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April 13- 19, 2025, is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. The week is set aside to recognize the public safety 911 professionals who answer the phone when someone is having their worst day or the worst time of their life. I was fortunate to work with the State Police Regional Dispatchers at Shelburne Falls. Their skill, tenacity, persistence, and calmness were nothing less than impressive daily. They are calm in the storm. They remain unflappable while answering screams for help, and while being provided poor, misinformation, or malicious information, they ascertain information needed to send the correct level of response. They may be unseen, but their contributions to public safety are immeasurable. They continually seek new ways to improve service to the agencies they serve and the public.

Last Saturday morning, April 12, I co-led with Court Dorsey a mini-nonviolence training in Montague. If you remember that morning you woke to cold weather, snow or rain, a most unappealing day! Despite the weather about 100 people came to the meeting hall. They came, some said because they wanted to stand with our neighbors, our most vulnerable neighbors. They did not come as partisans, they came because they have the right under our Constitution to speak out on the issues of the day.

On March 13, Red Fire Farms joined a federal lawsuit with seven other farms, contesting the federal government’s freeze of grants and reimbursements affecting farms. Seven days later, on March 20, ICE arrested four Red Fire Farm workers at their homes in Springfield. ICE surrounded one home with 20 law enforcement vehicles. Two of the workers were arrested in front of their children after ICE agents reportedly broke through their front doors. Other family members present at the raid were threatened. The ICE personnel had no arrest warrants, although, by law, warrants are required for such forced entry.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

LEVERETT — Several local Democratic Town Committees in Hampshire and Franklin counties, and Holyoke, are making an appeal to the Massachusetts congressional delegation to take stronger steps in confronting the Republican Party, the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk.

ORANGE — The Literacy Project will hold an open house at its relatively new site at 18 South Main St. from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 17.

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

BUCKLAND — A “spirit gallery” with psychic medium Brandie Wells will raise money for Shelburne Falls Eagles Auxiliary scholarships that are given to Mohawk Trail Regional School graduates.

By DOMENIC POLI

ORANGE — The Franklin County Community Meals Program closed on the former Mike’s Place property on Jan. 31 and plans to move the Orange Food Pantry into its new home in mid-May.

High Honors: Oliver Audet, Chazz Badillo, Leah Batiste, Phineas Brown, Elijah Cheney, Nyexziel Colon, Wesley Darling, Ian Degen, Gianna Haselton, Anmol Kanojia, Clara Kelsey, Rylan McIver, Gracie Medina, Lila Nietsche, Conor O’Connell, Mahir Patel, Cecily Paterno, Joe Proietti, Jake Pulizari, Samantha Rider, Greyson Roberts, Esme Sautter, Kadence Spring, Agnesse Suther, Elias Tripp, Amelia Waldron and Vasher Westfall.

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

HATFIELD — Without a senior on the roster and just two returning varsity players from a year ago, Mahar baseball coach Dan Guertin understood it was going to be a rebuilding season in Orange this spring. 

By GARRETT COTE

WESTHAMPTON — As is always the case when western Massachusetts heavyweights Hampshire Regional and Greenfield meet on the softball diamond, high-level pitching was on display Monday afternoon. The Green Wave rely on senior MacKenzie Paulin, a Merrimack commit, while the Raiders typically give the ball to sophomore Ryanne Dubay, who will have her fair share of college offers when the time comes.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Faculty at the University of Massachusetts are calling on Chancellor Javier Reyes and President Martin Meehan to form a compact with the 250 land grant and public universities across the country to fight Trump administration actions impacting academic freedom and free expression, including politically motivated detentions of students and faculty and visa revocations for some international students.

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Senate Democrats announced a bill Monday morning intended to shield reproductive and transgender care in Massachusetts from out-of-state threats, saying it was part of the response effort to the Trump administration.

By CHRIS LARABEE

Beginning more than a decade ago and wrapping up in 2016, a wide-ranging coalition in western Massachusetts banded together to resist Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co.’s Northeast Energy Direct project, which proposed a pipeline running through eight Franklin County towns.

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

TURNERS FALLS — The School Committee at Franklin County Technical voted uanimously to signal its opposition to a proposed weighted lottery admissions system for vocational schools across the state.

By TINKY WEISBLAT

Easter is traditionally associated with the return of rich foods to Christian diets. In the Middle Ages, Europeans followed a very strict diet during the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. They had only one meal a day and could eat no dairy, meat or eggs. Fish was allowed.

By MICHAEL FLECK

For the past few months several pundits and former government officials, both Democrat and Republican, have said, referring to the Trump administration, “These are not serious people.” They said this about RFK, Jr. (as he emphasized the value of treating measles with cod liver oil and vitamin A); about Pete Hegseth (during his nomination process and as Signalgate unfolded); and about Donald Trump himself (as he mused about a third term saying that tariffs are taxes on other countries, mentioned the possibility of invading Greenland, and imposed tariffs on an island of penguins).

By BROOKLYN TRUEHEART DEMME

I grew up on the safe side of town with educational access and expectations of gainful, dignified employment. Selling harmful addictive substances was not a consideration I needed to make to provide for my family. Moreover, the mobility and security afforded by my skin color and privileged class background have allowed for me to safely visit and learn in some dangerous places which residents can not easily leave.

A recent column in this paper suggests that “fear” is being used to argue about the benefits of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) [”ADUs and politics of fear,” April 9]. I think “facts” can be scary to some people, but here’s the truth:

International Children’s Book Day was celebrated on April 2. “Research shows that children whose parents read to them every day are exposed to at least 290,000 more words by the time they enter kindergarten than kids who aren’t read to regularly.” This fact was found at https://www.earthday.org/libraries-where-books-go-to-party/ as part of that celebration. Former President Ronald Reagan said, “The library is the delivery room for the birth of ideas, a place where history comes to life.” Lifelong learning, for free, is available at our public libraries. I remember the words of our dear friend and library supporter, Margo Culley, who called our greatly appreciated local library, the Wendell Free Library, “Wendell U,” for “Wendell University,” as it is the learning place for residents of all ages.

By DOMENIC POLI

ORANGE — With three members absent for various reasons, the Mahar School Committee on Wednesday approved a 4% budget increase for the next school year.