Oh, Valley, we’ve loved you for such a long time now; we just wanted to count the ways. In celebration of the Valley Advocate’s relaunch we’re holding a love-in, right here, in these pages, right now. But we don’t have a rosy, puppy love going on with you, Valley. Oh, no. We love it all, from the bottom of your un-dredged ponds to the tops of the hot air balloons that sail overhead. We love you like Shakespeare loved his mistress whose “eyes are nothing like the sun,” or like how James Baldwin loved America more than any other country in this world, and, for this reason he “insisted on the right to criticize her perpetually.” We love you like John Legend loves Chrissy Teigen, we “love your curves and all your edges. All your perfect imperfections.” So, let’s feel the love with this expansion of the Advocate’s regular “5 Things We Love About …” feature. Here’s a whole bunch of 5 Things We Love about the Valley.
Politics
Power to the people. Whether it’s a Town Meeting that carries on for weeks, or the quick removal of a politician who isn’t getting the job done, Valley residents like action in their government — and demand it. We’re thinking, in particular, about the swift work of East Longmeadow residents this spring when two selectboard members tried to hire a town administrator and police chief despite objections from residents and municipal officials. It took residents less than a month to oust the offending board members, reinstate the former board chairman, and nix the hires.
Town Meetings. And about those Town Meetings: sure they can be tiring when they unfold over weeks, four hours at a time — looking at you, Amherst — but the level of democracy those events show is what an ideal American government is all about; people coming together to debate, persuade, and vote.
kristin palpiniJames Steinberg, front, and others, stand to be sworn in as Amherst Town Meeting members Monday at Amherst Middle School.
Liberals. The Valley is home to a quality concentration of liberal-minded politically active people. Some folks blame this pervasive attitude on naivety, but they’re wrong. Recognizing that everyone is worthy of respect and that all of our fortunes are linked is practical thinking.
Weighing in. Whether its taking a vote to condemn North Carolina’s transgender discrimination, or to stay out of the Iraq War, we love that area governing boards take the time to debate and weigh in on national issues. Sure, they’re non-binding referendums, but it beats staying silent.
Forums galore. The word “forum” is light on inspiration, but we’re glad we get a chance to use it so much anyway. The Valley is teeming with forums on everything from how charter schools could impact a local school district, to the pros and cons of medical weed, to whether children should sleep in later before school starts, to who should fill Rep. Ellen Story’s seat when she retires. What we’re saying is, you can always count on people in the Valley to care about their communities enough to show up for an informational lecture, Q&A, or full-on debate.
People on Social Media
Tom Pappalardo. Northampton-based comic artist, illustrator, writer, and jokester. Creator of the strips Whiskey! Tango! Foxtrot! and The Optimist. @tompappalardo
Yana Tallon-Hicks. Sex columnist and pleasure-positive educator. Author of the Advocate’s weekly column The V Spot. @the_valleyvspot
Matt Burkhartt. Staff photojournalist at The Recorder, covering Western Mass life in quirky, powerful images. @MattBurkhartt
Is the A Back in Calvin? Keeping a close eye on the Calvin Theatre marquee’s missing vowel. Previous projects include tracking the C, which also went missing. @TheCisBackInCalvin
Larry Kelley. One of Amherst’s most agitated citizens is always on the prowl, in-person and online, for local scoops, neighborhood news, and the next vat of ointment to fly into. Picture Howard Stern moving to the country, getting a journalism degree, and starting a blog called “Only in the Republic of Amherst,” and you’re already halfway inside Kelley’s head. @amherstac
BONUS: The Valley Advocate, of course! @ValleyAdvocate
Springfield
Fireworks. The Spirit of Springfield has been organizing massive July 4 fireworks displays for more than 25 years, drawing tens of thousands of people out of their homes to watch the night sky light up with 152 waves of bright, colorful explosions. Bet you didn’t know it takes seven pyrotechnicians four days to set up the annual fireworks display and the largest mortar fired is six-inches around, did ya?
