SACRED

Naomi Graychase on Bread and Roses

2007-01-11T17:29:00.000-05:00

To see a very short video clip of my appearance on the Bread and Roses radio program, hosted by Joel Saxe, click below. We spoke in part about the Smith building project issue.

http://www.jumpcut.com/view?id=4DA40C406BA111DBB6133EF340157CF2&type=movie

Smith's Land Hunger

2006-11-17T20:42:00.000-05:00

This story appeared in the Daily Hampshire Gazette's Weekend edition, November 11-12, 2006. It was written by Rachel Hanley. I wasn't able to post all of the jpegs for some reason, but I'll keep working on it. (I'm posting it this way because the Gazette won't let nonsubscribers view content on their Web site, so I can't just give you the link.)

Smith's Land Hunger continued

2006-11-17T20:58:00.000-05:00

Contact the Northampton City Council

2006-09-15T15:15:00.000-04:00

It's tough to find the contact information for Northampton's City Councilors, but here it is:

http://www.northamptonma.gov/gsuniverse/httpRoot/council/

Support Beardsley's Bold Stance: Vote No Today

2006-09-15T13:24:00.000-04:00

WHMP and Bill Dwight are lambasting Mike Bardsley for his stand in opposition to the EU. There is a nonscientific online poll at their website. Also available are the podcasts of Dwight's shows. Ish LaBarge, Ward 7 Councilor, is calling for Mike's resignation as council president. This from a man who didn't attend a public hearing or public meeting.

Here is the link for anyone who wishes to visit WHMP's website and take their poll on the removal Mike from his council presidency. Read the question carefully, the correct answer is, "no."

http://www.whmp.com/index.php

Ken Mitchell and I will be on Dwight's show Friday, September 22, from 9:20-10 AM. 1400 AM on your radio dial.

Daryl G. LaFleur

586-8555

Living

2006-09-11T23:35:00.000-04:00

DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE, Sept. 4, 2006

Living spaces climb in campus importance.
To meet student demands for a different type of on-campus living, Smith incorporated some suites into the more than century-old Baldwin House this summer and constructed a residential hall off Prospect St that can accommodate children for Ada Comstock Scholars with families. "This is just one way the college is meeting the needs of families and students," said Smith spokeswoman Kristen Cole.

City deal with Smith up for a vote

2006-09-11T23:31:00.000-04:00

DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE, Sept. 5, 2006
City deal with Smith up for a vote

The Northampton City Council will vote Thursday on an educational
overlay district for Smith that would treat the college campus as a single zone, and is part of a development agreement between the city and college described by Mayor Clare Higgins as "fair and good for the city."

See also: Smith College seeks zone change for expansion

[Text of article not available.]

Living spaces climb in campus importance

2006-09-11T23:27:00.000-04:00

DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE, Sept. 4, 2006

To meet student demands for a different type of on-campus living, Smith incorporated some suites into the more than century-old Baldwin House this summer and constructed a residential hall off Prospect St that can accommodate children for Ada Comstock Scholars with families. "This is just one way the college is meeting the needs of families and students," said Smith spokeswoman Kristen Cole.

The Gazette does not provide free access to online stories.

Council vote to decide fate of Smith zoning

2006-09-11T23:25:00.000-04:00

DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE, Sept. 6, 2006
Council vote to decide fate of Smith zoning
The Northampton City Council will vote Thursday on an educational overlay district for Smith that would treat the college campus as a single zone, and is part of a development agreement between the city and college.

[The Gazette does not allow free access to content.]

Hold the Alumnae Fund Accountable

2006-09-11T23:03:00.000-04:00

This letter (below) from the Alumnae Fund will be sent out to Smith College alumnae this fall, and will be followed up with a phone call. If you are an alumna, I urge you to read the letter, and--whether you give or not--respond in writing, or take the time to speak with the student assigned to call you.

Let them know that President Christ's administration is behaving terribly. That the "dialogue" about which this letter speaks was a farse. That the Educational Use Overlay, the destruction of Green Street, the erection of 80-foot tall buildings, the end of in-house dining, and the rest of this administratino's corporate-styled, financially-driven plans of attacking the very heart of Smith must cease--immediately.

