Five local students make Bridgewater dean’s list
BRIDGEWATER — Five students from Franklin County and the North Quabbin region have earned academic honors at Bridgewater State University for the spring semester.
Katherine V. Longmuir of Phillipston, Raygan Pendriss of Turners Falls and Jack D. Semler of Wendell were named to the dean’s list for full-time students. Michael Quist of Athol and Emma Mielke of Bernardston were named to the dean’s list for part-time students.
Local students earn academic honors at Springfield Technical Community College
SPRINGFIELD — The following students from Franklin County and the North Quabbin region were named to the dean’s list at Springfield Technical Community College for the spring semester:
Timothy M. Gerry of Athol; Daniel Ware of Gill; Jade A. Gibson, Carole Gong and Heidi Wheeler-Corona, all of Greenfield; Tracy A. Schott of Heath; Harriet D. Barber-Just of Leverett; Patrick McGrevy of Northfield; Brooke Meuse of Orange; Morgan A. Farrick of Shutesbury; Annalise C. Zera of Sunderland; and Julie G. Clark of Turners Falls.
To be considered for the dean’s list, degree-seeking students must earn 12 or more college-level credits in the current semester, or 12 or more combined college-level credits during the fall and spring semesters. They must also achieve at least a 3.3 grade point average.
Submit agriculture photos by July 6
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) is encouraging farmers and the public to submit their best amateur photographs that spotlight the diversity of agriculture and horticulture grown in Massachusetts throughout the various seasons as part of the Agriculture Calendar Annual Photo Contest.
The contest seeks photos that represent “MassGrown” crops, such as maple syrup, cranberries, livestock and poultry, flowers, pollinators, native plants, fruits, vegetables and Christmas trees, as well as innovative farming methods such as renewable energy systems and urban agriculture.
The annual photo contest winners will be featured in the 2027 Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar. Winners will be invited to The Big E and announced at the Massachusetts Building on “Massachusetts Day” on Sept. 24. Winners will receive complimentary copies, a goodie bag and be featured on MDAR’s “MassGrown” website.
The deadline to submit photos is Monday, July 6. For more information, including contest rules and guidelines, visit mass.gov/forms/agriculture-calendar-annual-photo-contest.
Peace Development Fund awards $50K in grants
AMHERST — The Peace Development Fund has announced its annual grant awards to 42 organizations across the country, including seven in western Massachusetts, as well as Haiti and Mexico. The organization saw a total of 300 applications, the largest number of applicants in the Peace Development Fund’s history.
The distribution includes $50,000 in grants through the Western Massachusetts Transformation Fund to seven social justice organizations in western Massachusetts, representing more than triple the amount funded last year.
The Western Massachusetts Transformation Fund supports local organizing efforts in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties that are challenging injustice, shifting power, building social movements and creating new community structures anchored in social justice. Local funding recipients include the Amherst Young Feminist Party, the Decarcerate Western Mass Bailout Project in Northampton, No Loose Braids of Ashfield, the Pioneer Valley Workers Center of Springfield, Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds Inc. of Pittsfield, Seeing Rainbows in Pittsfield and Wildflower Roots in Chicopee.
“We continue to be in a precarious time for grassroots organizations working for social justice, with many facing funding losses and political backlash,” Lora Wondolowski, director of advancement and communications at the Peace Development Fund, said in a statement. “To provide some stability in this climate, we are proud that three of our seven local grantees are returning partners. By prioritizing these sustained relationships, we are working to cultivate a culture of community-led resilience through care and interdependence.”