After Capital Video established itself in Springfield in 1990, Springfield’s City Council made its adult-use regulations more stringent (“Board backs reining in adult stores: Council vote paves way for Springfield restriction”, Union-News, 6/29/93): New businesses purveying adult entertainment such as pornographic books, videos or peep shows would need special permits under a law granted initial […]
Everywoman Center Coordinator: Porn Damages Women; Porn Addiction
From “Incident triggers debate on pornography”, Sunday Republican, 2/12/89… Stacey Roth, coordinator of an educational outreach program at Everywoman Center, a women’s advocacy group at the University of Massachusetts, said that, based on accounts of area women speaking about their experiences with domestic abuse, she agrees with recent arguments that pornography damages women.“Typically, a woman […]
Northampton Shelter Coordinators: Porn a Factor in Many Cases of Domestic Abuse
The Union-News studied porn and the porn industry in 1994. One article discussed the impact of porn on women: Tina’s boyfriend would watch the same x-rated movie repeatedly and then force her to reenact the kinky things he saw. Or he’d go to strip bars.“He used to come back from these shows and I was terrified,” […]
Not All Pornographers Deaf to Community Concerns
It’s not a given that a porn merchant will be deaf to community concerns. The Union-News reports… In Indian Orchard, there was enough interest for Adults Only to draw 1,000 members in a couple of months, but also enough angry residents to make operating a painful chore.“We’re avoiding neighborhood stores at this point,” [porn shop […]
Parking May Not Be a Trivial Issue for Proposed King Street Porn Shop
Capital Video is proposing to build a 6,222-square-foot porn shop at 135 King Street. Their current plans call for 25 parking spaces, possibly less in the winter due to snow storage.In 1994, the Union-News made this observation about Bookends, a porn shop in Enfield: “The 44 Enfield St. Bookends, with a refurbished interior and 6,000-square-foot […]
1990: Smith Students Mobilize Against Playboy
Our research turned up this episode in Smith history that many of today’s students may not be aware of… Angry Smith College students demand to be accepted for their brainpower rather than their beauty. More than 200 women gathered on the campus last night to protest Playboy magazine’s invitation to students to pose for a special issue […]
Former Stripper Tells Easthampton Hearing about the Life: It Stinks
Some of our opponents have claimed that life in the sex industry is liberating and empowering for women. That didn’t prove to be the case for Karen Harrison, who share her experience at a public hearing in Easthampton. The Union-News reports… About 200 opponents turned out in opposition to nude dancing last night at a […]
Chicopee Noted Springfield, Holyoke Problems with Adult Businesses, Passed Zoning Regulations in 1993 and 1994
In 1994, Chicopee aldermen unanimously approved regulations on adult businesses. These included keeping them at least 500 feet from schools, libraries, parks, playgrounds and recreational areas. The Union-News reported, Several aldermen on the 13-member body pointed to recurring problems and ongoing struggles in cities such as Springfield and Holyoke which do not have laws on […]
Capital Video Representative Swears at NoPornNorthampton During Public Meeting
At today’s Planning Board meeting, NoPornNorthampton had a brief exchange with Capital Video’s Anthony Nota. Public documents submitted to the Planning Board list Mr. Nota as a Capital Video “project manager”. Mr. Nota is a large, tall man. He is pictured here standing in City Council chambers beside Capital Video’s lawyer, Michael Pill. Towards the end of […]
A Response to John P. DiBartolo
Northampton’s citizens and legal community have every right to question the judgment of attorney Michael Pill in agreeing to represent the Capital Video porn store. John P. DiBartolo’s letter (Gazette, 10/26/06), responding to Andrew Sirulnik’s 10/24 guest column, argues that lawyers’ willingness to take on unpopular clients is what makes our system of justice work. […]