If you do not feel you have enough information to take a stand, then do what this letter encourages you to do: ask questions. Demand answers. Think critically. Look to the future and to the past. Consider what your Smith experience, consider what constitutes academic excellence, consider what is right. Speak up.

Is it possible to eradicate a neighborhood and still say that "Smith women know how to negotiate?" Is it possible to found a Smith education upon basic values, including the ability to "conduct collaborative research," while also refusing to engage in any collaborative process with the residents of the town in which Smith College thrives?

There are so many contradictions that need pursuing. Take the time to hold the Alumnae Fund accountable before you write your check.

The Fall Appeal Letter:

>>For the past 18 months, the entire Smith community has engaged in a dialogue to define educational excellence for women who live in an increasingly global society. Faculty reviewed ways to retain the best of our liberal arts tradition while recognizing the roles women should play in the sciences, engineering, and computer science. You shared thoughts about your Smith experience and the college’s lasting impact on your life and work. Time after time, your comments echoed the faculty’s findings. Our conversations helped develop several strategic directions that Smith will pursue in the next decade.

We believe that Smith women should be able to present their ideas to others in a compelling manner, know how to negotiate, and function well in a variety of different settings. They must be scientifically literate and have good quantitative skills. Regardless of their major, all Smith students should have the experience of conducting collaborative research with faculty and fellow students and the ability to apply their understanding of this process to any learning situation. We expect students to have a sense of responsibility to society and to engage with its challenges, be aware of pressing global issues, such as environmental sustainability, and learn first-hand about the world’s many cultures.

Each of us is living proof that students will have multiple roles and careers, often quite different from what they thought life would hold. We believe Smith has a responsibility to help students and alumnae think systematically about how to structure their lives and how to inform and support one another as they move through stages of personal and professional growth.

Our commitment to Smith affirms that we value our education, and our support allows the college to offer opportunities to many women of promise. We recognize that each generation must be willing to share the benefits of their education with those who come after them. The annual support we provide permeates every aspect of campus life and is essential to the vibrant college experience every student finds when she comes to Smith.

Consider the value of your Smith education and all the experiences you hope the college will offer to future generations. With these expectations for excellence in mind, please support the Alumnae Fund with a gift of . Your generosity will have both an immediate impact and infinite value for Smith women of the future.

Sincerely,

Debra Thal

Chair of the Alumnae Fund Committee>>

An alumna who cares about affordable housing

2006-09-11T22:56:00.000-04:00

THE TUCSON CITIZEN, AZ, Sept. 7, 2006
Life's work is comforting those in need
Smith alumna Nancy Bissell '61, who was recently honored by the Arizona Department of Housing at its annual Housing Heroes Awards, said it was a "moral choice" to get involved with Tuscon's low-income neighborhoods.

Council OKs overlay district

2006-09-11T22:53:00.000-04:00

THE REPUBLICAN, Sept. 8, 2006
Council OKs Smith overlay district
At its recent meeting, the Northampton City Council approved an educational overlay district for the Smith campus.

Mayor's deal with Smith isn't good for Northampton

2006-09-11T22:49:00.000-04:00

DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE, Sept. 7, 2006
Mayor's deal with Smith isn't good for Northampton
In a letter to the editor, an Easthampton resident argues that a recent article by reporter Dan Crowley, "If zoning accord fails, Smith has little to lose," belonged on the editorial page.

[No free access to text.]

Smith plan opposition continues

2006-09-11T22:45:00.000-04:00

Smith plan opposition continues

Saturday, September 09, 2006

By FRED CONTRADA

fcontrada@repub.com

NORTHAMPTON - Opponents of the Educational Overlay District approved by the City Council on Thursday are regrouping after their failed attempt to stop the ordinance, which exempts the college from certain zoning requirements.

In the Hands of City Council

2006-07-05T17:46:00.000-04:00

DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE, June 15, 2006

Planning Board and Ordinance Committee OK zoning changes. Controversial measure now heads to council Two city boards have endorsed a measure that would establish a single"educational overlay zone" for the Smith campus.

