Faith Matters: Giving thanks — and standing up for what matters

Valley Bounty: Putting their own stamp on the soil at River Maple Farm

For many family farms, each new generation brings a wave of change. Whether they’re responding to shifting market conditions, the changing climate or just following their own passions, each generation puts its own stamp on the business. River Maple Farm, located on Route 5 in Bernardston, is no exception. Rena Grover runs the farm alongside her parents Butch and Donna Grover, her partner Brandon Koncal, and her sister Regina Parsons — with plenty of enthusiastic support from Noah Parsons, who is 3 and “just as much a farmer as any of us,” said Rena Grover. “Our main thing is that we’re […]

Loving Local: Savoring every bite of sweet corn

The last days of summer during my childhood here in Hawley were golden, both literally and figuratively. The landscape was filled with the bright yellow of sunflowers and the duller yellow of hay. The sun seemed to shine every day as my friends and I swam and swam and swam. Corn was consumed every single […]

UMass football: Minutemen preparing for season-opener against Rutgers

When the UMass football team travels to Rutgers for its season opener on Thursday, Sept. 3, coach Joe Harasymiak will have intimate knowledge of the opponent at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. The gameplan should be simple for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers went 5-7 last season and 2-7 in the Big Ten. The team […]

UMass implements pedestrian-only zone

AMHERST — A main section of the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus will be off-limits for people riding bicycles, e-bikes, scooters and skateboards as a pilot safety initiative begins Tuesday. With a growing concern for the well-being of those walking through the core campus, defined as bound by North Pleasant Street to the east, Hicks […]

Guv signs Great River Regional School District special legislation, info session scheduled for Thursday

Voters in Montague, Gill, Bernardston, Leyden, Northfield and Warwick will get their chance to vote in a special election this fall on whether to approve a five-town or six-town regional agreement to form the proposed Great River Regional School District now that Gov. Maura Healey has signed special legislation. The governor’s Aug. 25, signature on […]