Two arraigned on breaking and entering, larceny charges following Deerfield crimes

Greenfield schools to tighten documentation after legal review

Business Manager Andy Paquette stated that while the Greenfield School Department followed proper procurement processes, a legal review recommended tightening documentation procedures for soliciting quotes.

Orange Selectboard offers town manager job to former Eau Claire official

The Orange Selectboard has offered the municipality's first town manager position to Stephanie Hirsch, a former city manager from Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Senate amendment closes biomass loophole; regional activists call it a win after 15-year fight

The state Senate approved an amendment that removes biomass from the Greenhouse Gas Emission Standard and eliminates related public subsidies.

Franklin County food pantries receive $16K to bolster food assistance work

Several Franklin County food pantries recently received capacity-building grants from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to purchase equipment and improve services amid increasing demand for food assistance.

Pushback: Seeing the forest through the trees

John Heywood published a collection of proverbs in 1546, including: “You can’t see the forest for the trees,” which meant missing the larger picture by focusing on its details. In Greenfield, we have focused appropriately on replacing street trees — but do we “see” our larger forests? According to Greenfield’s Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) for 2021-2028, our city comprises 14,020 acres. Sixty percent is forested (8,400 acres) — almost eight times greater than our agricultural land, and 1.6 times greater than our residential land. Many citizens are pleased that our Tree Committee is planting trees in Greenfield’s urban tree […]