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By GARRETT COTE

WESTFIELD — The Amherst Regional girls cross country team’s day almost ended before it even began on Sunday afternoon.The Hurricanes were awaiting a bus to pick them up at the school and take them to Stanley Park in Westfield for the Western Mass....

By SAMUEL GELINAS

A week after warm weather led to warnings of fire danger statewide, homeowners are finally starting to turn their thermostats up as temperatures drop. But for many, the extra expense to heat their homes is a tough ask. That’s why state and local...

By JACOB NELSON

Jared Duval built his farm around Massachusetts’ innovative Healthy Incentives Program (HIP). Since 2017, HIP has helped tens of thousands of lower-income households buy fresh produce grown by local farmers. By most accounts, it’s been a wild success,...

By RICHARD MCCARTHY

Sometimes life teaches you things you never wanted to know.As I alluded to in a previous column, I broke my femur, or thigh bone, this past March 25th, when I went down on a patch of ice while bicycling. For those of you who do not know, the femur is...

By PHILIP KORMAN

 As I am poised to leave my job after 16 years as executive director of CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture), naturally, I’ve started to reflect. My takeaways so far are: Local farms are still challenged to keep farming, maybe even more...

A handful of Hampshire County communities are in line for nearly $5 million in state grants to help offset the cost of a variety of projects from development of affordable housing to neighborhood infrastructure improvements.The money is part of $3.9...

By MADDIE FABIAN

On a typical day at Forbes Library, people can be found lying on the lawn, participating in book clubs and other programs, checking out books or perhaps a ukulele, and chatting with friends and strangers.It’s not the traditional image of a library...

By JAMES PENTLAND

NORTHAMPTON — Area organizations are welcoming grant awards that will boost the supply of fresh, local food available to those in need and provide support for local farmers.“We’re really thrilled to have been selected,” said Lev BenEzra, executive...

By DAN PETERS

Imagine being at your workplace trying to perform your job duties and you hear your boss yell the following comments directed at you: “That’s terrible!” “Open up your eyes.” “You blew that one!” “Where are your glasses?!?!” Can you imagine trying to...

By GARRETT COTE

A couple weeks ago, I sat inside Smith Academy’s Sherry Webb Gymnasium in Hatfield to cover a girls basketball game between the Falcons and Duggan Academy of Springfield. As the game progressed, the displeasure from supporters only grew louder — and...

By MADDIE FABIAN

On any given weekday morning, upward of 40 people fill the Holyoke Community College gymnasium to partake in the sport that has become a favorite pastime for those looking to socialize and for people of all ages and abilities looking for a little...

By MICKEY RATHBUN

A recent headline in the New York Times caught my eye: “Mars Needs Insects.” As the article explained, if we are to create a human-friendly habitat on Mars, we will need to grow food there.Unlike the nutrient-laden soil that covers the earth, the...

By MADDIE FABIAN

Somewhere between 35 and 40 flyable model airplanes fill the basement, garage and two bedrooms in David Wartel’s Hadley home. And that doesn’t even account for the planes that are under repair.Wartel is just one of the 100 or so members of the...

By ERIC WELD

It wasn’t how I planned it. Then again, what in life, or adventure, ever goes exactly the way it was originally planned?I never planned to return to finish hiking the Appalachian Trail because my intention was to complete the entirety of it in one go...

By MARIETTA PRITCHARD

Last July, I visited our new doctor for what I thought was an annual checkup. I brought with me an annoying problem I’d been having, and he made a referral for me to see a specialist, who has taken care of the problem. After that July visit — a...

The smell of harsh antiseptic stings my nostrils — even through my mask. Every six months it’s the same routine for the physical therapy re-evaluation, which is a requirement for me to receive insurance authorization approval for the treatment of my...

By ROBIN GOLDSTEIN

With a new year of dining ahead, it’s time to boil down all of my last year’s recommendations into a cheat sheet that you can clip or print and stick on your fridge: the best of Best Bites. I’ve picked 40 amazing places to eat and drink in the area...

By JACOB NELSON

‘I’m a junkie for rutabagas,” admits Cathleen O’Keefe. “I love their tanginess and making fries with them. And winter greens. Knowing what goes into growing them in New England in the winter — they’re amazing!” O’Keefe has owned and managed the Winter...