Arts
Amherst can’t decide where it is: Is town center uptown or downtown?
By SCOTT MERZBACH
Those attending a recent ribbon-cutting for the new UMass Downtown retail store and event space in Amherst center were invited to an afterparty at the Uptown Tap & Grille, which despite having a seemingly different geographical designation, is a neighboring business in the same building.
‘She is our future’: Thirty years after permitting women to join, Montague Elks is almost entirely women-led
By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN
It wasn’t until 1995 that women were permitted to join the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE), a century-old fraternal and charitable organization with local lodges across the United States. Thirty years later, the Montague Elks Lodge #2521 is entering a new era of leadership with women at the helm of the 50-year-old lodge.
‘Art in the Age of Human Impact’: New exhibition at UMass explores complex relationship between humans and nature
By CAROLYN BROWN
The total impact that humans have had on the environment may be hard to measure, but a new exhibition at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s University Museum of Contemporary Art, running through Friday, May 9, aims to show some of that impact and create conversations about how artists respond to it with their work.
Valley Bounty: Nothing sweeter than sourcing local: Lemon Bakery in Amherst is a small, seasonal, from-scratch operation
By LISA GOODRICH
Named for sunny citrus fruit grown far from the valley, Lemon Bakery in Amherst mixes the sweet with the tart. Four years ago, in the uncertainty of the pandemic, owner Rori Hanson built a bakery business with a model of curbside pickup and delivery rather than a storefront. Hanson’s menu follows the seasons by sourcing from local farms. Today, Lemon Bakery continues to sell through online pre-ordering and curbside pickup or delivery; there is no storefront cafe.
Here to help the community’s artists: Human Scale Art Space aims to advance visual arts in the Pioneer Valley
By CAROLYN BROWN
It’s not uncommon for a small nonprofit not to have a physical space. It is, however, ironic when that nonprofit itself is called Human Scale Art Space.
Sounds Local: A legend pays tribute to an icon: Seven-time Grammy-nominated Joan Osborne brings Bob Dylan repertoire to Shea Theater
By SHERYL HUNTER
Joan Osborne was in her 20s when she took a deep dive into the music of Bob Dylan – and once she immersed herself into the legendary artist’s amazing musical well, Dylan’s vast catalog became an important part of her own musical journey.
Speaking of Nature: Stinky signs of spring: Skunk cabbage is eye candy after months of winter landscape
By BILL DANIELSON
March Madness is a term that has been assigned to the sport of college basketball. The idea is that a huge tournament creates a frenzied “madness” of athletic exuberance as different teams from across the country compete in a clash of collegiate contenders to see who will be crowned as champion. There are brackets, debates and wagers involved and everyone seems to have a good time.
For the love of peanut butter: April 2 is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
By TINKY WEISBLAT
When looking for inspiration for this column, I often consult lists of food holidays. I’m ambivalent about these holidays. On the down side, many of them were invented to serve corporate interests. On the plus side, new holidays are always fun to celebrate.
An argument for single payer health insurance: How government run insurance would help our schools
By DOUG SELWYN
Anguished cries coming out of school administration offices and school committee meetings signal the annual return of budget season. School district decision makers across the state desperately try to create budgets that serve the needs of all of their children. The money coming from the state and the drained treasuries of their local towns is nowhere near enough to cover the actual cost of educating the children.
Women’s history told through clothing: Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club to host ‘Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore’ author, April 9
By MADISON SCHOFIELD
The Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club is celebrating its 100th birthday this spring, and will kick off its centennial speaker series with a talk on the history of women’s clothing with Northampton author Kiki Smith on April 9 at the Shelburne-Buckland Community Center.
Valley Bounty: And on that farm she had a bit of everything: Little Brook Farm in Sunderland is a labor of love for farmer Kristen Whittle
By JACOB NELSON
Spring is here, and with it are signs of new life on farms around the Valley. Leaves are beginning to bud on fruit trees, farmers are preparing soil for the coming growing season, and at Little Brook Farm in Sunderland, day-old baby lambs are bounding around the lambing barn.
Record-breaking athlete turned renowned artist: Peter Ruhf, whose work is on display at Greenfield’s TEOLOS gallery, was once a boomerang champion
By EVELINE MACDOUGALL
Last week’s column featured Peter Ruhf, multimedia artist and philosopher. This week, we delve into Ruhf’s unusual upbringing and influences. By the time this goes to print, some will have attended the March 28 opening reception of “The Visionary, Surrealistic, and Psychedelic Art of Peter Ruhf” at Greenfield’s TEOLOS gallery. Those who missed it can take heart: the show runs through April 26.
‘A woman who should be remembered’: New play about the life of Frances Perkins, the brains behind FDR’s New Deal, April 5 and 11
By MADISON SCHOFIELD
Who was Frances Perkins? A one-woman play looking at the life of the first woman Secretary of Labor is set to take the Ashfield Congregational Church stage in April.
Earth Matters: Do plants know math? Three Valley plants share a surprising secret
By NANCY PICK
Asparagus, strawberries and sunflowers are, to my mind, three of the best reasons to live in western Massachusetts. It won’t be long now before the first asparagus spears poke out of the ground; those fertility symbols that usher in our dazzling farm produce season. To pose a riddle, what cool characteristic do these three plants have in common, one you might not notice unless you look quite closely?
Faith Matters: A holy day for our times: Is Earth Day is the most important holiday this season?
By THE REV. ALISON CORNISH
With Lent underway, the Spring Equinox last week, and Passover and Easter on the near horizon, we are in the midst of a bevy of holidays and holy days. In every place on the planet where the earth reawakens to a burgeoning new season of life-giving, life-affirming gifts, there is a sense of joyful abundance even as the news continues to sadden and alarm. We desperately need holidays, holy days.
Fish theme brought varied approaches: Three films awarded at fifth annual Lights! Camera! Greenfield! competition
By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN
There was something very fishy about this year’s films as part of the fifth annual Greenfield Community Television (GCTV) film sprint competition, Lights! Camera! Greenfield!
Sounds Local: ‘Where have all the protest songs gone?’: Legacy of Pete Seeger concert expands, moves to Greenfield
By SHERYL HUNTER
Pete Seeger said that “the key to the future of the world is finding the optimistic stories and letting them be known.”
Speaking of Nature: Survival of the cautious?: An argument for slowing down just a little bit
By BILL DANIELSON
The plan was simple. Make a quick stop at a geologic feature that would provide a real-world example of topics that were being discussed in my biology classes. The topic was evolution and I was specifically looking for an example of rock formations that were being reshaped by the elements. It really couldn’t be any more straightforward, right? Well, perhaps a little background would help.
Pancakes, pop culture and patriarchy: Hasty Tasty Pancake Mix inspired by ‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet’
By TINKY WEISBLAT
As Massachusetts Maple Month comes to an end, I’m departing from my usual practice of making savory maple recipes. Instead, I’m preparing something sweet that most Americans associate with maple syrup: pancakes.
Fight like a girl: Professional boxer launches women-only, all-level classes in Greenfield
By MADISON SCHOFIELD
Local author, naturalist and former boxer Vanessa Chakour is leading a women’s boxing class at Franklin County’s YMCA.
Your Daily Puzzles
An approachable redesign to a classic. Explore our "hints."
A quick daily flip. Finally, someone cracked the code on digital jigsaw puzzles.
Chess but with chaos: Every day is a unique, wacky board.
Word search but as a strategy game. Clearing the board feels really good.
Align the letters in just the right way to spell a word. And then more words.
