news, cummington

Ashfield fish derby marks 21 years

Laura Rodley — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

Fishing gear and gift certificates are among the prizes up for grabs at the 21st annual Fishing Derby in Ashfield Saturday when children from throughout the region will try their luck at ice fishing. Co-sponsored by the Ashfield Rod and Gun Club and the Conway Sportsman Club, the free event kicks off at 8 a.m. at Ashfield Lake.

Berkshire Trail student nature program keeps track of animals in winter

Laura Rodley — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 -0500

One great advantage of attending school in the Hilltowns is that students can enter nature’s classroom simply by walking out the door. There, coyote, bobcats, squirrels and other animals leave behind a narrative of sorts, especially in winter, when their tracks leave clear evidence of their presence in the snow-covered woods and meadows.

Last week, at the Berkshire Trail Elementary School in Cummington, some 80 students from first through fifth grade had a chance to study animal tracks and "predator-prey relationships" during an all-day Animals in Winter workshop presented by 11 AmeriCorps workers.

Mae Wolf's moment in Cummington

Laura Rodley — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 -0500

Cummington resident Mae Wolf holds the distinction of being the oldest person in Cummington, at age 96. Following her in age are three men, and two of them are former poet laureates, William Jay Smith, 93, and Richard Wilbur, 90. Sandwiched between them is Vincent Ridel, 91.

Hilltown photo exhibit on the move

Laura Rodley — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:00:00 -0500

A girl skating on a pond and boy waving a rhubarb leaf like a magic wand as if to summon spring are two images that are part of a photo exhibit now on display at the Worthington Library.

Plainfield woman enjoys a 'kinship' that spans nine decades

Laura Rodley — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 -0500

Grandmotherhood, it seems, does not always depend on bloodlines. For Plainfield resident Kathryn Metcalfe, who is 99, that distinction came unexpectedly, in the form a 9-year-old girl named Sage Guiel.

Slowing life down subject of talk in Cummington

Laura Rodley — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:00:00 -0500

Poet Christian McEwen, a Northampton resident and author of "World Enough and Time: On Creativity and Slowing Down," will kick off the winter Coffeehouse Series at the Old Creamery Grocery on Route 9 in Cummington with a free reading and book signing on the title's subject: slowing down as a way to better enjoy life and explore your creativity.

Cummington welcomes fire truck (and Santa)

Laura Rodley — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:00:00 -0500

Arriving just in time to spread good cheer for Christmas, the town's brightly shining, new 3,000 gallon vacuum tanker fire truck was delivered the Cummington Public Safety Complex last Saturday.