Speaking of Nature: Stinky signs of spring: Skunk cabbage is eye candy after months of winter landscape

By BILL DANIELSON

March Madness is a term that has been assigned to the sport of college basketball. The idea is that a huge tournament creates a frenzied “madness” of athletic exuberance as different teams from across the country compete in a clash of collegiate contenders to see who will be crowned as champion. There are brackets, debates and wagers involved and everyone seems to have a good time.

Historic speech echoes two centuries later: ‘A Light Under the Dome’ recalls the first American woman to speak to a legislative body

By CAROLYN BROWN

At a time in which elected officials have tried to lessen or erase certain undesirable periods from America’s history, the play “A Light Under the Dome” aims to shed light on the abolition struggle through the lens of one historic speech in Massachusetts.

‘His notes will linger forever’: Remembering Young@Heart accordionist and Springfield College professor Chris Haynes

By CAROLYN BROWN

Chris Haynes, longtime accordionist for the Young@Heart Chorus and associate professor emeritus of music at Springfield College, died on Wednesday, March 12.

Valley Bounty: And on that farm she had a bit of everything: Little Brook Farm in Sunderland is a labor of love for farmer Kristen Whittle

By JACOB NELSON

Spring is here, and with it are signs of new life on farms around the Valley. Leaves are beginning to bud on fruit trees, farmers are preparing soil for the coming growing season, and at Little Brook Farm in Sunderland, day-old baby lambs are bounding around the lambing barn.

Women’s history told through clothing: Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club to host ‘Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore’ author, April 9

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

The Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club is celebrating its 100th birthday this spring, and will kick off its centennial speaker series with a talk on the history of women’s clothing with Northampton author Kiki Smith on April 9 at the Shelburne-Buckland Community Center.

‘A woman who should be remembered’: New play about the life of Frances Perkins, the brains behind FDR’s New Deal, April 5 and 11

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

Who was Frances Perkins? A one-woman play looking at the life of the first woman Secretary of Labor is set to take the Ashfield Congregational Church stage in April. 

Weekly Food Photo Contest: This week’s winner: Joe Lavallee of Hatfield

Joe Lavallee of Hatfield said his wife, Mary Jane, is a great cook (“she made this puff pastry quiche with feta, spinach, shallots, sundried tomatoes, and nutmeg and Parmesan cheese”), and it is also her birthday week so he wanted to surprise her with this winning photo.

Declutter your mind, with some help: Local author offers 201 prompts of ‘Fierce Encouragement’ to aspiring writers

By CAROLYN BROWN

Author Margaret Atwood supposedly once said, “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” With a new book, “Fierce Encouragement: 201 Writing Prompts for Staying Grounded in Fragile Times,” author and writing coach Jena Schwartz wants to inspire writers to build their own creative practices, no matter if the result isn’t entirely perfect.

Arts Briefs: Opportunities for local creatives, All Hamptons Read, Jewish Film Fest, and more

CitySpace in Easthampton is now accepting applications for its 2025 Pay It Forward program.

Earth Matters: Do plants know math? Three Valley plants share a surprising secret

By NANCY PICK

Asparagus, strawberries and sunflowers are, to my mind, three of the best reasons to live in western Massachusetts.

Speaking of Nature: Survival of the cautious?: An argument for slowing down just a little bit

By BILL DANIELSON

The plan was simple. Make a quick stop at a geologic feature that would provide a real-world example of topics that were being discussed in my biology classes. The topic was evolution and I was specifically looking for an example of rock formations that were being reshaped by the elements. It really couldn’t be any more straightforward, right? Well, perhaps a little background would help.

‘Let’s be vulnerable together’: K and E Theater Group finds light in the darkness with ‘Spring Awakening’ performances in Northampton

By CAROLYN BROWN

K and E Theater Group’s upcoming production of the Tony Award-winning rock musical “Spring Awakening” will be at 33 Hawley in Northampton the weekends of March 28-30 and April 3-5.

‘Apologizing is a courageous act’: Forbes Library to host an apology installation and workshop

By CAROLYN BROWN

“Sometimes,” as the Elton John song says, “sorry seems to be the hardest word.” An upcoming pop-up installation and workshop at Forbes Library wants to help change that, giving participants the opportunity to make their own apologies – even if they’re not yet ready to share them.

Fight like a girl: Professional boxer launches women-only, all-level classes in Greenfield

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

Local author, naturalist and former boxer Vanessa Chakour is leading a women’s boxing class at Franklin County’s YMCA.

There is a Season with Molly Parr: The secret’s in the sauce: Gluten-free, dairy-free Fried Tofu with Sweet and Sour Noodles

By MOLLY PARR

Today’s recipe comes double recommended. The moms I did a meal train for wrote to ask me for the recipe. That same week, my husband asked what was in the noodles that made them so good.

Weekly Food Photo Contest: This week’s winner: Julie Slavet of Easthampton

Easthampton newcomer Julie Slavet made this roasted cauliflower, feta, onion and date salad. “The Valley’s fresh vegetables and cheeses really inspire creativity,” Slavet said, adding that “the food here seems almost as welcoming as the people we’ve met in our first month.”

Macbeth, up close and personal: Second annual Montague Shakespeare Festival puts a new spin on the ‘psychological dark power drama’

By CAROLYN BROWN

By the pricking of my thumbs, “Macbeth” to Franklin County comes!

Arts Briefs: Silent film in Florence, McCartney’s music in Northampton, and more

Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity in Florence will host a screening of the silent film “The Ancient Law” (“Das alte Gesetz”) with live musical accompaniment on Saturday, March 22, at 7 p.m.

Earth Matters: Learning a sense of wonder: The importance of outdoor experiences in the natural world in our youth

By TED WATT

It was January, with two feet of cold crisp powder on the ground. The day was bright and sunny. The 5th and 6th grades at our small rural, hill-town school had been studying life sciences. Educators and students were focusing on animals and the many varied ways they are adapted, both physically and behaviorally, to living in their environment. We decided to take advantage of the perfect winter day and headed out to see what we could learn about how animals live in winter from the signs and tracks they left behind.

Speaking of Nature: The bluebird of happiness: Finding solace in the birds at my feeders

By BILL DANIELSON

As I write this column I am feeling quite under the weather. The flu has come to town and it has me in its grip. I haven’t left the house in days and all I want to do is sleep. That being said, I am also stuck on “teacher time” and I can’t seem to sleep past 5 a.m. With the recent changing of the clocks this puts me in the unhappy position of being awake while it is still dark outside; annoying on a work day, positively miserable when not going to work.