[Unfortunately, the Daily Hampshire Gazette requires users to pay for content. If you are not a subscriber, you will not be able to view this link.]

Mural Contest Sponsored by Green Street Cafe

2006-06-19T15:00:00.000-04:00

Green Street Café announces a call for proposals by artists interested in creating a two-dimensional wall mural to be located inside the GreenStreet Café on Green Street in Northampton, MA.

GOAL – The goal of this project is to highlight the decision of SmithCollege and the City of Northampton to discontinue Green Street in favor of the development and construction of an engineering complex.

SITE DESCRIPTION – The wall chosen for the project is located inside the Green Street Café and is 28’ L x 8.5’ H in size. There is overhead lighting and large street-side windows that flood the space with light. The wall surface is painted plaster.

SELECTION PROCESS –– A panel of three judges, Michael Kusek, Bob Antil, and Steve Calcagnino will review submissions and select the winning proposal. The winner will be announced on July 5th.

SELECTION CRITERIA – All proposals will be judged on the following: 1)artistic merit 2) suitability of the proposal in relation to the project goals and the artist’s ability to carry out the proposal within budget and on schedule.

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY – Artists from all walks of life are invited to submit proposals. Excluded from participation are staff members at Green StreetCafé, members of the mural project, and their families.

APPLICATION PROCESS – All applications must include: A.) A one-page written explanation of the concept. B.) Sketches or other visuals that convey the proposed mural idea. If submitting a CD or other digital media, all should be Apple compatible. C.) Up to ten 35mm slides in a plastic sheet or 8.5” x11” portfolio sheets. Slides/portfolio should be labeled with the artistsname. D.) A resume/CV that lists any previous public art experience orcommissions. E.) All artists are strongly urged to visit the Green Street Café and pick up additional information and background materials. Hours ofoperation are M-F 10AM to 10PM; please call to make an appointment at 413.586.1650. F.) For materials to be returned, all artists should include astamped, self-addressed envelope

BUDGET – A budget of $350.00 covers the costs of all materials with $1,000cash for the artist, plus an additional award of a $1,000 food credit at the Café

DEADLINES AND IMPORTANT DATES

Submission deadline: June 30th

Proposal Review & Artist Notification: July 7th

Project Start July 10th to be completed by October 1

Unveiling: October 13th during Northampton Arts Night Out

Learn More About the State Hospital Property

2006-06-19T14:56:00.000-04:00

Local author and activist, Mike Kirby, has published a book detailing the history of the State Hospital and chronicling the efforts at redevelopment.

The State Hospital Property stands adjacent to Smith. It abuts the stables and riding area and the athletic facilities. The college refuses to consider building new academic buildings there. The college also refuses to consider re-locating administrative or technical offices to that location, so as to free up on-campus space for academics, which would prevent the destruction of the Green Street neighborhood, but achieve the college's stated goal of having a contiguous academic campus.

Popular Green Street Business Closes

2006-06-19T14:44:00.000-04:00

DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE, June 17, 2006

"Chocolate doesn't move, so shop does"

"After two years of business at 40 Green Street, L.A. Burdick Chocolates closed. There was no shortage of business at the café, said owner Larry Burdick, but many patrons were locals, like Smith students, who did not buyenough high-end chocolate for the store to turn a profit."

If the college's current plans come to fruition, Green Street will eventually become a part of the campus and will no longer be a public street. The site of Burdick's shop will be the site of Building's B&C, the 300,000 square foot, multi-story science complex behemoths the college plans to erect over the course of the next decade. Beginning next spring, an intolerable level of noise, construction traffic, and debris will invade the neighborhood. Many locals have speculated that this--not the high-end chocolate sales--were the motivation for Burdick's move.

Downstreet.net

2006-06-19T12:23:00.000-04:00

For more local news and educated opinions regarding the Smith College expansion plans, visit Downstreet.net. The site was created and is edited and maintained by Ed Shanahan, the former editor of the Daily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton's daily newspaper.)

It's not too late.

2006-06-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

Due to some logistical issues involving a page of signatures held up in Texas, SACRED has not yet submitted its petition to the Board of Trustees. If you would like to add your name, simply print, sign, and return it to PO Box 787, Northampton, MA 01061. Or send an e-mail to graychase@gmail.com saying you'd like your name to be added. We hope to submit by July 15th.

