NORTHAMPTON — Ongoing work to improve the distribution of natural gas for Franklin County could impact motorists on Routes 5 & 10 in both Northampton and Hatfield for the next 90 days.
Berkshire Gas on Monday began the project along the state highway, which spokesman Chris Farrell said is aimed at enhancing the reliability of the existing distribution system into Franklin County “by reinforcing delivery pressures at their current levels.”
Electronic signs posted along Interstate 91 near Exit 27 have been reminding drivers of the roadwork.
NORTRHAMPTON — Feminist Generation Amherst and youth activists Joey Pisani and Alice Jenkins are organizing a rally titled “Good Trouble Lives On: Protest for Our Future” at Pulaski Park Thursday at 11 a.m.
Part of a national direct action in memory of late civil rights leader and politician John Lewis, who died on July 17, 2020, the rally is part of the next 50501 day of nationwide protests and a national day of nonviolent action.
The rally aims to defend American democracy by carrying forward the legacy of “Good Trouble” and responding to attacks on civil and human rights by the Trump administration, such as criminalizing protest and pushing for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote.
On Wednesday, Safe Passage, an organization dedicated to ending domestic violence and relationship abuse, will host a launch event of the third edition of an anthology reflecting the experiences of domestic violence survivors from Hampshire County and beyond.
The event will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Northampton Center for the Arts and is open to the public in person or virtually on Zoom. Spanish and ASL interpretation will be provided in-person.
Survivors worked with Safe Passage to create this anthology, which consists of a myriad of poetry, personal essays and prose. The anthology was created as a way to help survivors to process their trauma and give them the space to feel empowered to share their stories, according to a press release from Safe Passage.
Those interested in attending can RSVP via Safe Passage’s link: https://flow.page/survival-anthology-project.
On July 28, CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin and retired Army Col. Ann Wright will lead a discussion entitled “Where are we now?” which will cover current wars, domestic affairs and Gaza. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place at Northampton Friends Meeting on 43 Center St. at 6 p.m.
Benjamin and Wright will also answer questions and offer suggestions on grassroots actions.
The Department of Education awarded Holyoke Community College a TRIO Student Support Services grant of $423,190 to improve college retention and graduation rates among low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities.
This award, which runs through June 2026, marks the continuation of more than 30 years of TRIO SSS services at HCC. The program has served thousands of HCC students since 1993.
SSS is one of eight federal TRIO programs funded under the Higher Education Act of 1965 to remove social, academic, and cultural barriers to higher education through services like academic tutoring, financial aid, scholarship guidance, career exploration, personal and academic counseling and mentoring.