and StateNorthampton, MADr. Platt is professor of geography […]
Detention Pools, Children and Drowning
Besides algae and mosquitoes, there is another risk to detention pools/retention ponds. They can be a drowning hazard for young children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention underscores the general risks from drowning: In 2004, of all children 1-4 years old who died, 26% died from drowning (CDC 2006). Although drowning rates have slowly […]
Letters from Residents Describe Groundwater and Sewage Issues Around North Street
A flag on a map can indicate flood damage from a storm like Floyd, but the human impact of groundwater and sewage issues is best told by current and former residents. Irene Carlberg, Noreen Beebe and Donna Cavanagh have kindly provided us with their testimony, borne of years of experience of living in the North […]
More Reasons Why Smart People Don’t Build Near Wetlands: Mosquitoes and Disease
[7/26/07 clarification: In the article below, we don’t mean to imply that dengue/malaria/yellow fever are currently in Northampton. However, they serve to illustrate that mosquitoes are associated with disease in general (such as West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis), and that excessively exposing people to mosquitoes is risky. As the New England climate has […]