Arts
Sharing her skills and her sweets: Sweet Lucy’s Bakeshop a destination for great baked goods and classes for all levels
By TINKY WEISBLAT
Lucy Damkoehler of Sweet Lucy’s Bakeshop in Bernardston is very much a hometown gal. Although she claims not to know the names of all her customers, she certainly seemed to know everyone in the shop the day photographer Paul Franz and I stopped in to...
Get Growing with Mickey Rathbun: Time for a garden makeover: Seek help from professionals to see the big picture
By MICKEY RATHBUN
Late summer isn’t a pretty time in the garden, at least not in my garden. The recent mini-drought has bleached out what passes for lawn, several large hydrangeas are drooping as they beg me for water, the daylily borders are shriveled and brown....
Speaking of Nature: Abandoned by the gods: One unusually unlucky birding morning
By BILL DANIELSON
Long-time readers of mine will be familiar with my tales of the Photo Gods. These are those supernatural beings that look over me during my photographic endeavors and either smile down on me benevolently, or take issue with something that I have done...
Afro-Caribbean culture inspires Heath artist’s exhibit, ‘Heartbeats and Harmony’
By MADISON SCHOFIELD
A Heath glass artist has joined forces with a Cape Cod multimedia artist for an exhibit that highlights their shared appreciation for Afro-Caribbean culture, and music in particular.Heath resident Robert Dane has been glassblowing since 1973, when he...
You oughta see these pictures: Greenfield Garden Cinemas launches Talking Talkies series of essential 1930s films
By CHRIS LARABEE
As the Greenfield Garden Cinemas was completed in the late 1920s, Hollywood was introducing a novel idea into more and more movies: sound. In 2024, cinema co-owner Isaac Mass and local movie historian Jonathan Boschen are offering an opportunity to...
The snowy landscape of memory loss: New book from Shelburne Falls poet inspired by father’s dementia diagnosis
By MADISON SCHOFIELD
Award winning local poet Maria Williams will celebrate the publication of her new book, “White Doe,” with two readings next week. In “White Doe,” Williams cleverly uses exploring a snowy landscape as a metaphor for exploring memory loss. Williams says...
Poetry for the child in all of us: Buckland author’s new book wins first prize in children’s nonfiction at the International Book Awards
By TINKY WEISBLAT
I first met Laura Rodley of Buckland as a writing facilitator for seniors, whom she led to create a series of books titled “As You Write It.” Not surprisingly, Rodley herself is a writer and a poet.Her newest book, “Ribbons and Moths” (Kelsay Books,...
De-stressing the Pioneer Valley: A new campaign aims to teach Transcendental Meditation practices
By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN
According to a 2024 study by the American Psychological Association, nearly 50% of American adults report feeling more stressed out than ever. A national campaign, Meditate America, is looking to lower the collective blood pressure through...
Sounds Local: Bidding farewell to festival season: Many noteworthy concerts on the horizon as we head into fall
By SHERYL HUNTER
It’s never easy to bid farewell to summer, and fortunately, there are a few summer music series chugging along, providing us with a last gasp of the warm weather months before we have to resign ourselves to life in the great indoors. Let’s take a look...
Behold the winning peach pie: Justin Malone of South Deerfield won first place at Apex Orchards’ annual Peach Fest
By TINKY WEISBLAT
I recently participated in Apex Orchards’ annual Peach Fest. Owner Tim Smith couldn’t quite remember whether it was the third or fourth such occasion. I couldn’t remember either, although I go every time it happens and always enjoy visiting the...
Reflecting on 25 years of growth: Pleasant Street Community Garden in Greenfield celebrates a quarter century
By EVELINE MACDOUGALL
The Pleasant Street Community Garden in Greenfield broke ground 25 years ago when local farmer Rich Pascale volunteered to till some land at the corner of School and Pleasant Streets, making it possible for locals to create a community garden on the...
Speaking of Nature: The great southward migration
By BILL DANIELSON
One of the most remarkable things about birding in September is the number of strangers that you see. Having spent so much time observing the birds during the summer months, I have a very clear roster in my head of who the “regulars” are. Not only...
Finger-picking good: Amherst autoharp workshop hosts weekly jams for all levels
By SCOTT MERZBACH
Music from centuries-old folk songs and contemporary and classical tunes emanates through the hallway at the Bangs Community Center on a recent morning, as some of the autoharp players hold the instrument upright against their shoulders and below...
The story of Local Mojo: How one group of students is changing the UMass music scene
By PAIGE HANSON
During his sophomore year of college in November 2021, Charley Blacker wanted to start an organization that was unique and new to the University of Massachusetts Amherst community: a group dedicated to promoting local musicians through playlists,...
Giving the gift of access: Pay it Forward program helps local artists realize their projects’ full potential
By ALEXA LEWIS
Easthampton’s Old Town Hall has once again opened its doors to a diverse assortment of local artistic talent as part of CitySpace’s 2024 Pay it Forward program. As summer winds to a close, the 10 artists and groups selected to this year’s cohort are...
Shea Theater mural taking shape in Turners Falls
By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN
North Carolina-based muralist Darion Fleming has arrived to Montague to begin working his creative magic on the 3,200-square-foot exterior wall of the Shea Theater Arts Center on Avenue A.The mural’s final design and painting timeline were released on...
Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra: An ensemble like no other
By SHERYL HUNTER
When you hear the word orchestra, you immediately think of classical music. When you attend a concert by the Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra (HVGO), you are likely to hear something from a composer like Beethoven, but the group might also play an...
Valley Bounty: This farm grows friendship: Connie and Bill Gillen encourage pick-your-own at Sunset Farm in Amherst
By LISA GOODRICH
Sunset Farm in Amherst is a neighborhood farm that emphasizes the social aspects of farming in community. Owners Connie and Bill Gillen grow vegetables and flowers on 10 acres, within walking and biking distance of the University of Massachusetts...
Speaking of Nature: He’s the king of the tyrants: The eastern kingbird is an aggressive, spunky little bird with an oversized attitude
By BILL DANIELSON
About a mile to the east of my house, sitting at the side of the quiet country road upon which I live, there is a small man-made pond that is typical of the kind that one might find near a farm. There are actually several of these ponds along this...
‘Rock ’n’ roll was our religion’: In the wake of his best friend’s death, Jeffrey Foucault releases ‘Universal Fire’
By BOB FLAHERTY
The New Yorker once called Jeffrey Foucault’s music “Beat-up troubadour folk whittled to dolorous perfection.” Now try all that with electric guitars.Foucault, a Wisconsin native who now lives in Shelburne Falls, will appear with his band Friday night...
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.
