Sunday, November 11, 2007



Well, it’s been one hell of a week in my life as an editor and reporter: late nights and early mornings. Springfield’s municipal elections served up a surprise to many: an upset by City Councilor Domenic Sarno for the mayor’ position in New England fourth largest community.

Sarno is a very likable guy who ran a populist and negative campaign…not negative about incumbent Mayor Charles Ryan’s record so much, but negative about the city’s crime rate. His mantra of “Do you feel safer today than two years ago?” obviously resonated with the voters and he was helped by our police commissioner of 19 months making the effort to jump ship for the top cop job in Milwaukee.

So the progress the city has made under Ryan may continue, but it may not as many of the people who supported Sarno are folks who have had their influence in city government clipped by the reform-minded Ryan. That’s not to say the Sarno is part of the old power elite, but I hope he resists the inevitable pressure to put some of these people back into positions of power.

Ryan and his policies and appointments literally saved this city from fiscal collapse. His administration has done much in righting the ship and doing all of the infrastructure things the previous administration chose to ignore.

He ought to have a statue in his honor. Without him this city would have gone into receivership and been completely at the mercy of some Boston-appointed politician.

It will be an interesting year coming up that is for sure.

In my other life: I had a nice chat with my editor and “Escape! How Animation Broke into the Mainstream in the 1990s” is now on amazon.com right here.

It's also here at buy.com.
and here in Italy.

I’m now looking for a spot in Boston and NYC for a signing. Any ideas about locations to approach? Is the Million Year Picnic in Boston still a great shop? I haven’t been there for years. How about NYC? I’d love to do something that could tie into ASIFA East.

My box of books is supposed to arrive this week. When I have one in my hand it will truly become real.
© 2007 by Gordon Michael Dobbs

4 comments:

Cathy Doyle said...

I don't know if you're interested in any local events, but I do programming for the Friends of the West Springfield Public Library and we could set up a talk/signing for the early spring if you're interested.

Elizabeth said...

You should try Pandemonium Books in Cambridge (http://www.pandemoniumbooks.com/)

dogboy443 said...

Here are some reviews from this past year for Million Year Picnic: http://www.yelp.com/biz/JE8715ehKeQKVlCd_tBTeg

There are also the local Barnes and Nobles in Holyoke and a beautiful one in Burlington, MA but I'm not sure if Escape is available there...let me look...nope not at Barnes and Noble...dirt bags! Well what about Waldenbooks...there it is because now their in colaberation with Amazon!!

Mk

Marty said...

orimaxMine shipped from Amazon this morning, Mike. Nice!

In Boston, the Newbury Comics at Government Center used to be pretty nice.