Guest columnist Michael Albano: An opportunity for western Massachusetts

A Look Back, July 30

50 Years Ago 25 Years Ago 10 Years Ago

Downtown Amherst in flux: closures, openings and a call to shop local

AMHERST — Beers and wines, bread, fresh produce and other kitchen essentials have filled the shelves at Aster + Pine Market in downtown Amherst for the past 2½ years, in what its owners described as a European-inspired market. As July ends, though, so will the store. Bill and Mallory Nurse, a Holyoke couple who opened […]

'Two Grannies on the Road' explore hidden gems in Williamsburg, Deerfield

WILLIAMSBURG — Think a summer getaway means packing the car and burning gas, or getting on a plane and burning money? Think again, said Beth Sobiloff and Marcia Rothwell, hosts of “Two Grannies on the Road,” who said Pioneer Valley residents can just go in their backyard and find troves of hidden gems. Their latest […]

Guest columnist Jon Weissman: Now is the time for Medicare for All

We celebrate July 30, 1965, when President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law.  This amended the Social Security Act, which contained no public health insurance provisions when President Franklin Roosevelt signed it Aug. 14, 1935. Led by Labor Secretary Frances Perkins, the New Dealers had proposed “Health Security” as part of Social Security. […]

West Nile virus found in Deerfield, Northfield mosquitoes

Mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus in Deerfield and Northfield have prompted health officials to remind residents to take precautions despite the overall risk remaining low.