Around Amherst: Banned Books Week front and center

Unveiling a treasury of classical art: Clark Art Institute displays 150 antique works from Aso Tavitian collection

Through Feb. 21, Williamstown’s Clark Art Institute is displaying 150 pristine works of antiquity, many never before shown publicly, bequeathed to the museum by the philanthropist and collector Aso Tavitian (1940–2020). There were audible gasps from several reporters when they first entered the galleries, given the dramatic atmosphere of perfectly preserved oils from centuries past. […]

For whom the bale tolls: Jae Silverman’s grassroots mission crops up in Conway

The windrow — a long row of cut hay — is an iconic symbol of New England farming. Windrow Farm, based in Conway, celebrates agricultural traditions by focusing on the careful timing of hay cutting for different batches with both high and low sugar content. Take note, dear readers: “based in Conway” indicates that Windrow […]

Cooley Dickinson Hospital goes offline due to Mass General Brigham network outage

NORTHAMPTON — Most patient care continued as normal on Thursday at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, despite a network outage that disrupted computer systems across the Mass General Brigham system, including the Northampton hospital. The outage, which started around noon, was not linked to a cyber attack, but the disruption caused some computers and devices to go […]

Guest columnist Jeff Gold: On the aftermath of Oct. 7 anniversary: American Jewish identity and its discontents

The crisis that has emerged within the American Jewish community since Oct. 7, 2023 is nothing short of profound. Although the roots of this crisis can be traced back at least to 1948, its most evident touchstones have been the potentially fracturing disagreements emerging during the past three years over events in Israel-Palestine. I don’t seek to rehash these disagreements here — the meaning and consequences of Zionism for both Jews and its victims; the rise of antisemitism and its weaponization; the murderous rampage by Hamas on Oct. 7; the resultant genocidal assault of Gaza; and the passive and active “acceptance” […]

Amanda Rider

<html><head></head><body>Amanda Rider<br /><br />Greenfield, MA - It is with deep sorrow that I announce the passing of my granddaughter Amanda Rider. Amanda was born on July 24, 1987, in Northampton, MA .<br /><br />Amanda was a graduate of Easthampt ...