Faith Matters: Matters of the heart

The World Keeps Turning: Uniting to save America

As Democratic primaries across the country pitted “progressive” candidates (including Democratic Socialists) against closer-to-the-center “moderates,” each side fought tooth and nail to win party backing. Some of the heated rhetoric will provide juicy sound bites for Republicans, although voters seem to forget some harsh statements quickly. (Remember 2016? Candidate Ted Cruz called Trump a “sniveling coward,” “a pathological liar,” and “utterly amoral” before joining his team.) In Michigan, a moderate won the Democratic nomination for governor while a progressive will campaign for a Senate seat. Former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg stressed the need for Democrats to build a “coalition” to elect […]

Don't fret: This Shelburne Falls luthier builds perfect guitars by feel

Adam Zawalich doesn’t play guitar, but he sure likes making them. The 40-year-old luthier and Shelburne Falls resident has been making guitars for more than a decade, starting his journey in 2015 when he learned the craft while living in Canada. Although he has tried to learn to play, Zawalich said his brain isn’t sure […]

Get Growing with Mickey Rathbun: Hidden in plain sight: The secret gardens of Grace Episcopal Church

Sometimes the loveliest gardens can be right under our noses and we don’t even know they’re there. The gardens at Amherst’s Grace Episcopal Church are such a hidden gem. The Spring Street garden, enjoyed by everyone who walks down the street, is just a small taste of the plantings that the Church’s Garden Ministry has created all around the property. I recently took a tour of the gardens with Sara Liberty-Laylin, chair of the Garden Ministry, and longtime Ministry member Mary Hocken, who first began attending the church in 1982 and joined the Ministry soon thereafter. The handsome Gothic Revival church, […]

Beyond the curtain: How 15 Valley artists are building sustainable careers

Being an independent artist comes with its fair share of challenges, but a Springfield organization has just given 15 local artists a way to help mitigate some of them with grant money and professional development opportunities. Earlier this summer, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, a Springfield nonprofit, announced the members of the ValleyCreates 2026 […]

Travel with Max: Deep-dish, 'The Bear' beef and bites of air: Discovering the best of Chicago in three days

Sometimes spur‑of‑the‑moment travel delivers the best surprises. A few years ago, on a random Wednesday, my partner asked if I wanted to go to Chicago for the weekend. Sure. Why not? Three days in the Second City turned into a fast-paced, invigorating escape — architecture tours, deep-dish pizza, art museums, comedy clubs and all the things you simply can’t do in little old Deerfield or Greenfield. It felt good to be in a real city again. It’s only a two-and-a-half‑hour flight west from Boston, and before long we were stepping off the plane at O’Hare and onto the CTA Blue Line. […]