Northampton's weekend school meal program at risk of closing as funding expires

Steps toward peace: Region remembers Hiroshima and Nagasaki

HOLYOKE — Calls for peace often conjure images of protests, marches and organized movements. While that’s certainly part of the push for harmony, for Jade Lu, the path to a less violent world begins with how you talk to yourself during the morning rush. “Nonviolence is also a way of life. From moment to moment, the way you live your life and how you talk to yourself in the morning while you’re running around,” said Lu, the graduate student of Buddhism at the Harvard Divinity School. “Live your life with a little more gentleness. I think that’s a good place to […]

Bevy of candidate forums on docket in advance of primary contests

Less than a month before the Sept. 1 primary, several candidate forums are on tap from Springfield to Easthampton and Greenfield to help voters decide who to choose in three contested races: U.S. representative in Congress, the Massachusetts 1st Franklin District and the Governor’s Council District 8. Easthampton forum A forum for only Democratic candidates […]

'The danger is greater than ever': State Senate urges federal action on nuclear disarmament

The Massachusetts State Senate has passed a resolution urging Congress to support a treaty banning nuclear weapons, timed to arrive as the country marks 81 years since the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing an estimated 145,000 people by the end of that year and causing elevated cancer rates among survivors for generations. […]

Shutesbury proposes new committee to plan beautification of Town Common

SHUTESBURY — A new committee will examine a potential refurbishment of the Town Common, the main greenspace in town center across from Town Hall and perhaps best known for being the site of a historic guideboard. The Select Board on Tuesday supported a proposal from Town Administrator Hayley Bolton that could bring changes to the common. Calling it “Common Ground Shutesbury,” Bolton said the location is nice, but it’s also possible something more could be done with the space bounded by the former M.N. Spear Memorial Library and the Shutesbury Community Church. Also at its Tuesday meeting, the Select Board agreed […]

Making News in Business, Aug. 7

New wellness center opens in Northampton NORTHAMPTON — Northampton Mind and Body Wellness held a ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony July 29 at its location at 30 N. King St. Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra and Chamber of Commerce representatives joined the celebration. The wellness center, founded by Nancy Godbout, a licensed independent clinical social worker, […]