Rebecca Loveland '88

2006-05-16T23:35:00.000-04:00

[in support of Helen Haddad's ('63) letter to the Smith College Planning Committee]

May 15, 2006

Dear Helen,

I agree with your points entirely, and I especially liked your critique of Smith's style of development in general. Its approach is wrong in a number of areas, not just in the expansion for academic buildings.

For example, I was horrified at the (lack of) public process and the result of Smith's building of the parking garage on West Street. This not only displaced people and naturally occurring affordable housing, but also paved an historic garden and put a monstrous modern eyesore at
the edge of an historic site (the H.H. Richardson-designed ForbesLibrary).

I have been similarly disgusted, over the past fifteen years, at the way Smith has destroyed its inherited national treasure - a core landscape and built environment designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The area centered around the new student center is just the most blatantly ruined area - from intimate density to post-modern flat - but sadly, not the only one. This squandering of Smith's resources is but the visible cue of a development policy gone wrong. The hidden story is even more difficult for me to handle. I have watched for fifteen years as my alma mater engages in strategic, privileged dealmaking to buy affordable housing at its edge. In the process it outcompetes middle and lower-class homebuyers, potential taxpayers, in the surrounding neighborhoods. I cut my Smith alumnae giving in the late 1990's due to this behavior. Keep in mind that I, being a proud alumna at graduation, had scrimped and saved to pay for a lifetime alumna membership. Now - as Smith uses arrogance and unlimited power to bulldoze this 'property' - these neighborhoods - down, I have evolved into an angry and disgusted antagonist to the college and all it currently stands for. I'd rather support my public university, with its fine engineering program for women and men, and forego support for this style of women's college development. I have become a bitter daughter.

Thank you for your efforts.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Loveland
Masters of Regional Planning, 1998, Department of Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture, University of Massachusetts
Smith College Class of 1988
Northampton, MA

Paradise City Forum Statement

2006-05-19T12:14:00.000-04:00

Naomi Graychase is Alumnae President of the Smith College Class of 1994 and SACRED co-founder. She has been a Northampton resident for most of the last sixteen years. As a representative of SACRED, she sat on a panel at the Paradise City Forum, “Sustaining Community at the Campus Edge: Exploring Creative Long-term Planning Solutions For The Growth of Northampton Non-Profits” on April 24th, 2006 in Northampton, MA. Below is the statement she read. It was met with enthusiastic applause.

Good evening. Thank you all for coming; thanks to Paradise City Forum for making this night possible, and for allowing me the opportunity to participate.

I am here tonight as a representative of SACRED, the Student Alumnae Coalition for Responsible Expansion and Development. We are a group of students and alumnae who are concerned about the approach our college is taking to its expansion. We are not sanctioned by the college or the Alumnae Association, and we cannot speak for all students and alumnae.

The members of SACRED believe that what the college is currently endeavoring to build, and the ways in which it has conducted its planning process, represent a serious departure from the stated mission of the college, and that the choices being made by the Christ administration go against the intention of the college’s founder, and against the wishes of a majority of students and alumnae. We are dismayed by the ways in which the college has neglected to inform students and alumnae about its true plans for long-term development in the Green Street Area. And we are disturbed by the way the members of the neighborhood have been left out of the process.

Many of our concerns are best addressed to the college itself. But in this public forum, we want to make it known that there is a determined and ever-growing movement among alumnae and students who want to see our college do a better, more socially and environmentally responsible job of planning and expanding.

Our topic of discussion this evening is “sustaining community on the campus edge.”

We believe that in order for community to be sustained at the campus edge, the college must first acknowledge two things. First, that sustaining community is worthwhile; and second, that its campus does, in fact, have an edge. An edge that should not continue to encroach without limit into the surrounding residential areas.

