Prescription on a plate: McGovern Medicare bill targets post-hospital care with medically tailored meals

Ferry Street shut down in Easthampton after sinkhole reveals water pipe failure

EASTHAMPTON — Ferry Street could be closed for several weeks as workers identify the severity of a century-old pipe that burst, opening a large sinkhole in the middle of the roadway last week. The city had temporarily patched the sinkhole when it formed last Thursday, allowing drivers to use Ferry Street for a day or two. A statement from the city released Monday, however, said the initial repairs revealed a failure of a water pipe that connects to the former power generation Ferry Street mill building, requiring more work to address. “We’re working to determine the best method of permanently sealing the […]

Chesterfield to hold master plan session Thursday

CHESTERFIELD — Town officials are offering residents a chance to win gift cards as an incentive to complete the town’s master plan survey. A public meeting on the ongoing master plan will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at Town Hall, 403 Main Road. Once completed, the plan will serve as a […]

Guest columnist James A. Lomastro: Sustained attention works; try it on nursing homes

In January 2002, investigative reporters in Boston revealed that a Catholic archdiocese had kept moving a priest, John Geoghan, from parish to parish after learning what he had done. What followed taught Massachusetts something that applies far beyond churches. A single exposé did not change the institution. Sustained attention did: roughly 600 stories that year, […]

Emily Dickinson metal silhouette goes missing in Amherst

AMHERST — A metal silhouette depicting the likeness of Emily Dickinson, in conversation with fellow poet Robert Frost, is missing and presumed stolen from its boulder at the Gates lot in downtown Amherst. Part of the sculpture known as “Poetic Dialogue,” the silhouette was installed in 1996 at the corner of Main and Lessey streets. […]

Lawsuit prompts Amherst to consider changes to ADU bylaw

AMHERST — Officials are considering amending a town bylaw in light of a lawsuit over a recent Zoning Board of Appeals determination that a Newell Court accessory dwelling unit is too large to comply with town zoning. A few weeks after the Land Court lawsuit was filed, both on behalf of the Newell Court developer […]