Sabadosa to hold town hall Saturday in Northampton
NORTHAMPTON — Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampotn, will hold a Town Hall discussion on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 1 pm at the Forbes Library. The event will last until 3 p.m. and will feature updates on the legislative session, specific policy updates, and a question-and-answer session. All are welcome to attend.
Handmade pottery show in Hatfield
HATFIELD — Potter and Hatfield native Amy Clark is packing up her artwork and heading home to host the Ocean Fire Pottery Holiday Show on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 29-30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The sale is happening where the potter’s career started, at her childhood home of 77 Depot Road in Hatfield.
Visitors can select from a huge selection of one-of-a-kind pottery fresh out of the kiln, and enjoy wines from grapes grown and hand-pressed just up the road, at Black Birch Vineyard.
Clark learned her craft and launched her career in the area, attending Smith Academy and studying ceramics at UMass. In 1994, she and her father built a pottery studio in the tobacco barn on the family farm in Hatfield. She worked from this studio, building up a local following while bartending at the Whately Inn and teaching pottery at Amherst Regional High School and Deerfield Academy Summer Arts Camp.
Working closely with a potter in Vermont, she learned the traditional wood-firing process, and in 2009, opened her studio and gallery, Ocean Fire Pottery, in York, Maine. Throughout this time, she has maintained her many close ties to the area, and has a strong local contingent of fans, supporters and collectors.
Admission and parking are free.
Small Business Saturday at ARTery in Holyoke
HOLYOKE — Downtown Holyoke is gearing up for Small Business Saturday on Nov. 29, from 11 to 5, with the ARTery at 289 High St. leading the celebration. As Holyoke continues to bring new life back to its classic shopping district, visitors will find High Street clean, welcoming, decorated for the holidays, and easy to explore with free weekend parking.
The heart of the day is the ARTery, Holyoke Art Inc.’s creative marketplace featuring more than 150 local artists and makers with original works from fine art and jewelry to clothing, prints, and handmade gifts.
A major highlight this year is a chance to drop in for a mini SPLATery session—a colorful, joyfully messy painting experience where visitors create a burst-of-energy abstract artwork. The SPLATery usually requires booking ahead, but for Small Business Saturday the doors are open for spontaneous $5 walk-ins. Visitors can make a mini masterpiece in minutes, no appointment necessary.
The ARTery will also host “Chibi Portraits with Ashley Fenix,” an afternoon painting class for those seeking a guided creative moment starting at 2 p.m.
Across the street, The Leaf Loft at 284 High St. is offering 15-30% off selected items and a special sourdough bread pop-up with Sweet Baby Rae’s Bakery. A short walk down the corridor brings visitors to Paper City Fabrics at 330 High St. for their biggest sale of the year.
The event reflects the broader work of Holyoke Art Inc., the nonprofit behind The ARTery, which has been expanding art spaces, workshops, and cultural programming across the city.
For class registration or details, visit www.holyokart.com.
RMV warns of motor vehicle violation scams
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is alerting the public to a scam circulating currently which involves texts stating a person owes money for outstanding motor vehicle violations and that the individual should contact the RMV immediately.
The RMV will never text residents looking for payment for fines or for transactions. The RMV only accepts payments in-person or on the official RMV website: www.mass.gov/RMV.
A text scam targeting individuals notifies those individuals in part that, the communication is a, “Final Notice: Unpaid Traffic Violation – Payment Required…” The scam threatens “enforcement actions” if the payment is not made including the loss of a driving license and vehicle registration. The text should be deleted.
In addition, customers should beware of text messages or emails which claim to be from MassDOT, perhaps fraudulently claiming money is owed for tolls. These communications often are dangerous phishing scams and not official MassDOT and RMV sources. These fraudulent texts and emails may include links, which do not lead to official MassDOT or RMV websites, and customers should not follow the links nor reply to these messages with personal information.
Additional scams that have been reported in recent years, include the use of fake websites, purported to be official government websites. Residents should avoid using any unofficial third-party websites claiming to assist with RMV services. Only Mass.Gov/RMV should be used online for information or to perform many transactions, including when trying to renew a license or registration.
The following guidance is from the RMV:
- In Massachusetts, the term “Registry of Motor Vehicles” and “RMV” are used, so log-off if the site references the “DMV” or the “Department of Motor Vehicles.”
- At Mass.Gov/RMV, a person will never be charged to check on the status of a license, registration or title.
- At Mass.Gov/RMV, there is no charge to access Registry forms and information.
- At Mass.Gov/RMV, there is no charge to change an address on file.
Customers with additional questions about how to identify and avoid scams can contact the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation by calling the Consumer Hotline at 617-973-8787, or toll-free in Massachusetts at 888-283-3757.