Beacon Hill Roll Call, Aug. 3-7

Columnist Karen Gardner: 'A Chorus Line'

When I was a kid growing up in the ’50’s, my parents had a huge piece of furniture parked in the living room that we called the Hi-Fi (High Fidelity). What I remember most was the fabulous sound it produced when we played LP vinyl records on its turntable. My parents had a good-sized collection […]

Amherst's Jones Library slate roof, windows nearing completion

AMHERST — A new slate roof for the historic portion of the Jones Library is nearing completion as wood-framed replica windows continue to be installed, part of the ongoing $46.1 million expansion and renovation project. The library is now in the home stretch of work expected to be completed by next spring at the original […]

With Massachusetts as model, Markey and Pressley propose $5B to expand fare-free transit nationwide

Massachusetts lawmakers and transit officials highlighted the success of fare-free service in increasing ridership and saving residents money, prompting the introduction of the Freedom to Move Act to provide national grant funding for similar programs.

Area Briefs: Grow Food to offer free haircuts, supplies at Meadowbrook

Grow Food to offer free haircuts, supplies at Meadowbrook FLORENCE — Grow Food Northampton will host its second annual free back-to-school event Wednesday, Aug. 19, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Meadowbrook Apartments, 491 Bridge Road. The event, held alongside GFN’s weekly Free Mobile Farmers Market, is a collaboration with Coy Salon, Forbes Library, Early Childhood Center and Cancer Connection. Organizers will offer free haircuts, school supplies, clothing, food and community resources to Meadowbrook families. GFN runs free mobile farmers markets weekly at nine low-income housing sites in Northampton and Florence from May through November, pairing produce distribution with access to […]

UMass football: Warner 'cautiously optimistic', Watson eager to lead Minutemen's offense

It’s no secret the UMass football team’s offense struggled mightily throughout the winless, 2025 campaign. The Minutemen scored the least amount of points among all 136 FBS programs last season (133 points), while rotating through quarterbacks, receivers and running backs week-by-week in what felt like a never-ending merry-go-round. UMass addressed those shortcomings for the 2026 […]