HATFIELD — Smith Academy Band recently took home two awards after performing at the Music in the Parks festival in New Jersey.
A four-day trip, which also took band members to Washington, D.C., the awards were presented at a ceremony at Six Flags Great Adventure following the band’s performance at Middletown North Nigh School.
Leah Gardner, the band director, said the band earned both an “Excellent” rating for its performance at Music in the Parks, the equivalent of getting “Gold” at the Great East Festival, and the Esprit de Corps award for being the most respectful group with the best decorum at the performance location.
Smith Academy was also technically first in its single A small-school division, though was the only school of its size competing, Gardner said.
In addition to Six Flags, members of the band visited Jenkinson’s Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, the National Mall and the Smithsonian museums that line it, and the National Zoo and the U.S. Botanic Garden.
SPRINGFIELD — The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) is seeking input from the public to improve and expand walking and bicycling infrastructure across the region’s 43 cities and towns. This updated plan, last revised in 2008, is a key resource for local municipalities, planners, and advocates working to enhance active transportation options and promote safer, more accessible streets for all.
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan outlines the status of walking and biking infrastructure in the Pioneer Valley and provides recommendations for policies and projects that will support a more connected and sustainable transportation network. The plan aims to encourage more residents to choose walking, biking, and other forms of micromobility as viable transportation options by prioritizing safety, accessibility, and efficiency.
PVPC invites community members, municipal officials, and advocacy organizations to take part in shaping the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan 2025 Update. A survey is available at pvmpo.pvpc.org/regional-bicycle-pedestrian-plan/on to encourage information from the public about locations where sidewalks, bike lanes, pedestrian crossings, or measures to slow traffic would enable people to safely walk, bike, roll or travel by wheelchair to get to school, work, shop or recreate. These suggestions will be incorporated into priorities for future initiatives.
State Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, was recently selected as the Disability Law Center’s 2025 Senate Legislator of the Year and as the Children’s League of Massachusetts’ 2025 Senate Champion for Children Award.
The Disability Law Center is a statewide private, nonprofit organization responsible for providing protection and advocacy for the rights of Massachusetts residents with disabilities. Comerford received statewide recognition for her leadership in passing legislation to curtail the state’s MassHealth estate recovery practices, which were in excess of the federally required minimum, her continued efforts to allow spouses to be paid family caregivers, and her commitment to supporting young adults living with disabilities through the Blue Envelope Program she championed.
The Children’s League of Massachusetts is a statewide nonprofit association of child and family organizations that collectively advocate for public policies and quality services that are in the best interest of children, youth, and families in the commonwealth. Comerford received recognition for her leadership of legislation to protect federal benefits owed to children in foster care and her leadership on a foster children’s bill of rights.