News
Two-part Town Meeting in Granby begins Monday night
By EMILEE KLEIN
GRANBY — Town Meeting members will consider capital purchases, money transfers to stabilization accounts and a handful of operational budgets for ambulances and sewer, for a total of $5,019,193, at the first of a two-part annual Town Meeting on...
Four-way race shapes up for Granby Select Board
By EMILEE KLEIN
GRANBY — Candidates in the coming town election — including the seven candidates in contested races for Select Board and Housing Authority — recently outlined their views at a candidate night forum in hopes of swaying residents to vote for them when...
Belchertown voters to consider $61.6M budget at Monday’s annual Town Meeting that lays off 14 school staff
By EMILEE KLEIN
BELCHERTOWN — Town Meeting voters will consider codifying the new town manger position, authorizing two public roads, adding bylaws for battery storage system installations and approving a contested school budget that will cut 14 people, including 10...
Beacon Hill Roll Call, April 29-May 3
By Bob Katzen
THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local senators’ and representatives’ votes on roll calls from recent sessions during the week of April 22-26. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. TAX CREDITS FOR CONSERVATION...
South County Senior Center opts not to renew church lease after rift over LGBTQ program
By CHRIS LARABEE
SOUTH DEERFIELD — The Senior Center Board of Oversight has opted to not renew the center’s lease to use the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church’s function hall after a disagreement over the Rainbow Elders program.With the current lease expiring May 31,...
Photo: Music from the bridge
Photo: Field of dreams
A lot of imagination: Hopkins seniors bring art to parking lot spots
By SCOTT MERZBACH
HADLEY — A Jeep that is her pride and joy, after her older sister gave her the vehicle, is at the heart of Hopkins Academy senior Jayce Lanzafame’s painting.A few feet away, also using pavement as the canvas, classmate Alma Gorman wields several paint...
Around Amherst: Bockelman joins in launch of governor’s housing push
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — A statewide launch of a housing agenda by Gov. Maura Healey that began in Lynn this week included participation by Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman and Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, who leads the Massachusetts Mayors...
A Look Back, May 10
50 Years Ago■Modular homes, once touted to be the housing wave of the future, have not proved very popular in the Northampton area. Friday, Fontaine Modular Structures Inc., in Northampton, suspended operations due to lack of business. ■Navy S.CPO...
South Hadley Town Meeting OK’s budget that lays off 24 school staff; nuisance bylaw tabled
By EMILEE KLEIN
SOUTH HADLEY — Town Meeting voters signed off Wednesday on a $56.4 million budget for fiscal year 2025 that creates a new Human Services Department and lays off 24 staff members in the school system.In the four-hour meeting, the 84 Town Meeting...
Host of road projects to begin Friday in Amherst
AMHERST — Paving on four Amherst streets by Warner Brothers LLC is beginning Friday, the start of $2.75 million in projects getting underway now that asphalt plants are open for the season.From 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., construction crews will put down the...
UMass graduation speaker Colson Whitehead pulls out over quashed campus protest
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — Disturbed by the arrests of 132 protesters on the University of Massachusetts campus this week during a pro-Palestinian encampment, Colson Whitehead, the two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the...
Valley lawmakers seek shorter license for FirstLight hydropower projects
By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI
TURNERS FALLS — Area lawmakers are asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to limit the relicensing of FirstLight’s hydropower projects from 50 years to 30 years and to mandate the company disclose more data to the public about its...
VA preps for birthday bash: Leeds medical center to mark 100 with circus acts, games and visits by prominent leaders
By JAMES PENTLAND
NORTHAMPTON — Marking a century of caring for veterans and their families, the VA medical center in Leeds is holding an anniversary event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, including entertainment, food, speakers and a historical sign tour.The...
UMass student group declares no confidence in chancellor
By CHAD CAIN
AMHERST — A day after 132 people were arrested in pro-Palestinian protests on the University of Massachusetts campus, the university’s student government Wednesday night formally declared it had no confidence in Chancellor Javier Reyes and his...
Chesterfield budget, up 4.5%, faces Town Meeting vote Monday
By JAMES PENTLAND
CHESTERFIELD — Voters will be asked to approve the town budget, two petition articles and 34 other items on the Town Meeting warrant when they meet Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.The proposed 2025 operating budget weighs in at $5,031,755, an...
No contested seats in Southampton election May 21
Staff Report
SOUTHAMPTON — Southampton’s annual town election will take place on Tuesday, May 21. Residents will vote for a moderator, town clerk, almoner, Board of Health member, cemetery commissioner, Park Commission member, Personnel Policy and Procedure...
Health board seat sole contested race in Pelham election Tuesday
Staff Report
PELHAM — A three-year seat on the Board of Health is the only contested race on the ballot in the town election being held Tuesday.Polls will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Ramsdell Room at the Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road.William E....
Area briefs: Walk for peace in Gaza; high blood pressure support group forms; Velis honor work recovery work
Walk for peace in GazaLEVERETT — The Village of Light Ashram in Leverett is sponsoring a walk for peace in Gaza on Saturday, May 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Walk organizers say the walk is an effort to stand with those who are suffering in both Israel...
