Cooley Dickinson to offer free valet parking
NORTHAMPTON — Beginning Monday, Dec. 1, Cooley Dickinson Hospital will offer complimentary valet parking services for patients and visitors. The new service is part of the hospital’s ongoing commitment to improving the patient experience and ensuring a safe, welcoming environment for all who visit Cooley Dickinson Hospital.
The valet team will be stationed at the hospital’s Main and North entrances Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the exception of Mass General Brigham-observed holidays, to assist patients and visitors, particularly those with medical conditions or mobility challenges that make walking any distance a challenge.
The addition of valet parking also contributes to more efficient use of existing parking spaces and helps create a positive first impression that reflects the hospital’s dedication to professional and compassionate care.
Goshen Bingo fundraiser set for Nov. 9
GOSHEN — The Goshen Open Space Committee will host a Bingo fundraiser on Sunday, Nov. 9, 1:30-3:30 pm, in the Goshen Town Hall, 42 Main St. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m.
The suggested donation is $20, with proceeds going to the Re-imagine Goshen Center project.
Participants will receive ten games of Bingo and a door prize ticket. Additional bingo card sets and daubers are available for a suggested donation of $5 and $1. Raffle and quilt tickets will also be available.
Prizes include gift cards from George Propane, Ashfield Hardware, Cichy’s Garage, Chesterfield General Store, Sugarloaf Gardens and more. Other prizes from Paul’s Sugar House, Williamsburg Blacksmiths, plus quilts, wall hangings, reed baskets, hand knitted items, and much more.
To register, mail a check and include your email address (for confirmation) to Town of Goshen, Open Space Committee, 40 Main Street, Goshen, MA 01032. In the memo field, write Re-Imagine Bingo.
For more information: Call Lorraine at 413-268-3660, or email reimaginegoshen01032@gmail.com.
Journalist Chideya to deliver Ellsberg Lecture at UMass
AMHERST — The Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will host award-winning journalist, author, and radio host Farai
Chideya for the 4th Annual Ellsberg Lecture on Wednesday, Nov. 19, from
7–8:30 p.m., in ILC S211.
In her talk, “How to Read the United States on the Eve of 250,” Chideya will examine the perilous state of American democracy as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.
Drawing on decades of experience covering presidential politics, social change, and the media, she will explore the roots of the country’s democratic crises and what it means to
navigate truth, power, and belonging in a fractured political landscape.
Chideya is an independent journalist who created Our Body Politic, a nationally syndicated public radio show and podcast centering Black women and all women of color.
The show produced “January 6: An American Story,” a documentary about BIPOC investigators on the January 6th Committee. She is the author of six books, including “The
Episodic Career: How to Thrive at Work in the Age of Disruption.”
Chideya has covered every presidential election since 1996 and has worked for outlets including FiveThirtyEight, NPR, CNN, and ABC News. Born and raised in Baltimore, she is a graduate of Harvard University and lives in Brooklyn, New York, and Washington, D.C.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.eipad.org.
Blais, Comerford named to state-owned land commission
BOSTON — Rep. Natalie M. Blais, D-Deerfield, and Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, recently accepted appointments to Gov. Maura Healey’s Commission on Payments in Lieu of Taxes for State-Owned Land.
The commission, created through an executive order signed on Aug. 13, will advise Healey and her administration on potential reforms to the PILOT program to ensure geographic fairness in the allocation of PILOT funding.
To learn more about the commission and its scope, visit here.