Mmmmm … The city is loaded with hidden-gem restaurants, little places in strip malls, homes, side streets, or jammed between a row of shops. Their doors may be common, but the food is a shot of flavor that will shake the ho-hum from any palate. The variety of cuisine available in Springfield boasts more excellent small restaurants than we could list, so here’s a sample of our favorites: Eat, Saray II, Moctezuma’s Tradition and Flavor, Chef Wayne’s Big Mamou, Typical Sicilian Restaurant, A Touch of Garlic, El Salvador Restaurant, Rufus’ Full Flavor Diner, Puerto Rican Bakery and Restaurant, Peppas, Primo’s Pizza, Boriquen & Quisqueya, Vinh Chau, Queenie’s Island Cuisine and Grill, Palate, El Caribeno, and De Todo Uno Poco.
Cool buildings. Springfield’s collection of historic architecture has turned many of the city’s streets and blocks into all-weather museums. Many of the ornate, Victorian- and Greek Revival-inspired, brick and stone buildings were constructed between the mid and late 1800s. Best viewing is downtown, where most of these towering beauties are located.
Dragon boats. Taking advantage of the city’s location along the Connecticut River, Springfield has an annual Dragon Boat Festival. Hosted by the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club, this family-friendly event features, food, music, vendors, kids activities and, of course, dragon boat races. Dragon boating is a 2,000-year-old sport that puts up to 20 paddlers side by side in a 40 foot long boat that looks like a dragon. This year, teams will race each other on June 25 from the newly renovated North Riverfront Park. Definitely stop by at noon and see the Hong Ting Duong Lion Dancers perform.
Indian Orchard mill buildings. These buildings are being renovated into maker and artist spaces much like how Eastworks in Easthampton, Open Square in Holyoke, and the Arts and Industry Building in Florence have turned cavernous empty edifices into lively workspaces. Located along the Chicopee River, there are more than 50 artists with studios at the mills.
Foods We Crave
Any pizza at Magpie. Hope & Olive has upped the dining game in Greenfield, but the food at its sister restaurant, Magpie Woodfired Pizza, is just as delicious and crave-worthy.
The margaritas at La Veracruzana. The Amherst location, mind you — makes the best margaritas in the Five-College area. That’s right, we said it. The only reason we weren’t certain we should include them on this list is because we’re afraid the well-kept secret will get out and we’ll have to start waiting in line for them.
Chilean Sweets’ alfajores. A rich mound of dulce de leche pressed between two butter cookies and dipped in chocolate. The cookies are baked in Easthampton and cost about $2.50 each — worth it — and can be purchased at retailers in Northampton, Sunderland, Williamsburg, and Easthampton.
Falafel pocket from Pita Pockets. For a reasonable $7, Northampton Pita Pockets owner George Ejja will personally make you “the best falafel pocket ever.” He makes this promise to every customer in line during his busy lunch rushes. We keep waiting — but hoping not to — to prove him wrong, thinking that maybe this is the time he’ll make us something slightly subpar, the falafel perhaps less crispy and savory, maybe the creamy, tangy tzatziki sauce compliments it a little less perfectly. George has kept his promise.
Panucho at Three Stones. Three Stones Mexican Maya Cocina on Canal Street in Brattleboro looks like a busted trailer on the side of the road, so at first, it seems strange to see a line of people standing outside waiting to get in. Take our advice: Get in line. The authentic Mayan food is outstanding and inside the restaurant is clean, comfortable, and well-decorated with Mexican art. A panucho is a fresh, homemade tortilla stuffed with refried beans, pan fried, and then piled high with spicy tomatoes, fresh herbs, stewed chicken, rice and beans —heaven.
Northampton
Panhandlers. What? Yes. Northampton wouldn’t be Northampton without the woman selling knits for $1 outside of Go Berry, or Spider, or the military vet on crutches, or the guy with the guitar and bandana. Poverty isn’t a crime and Northampton knows it.
Vibrance. As an artistic and academic community, Northampton has a lot going on in the way of culture. The art galleries, music scene, and theater venues all contribute, but the street culture is what makes the place interesting. People here aren’t afraid to express themselves. Expect to see the unexpected in Northampton.
Conversations. We admit it. We’re habitual eavesdroppers. Working for the Advocate, we spend much of our day in Northampton and are constantly walking through conversations that make us want to know more. Recently overheard: “I tried to give it back to him, but some people don’t want their ex’s vibrator, I guess.”
