Meet the  Hospital Hill CAC

Meet the Hospital Hill CAC

When I first heard of the decision to welcome a local military contractor, Kollmorgen Electro-Optical, to relocate to the heart of the new development on Northampton's Hospital Hill, I vented some of my frustration to a friend. I wondered how the Citizens'...
For the Faithful

For the Faithful

For 140 years, the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) has helped protect and nurture women in need of assistance, from victims of domestic violence or sexual assault to those in need of training to enter the workforce. The Western Massachusetts YWCA...
Nightcrawler: A Real Blockbuster

Nightcrawler: A Real Blockbuster

The city certainly wasn't built on rock and roll. In fact, its biggest claims to fame remain the Basketball Hall of Fame and a Wikipedia entry for being the birthplace of the sport. But in recent years, it's hard to imagine a steamy, summer Thursday night in...
Behind the Beat: Aliens Descend on the Valley

Behind the Beat: Aliens Descend on the Valley

Los Hijos Unicos is a band on a mission: to make country music cool again. This might seem like an ambitious undertaking to some, but the eight-person outfit—with members from Northampton, Somerville and the North Shore—is a confident lot. Plus, it is...
Weathering the Storm

Weathering the Storm

In spring 2006, Brattleboro was about to lose The Weathervane Cafe, one of its few music venues. Two employees, Andrea Moriarty and Gina Richard, saw unlimited potential in the place, and wanted a crack at doing things their way. So the pair pooled their resources and...