As the college and the city move forward with plans to cope with Smith’s expansion, we would like to ask the college to do the following things:

1) Stop comparing this small, cozy, urban campus to larger, more rural campuses when crafting plans. For example, when justifying the current plans for 400,000 square feet of new science buildings, President Christ and other college representatives have repeatedly compared the Smith campus to the campuses of other “peer institutions,” most frequently Amherst and Mount Holyoke, each of which boast campuses with roughly a thousand more acres than Smith. We believe this is an inappropriate comparison, and that it does not ethically further the process of decision-making regarding land-use.

2) Stop abusing its privilege. Because the college has so many resources at its disposal, we believe that it bears a correspondingly large responsibility to its hometown and neighbors who do not have a billion dollars in resources or the protection of legislation like the Dover Amendment.

3) Genuinely engage the community and actually listen to their input. The college waited too long to invite community members to the table. And the situation was exacerbated when the input provided by residents at the ad hoc working group and the Goody/Clancy charette was effectively ignored.

4) Do a better job of using its existing resources before planning any future expansions.

5) And last, but not least, make a pledge to always consider the town of Northampton its equal when making decisions that affect the future of both the college and its hometown. As Smith alumna Madeleine L’Engle taught us, “like” and “equal” are not the same. While the needs of the town and the college may not always be alike, they should always be considered equal.

Thank you.

Letter to the Planning Committee

2006-05-16T23:36:00.000-04:00

May 15, 2006

An Open Letter to Ruth Constantine, Chair of the Campus Planning Committee
For distribution to all members of the committee

In August, 2005 the President of Smith College, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, and the Mayor of Northampton signed a Development Agreement (copy enclosed). Since that time three public meetings of the City of Northampton’s Planning Board and the City Council’s Ordinance Committee and one public forum have taken place. All gatherings were attended by many neighborhood residents who are opposed to the Agreement. The issues raised by the Development Agreement are all about planning; however, the College’s Campus Planning Committee has not been heard from.

The current divide between town and gown clearly requires further cooperation and negotiation between the parties in order to avoid a deeper split. Creative planning that will preserve the campus as a beautiful gem surrounded by vibrant city neighborhoods is essential. We would like to hear the views and proposed solutions expressed by members of the committee responsible for planning.

There has been a singular lack of transparency concerning the entire educational overlay proposal. At the April 24th forum, Ruth Constantine indicated that at least three additional buildings, each comparable in size (140,000 sq ft) to building A (the proposed Science and Engineering building to be located on Green Street), would be constructed in the same area over the next 20 to 30 years. Why these buildings would be necessary was not explained. Yet Carol Christ’s letter of March 7th, addressed to Members of the City Council and Planning Board, states that the College is “not growing.” If the College is not planning to expand its student body or to demolish more college owned rental housing or other buildings at the edges of the campus, then why does it need this overlay?

Despite the public meetings and the Paradise City Forum, the Development Agreement remains a package wrapped in opacity and tied up in knots. In addition to the zoning issues of setback (a mere 30 feet from the edge of the overlay area) and building height (ranging from 45 to 85 feet, the latter an eight story building, immensely out of scale by Northampton standards), the Agreement also raises the question of parking and parking lots, see item number 7 of the Development Agreement.

On the subject of parking lots, clearly a planning issue involving this committee, there is considerable current confusion. William Letendre, Parking Supervisor for the City, has said, on the radio and in a following conversation on May 9, 2006, that he was told at a meeting a few months ago, held in City Hall with Bill Brandt, Director of Campus Operations, and Gary Hartwell, Project Manager Physical Plant, that a 90 car parking lot will be built this summer between Mandelle Road and Dryads Green and that the College plans to add at least 250 parking places in all. However, Kristen Cole, Media Relations Director at Smith, said in a telephone conversation, also on May 9, that the College has no plans to build any lots this summer and that a consulting firm is now examining the parking question. Asked if there would be public meetings with local residents, she said that no time lines for such meetings have yet been set. In her remarks at the Forum, Ruth Constantine said that the College does “expect to put parking in that [the quad] area.”

What is the connection between the new building on Green Street and parking on the back side of the Quadrangles? How many more cars will this new building bring to the campus? As is obvious from past experience on campus and in the City, the more parking is provided, the more cars materialize to fill the lots – consider how many parking spaces have been added over the last 20 years. Parking is a supply that generates its own demand. Buildings remove green space and apparently necessitate parking lots; large trees are cut down and further green space is covered with blacktop. But is it in the best interest of the College for this to happen? Is it in fact necessary?