First Churches. Whether it’s hosting a protest on the front lawn, giving Bread not Bombs a place to hand out sandwiches, or opening up the church for a fundraiser, First Churches on Main Street in Northampton is a community institution. It’s also a great place to sit on the steps and people watch.
Food and drink. Yes, we’ve got one-track minds. In Northampton, you can get a world-class cocktail, Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican, and Tibetan cuisine, and a really good cup of coffee, all within a two-block radius. How great is that?
Front Yards
This dragon in Goshen. How cool is this creature? It’s a Franklin County icon. It’s an outdoor fireplace for chilly nights. It’s the centerpiece of environmental artist Richard Richardson’s quirky roadside property along Route 112, home of the Good Time Stove Company and the Three Sisters Sanctuary, which offers some magical and spiritually calming real estate that passers-by are welcome to stroll through.
Bike fence. There’s so much going on in the front yard of this North Farms Road home in Florence, let’s break it down piece by piece. First up: There is a metal man with a typewriter for a head and a burst of snarled wires for hair sitting on a bench reading a scrap metal book; then there’s the fence made of bicycle wheels decorated with a bleached bovine skull; a tall salvage-metal crane chills in some tall grass; and a robot throwing its head.
Mini Fenway. One West Springfield-er (baseball pun fail) has recreated Fenway Park in his backyard, complete with a scoreboard and a Citgo logo over the left field wall. It’s marked with a sign that reads “Boston Marathon Memorial Park” and a neighbor tells us the resident built it so his son could feel like he was playing in the big-league stadium. Very cool.
Hampden giraffe. Quirky and fun without being too over the top, this front yard giraffe in Hampden makes us smile every time we drive by.
The TARDIS. We’re not sure whether this Montague resident built this police box as a deceptively spacious tool shed or purely to delight passing nerds. Check it out on your way past the town common, if it hasn’t jumped already.
Activism
Campus movements. Students up and down the Valley get that progress comes not only from passion and principle, but from collaborating and communicating.
Allies. Not every community in America has a firm sense of what being a good ally can symbolize and help facilitate. Problematic dynamics exist here in the Valley, too, of course, but we’re getting there, and we have the opportunity to model healthy ally culture for anyone who’s watching.
Labor. Corruption, inequitable taxation, stagnant wages, and the dissolution of American labor unions has turned the modern workforce upside-down, but organizing and education groups like Arise for Social Justice, Verite, and Western Mass Jobs with Justice are striving to set it right.
Immigration. The population of Western Mass does have its broad heterogeneous swaths, but everyone is everywhere, to some degree. Local services work to provide practical support for the newly arrived — the Ascentria Refugee and Immigrant Services office in Westfield is just one example — and we’re proud that so many towns and cities provide a strong sense of neighborhood, friendly outreach, and a robust calendar of community events. That’s what truly helps make a place into a home.
Generations. When you attend a vigil, a rally, a community forum, or a gathering in your own backyard, invite your kids, and commit to engaging with them on hard topics. You don’t need to think of yourself as an Activist with a capital “A” to further the Valley’s reputation for a place that breeds compassionate critical thinkers.
Music
In the studio. The area is home to lots of recording studios, each with their own styles and costs. Shout outs to Northfire, The Rotary, Zing, Signature Sounds, Goofy Goober, Sonelab, Spirithouse, Dead Air, Shoestring, Night Train, and Slaughterhouse.
Alternative venues. It’s great to see a show at Mountain Park or Symphony Hall, the Academy of Music, Mullins Center, or MassMutual Center. But hitting a small venue, with a packed house, cheap drinks, and loud music creates a community within a party. So, thanks to the Shea, The Nest, Bing!, Gateway City Arts, Flywheel, Arts Block, The Tank, Mocha Maya’s, The Vouz, MaxCap, the Still, the Waterfront, Parlor Room, and many more for providing hot spots to see local acts.
Variety. This isn’t a one-note Valley. The music scene here is wide and varied, but with serious cred in jazz, punk, grunge, alt, gypsy, jam, and folk.
