Grace Coolidge, first ladies focus of program
NORTHAMPTON — The Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum will host a conversation with author and first ladies scholar Diana B. Carlin on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Carlin will present “What You May Not Know About Grace Coolidge and Often Overlooked First Ladies,” exploring the lives and legacies of Grace Coolidge and other first ladies. Carlin is president of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education and co-author of “Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women.”
The program will be offered in person and via livestream and will be recorded for YouTube. A book signing will follow, with copies of Remember the First Ladies available for $30.
Carlin is professor emerita of communication at Saint Louis University and a retired professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas. Her research and teaching interests are in political communication with an emphasis on first ladies, presidential rhetoric and campaigns, political debates, and women in politics.
Ice cream fundraiser to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters
EASTHAMPTON — Mt Tom’s Homemade Ice Cream will donate 20% of its sales on Wednesday to CHD’s Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County.
The fundraiser will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the ice cream shop, 34 Cottage St. Twenty percent of all purchases, including ice cream, candy and other treats, will support the organization’s youth mentoring programs.
Shop owner Jim Ingram is a longtime mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters and has supported the organization for years as both a volunteer and donor. His experience as a mentor also inspired his book, “Hand-Me-Downs,” about lessons learned through mentorship.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County has matched area children with adult mentors since 1975.
Fall foliage map returns for 2026
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation has updated its interactive Fall Foliage Map for the 2026 leaf-peeping season.
The online map allows users to track changing foliage across Massachusetts by location and date and check expected conditions at individual state parks. It also features current photos taken by DCR staff to help visitors plan trips.
The agency uses past forestry records and current weather data to estimate when and where leaves will change. Peak foliage is expected in mid-October, with Western Massachusetts likely to reach peak color before other parts of the state.
The map and recommendations for foliage viewing spots, hiking trails, picnic areas and scenic overlooks are available on DCR’s fall foliage webpage.
HCC continues celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College will continue its recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month next week with events celebrating Latinx history and culture, including salsa lessons, a fiesta, and a panel discussion focusing on social justice.
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally each year from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 to recognize the cultural and historical influences of Hispanic/Latinx Americans. At HCC it is called “Latinx Heritage Month.”
“Latinx Heritage Month” events at HCC include “Salsa & Salsa” outside the Campus Center cafeteria on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from noon until 2 p.m., where attendees can take beginner-friendly salsa lessons and also enjoy some tasty salsa and chips.
The next day, Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., HCC will host its annual Latinx Fiesta on the second floor of the Campus Center, where HCC faculty, staff, and students representing some 20 South American, Latin American, and Caribbean countries will have tables highlighting the food, music, and art from their individual cultures.
At the same time, on the same floor, El Centro, HCC’s bilingual student-support program, will host “Connection through Resistance: Why Movement Matters,” a panel discussion focused on community activism and social justice. Sullynette Ortiz, El Centro academic counselor, will moderate a conversation between HCC alum Naiomi Robles ( El Centro student success counselor), Associate Professor Raúl Gutiérrez (chair of the HCC Latinx Studies program), and Erica Slocumb, a Black history scholar and director of interpretation and visitor experience at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, Conn.
Latinx Heritage Month events at HCC will conclude on Thursday, Oct. 8, with Froteria Tres, HCC’s third annual celebration of Puerto Rican fried foods (frituras) and Spanish Bingo (loteria), from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in Room 301 of the HCC Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development.