Opening pages of the past: Hilltown History Trail returns for fifth year this weekend

Chesterfield weighs options for new offices, fire station

CHESTERFIELD — Replacing the town’s aging offices and fire station has been an effort three decades in the making. Now, with at least five scenarios on the table, officials are seeking community input on a project that could cost between $7 million and $10 million. In the town offices at 422 Main Road, town officials […]

Guest columnist Daniel Lyons: The economic reality of net-zero ambition

Concerning Keith Hastie’s July 23 guest column, “Our path to a better energy future,” I agree that if we need to build more solar panels in Massachusetts, then some should be sited in forests. I also agree that the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan is ambitious, but I would not describe it as magnificent. […]

Leverett Select Board leaves roof funding with regional district despite cost concerns

LEVERETT — Even as the ongoing roof replacement at the Amherst Regional Middle School is expected to come in below the original $9.83 million construction estimate, Leverett officials will allow the regional schools to continue holding the town’s appropriation. The Select Board Tuesday voted unanimously to have the school district keep Leverett’s expenditure until the […]

'Finding the freedom within': Stomping Grounds Dance Festival returns to 33 Hawley in Northampton

A festival of contemporary dance by local creators will soon return to its rightful stomping grounds. The Stomping Grounds Dance Festival, a showcase for original, movement-based performance pieces, returns to 33 Hawley in Northampton on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8. “One of my favorite aspects of the festival is the breadth of styles of choreography […]

Stepping onto a blank stage: New theater project empowers queer youth to write and perform their own stories

Because it hasn’t been written yet, it’s impossible to say what will take the stage at Northampton’s Academy of Music on Monday, Nov. 16. But this fall, a group of queer teens will get the opportunity to write and perform an original show from their own life experiences, making an indelible mark on the local […]