Festivals. Hosting festivals before they were “festies,” Western Mass has a slew of multi-day concerts. Kicking off and closing the season, with festivals on Memorial and Labor day weekends, is Strangecreek in Greenfield, a crunchy old hippie’s delight. Then there’s the big boy, Green River Fest, also in Greenfield, in June with more than 50 acts on multiple stages — plus balloon rides. Apple Jam, Pig Jam, Jazz in July, D’Jango in June, Springfield Roots Jazz Festival, Frendly Fest, Springfield’s Indie Soul Fest, and Freshgrass are all coming up.
Meet the musicians. They work, live, and play here. Also, they often get a drink after a set here.
Trails
Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary. 127 Combs Road, Easthampton
Barton Cove. 82 French King Highway, Gill
The Seven Sisters (via the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail). Hadley and South Hadley
Robinson State Park. 462 North St., Feeding Hills
Chesterfield Gorge.
Amherst
Ultimate. It doesn’t take a genius to invent a game based on throwing random objects around — Lord knows enough teenagers do that already — but Amherst College turned it into a true sport in the mid-’60s, when students there established the rules of team Frisbee. Today, it’s inescapable — especially on beautiful afternoons in pretty parks (like, say, the Amherst Commons).
The Brickyard. This conservation area is an easy bike ride from town, a lot less trafficked in summer than Puffer’s Pond and a sublime place to birdspot and find some inner peace. Plus it has an excellent swimming hole, complete with a bridge to jump off of, but we won’t tell you exactly where it is — go find it yourself.
The Fine Arts Center. It’s not just one of the best-programmed performance and arts venues in Western Mass. As a cultural destination, the FAC brings in business and visitors. It offers wide-ranging arts and education programs to the Five Colleges. It’s a huge cultural library and resource center for teachers and students everywhere. Best of all: it features work by BFA and MFA students at the university.
A way with words. From the simple eloquence of Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson to the bizarro candid essays of Augusten Burroughs to the next generation of homegrown writers, Amherst is the cornerstone of the Valley’s reputable history as a place for poetry and well-crafted language. That’s bolstered every year by programs like the Juniper Summer Writing Institute at UMass, local writing workshops and retreats hosted by Writing Full Tilt, and social writing groups like Amherst Writers & Artists.
The Black Sheep. Always, and forever, the best black-and-white cookies around.
Fashion
Work. It varies office by office, but in general the Valley has a more relaxed attitude toward work attire. We’re not awash in black suits, shoulder pads, shined pumps, pin-straight hair, and tailored pants. As long as there are no holes, of the unironic variety, in your togs and buttons somewhere on your outfit, you’re kind of good.
Ink. Wearing your heart on your sleeve is taken literally around here. The area is home to scores of talented tattoo artists and thousands of people eager to commission permanent masterpieces.
Vintage. We love thrift shopping. It’s where all the best T-shirts, jeans, jackets, and hats can be found.
Art. We’re a community of individuals who value fresh expression and that means there’s a big market for custom, wearable pieces of art. Galleries and converted mill buildings up and down I-91 are stocked with artisan jewelry, scarves, knits, belts, ties, and pins. It’s pretty common to see people wearing hand-poured silver earrings underneath Red Sox caps, is what we’re saying.
Converse All-Stars. Never. Let. Go.
Greenfield
Beacon Field. Most towns around here have an open space as important as Beacon Field is to Greenfield. Even so, there’s something special about this big, humble expanse of grass. It’s hard to put into words why Beacon Field ties local families and generations together so strongly. But when you’re out there on your picnic blanket at night, munching potato salad and watching the Fourth of July fireworks overhead, it all sinks in.
The Garden Cinema. No, we don’t have an XD screen. No, our chairs aren’t leather. No, they don’t recline. Get outta town — this isn’t a cruise line. It’s an old movie theater. It’s banged-up, but it’s still standing. You can get in for five bucks. It’s got pinball. You know half the people in there on any given day. It’s perfect.
