‘Valley Wild’ event in Whately looks to inspire attendees to ‘find the joy and wonder’ on the planet

UMass staff, faculty rally for higher pay

AMHERST — Caroline Coley and Adam Feldman work in offices right next to each other in the Chemistry Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Aside from a shared job — managing the financial records, managing budgets of 200 grants annually and overseeing the acquisition of million-dollar equipment — they have something else in common: They cannot afford life’s simple necessities. “I can’t have the cost of living go up while my wage stays the same,” said Feldman, noting that the cost of living is far exceeding his 1.5% raise twice a year. “It’s just not going to be feasible for […]

Hardly a no-brainer: Champions clinch Northampton spelling bee title with brain-busting word

NORTHAMPTON — The “Ward Three Bees” took home jars of honey and $10 gift cards to the restaurant Bueno y Sano after correctly spelling “rhombencephalon” at the 24th Northampton Education Foundation Adult Spelling Bee Wednesday night. The Ward Three Bees team, which comprised James Pentland, Ellie Cook and Kim Goggins, competed against the co-finalist team […]

Guest columnist Jonathan Kahane: Little Boxes and modern politics

The song “Little Boxes,” written by Malvina Reynolds in 1962, is a wonderful 2-minute ditty that pokes fun at the middle class of our country. Pete Seeger put it on the charts with his rendition in 1963. “Little Boxes” refers to the houses of the middle class and the chorus goes: “… Little boxes all […]

Easthampton backs divestment from companies linked to human rights violations

EASTHAMPTON — The City Council on Wednesday passed a nonbinding resolution urging the city to divest about $454,000 from companies accused of complicity in human rights violations in Israel and Palestine. The clock had just rolled past 9 p.m. when councilors approved the resolution. Members of Easthampton Divest, the group that spearheaded efforts to get the […]

Guest columnist Rob Okun: Mass shootings: another troubling side of manhood

Are we angry enough yet? Haven’t our hearts been broken enough times? Are we ready to act now? How many more children do we have to lose? These are just some of the questions in the aftermath of more children being gunned down at another school, this time in Bend, Oregon, on Oct 15. By […]