Northampton Dems to hold annual meeting

NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Democratic City Committee will hold its annual meeting and caucus on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the JFK Middle School cafeteria. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. The caucus will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Members of the NDCC will elect the Committee’s officers at the meeting, hear legislative updates, and learn about opportunities to advance the Democratic Party agenda in 2026.

At the caucus, registered Democrats in Northampton will elect delegates and alternates to the 2026 Massachusetts Democratic State Convention to be held May 29 – 30, 2026 at the DCU Center in Worcester. 

The meeting and caucus are open to all. To vote or to run as a delegate, a participant must be a Northampton resident who is a preregistered or registered Democrat at the time of the caucus. Preregistered Democrats who will be 16 years old by Feb. 19, 2026 will be allowed to participate and run for delegate or alternate delegate. 

Attendees will be able to register or preregister at the meeting. Any member who is not elected as a delegate by the caucus and is a person that identifies with one or more of the following constituencies — disability, underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQ+, veteran or youth — may apply to be  an “add-on” delegate.

For more information please contact NDCC Chair Catherine Kay at NDCC.Chair@gmail.com or 413-563-1318.

‘Depolarizing Ourselves’ workshop in Easthampton

EASTHAMPTON — A local bridge-building group that started last spring in response to toxic polarization will hold a free Braver Angels workshop titled “Depolarizing Ourselves” on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., at the Easthampton Public Library Annex, 52 Main St.

When Braver Angels addresses “polarization,” the organization is not referring to healthy disagreements over issues or philosophy. They are addressing how large groups of people on opposite sites of the political spectrum talk to each other. In this 1.5-hour session, participants will learn how to be more aware of their own “inner polarizer” and how to interact without demonizing, dismissing, or stereotyping large swaths of the population.

Registration is required; go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/depolarizing-ourselves-registration-1979388966683?aff=oddtdtcreator or email depolarizewmass@gmail.com. For more info about the group’s third-Saturday meetups, email depolarizewmass@gmail.com.

Cancer Connection to host brunch benefit

NORTHAMPTON — A brunch to benefit Cancer Connection will take place at Paul & Elizabeth’s restaurant in Thornes Marketplace on Sunday, Feb. 22.

New York Times bestselling author Catherine Newman will be the special “host” for the brunch. Newman is the author of the memoir “Waiting for Birdy,” the novels “We All Dream of Impossible Things,” which explores a friendship impacted by cancer, “Sandwich,” and most recently, “Wreck,” which was a “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick in November 2025. Newman will share a short reading from “Wreck,” and will be interviewed by local radio host and comedian Kesley Flynn. Guests will enjoy a delicious brunch buffet.

Paul & Elizabeth’s founder Paul Sustick is a longtime champion of Cancer Connection, and offered to host a brunch on Sunday, when the restaurant is typically closed, to raise awareness and money for the organization. bankESB is providing a $5,000 sponsorship to underwrite the brunch.

Founded in 2000, Cancer Connection’s mission is to provide a haven where people with cancer and their loved ones can learn how to navigate the complicated cancer journey through guidance, education, peer support, integrative therapies, and creative programs. Cancer Connection is the only cancer support center in Hampshire and Franklin Counties and draws additional participants from Hampden County and beyond. All of Cancer Connection’s services are provided free of charge.

State recruiting organizations for Summer Eats program

EVERETT — The Healey-Driscoll administration is calling on additional organizations to sponsor Summer Eats meal sites. Summer Eats provides children 18 years of age and younger with free, healthy meals over the summer months when they no longer have access to school meals. Meal sites include schools and other community locations, from parks to summer camps.

Last summer, there were 128 sponsoring organizations supporting more than 1,100 meal sites across the state. On average, 59,000 kids received a meal daily, with 2.5 million meals being served in total.

Through Summer Eats, sponsors administer one or more summer meal sites and are responsible for all financial and administrative aspects of the program. A sponsor may be a public school district, local government agency, camp, or private nonprofit organization.

Summer Eats, formally known as the Summer Food Service Food Program, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In Massachusetts, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) administers the program, including providing sponsors with technical support. Project Bread’s Child Nutrition Outreach Program provides Summer Eats outreach assistance. 

Many Summer Eats programs will open before July 4 and will continue serving meals through the end of August. For more information on Summer Eats, including how to become a site sponsor, call Project Bread at 617-723-5000. During the summer, families can find meal sites through Project Bread’s website.