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By LUKE MACANNUCO

Rays of sunshine finally peeked through the clouds onto Energy Park on May 29 as members of the Franklin County Musician’s Cooperative, a non-profit collective of local musicians founded in 2004, worked together to set up the first Coop Concert of the summer.

By EVELINE MACDOUGALL

Fun, educational, and surprising things are happening this summer at – and through – the Greenfield Public Library. Although this column focuses on a fishy new pilot project, readers are encouraged to check out GPL offerings to learn about the astounding array of new and ongoing opportunities, including summer reading programs, the Common Seed Project, a community baby shower, free passes to regional museums, and Worldwide Knit in Public Day, coming up on June 14.

By GEORGE MILLER

TURNERS FALLS — Over each of the past three years, Franklin Tech and West Boylston have both made a habit of reaching the MIAA Division 5 softball quarterfinals. But the teams never had to face each other to reach that rung on the state tournament ladder until Wednesday.

By SHERYL HUNTER

In 2012, the Beehive Queen herself, Christine Ohlman, first performed at the 1794 Meetinghouse on South Main Street in New Salem. She kicked off that season, and since then, she has celebrated more summers at this historic venue than she can remember.

By BILL DANIELSON

Anyone who has spent any time birding will understand that there are certain birds that are more difficult to find than others. Anyone who has spent a lifetime birding will understand that there are certain species that are diabolically difficult to find. Anyone who has spent any time trying to photograph birds will understand that there are some species that are diabolically difficult to find, but even more difficult to spot in the viewfinder of a camera. Today I introduce you to just such a bird, the great crested flycatcher (Myiarchuscrinitus).

By LUKE MACANNUCO

WARWICK — Matthew Bobola, the new business administrator of the Warwick Community School and district, has a passion for applying his financial expertise to education.

By GEORGE MILLER

TURNERS FALLS — After only 4 1/2 innings of work Monday evening, the postgame party for Gary Mullins could at least get started at a decent hour.

By SAM FERLAND

GREENFIELD — Four Rivers Charter Public School celebrated the conclusion of the 33 graduates’ high school adventure on Saturday, a ceremony marked by two seniors who shared a heartfelt metaphor.

By HANNAH MORIN

ATHOL — Despite a threatening sky, the rain held off as 106 graduates of Athol High School’s Class of 2025 marked the occasion on Friday with a celebration of growth, resilience and future promise.

By TINKY WEISBLAT

Some food names are impossible not to love. I have never made a Brown Betty, but I relish the idea of a crumbly dark dessert with a female name. I am still trying to figure out the difference between a Slump and a Grunt. Both appeal to me as descriptors.

By PAYTON RENEGAR

With unpredictability surrounding federal funding and the tough on crime rhetoric under President Donald Trump’s administration, Massachusetts advocates are pushing for alternatives that seek rehabilitation rather than punishment for criminal offenders.

By STEVE PFARRER

Stephen Platt, who teaches 19th and 20th century Chinese history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, made a significant name for himself with his two last books.

By JACOB NELSON

‘It’s usually around April 20 when I plant things in the field that can handle light frost,” says farmer Dan Greene of Good Bunch Farm. “Then there’s about a longer wait until the next big planting date in late May. By then the threat of frost is gone and you can finally plant all the warm-loving crops. After that, you really don’t have any time except for weeding and harvesting.”

By EVELINE MACDOUGALL

Local youngsters wishing to develop fiber arts, textile, and other creative skills have a chance at being mentored by an Ashfield woman who – for about a decade – made a living in New York City by running an unusual business. “I made chain mail, professionally,” said Lisa Fortin. Readers may be wondering how Fortin made a go of it; after all, how many knights in shining armor populate the Big Apple?

By ANN REED

The familiar 41 North Main St. edifice overlooking the town center has good reason to “stand tall” in 2025. The Orange Historical Society, established in 1895 by eight determined townsfolk, will celebrate its 130th anniversary this year.

By MAYA MITCHELL

Teachers and state educators are grappling with suspended statewide high school graduation requirements and what it means for the future of Massachusetts high school diplomas.

By SHERYL HUNTER

Pack your lawn chairs, polish your dancing shoes, and get those concert tickets for these upcoming must-see shows as June is set to be an exciting month in our local music scene. The Watermelon Wednesday and Coop Concert series are already in full swing, and mark your calendars for the Franklin County Pride celebration in Greenfield on Saturday, June 7. That same date, the 1794 Meetinghouse in New Salem will kick off its summer concert season for 2025.

By BILL DANIELSON

It has been a long, wet, raw month of May and my outdoor time has been curtailed by rotten weather on the weekends. So, it was with the utmost enthusiasm that I capitalized on a rare rain-free Saturday morning to get down to the Thinking Chair and commune with Nature just a bit. The chickadees (at least one of them) were ready to resume the practice of landing on my hat for some treats and I was very happy about that. I was also keen to see what was going on deeper in the forest, so after an hour of quiet observation time I got up out of my chair and headed into the woods.

By TINKY WEISBLAT

Next week, I plan to feature rhubarb, one of my favorite spring foods. Today, however, I’m returning to that other beloved seasonal product in our area, asparagus, or spearage as a culinary historian friend calls it. A few days ago, I had a hankering to stir it into some risotto.

By HOWARD HERMAN

NORTH ADAMS — The Athol baseball team got on the board first at Joe Wolfe Field, putting the pressure on host Drury.

By GABRIEL O’HARA SALINI

Over 50% of small business owners said they were likely to close or sell their business in the next five years, citing high costs across their businesses as a driving factor, a recent study from UMass Donahue Institute showed.