Great places to stock up. Ryan and Casey Liquors has an excellent selection and really knowledgeable staff. Foster’s Market is one the best, most endearing old independent grocery stores in the Pioneer Valley. BJ’s kicks wholesale butt. And no-frills storefronts like Bootlegger’s and The Outlet Store offer supplies, coats, shoes, and everything else to suit your all-terrain, all-weather needs.
Village Pizza. It’s not the only pizza in town. But it’s one of the best places for a pepperoni pie for miles around, and it’s pretty easy on the wallet. Don’t go for the ambiance — stop in for a deeply delicious comfort slice or two.
That big fake tree trunk in the Stop & Shop plaza that’s also an ATM. Seriously, what is that?
Science and technology
kristin palpiniNew Idea
Tech Foundry. This nonprofit is on a mission to make Western Mass the Northeast’s tech capital and provide youth with the IT skills they need to succeed in the modern economic landscape. Need for tech skilled workers is growing across all industry sectors, according to the Springfield Economic Development Council, and teaching these skills to area youth goes a long way toward insuring the city’s economic future.
TechSpring. Baystate’s “technology innovation center” is enabling tech companies in the Valley and beyond to make use of Baystate Health’s vast wealth of healthcare data to develop and test new technologies for the medical field. The aim is to accelerate development by connecting healthcare professionals and technologists.
High performance computing. Projects like Holyoke’s Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) is a collaboration between the state, EMC2, Cisco, several high-powered academic institutions. The center is supporting research by running millions of virtual experiments related to the development of new drugs and materials, analyzing data sets from crop pathogens to gravity waves, and running complex climate modelling systems, right here in our own backyard.
Growing opportunities. UMass’ Center for Data Science just received $15 million from MassMutual to build up its data science and cybersecurity programs. HCC’s $10 million Center for Life Sciences amounts to a big boost for accessible life science education. Delcie Bean, serial tech entrepreneur and Paragus Strategic IT CEO, says he’s excited about the number of tech-focused startups that are coming out of the Valley Venture Mentors, a program which helps local businesses get started.
Innovation districts and revitalization. Holyoke and Springfield, both “Gateway cities,” have embraced innovation districts as an urban planning model. They’re the perfect examples of cities that have struggled since their manufacturing bases declined, but there are plenty of reasons to feel hopeful about revitalization efforts. The idea behind an innovation district is that a city which may be lagging in employment but has a lot of great existing architecture gets wired up with the kind of things that tech companies need to hit the ground running, creating the base for a modernized economy. All of the businesses and nonprofits mentioned in this list, and many more, are working hard at brightening the future in Western Mass.
Vibes
Cottage Street in Easthampton. The street is wicked fun at night. That’s no news flash — the downtown street has some well-established spots to get food and drink, like the Brass Cat and Amy’s Place. But it’s more eclectic than ever along that strip, with options for ice cream, speakeasy cocktails, live music, and cheap pints. And the recently renovated waterfront walk along Nashawannuck Pond provides Cottage Street’s night crowd with a little extra space to get out under the stars. Just be careful not to get lost in the Beer-muda Triangle. 
Ale House. The vibe at the Ale House on Worthington Street in Springfield is straight out of Cheers. People are welcomed convivialy — regulars by name — the box of Primo’s Pizza at the end of the bar is for everybody, and the drinks are so cheap there’s a well-established custom of buying rounds for new friends. Plus beer pong and a great jukebox selection.
Another sentimental favorite. The Montague Mill building, for its sun-soaked floors, rooms of books, the calm hideaway corners of the Lady Killigrew Cafe, the refined quiet of the Alvah Stone restaurant, and the building’s upstairs concert space, which is the Valley’s best place to watch a show on a funky old couch.
Downtown Shelburne Falls. As quintessential as a Rockwell painting, as friendly as your grandma’s house, and as charmingly historic as, well, pretty much everything else in this neck of the Hilltowns. Serene, stuffed with ephemera, and sprinkled with great food spots — from the cheap to-go tacos at Ponte to the French white-tablecloth treatment at Gypsy Apple, Bridge Street is so evocative of a bygone era that Hollywood can’t leave it alone (recent films shot there include Labor Day and The Judge). Did we mention the candlepin bowling?
