David Sedaris Reads at the Academy of Music
The Mark Twain of our time. On a talk show wearing his culotte and jacket signature outfit.NBC. NORTHAMPTON A very pale middle-aged man wearing candy-stripped colored culottes was standing onstage at a podium at Cadogan Hall in London, about to begin. He was mic'd of course as there were hundreds of fans jumping in their seats, excited for him to start reading his latest and greatest stories. The show, as all his shows, was sold-out.
Read full storyFirebrand Nancy Pelosi to Speak at Smith College
A graduate of a women's college herself, she will inspire. Pelosi & Liz Taylor testifying before House on HIV/AIDS funding - 3/1990Pelosi via Flickr. In the early 1990s, Nancy Pelosi and Elizabeth Taylor took on an unpopular issue: HIV/AIDS funding. Both had been involved in this scoffed-at issue for years. On March 6, 1990, they testified before Congress for that funding.
Read full storyPaula Poundstone is Coming to Amherst in October (moved from Northampton)
Her comedy saves me in this pandemic-Trumpian-conspiracy-theory reality. She goes on stage with a stool, a microphone, and a can of Diet Pepsi. She's often wearing a neon-colored Zoot suit. She bounces back and forth between improvising with the audience and pulling jokes out from her comedy repertoire. She doesn't have a "set" set.
Read full storyNew Store Opened During Covid Winter
Tagline is, "Life's a zoo. Dress accordingly." Top of Crafts Ave - 204 Main St. Northampton, MA 01060Photo by Jamai Lowell. "Oh, look they have RGB! That's perfect for Miriam's birthday! She loves Ruth Bader." The two customers obviously knew and loved the store. They joked a bit with the owner Jamai Lowell, a recent transplant from San Franciso.
Read full storyWhy Does the Mayor Want to Chop Down The Cherry Trees?
The cherry trees of Warfield Place slated for destruction -Photo by Oliver Kellhammer. NORTHAMPTON, MA This past April, notices were left by the doors of all the houses of Warfield Place. It was a letter from the City informing residents that "improvements" were going to made to the street. Included was an indecipherable "map" that was supposed to indicate the contours of the project.
Read full storyThe 50-year Fight for Father Lavigne's Arrest
The Church covered up his crimes over and over again. Father Robert Lavigne had been a friend to the Croteau family for many years so it was only natural that Father Lavigne would lead the funeral service for a 13-year old altar boy named Danny Croteau from Springfield MA, who had been found dead in the Chicopee River.
Read full storyA "Social Justice" School is Accused of Union-busting
The contracts of 13 unionized teachers in Chicopee were not renewed. Picket lineImage by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay. There have been picket lines aplenty, upset workers, and tight-lipped management. Was the alleged anti-union behavior coming from the Ford Motor Compay or Amazon or Goggle?
Read full storyLocal Professor's Proposal Gets the OK from NASA
Venus, second from the Sun. Earth, third.Image by Comfreak from Pixabay. Darby Dyar, Chair of the Astronomy Dept at Mount Holyoke College and prominent researcher, recently got some extraordinary news.
Read full storyTikTok Choking Challenge Claims Local Victim and Highlights That This "Game" is As Popular as Ever
Amherst eighth grader's death leads to increased awareness. Thirteen-year-old Nate Squires of Amherst, MA was found unresponsive by a family member and rushed to the hospital, where he died shortly afterward last week on Monday, June 13, 2021.
Read full storyRiver Valley Co-op Not Only Reopening But Expanding to Easthampton
The new store will be state-of-the-art energy-efficient, providing 100% of its own power. Poster for Easthampton openingScreenshot of website by author. The date is set, the store is getting stocked, the decorations are nearly all bought, the news is getting out, and the ribbon will soon be cut.
Read full storyNew Englanders: Travel to NY or NJ to Enjoy the Cicadas or Wait Until 2038
Sex, music, and "dancing" -- the cicadas are having a party. George W. Bush was still President. Ben Affleck and JLo were together (the first time). People were at the movie theatre laughing at Dodge Ball with Vince Vaughn and Ben Siller. Beyonce' jump-started her solo career with the hit, Naughty Girl, and the European Union accepted ten new members.
Read full storyPutin's Gift was Made in Massachusetts
Biden presents Putin with Massachusetts-made aviator glasses. The many yet similar looks of Joe BidenScreenshot by author. President Biden loves his aviator glasses. He gets parodied, teased, mocked; he doesn't care because it's Joe's cool look.
Read full storyTokyo Olympics May Not Be Covid-Ready, but Massachusetts Olympians Are Ready for Tokyo
These Olympians plan to culminate their comebacks in Tokyo. The flags of the 2021 eventCreative commons license. Molly Seidel of Cambridge, Massachusetts, will be running in the Tokyo Olympics.
Read full storyAnn Averill, Local Author, Speaks on Writing Memoir
She turned a traumatic experience of teaching at a rough school into a touching and fun memoir. Writers love lettersPhoto by Amador Loureiro on Unsplash. I met Anne Averill online among 40 or so other writers. She was the featured writer for the month's event sponsored by Straw Dogs Writing Guild, an organization serving writers primarily in western Massachusetts.
Read full storyJuneteenth Celebrated as Massachusetts State Holiday for the First Time
Amherst commemorates events in Galveston, Texas, in June of 1865. The Church where Galveston slaves first learned they were free.Galveston Historical Society. AMHERST, MA The enslaved in Galveston did not learn the Civil War was over, and they were free until an announcement was made at the Methodist Episcopal Church South. It was a sweltering Monday, June 19, 1865.
Read full storyOutdoor Comedy is Back with "Comedy as a Weapon"
FLORENCE, MA - On September 18th of last year, I was sitting in the back parking lot of JJ's Pub in Florence with friends. It had been transformed into an outdoor eating and entertainment area. We were bundled up in heavy clothes, huddling together, l thoroughly masked. We alternated masks down, masks up while we ate burgers. Some people brought blankets and shared them. And, listening to the people on stage made us ROFL!*
Read full storyThe "Millionaire Tax" Passes Massachusetts Legislature and Will Be on the Ballot in 2022
Many argue that it counteracts the "unfairness" of the state's flat income tax. Symbol of wealthPhoto by Marcin Ciszewski on Unsplash. This past Wednesday, the Democratically-controlled Massachusetts state legislature passed the Fair Share Amendment, better known as the "millionaire tax," by a wide margin, 159-41. This means the proposal will be on the state ballot in November 2022.
Read full storyHadley and Easthampton Police Departments to Involve Mental Health Professionals with 911 Calls.
Youth sleeping on sidewalkPhoto by Jon Tyson on Unsplash. Hadley and Easthampton are putting plans in motion to answer the requests and demands of many locals - echoing a national cry -- to rethink "policing."
Read full storyPioneer Valley Wine Expo: June 12-13 in Brimfield
They've just announced the wineries, food trucks and farmers' market and artisan vendors. Finally, the list of wineries, food trucks, farmers' market and artisan vendors.Credit: Brimfield Winery & Cidery.
Read full storyTeaching About Food and Farms on a Pioneer Valley Food Tour
Guests are asked to taste food as well as consider its source. Deborah Christakos, the owner of Pioneer Valley Food Tours, wants to spread the word about the number, variety, and quality of restaurants in the area and the richness and freshness of the food grown in the Pioneer Valley.
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