News
Opening night at Iron Horse: All systems go, but patrons will need to bring own alcohol while license snafu is sorted out
By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL
NORTHAMPTON — The Iron Horse Music Hall begins its long-anticipated opening of concerts and shows on Wednesday, although its owners are still anxiously awaiting approval from the state on when it may serve alcoholic beverages at its venue.Despite...
Physician Pathway Act, co-sponsored by Amherst rep, may help ease physician shortage
By Jiashan Zheng
When she fled to the United States amid Haiti’s political turmoil, Dr. Marie Jacques envisioned continuing her work. However, upon claiming asylum in 2019, she encountered the harsh realities of the Massachusetts medical licensing system. “As a...
Events to mark 150th anniversary of Mill River Flood
On May 16, 1874, the sudden collapse of the Williamsburg dam on the East Branch of the Mill River let loose a flood that swept away parts of Williamsburg, Skinnerville, Haydenville and Leeds. It killed 139 people, all within an hour, and was the first...
Pathfinder budget dominates Belchertown TM discussion
By EMILEE KLEIN
BELCHERTOWN — Residents formalized the position of town manager in town bylaws, adopted a zoning bylaw for stand-alone battery storage systems and endorsed a roughly $61.6 million budget for fiscal year 2025 at Monday’s Town Meeting — though some...
Photos: Lasting tribute to volunteers
Goshen budget, up 4%, goes to vote at TM Saturday
By JAMES PENTLAND
GOSHEN — Voters will be asked to approve a budget of $3,819,596 and numerous other financial articles when they convene for Town Meeting at John James Memorial Hall on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.The budget, including $1,718,833 in school spending, reflects...
Plans for large self-storage project in Hadley inch forward
By Staff Report
HADLEY — A large self-storage project that would use about 5 of the 19 acres behind the Campus Shopping Plaza, 438-454 Russell St., continues to make its way through the town’s permitting process.James Martin, an attorney with Pullman & Comley, LLC of...
Pelham TM backs 6% school assessment, community choice aggregation program
By SCOTT MERZBACH
PELHAM — A 6% increase in the assessment for the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools and the final step in establishing Valley Green Energy, a municipal community choice aggregation program for Pelham, Amherst and Northampton residents and businesses,...
Area briefs: ‘Get to Know Lake Warner’; tag, craft fair in Granby; Valley Players to hold ‘Bard in the Bar’ gathering; Chester Granite property to open
‘Get to Know Lake Warner’ events coming to HadleyHADLEY — A series of events are happening at Lake Warner, also known as North Hadley Pond, as a way to familiarize the public with the body of water.The Get to Know Lake Warner events, which began over...
A Look Back, May 14
50 Years Ago ■The Easthampton School Committee voted Tuesday night to adopt a policy to discourage smoking among young people. The committee also voted to prohibit smoking at their own meetings.■After 146 years of separation, Northampton’s two...
School budget leads to lively debate, with a twist, at Westhampton TM
By Alexa Lewis
WESTHAMPTON — In an unusual twist for any budget year, residents at Saturday’s Town Meeting gave serious consideration to voting down the town’s portion of funding for the Hampshire Regional School District.Their argument? The town’s contribution to...
21 arrested at UMass protest last week arraigned on Monday; more to come in coming days
Staff Report
BELCHERTOWN — The first group of 130 people arrested last week following pro-Palestinian protests on the University of Massachusetts campus were arraigned Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court.Twenty-one people pleaded not guilty before District...
Jones trustees ask Amherst town manager to reject library bid
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — Trustees for the Jones Library are recommending that the lone bid for renovating and expanding the Jones Library, which is at least $6.5 million above projected costs, should be rejected.In 6-0 vote, the elected trustees advised Town Manager...
In State of the City, Holyoke mayor touts improvements, acknowledges challenges
By JAMES PENTLAND
HOLYOKE — Saluting residents and city officials alike for their efforts on behalf of the city, Mayor Joshua Garcia highlighted economic development and fiscal progress in his recent State of the City address.The city’s financial position is getting...
No surprises in uncontested Sunderland races
By CHRIS LARABEE
SUNDERLAND — With no contested races, there were no surprises in Sunderland’s annual town election on Saturday, as everyone on the ballot was elected to their positions.Of the 2,493 registered voters, 301, or roughly 12.1% of voters, cast their...
Deerfield’s Tilton Library expansion ‘takes a village’
By CHRIS LARABEE
SOUTH DEERFIELD — With tosses of dirt, dozens of residents, town officials and legislators celebrated the start of Tilton Library’s expansion Friday morning.The ceremony was more than a decade in the making and officially kicked off the project as the...
Area briefs: Taxiway project at Barnes; Northampton summer youth sports clinics; Holyoke group gets funding for suicide prevention
$32M taxiway project begins at Westfield-Barnes WESTFIELD — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Monday on a $32 million “Taxiway B South” project that featured...
Photos: Honoring moms
Modern homesteading at NHS: Inaugural class seeks to teach students how to live self-sufficiently
By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL
NORTHAMPTON — On a scenic, warm May day, Bob Melnik leads a contingent of Northampton High School students outside the school and down a flight of stairs toward a small charcoal smoker grill to check on its contents. Inside the smoker are nearly a...
Large, loud parties in Amherst lead to arrests on last weekend before UMass graduation
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — Eight college-age people are facing criminal charges for violating the town’s noise bylaw after police responded to two large and loud parties over the weekend, the last before University of Massachusetts commencement on May 18.At a Pelham...