Hadley farms. Steer yourself out of the fray that is Route 2 between Amherst and Northampton and head down Hadley’s South Maple Street, and all your commuter stress falls away. Hadley’s gorgeous farmland unfolds on all sides as you point your car in the direction of the Holyoke Range, which sits solid and green against a big open sky. The drive is so nice, you might be tempted to glide on past Flayvors of Cook Farm — but, of course, you should probably stop for ice cream.
Pretentiousness
Properly pronounced words.
Excellent cheese.
An insane variety of craft beer.
The ubiquity of the lime green Prius.
No shortage of reclaimed, repurposed, refurbished stools on which to sit.
Southern Vermont
Sandglass Theater. This unique theater is all about puppets. Sandglass creates new work and hosts other artists to promote the art of puppetry and expose audiences to diverse styles and traditions of doll manipulation. Funk-ay.
Book stores and exchanges. Have you ever gone to Vermont and not come back with a sack of used books? We haven’t. If you’re looking for a book sale or exchange, Southern Vermont has you covered. Check out upcoming sales here: www.booksalefinder.com/VT.html.
Ice cream. Thanks to its many dairy farms, Southern Vermont may have the highest concentration of amazing soft serve and ice cream in the nation. If you’re a frozen freak, you’ve got to take a road trip along the border and hit up these places: Wilcox, Walpole, Fast Eddie’s, Scoops, Blueberry Haus, Ice Cream Machine, Stewart’s Shop, Ben & Jerry’s, Arlington Dairy Barn, Billy T’s, Tastee Freez, Northfield Creamie. Really, we could go on.
Rock River. Where else are you going to find a sanctioned nude, gay swimming hole? On the outskirts of Brattleboro, is Gay Beach, a clothing optional area within the Rock River Preservation.
Hamilton Falls. Not far off Route 30, Hamilton Falls in Jamaica may be the most awe-inspiring falls in the state. The waters of the Cobb Brook plummet 125 feet down a steep rock face and splash down in the West River. It’s gorgeous and photogenic, but stick to the path, the rocks are slippery and dangerous to climb — 10 people have died on the falls. No swimming is permitted.
Local farming
Barstow’s Longview Farm. This is what the future of family farming looks like. The farm utilizes a human-free robotic milking system to streamline the process and improve the comfort of the animals. They’ve installed a closed-loop anaerobic digester to convert their farm and food waste into heat, electricity, and fertilizer. Sound cutting edge? Actually, it’s a lot like a cow’s stomach. Microorganisms convert the waste into gas that powers an engine, reducing waste and environmental impact. Sounds like a win to us.
Legacy of working the land. Western Mass is regarded to have some of the richest agricultural soil in the world. Hadley lays claim to the title of “Asparagus Capital of the World” and many dairy farms have been handed down generation to generation. No farms, no food; we get that here.
CISA. We love the variety of locally produced farm products that are accessible to us in the Valley. The South Deerfield-based nonprofit Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), which has been performing its mission to support local farmers for over 20 years, lists 275 Western Mass farms on its website. Want honey? Sure, check out Warm Colors Apiary, or one of the many others throughout the region. Mushrooms? Yup, Hadley Mushroom Farm has you covered. Meat and dairy? You’ve got options. Veggies? Please.
Home gardening. It seems like gardens are popping up on any open patch of dirt in Western Mass as more people than ever are growing at least a small portion of their own food. Whether it’s at an urban or community garden, or just out in the backyard, people in the Valley are getting their hands in the dirt. That’s a good thing not only from a sustainability perspective, but from a personal and community perspective, too.
History
Did a monkey burn down Springfield City Hall? In 1905 Springfield’s City Hall burned to the ground in less than an hour. A New York Times article at the time said the $50,000 hall was completely destroyed and employees barely escaped the blaze. The fire was caused, allegedly, by a monkey who was hanging out in Assembly Hall as part of an ongoing fair, knocked over an unattended kerosene lamp. The charges against the monkey didn’t stick, however, and the true cause of the fire was never nailed down.
Dinosaurs. The first dinosaur tracks in North America were discovered right here in the Valley. Credit goes to Pliny Moody, the South Hadley farm boy who stumbled upon them in a family field circa 1800. Thanks, Pliny! The tracks are all over the Valley, as it turns out — Greenfield, Turners Falls, Holyoke — preserved in what was once subtropical swamp soil, about 200 million years ago.