What about the opinions of neighborhood residents who live on all edges of the campus where parking lots would most likely be constructed? Are there thoughts of using the Capen Gardens for parking instead of planting? We assume and hope that there are no plans to pave the Burton lawn, the green area in front of the Neilson Library or other islands of green on the central campus.

Surely creative solutions to the basic problem of too many student cars around the campus can be found. Smith is an educational institution and the ramifications of dependence on cars, beyond the increase in the price of gas, should be part of each student’s education. Students should be made aware of the fact that they live in the midst of a unique botanic garden. They should also be reminded not to drive recklessly, endangering children and others on neighboring city streets, and not to park on lawns or leave trash. Students should be effectively discouraged from bringing cars to Smith, perhaps by financial disincentives and/or incentives. Staff could be encouraged to carpool, and perhaps be compensated for doing so. More van service and College rental cars, or “Zip”cars like those in use at Wellesley, could be offered. Ask the students! Ask alumnae. Ask neighborhood residents. Ask yourselves. We all know that people, including students, don’t like to live in the shadow of tall buildings and they don’t like to live next to parking lots with their traffic, noise, all-night lighting, runoff problems, heat absorbing asphalt, and general ugliness.

If there are plans for more buildings comparable to building A, would each of them require an additional 250 or so parking places? Where would these parking garages or lots be located? If indeed the College plans such expansion – plans ‘to grow’ in this way – then perhaps it is not too late to consider buying land on Hospital Hill, a very short and scenic walk from the central campus, no further than the quad.

We look forward to your prompt response and to working in any way we can to ensure that good relations will exist between the College and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Helen R. Haddad ’63
65 Kensington Avenue
Northampton, MA 01060
hrhaddad@juno.com

The following individuals, most living on the western edge of the campus, have asked to have their names added to this letter. Many more could be added.

Pau Atela
Jane Bowne
E. Michael Brandt
Mary B. Brandt
Ben Braude
Jay Breines
Susan Breines
Carolyn Dashef
Jerry Dennerline
Michael di Pasquale
Lois Dubin
Barbara Fink
Lawrence Fink
Jenny Flemming
Naomi Graychase ‘94
Robert M. Haddad
Janice Irvine
Peter B. Ives
Jennifer Jacobson
Daryl G. LaFleur
Diana Larkin
Rebecca Loveland ’88
Sherry Marker ’63
Deborah Marks
Suleiman Mourad
Catherine Newbury
Emily Powers
Melvin Prouser
Lynn Posner Rice
Richard Rice
Joel Russell
Neal Salisbury
Margaret Sarkissian
Peter Whittredge
Robert Wilson

cc: Carol T. Christ, President of Smith College; Mary Patterson McPherson, as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Smith College; Laurie Fenlason, Exec. Director College Relations/Public Affairs; Mary Clare Higgins, Mayor of Northampton; Michael Bardsley, as Chair of the Northampton City Council; City Planning Committee; William Letendre, Parking Division

First Action a Success

2006-05-05T16:06:00.000-04:00

During the last week of April, SACRED's field team collected nearly 100 signatures in just four hours of tabling on campus.

Many students expressed concern about the ways in which the administration has gone about its planning process, and dismay over the plans themselves.

Emily R. ('09), who plans to major in biology or biochemistry, was especially flabbergasted by the college's unwillingness to better utilize its existing resources. She also lamented the lack of information being distributed to science students, as well as the lack of information being gathered from science students. She offered six solid suggestions that she feels are more practical and more responsible than the administration's current plans. We hope that the administration will tap into the brilliant pool of ideas Smith students have to offer.

Julie G. ('07) was shocked to discover the college's plans to obliterate Green Street. "I love Green Street," she said. "It's so beautiful! And Green Street Cafe? It's Smith's restaurant. I understand our need for new buildings, but we have to stay true to what makes us special--this is akin to knocking down Northampton's downtown and building a Wal*Mart."

SACRED will continue to gather signatures from students and alumnae through the month of May.