Arts & Life
The house that therapy built: Multimedia artist Lisa Winter to display “My House” at the Wendell Meetinghouse this Sunday
By DOMENIC POLI
Lisa Winter is a multimedia artist who has dabbled in miniatures for decades, but life as a registered nurse during a time of political turmoil (and, eventually, a global pandemic) took a toll that led her to therapy “just to sort things out.” The...
Fun Fest returns to Turners Falls: Música Franklin hosts 6th annual family-friendly, free event, May 11
By SHERYL HUNTER
Música Franklin will host its sixth annual Fun Fest at Unity Park in Turners Falls on Saturday, May 11, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. This free festival will feature world-class musical performances, entertainment, and crafts for the whole family. You can...
Valley Bounty: Delivering local food onto students’ plates: Marty’s Local connects farms to businesses
By LISA GOODRICH
Nick Martinelli, CEO of Marty’s Local, began his career with a stint at the Farm School in Athol, hoping to learn how he might participate in the local agricultural economy. While conducting market research in 2015, he recognized there was a lot of...
Let’s Talk Relationships: Breaking up is hard to do: These tools can help it feel easier
By AMY NEWSHORE
All of us have probably decided to end a relationship at some point in our lives, as well as having been in a relationship where we were broken up with.A breakup, separation, or divorce is a pivotal and tender time in one’s life. I’d like to shed some...
Faith Matters: It gets better, and harder: Discovering a growing need to see your commitment all the way through
By THE REV. DAVID JONES
There is and there always has been within the Christian tradition a lively debate about the divinity of the person Jesus. We encounter it in our own pews at the holiest times of the year, in our unease, at Christmas, with the virgin birth, and in our...
Sounds Local: Broadway star returns to Greenfield for concert: Kevin Duda to sing with Franklin County Community Chorus this Sunday
By SHERYL HUNTER
There’s nothing like the powerful sound of voices joining together in song, and you can experience that when The Franklin County Community Chorus celebrates its 10th anniversary with a concert on Sunday, May 5, at 3 p.m. at the Greenfield High School...
Sharing the gift of spring: The tradition of making May Baskets for May Day
By TINKY WEISBLAT
May 1, May Day, arrives almost halfway between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice. Although spring officially arrives on the former day, our weather often doesn’t feel springlike until April … and, as recent weeks have shown, it can sometime...
Tips for planning a successful garden: Creating a healthy garden is all about maintaining good habits
By HENRY HOMEYER
Despite late snowstorms that dumped deep snow over much of New England, spring is finally here. Let’s take a look at some keys to a successful year in the vegetable garden.Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Yes, I grow about 40 tomato plants each...
Speaking of Nature: Bird of my dreams, it’s you: Spotting a White-tailed Tropicbird on our cruise in Bermuda
By BILL DANIELSON
It was the morning of April 16 and I was up early. It seems to be impossible for me to sleep late at this time of year because I am so excited about seeing the first birds of the season, but this particular morning was a little different. It was the...
Proof that it’s never too late: Solo exhibit and free workshops honor the late Frederick Gao, a Belchertown resident who became a painter in his last five years
By CHRIS LARABEE
For the months of May and June, the Sunderland Public Library’s Lane Family Reading Room Gallery will turn into a fount of inspiration, as the library honors the work of a late-blooming artist.Through “Awing & Honoring Frederick Gao,” the library will...
Self-expression on display: See ServiceNet members’ artwork at Greenfield Public Library
By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI
Mental health and human services provider ServiceNet will host a display of its members’ artwork at the Greenfield Public Library from Saturday, April 27, until the end of May.The nonprofit’s exhibit will display a collection of paintings,...
Embracing both new and old: Da Camera Singers celebrates 50 years in the best way they know how
By JUDSON BROWN
Da Camera Singers Director Sheila Heffernon wasn’t hiding her exasperation in addressing her tenor section after a recent rehearsal preparing the group for a 50th anniversary concert coming up May 11 and 12.“Watch me! Watch me! Watch me!” she wrote on...
Faith Matters: A pastor celebrating Passover: Unmasking false theology that has been used to justify antisemitism
By THE REV. RANDOLPH CALVO
This weekend, Jews are celebrating the feast of Passover. Passover began at sundown this past Monday and ends at sundown this coming Tuesday. Usually, Passover and Easter coincide on the calendar. However, this is a Jewish leap year. The Jewish...
Time to celebrate kids and books: Mass Kids Lit Fest offers a wealth of programs in Valley during Children’s Book Week
By STEVE PFARRER
Just in time to coincide with Children’s Book Week, a national event established in 1905, the Massachusetts Center for the Book (MCB) has created a children’s literary showcase right here in the Valley.The Mass Kids Lit Fest, a new book festival...
Sounds Local: A rock circus returns to Turners Falls: The Slambovian Circus of Dreams brings the fun Friday night at the Shea
By SHERYL HUNTER
The circus is coming to town, and not the kind with elephants and clowns. I’m talking about the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, a rock group from the Hudson Valley in New York that makes music as unique as its name. The band, which has frequently...
Rescuing food and feeding people: Rachel’s Table programs continue to expand throughout western Mass
By TINKY WEISBLAT
My great-grandmother’s oak dining table has graced my kitchen ever since my parents built the house in the 1980s. Looking at it makes me happy. The table — actually, almost any table — signifies history, nourishment, family and community.The...
A day to commune with nature: Western Mass Herbal Symposium will be held May 11 in Montague
By EVELINE MACDOUGALL
This week’s feature is my 100th Home & Garden column for the Recorder, and I’m pleased to celebrate by sharing the plans of two local women who are organizing a remarkable event for anyone interested in learning about herbal remedies and natural...
Speaking of Nature: ‘Those sound like chickens’: Wood frogs and spring peepers are back — and loud as ever
By BILL DANIELSON
During a recent lecture on evolutioin I had to explain the differences between three different processes known as geographic, temporal and behavioral isolation. Geographic isolation is the easiest of these concepts to understand because it involves...
Hitting the ceramic circuit: Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail turns 20 years old, April 27-28
By STEVE PFARRER
A lot can change in 20 years: Presidents and other politicians come and go, new cultural fads and technologies emerge, clothing styles morph, and music and movies take on different dimensions.In these parts, one tradition hasn’t changed. Since 2005,...
Best Bites: A familiar feast: The Passover Seder traditions and tastes my family holds dear
By ROBIN GOLDSTEIN
Passover has always been my favorite Jewish holiday. The Passover Seder my parents host annually in my childhood house in Northampton has been the most festive and joyous meal of the year for as long as I can remember.My dad’s childhood Seders were...
