Whately, Hatfield officials drafting agreement for shared police chief

Coming home to compassion: Richard Gere returns to UMass for ‘Wisdom of Happiness’ film screening

AMHERST — Actor and humanitarian Richard Gere is perhaps best known for playing characters with dubious morals, like Billy Flynn in “Chicago” or Julian Kay in “American Gigolo.” But on Wednesday night, he returned to the University of Massachusetts Amherst — his alma mater — to screen a movie that encourages compassion and cooperation for the betterment of humanity. About 2,000 people filled Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall for a free screening of the movie “Wisdom of Happiness,” for which Gere was an executive producer. The movie stars the Dalai Lama speaking about his philosophies on happiness, compassion and building a […]

History retold: 'The Hull/Hawley Plays' bring two forgotten Northampton lives to light

Bathsheba Hull and Major Joseph Hawley III came from two very different walks of life —one was a formerly enslaved widow, and the other was a political figure with family ties to theologian Jonathan Edwards. Both of them dealt with life-upending struggles, and both are central figures in a new show of site-specific plays about […]

Around Amherst: Town celebrates $4.6M track and field complex

AMHERST — Completion of the $4.6 million track and field complex at Amherst Regional High School was recently celebrated by numerous student-athletes, school and town officials and educators and coaches. On a sunny Friday afternoon before Labor Day weekend, senior Ololara Baptiste reflected on how the girls track team took home a state champaionship in […]

Leverett board discusses cooling centers and cultural district plans

LEVERETT — With an aging population often affected by heat waves and extreme weather, the Council on Aging is requesting the town establish a policy to ensure there are places in town for residents to stay cool, such as the Leverett Library and the Leverett Public Safety Complex. Judi Fonsh, who chairs the Council on […]

Book Review: ‘What Do I Feed the Birds?’: Bernardston author releases guide to attract feathered friends

For Kelley Manson, bird-loving is only natural. Listen to their songs. Revel in the colors of their feathers. Be quiet, and let them talk. Birds invite you into the moment. “With all the stress and chaos in the world, birds are calming, and visually beautiful, and they help us relax and maybe escape a bit […]