Arts & Life
Sounds Local: Community Chorus celebrates with holiday concert on Sunday: Plus, She Said transforms into Psychedelic Farmgirls
By SHERYL HUNTER
The Franklin County Community Chorus will raise its voices together in song and welcome in the holiday season when it holds its annual winter concert on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 3 p.m. at the Greenfield High School. The chorus will deliver a program of...
Speaking of Nature: Spotting the bird with the ‘X-factor’: The absolute worst time to be without a camera
By BILL DANIELSON
It was the morning of Thanksgiving Day and I was up early. Guests were still asleep and I was done with the morning chores. A pot of fresh coffee had been brewed, a fire was crackling happily in the wood stove (front doors open so the fire was...
Relief from the over-the-hill blues: Recipes for a party and some special Brazilian cheese puffs
By TINKY WEISBLAT
Sometimes the introductory essays I write for this column seem at first to have nothing to do with food. I promise that if you read patiently, you’ll get a recipe at the end of this one.A couple of months ago, as I was giving a talk to a library about...
A celebration of history-making women: The Rockwell Museum exhibits over 200 of Anita Kunz’s portraits in ‘Original Sisters’
By DON STEWART
She’s the first woman, and the first Canadian, to present a solo exhibit of her work at the Library of Congress, and two of her paintings can be found at Washington’s National Portrait Gallery. You’d recognize Anita Kunz’s often satirical works from...
Up to 50 critters at a time: Amelie Dricut-Ziter runs the Leyden Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation
By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN
When an opossum isn’t just “playing possum,” Amelie Dricut-Ziter, who runs the Leyden Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation, is there to help. At her home in Leyden, Dricut-Ziter has created space for injured or sick wildlife. Some are animals that...
Valley Bounty: ‘If you need something, come on over’: Hillside Farm’s offering is just about as fresh as you can get
By JACOB NELSON
In South Deerfield, the North Main Street bridge over the railroad tracks has been closed for repairs since May. “I was joking that we’re probably the only ones on this street happy about the detour,” laughs Kelly Kicza.That’s because cars have been...
Drum roll, please: Longtime UMass percussion instructor Thom Hannum inducted into Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame
By CAROLYN BROWN
Thousands of University of Massachusetts Amherst students have learned from percussion instructor Thom Hannum, whose 40-year career at the college included a tenure as the assistant director, then associate director, of the Minuteman Marching Band...
Sounds Local: A celebration for those who hate the holidays: Plus, concert tickets make great gifts
By SHERYL HUNTER
Enjoy your Thanksgiving feasting with family and friends because the holiday season officially kicks off tomorrow. For many people this is their favorite time of year, and if you count yourself in that category you will have plenty to enjoy in the...
Speaking of Nature: A feast for the little guys: Planning a menu for the birds in your life
By BILL DANIELSON
Thanksgiving is here and I couldn’t be happier. 2024 has been an “interesting” year and I, for one, just need a break. Even the hustle and bustle of the holiday (the shopping, cooking, traveling, or hosting) can be a delightful distraction from the...
Reflecting on two important Thanksgivings: Gratitude and a good meal are most needed in times of stress
By TINKY WEISBLAT
Frankly, I hoped for a different outcome to our recent presidential election. I woke up on Nov. 6 feeling disappointed, sleepy, and grumpy.To make life more challenging, I needed to prepare a talk to give to the Ashfield Council on Aging the next day...
‘An oasis in the midst of a shopping center’: Resonance Hot Yoga and Massage offers serenity and relaxation for all
By SCOTT MERZBACH
Outside a new yoga studio, massage therapy center and meditation space is a busy parking lot, with people bustling into neighboring stores and restaurants to buy groceries, pick up prescriptions or get a meal.Within the confines of Resonance Hot Yoga...
50 years of ‘Free to Be’: New exhibition at Eric Carle Museum celebrates thinking beyond gender stereotypes
By CAROLYN BROWN
The album “Free to Be… You and Me,” released by Marlo Thomas in 1972, inspired a generation to think beyond gender stereotypes. Now, the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst is celebrating the “Free to Be...” project’s lasting legacy and impact in a new...
‘I think it’s really magical’: Moonlight Magic transforms downtown Shelburne Falls on Nov. 29
By MADISON SCHOFIELD
Moonlight Magic is back for its 39th year of celebrating light and community. The annual festival will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 29 in downtown Shelburne Falls. The village will be transformed into a winter wonderland where visitors can view...
Raise a glass to flavor and artistry: Meet the cidermaking Copelands of Northfield
By EVELINE MACDOUGALL
Northfield resident Bill Copeland’s gentle manner and southern-accented speech belie a spirit filled with passionate regard for our planet and the beings who inhabit it. Many local families are grateful for the tender care the retired pediatrician...
Faith Matters: Has our faith been swallowed up in our politics?: If we don’t love our enemies, we become what we deplore in them
By THE REV. ALLEN M. COMSTOCK
Because faith matters, we need to ask ourselves whether, in this time of political stress, our faith has gotten swallowed up in our politics. If so, we need to rescue our faith from our politics so that maybe our faith might come to the rescue of our...
Sounds Local: The Secret Chord plays Hawks & Reed this weekend: Green River Fest announces 2025 headliners
By SHERYL HUNTER
Many years ago, Gordon Kramer of Leverett, a singer, guitarist, and leader of the Leonard Cohen tribute band, The Secret Chord, first heard the music of the Canadian singer-songwriter. “I first saw Leonard perform when I was a teenager, early in both...
Speaking of Nature: A featherweight sparring match: The blue jay and sharp-shinned hawk are evenly matched in speed and maneuverability
By BILL DANIELSON
It was Veteran’s Day and I was sitting at my kitchen window. I had a delicious mug of freshly brewed coffee, a comfortable seat to sit in and freshly washed windows to look through. The feeders had been stocked and I was all ready for a session of...
‘Taste as you go’: An autumn bisque that you can make your own
By TINKY WEISBLAT
A few years ago I wrote in this column about my friend Pam Gerry of Charlemont. It was January, National Soup Month, and she made her Sausage, Kale, and Cabbage Soup. I always associate Pam with soup, although she can make many other delicious...
Get Growing: UMass calendar brings another reckoning
By MICKEY RATHBUN
The 2025 UMass Garden Calendar comes out every fall, just as we are putting our gardens to bed for the winter. As always, the calendar is a must-have for gardeners. It gives daily tips on indoor and outdoor gardening and other related subjects,...
Trinity Church pastor brings ‘ecumenical spirit’ to ministry in Shelburne Falls
By VIRGINIA RAY
Benjiman Durfee, the newest pastor at Trinity Church in Shelburne Falls, “tried to ignore the call” to ministry for years, but his college job as director of music ministry at the First United Methodist Church in Westfield changed that.A native of...
Your Daily Puzzles
An approachable redesign to a classic. Explore our "hints."
A quick daily flip. Finally, someone cracked the code on digital jigsaw puzzles.
Chess but with chaos: Every day is a unique, wacky board.
Word search but as a strategy game. Clearing the board feels really good.
Align the letters in just the right way to spell a word. And then more words.
