Overview:
Summit Run alters course for Sept. 21 race in Hadley;
NORTHAMPTON — A Valley Interfaith Forum on “Confronting the Immigration Deportation Crisis” will be held at First Churches in downtown Northampton on Saturday from 1 to 5:30 p.m.
Organized by members of area faith communities, the program will include two panels, a keynote speaker, and a “Call to Action Fair.”
The first panel, “America’s Immigration Divide: Welcome vs. Exclusion,” will summarize the conflicted history and tortured present status of immigrants in the United States. Speakers will include Joyce Avrech Berkman, a UMass Amherst historian emerita; David Hernandez, a Latin(x) scholar at Mount Holyoke College; Pamela Stuart, an attorney based in Washington, D.C.; and Sara Weinberger, a Gazette columnist.
The second panel, “Confronting the Immigration Crisis in the Valley,” will review Valley-based experience and programs that support immigrants, including personal accounts by two foreign-born U.S. citizens now living and working in the Valley.
The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Cristina Rathbone, author of “The Asylum Seekers,” and currently congregational coordinator for immigration at the Massachusetts Council of Churches in Boston. Following the onset of COVID, Rathbone partnered with Episcopal Migration Ministries to launch the national support network “Neighbor to Neighbor” (N2N).
Finally, the “Call to Action Fair” starting about 4 p.m. in the parish hall will encourage audience members to mingle with immigrant support staff (and each other) to learn how they can become involved in the fight to support immigrant neighbors and friends.
The forum is free and registration is not required.
Event to kick off Holyoke’s Puerto Rican Cultural District
HOLYOKE — Nueva Esperanza Inc., together with local partners, will kick off the Puerto Rican Cultural District in Holyoke with a celebration on Monday, Sept. 15, from 5-7 p.m., at Armour Yard, 164 Race St.
This kick-off is an invitation to the entire community to experience the richness of Puerto Rican culture, connect with local artists, and celebrate Holyoke’s cultural heritage. It will include music, dance, art and food.
Event highlights include a salsa lesson with Roshay, where people can learn to move to the rhythm in a beginner-friendly session; art mobile “Splattery,” a hands-on, interactive art experience for all ages, and free food options while supplies last.
Nueva Esperanza is a community-centered organization dedicated to fostering cultural engagement, supporting local artists, and creating spaces for education and celebration in Holyoke for the Puerto Rican community.
Summit Run alters course for Sept. 21 race in Hadley
HADLEY — On Sunday, Sept. 21, at 9:30 a.m., runners will take their marks at the foot of Old Mountain Road in Hadley for the 45th annual Summit Run 5K.
Sponsored by the Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club, the Summit Run 5K is a scenic and challenging race climbing 800 feet to the top of Mount Holyoke in Skinner State Park, ending at the historic Summit House with sweeping views of the Pioneer Valley.
This year, the race directors have changed the beginning of the course to avoid the stretch that previously ran along Route 47. The race now starts at the north end of Old Mountain Road. Racers will run up the road to the park gate, turn right to continue down Old Mountain Road for 0.4 miles, then turn around and run back through the park gate and up Skinner State Park Road to the summit.
Water will be available at mile 2 and at the finish, along with other refreshments. Timing will be provided by Rat Race Timing, with instant results available upon finishing.
Overall and age-group winners will receive an Atkins Farms apple pie, sponsored by Fee Only Financial Planning.
Registration is $40 through Sept. 20. Race-day registration is $45. A portion of the race proceeds will be donated to the Kestrel Land Trust to support local land conservation.
To learn more or register, visit: https://raceroster.com/events/2025/98457/summit-run-5k
Workshop to focus on smartphone photos
BELCHERTOWN — The Quabbin Photo Group invites the public to a program on Monday, Sept. 22, led by award-winning photographer Linda Repasky, “From Meh to Stunning: Smartphone Photography for Nature & Landscapes.”
The program will be held at the Belchertown Recreation Department, 66 State St. (located behind the Belchertown Police Department), at 7 p.m. The evening is open to anyone curious about turning everyday phone shots into wall-worthy images.
The program will show attendees how the camera in their pocket can do more than take snapshots. Attendees will learn practical techniques and in-phone features that make an immediate difference, exposure and focus control, composition tips, burst modes, panoramas, macro close-ups, and simple edits that bring out detail and color in outdoor scenes.
Repasky is a Belchertown photographer who captures the beauty of local natural resources with her iPhone. Repasky is a frequent explorer of the Quabbin Reservoir and an avid macro photographer, revealing the tiny patterns, textures, and details in nature that most of us walk past. Her iPhone images have earned recognition in numerous international photography competitions, and you can view her work on Instagram at @lindarepaskyphotography (www.instagram.com/lindarepaskyphotography).
Founded by renowned nature photographer Les Campbell, the Quabbin Photo Group celebrates the natural beauty of the Quabbin Region through monthly public programs, guest speakers, and opportunities for photographers of all levels to learn, experiment, and share their work.
For more information about the program, contact Program Chair Ed Comeau at ecomeau@comeauphotography.com. To learn more about the Quabbin Photo Group, reach out to President Mark Lindhult at mlindhult@gmail.com.