H.S. Roundup: Smith Academy girls soccer shuts out Tech Boston, advances in Div. 5 tourney

Bombyx Center rolls out solar credit donation program

NORTHAMPTON — Lights, cameras and action all require energy — and at the Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity, that energy comes with a $13,000 annual price tag. To help offset that bill, the arts center is asking National Grid customers to donate their excess solar credits through a new campaign called Sunshine to Art. […]

Local and Green: Own your power, Part 2: Microgrids needed to safeguard our future

Recently, I hosted a gathering to see if there was interest in participating in a community microgrid or networked geothermal heating in the Orchard Valley neighborhood of Amherst. Paul Fenn of Local Power, LLC was in attendance and presented about the Own Your Power program in Ithaca, New York that is assisting the city and […]

Rejected Hadley battery project returns amid lawsuit, resident concerns

HADLEY — A stand-alone battery storage project on Breckenridge Road that planners rejected 18 months ago — and that is now the subject of a pending lawsuit — is back before the Planning Board, where residents this week raised concerns about dangers to people and wildlife, as well as expected noise. Those who live near […]

Beavers likely reason for emergency repair to Easthampton culvert

EASTHAMPTON — The city issued an emergency declaration last week to clear a clogged culvert on Everett Street, averting the potential threat that put the stability of the road and the sewer pipe underneath it at risk. The believed culprit of the backup was a familiar furry creature. “The culvert was jammed full of woody […]

Valley Bounty: An a-peeling history: Bashista Orchards in Southampton marks a fruitful 100 years

“Our little part of Whiteloaf Mountain probably hasn’t changed much, other than I’ve added more trees and we got rid of the cows,” said Tom Bashista, fourth-generation farmer and steward of Bashista Orchards in Southampton.  Bashista’s great-grandfather, Jacob Bashista, came from Poland in 1909 with his wife, Sabina, and his brother, Frank. The family purchased […]