A Constitution Day oath: 34 newly minted citizens soak up positive energy in naturalization ceremony

Town hits pause on $1M grant for Tadgell School redevelopment

BELCHERTOWN — The Select Board is considering refusing a $1 million state grant to turn the Tadgell School into a mixed-use resilience hub and business space so the town can still sell the building later. Belchertown received a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness 2.0 grant on Aug. 13 to continue preconstruction design and community outreach for redeveloping […]

Easthampton's pick for Town Lodging House draws ire

EASTHAMPTON — City residents didn’t hold back Wednesday night when the City Council endorsed Renewal Initiatives to claim ownership of the city’s historic Town Lodging House property on Oliver Street, much to the dismay of its competitor who believes the process was not fair. The council’s recommendation was sent to Mayor Salem Derby, who told the Gazette in an interview Thursday that he will be moving forward with the Renewal Initiatives proposal. “My job is to make the best decision for Easthampton,” Derby said. “One proposal stood out to me as more prepared and ready to handle the level of difficulty […]

Amherst gets $175K boost to reenvision Hampshire College campus

AMHERST — MassDevelopment is providing Amherst a $175,000 grant to support the future redevelopment of Hampshire College’s land and continue an ongoing zoning study on the approximately 860-acre campus. The money supplements a $75,000 grant MassDevelopment awarded in May, through its Real Estate Services Technical Assistance Program, that is going toward technical assistance for the zoning study. This work is happening as the trustees for the college, which is expected to close at the end of the year, oversee the marketing and sale of the property. Jeff Bagg, the town’s director of Planning and Economic Development, said Amherst is grateful for […]

Hadley Police defend Flock Safety camera use

HADLEY — In one instance of using the Flock Safety camera, positioned on Route 9 at the Hadley Village Barn Shops near the Coolidge Bridge, Hadley Police used footage to recover a stolen vehicle and arrest two people. Another time, a license plate photo provided to police allowed officers to locate almost $2,500 in stolen […]

Columnist Johanna Neumann: The key elements of Massachusetts' energy bill

As Massachusetts legislators reconcile energy bills, this article advocates for prioritizing solar, energy efficiency, ending fossil fuel subsidies, and rejecting nuclear power for a cleaner, sustainable future.