The initial 11 applicants seem more established, financially stable businesses — not the seat-of-the-pants shop owners in low-income Census tracts who were supposed to be helped by the ARPA funds.
Author Archives: Jack Spillane
Audio: Jack Spillane discusses the most important New Bedford issues on WBSM on May 1
New Bedford Light columnist Jack Spillane joined Jim Phillips on WBSM’s Townsquare Sunday show to break down the Dartmouth Indians controversy following a vote by the school committee to keep […]
New Bedford needs new courthouses, but state takes its time
The district court is just one of four aging and overburdened courthouses in New Bedford that are so outdated their facilities, or lack thereof, pose a danger to public safety, according to many who work in the buildings.
The Light on Radio: Jack Spillane discusses the Dartmouth Indians controversy, playground parking and more on WBSM
Jack Spillane appears on WBSM Radio’s Townsquare Sunday on April 24 to discuss the controversial Dartmouth High logo and nickname, parking controversy at Noah’s Place Playground on Pope’s Island, the […]
State of the City is bragging time for New Bedford mayors
Perhaps the areas where the Mayor Mitchell’s accomplishments best live up to his rhetoric is in the scope of the economic development that is taking place on the waterfront, and the upgrades to the city’s parks, streets and sidewalks.
Threatened over Indian logo vote, one Dartmouth School Committee member refused to blink
In the end, the School Committee narrowly followed the Defend Dartmouth demand to keep the logo, giving the nod by just a 3-1-1 vote with Shannon Jenkins the only member with the courage to stand up against the recall threat.
New Bedford’s new middle school curriculum sparks worries about diversity
Changes have made it more difficult, if not impossible, for some 8th grade teachers to use educational material centered around a play based on the Diary of Anne Frank and materials used in connection with Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail.
Should Dartmouth students who object be forced to wear uniforms with an Indian logo they find offensive?
The real issue for the town of Dartmouth going forward is this: You can’t force minorities in the United States of America to do things or take actions that they would rather not, as long as those actions are legal.
Wake up, New Bedford. If UMD’s traditional fine arts succumb to the practical, the city will lose.
Talk to anyone who has been involved in the renewal of downtown New Bedford over the last 20 years and they will tell you the arrival of UMass Dartmouth artists has been an integral part of the city’s revival.
New Bedford looks to boost its commercial neighborhoods with $1.5M in pandemic relief funds
Mitchell’s idea to make the Avenue more attractive is a good one. The mayor, like his predecessors before him, has stressed the importance of good planning like this in moving the city forward.