Sojourner Truth. The abolitionist and women’s rights activist escaped slavery in upstate New York and toured her lectures around the country, but it was Northampton’s abolitionist-founded Association of Education and Industry that attracted her to the Valley in 1844. In 1850, she bought a home in what would become Florence for $300, the same year she spoke at the first National Women’s Rights Convention, held in Worcester.
Native American heritage. King Philip’s War, the bloody string of sieges waged between 1675 and 1678 throughout New England, marked a big shift away from 10,000 years of Native American culture toward small-town Anglo-American life. We can’t change the past, but we can rewind the tape, and study and honor what we learn. Local programs like the Nolumbeka Project in Greenfield, which works to preserve tribal heritage, and events like the annual Pocumtuck Homelands Festival in Turners Falls, help to make this possible.
Ghosts. Not everyone believes in them. But living in homes as old as many are around here, everyone seems to have a personal story about an encounter with the otherworldly. Savor them or scrap them — they still give you chills.
Green
Hampshire College Solar Power. In February 2015, the Hampshire College Board of Trustees approved a plan to generate nearly 90 percent of its electricity from ground-mounted solar arrays, with a goal to reach 100 percent through additional panels on rooftops, parking lot canopies, and research-oriented panels on active farmland.
Living Building Challenge. Hampshire College is back on the list, this time with the K.W. Kern building, which generates its own electricity, collects its own water, and was built avoiding toxic “red list” chemicals using materials from local and regional sources.
The Conway School. This graduate program in sustainable landscape planning and design uses the Valley as its lab and learning space, with students using what they learn to help plan or build regional projects in coordination with conservation agencies, land trusts, citizen groups, municipal planners, and nonprofit organizations. Recent student projects have touched on themes of conservation, food and farms, green cities, regenerative design, and restoration.
Divestment. In May, at the behest of student activists, UMass became the first major public university to divest its endowment from direct holdings in fossil fuels. The decision was made by a unanimous vote of the board of directors of the UMass Foundation, the nonprofit that oversees the campus system’s endowment, which stands at about $770 million.
Permaculture. There’s a lot of it around here. The Permaculture Guild of Western Massachusetts organizes events and a platform for people interested in the sustainable landscaping/farming/gardening method to stay connected. And there are permaculture gardens and farms up for touring at Neustras Raíces, Pink Palace, and Paradise Lot, all of Holyoke; UMass Amherst’s Permaculture Garden outside the Franklin Dining Commons; Tripple Brook Farm and Bioshelter, both of Amherst; Birch Brook Farm in Shelburne; and Hickory Gardens of Leverett.
Miscellaneous
The mural on the back of Pivot Media on Maple Street in Florence. Jim Gipe, Martin Bridge, and Justin Norris painted the image, which depicts a gigantic robin, feet firmly planted in the landscape of the Pioneer Valley, engaging in a tug-of-war with three industrial workers whose drudgery is further enhanced by the smog filled cityscape background behind them.
Buskers. Some street musicians play because they need money. Some just play for fun. Should it really matter who belongs to which group, when it means downtown is lit up with music?
Boswell. Few independent bookstores in the Valley can match the cozy, creaky-floored, riverside appeal of Boswell’s Books. And that Shelburne Falls shop has a big leg up (or four) on the competition because it’s also the home of Boswell, the fanciest kitty for miles around. Boswell knows that he (or she — the specific cat has varied over the decades) will get lots of love, hugs, and ear scritches from customers. In return, we are welcomed by a soft furry mascot for all that is good and adorable about local business. Like Mr. Tumnus, roving the thick of the Narnia woods, Boswell is always there to greet us.
The scar left by the 2011 tornado in Monson. How can we love a path of destruction? Because of the way it has healed. Over time the vegetation has slowly begun to come back and the new homes are stunning. The clock tower of the church looks pretty good, too. It reminds us of how the community can come together for good when faced with despair.
The “A” in Calvin. Wherever you are, we love you. Come home soon.•
