News
Savoy seeks Athol Royalston School Committee seat
By GREG VINE
ATHOL – Jason Savoy, a 1999 graduate of Athol High School, is one of two people running for a one-year term on the Athol-Royalston Regional School Committee in next Monday’s annual Town Election. Savoy is seeking to fill the vacancy created by the...
Chapman seeking seat on Royalston Selectboard
By GREG VINE
ROYALSTON – Bill Chapman said it that the help he and his family received from the community following a fire at their home drove him to seek a seat on the Selectboard.Chapman, of Royalston, is one of two candidates running to replace outgoing...
North Quabbin Notes, March 27
Pancake breakfast at Congregational ChurchATHOL — A pancake breakfast will be held on Saturday, March 30, from 7-10 a.m. at Athol Congregational Church, on the Uptown Common, Athol. Pancakes, blueberry pancakes, French toast, sausage, fruit, juice and...
Shelter costs put state budget at "breaking point"
By COLIN A. YOUNG
BOSTON — As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Aaron Michlewitz sits in the catbird seat of budget and policy development on Beacon Hill.The Boston Democrat offered a glimpse Monday afternoon at the various balls he is trying to keep...
North Quabbin Notes, March 26
Author visit and reading with Tinky WeisblatATHOL — On Thursday, April 4, the Athol Public Library welcomes back the “Diva of Deliciousness.” Join Tinky Weisblat, “the Diva of Deliciousness,” as she discusses her passion for life and cooking. Weisblat...
Homeless women face raft of challenges in Mass.
By RUIHAN YANG
After years of being homeless, Amy “adapted” to living on the streets under insecurity.“I thought I wasn’t going to wake up, but I woke up, and I’m fine. The more I feel adapted to staying outside without a person that stays with me, the more I...
Firefighter override to be decided at Athol Town Election
By GREG VINE
ATHOL – In less than a week, voters will decide whether to support a $286,000 Proposition 2 ½ override to fund the hiring of three paramedic/EMT/firefighters for the town’s fire department.The override is on the ballot for the Town Election, which...
Karuna Center adds peacebuilding experts to team
By CHRIS LARABEE
With two new members on its board of directors, the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding is looking to continue its international work, while also expanding on its mission right here in the valley.In recent weeks, the international and domestic...
Wheeler Mansion in Orange to reopen as bed and breakfast
By DOMENIC POLI
ORANGE – No, this is not a joke.The Revival Wheeler Mansion’s bed-and-breakfast is slated to open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony slated for 4 p.m. on April 1.“It’s a long time coming,” said owner Cynthia “Sinde” Butler, who purchased the North Quabbin...
"Warning signs" seen around police hiring, retention
By ALISON KUZNITZ
BOSTON — Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy warned lawmakers this week that big cities and small towns face a “major issue” with recruiting new candidates for law enforcement jobs and said he’s worried about the future of public...
A Page from North Quabbin History: Wheeler Mansion’s photo retake
By Carla CharterOn April 1, Cynthia Butler, owner of Wheeler Mansion, is hoping to recreate a photo taken on the building’s front lawn on October 1925 when it reopened as the Eastern Star Rest Home. Butler hopes the new photo will serve as a marker of...
Info sessions to share scope of $15.6M housing proposal in Erving
By LIESEL NYGARD
ERVING — Ahead of this year’s Annual Town Meeting, two information sessions will be held to share details on an estimated $15.6 million housing proposal from Rural Development Inc. (RDI). The presentations will be held at the Senior & Community Center...
Film illuminates power of shared experiences to uplift incarcerated women
By EMILEE KLEIN
HOLYOKE — Sonia Mendez never imagined how writing could give her a second chance.She attended her first creative writing workshop while incarcerated, and spent most of the class clowning around, joking with the class facilitator and poking fun at the...
No word from Wendell Town Counsel on battery facility bylaw
By DOMENIC POLI
WENDELL – The Selectboard is waiting to hear from Town Counsel before taking a stance on a potential bylaw submitted by a citizens group formed last year in opposition to a 105-megawatt battery storage facility proposed for the center of...
PHOTO: Peaceful park
Athol Royalston School Committee votes to explore new high school
By GREG VINE
ATHOL – The Athol Royalston Regional School Committee voted Wednesday night to inform the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) that it wants to explore the feasibility of a new high school.The Statement of Interest has to be in the MSBA’s...
North Quabbin Notes, March 22
Forum onlarge batterystorage andsolar fieldsATHOL — A forum on large stand-alone battery storage systems and solar fields will be held on Wednesday, March 27, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Millers River Environmental Center in Athol (100 Main St.). A panel...
Judge speaks on prevalent crimes, rehabilitative programs for former inmates
By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI
ERVING — With 15 years of experience on the bench at Orange District Court, Judge Laurie MacLeod shared some of the significant problems facing Franklin County and the promising programs that aim to remedy them.MacLeod met with Franklin County...
Former Pete & Henry’s site in Royalston to become new park
By GREG VINE
ROYALSTON – The Selectboard Tuesday night put their signatures to a conservation restriction governing the parcel in the South Village that was once the site of Pete & Henry’s restaurant.The agreement with Mt. Grace Land Conservation Trust gives the...
Sportsman’s Corner: “A bunch of wing nuts”
By Mike Roche“Must be a bunch of wing nuts!” was my wife’s comment about the people that this writer was flying to Alabama last week to join at the 2024 American Woodcock Wingbee.She thought that my flying down there was a little wacky, but she does...