Re: WEIB

[Mike Thomas <nostatic@earthlink.net>]

As a UMass alum and a resident of said "valley" for three years, most
people I knew thought of the area-- which includes Northhampton, The
Hadleys, Amherst and some of the surrounding northern communities--as a
place where things are progressive and idealistic, if not necessarily
realistic. People in both the academic and non academic communities
choose to live there because it's an escape from the crude, conservative
thinking that is prevalent in this country.  Hence the term, Happy
Valley.  Of course, some people, most who don't live or have lived in
the area, use the term derogatorily toward the sizable gay and lesbian
communities in the region.

Mike Thomas
WXLO & Mediabase 24/7

Bob Nelson wrote:

> I've heard Howie Carr refer to places like Amherst/
> Northhampton as "Happy Valley"-- maybe in reference to
> going overboard on political correctness (the move to
> give non-citizens the right to vote, designation as
> "nuclear free zone", the big ruckus over "West Side
> Story", etc.)
>