The Advocate has undergone a transformation. It certainly seems as though the departure of one editorial voice has transformed that arts and entertainment weekly from the angriest and most bitter of Springfield haters into something of a positive voice, an encourager, (dare I say it?) an ADVOCATE for the city of Springfield. If, in the past, the city was chided and derided for not doing enough for the poor, for not sacrificing enough for the homeless, it seems as though now we are not only being celebrated for the disproportionate part of the regional burden which we bear, but we are also being celebrated for things unrelated to our dysfunction!
If only weeks ago a program designed to improve the city by encouraging residents to abide by crazy code requirements like not dumping trash on vacant lots and not leaving abandoned furniture on sidewalks was criticized for not solving all of the city’s problems(Though now now the cynical sub-title “Do hundreds of quality of life citations by the Springfield police add up to real change?” has been removed. Interesting.), now the same reporter is celebrating how the City of Homes cares for the homeless during a winter storm. If only months ago the non-Springfield resident author of the “On Springfield” blog could lament that someday people might choose Springfield over Northampton for a night out:
Now the editors are defending Springfield as “their city” and listing at least 5 things to love about it.
We’ll miss you Tom Vannah. jk