Search Results

By Credit search: For the Recorder

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.

By DIANE BRONCACCIO

GILL — With a gleeful toss of 190 mortarboards, the Class of 2025 said goodbye to Northfield Mount Hermon School on Sunday, with a cheering crowd that included alumni who still think of the school as “home.”

By SAM FERLAND

DEERFIELD — Deerfield Academy’s 207 graduates were urged to be who they are, fearlessly, by a commencement speaker who seized the opportunity of a lifetime.

By DOUG SELWYN

Teachers unions have been in the news quite a bit recently. They were active in leading the successful action that ended the MCAS as a graduation requirement. They played a leading role in passing the Fair Share Amendment, which imposed an additional tax on the very wealthy to pay for education and transportation. They have been involved with strike actions at several school districts around the state, strikes held over concerns about a wide range of issues ranging from inadequate pay and benefits to concerns about safety and discipline policy, to the need to fully staff with instructional assistants, counselors, and psychiatrists in the wake of COVID.

By AALIANNA MARIETTA

The Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club celebrated its 100th anniversary at The Blue Rock Restaurant and Bar earlier this month. In twinkling dresses, faux feather boas and pearls, members danced to live music, sipped cocktails and listened to speeches from the club’s president, State Representative Natalie Blais, and retired NASA astronaut Col. Cady Coleman.

By AMY NEWSHORE

What do you think is the No. 1 issue couples bring to therapists and relationship coaches? If you guessed communication, you’re right.

By SHERYL HUNTER

Elvis may have left the building, but he will soon return when Greenfield native Travis Ledoyt brings his Elvis Presley tribute act back to the Greenfield High School on Saturday, May 24, at 7 p.m.

By BILL DANIELSON

Last Saturday was a bit of a milestone for me. It might easily have come and gone without me realizing it, but thanks to my obsessive record keeping I happened to see a notation in the pages of my 2025 field diary and avoided an embarrassing oversight. Last Saturday marked the 28th anniversary of Speaking of Nature, an event that I don’t think I could have ever imagined back in 1997 when I sent in my first column.

By ADA DENENFELD KELLY

WENDELL — Before his death in November, Joshua Jay Dostis, better known locally as the politically charged jester Waffles T. Clown, announced his terminal illness in a fashion typical to him, with a communal gathering at the Full Moon Coffeehouse.

By TINKY WEISBLAT

Many people (and restaurants) contemplating brunch turn to Eggs Benedict.

By Howard Herman

NORTH ADAMS — Saturday’s game had a chance to be over even before it reached the halfway point. That could have cost Pioneer its perfect season.