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By SHERYL HUNTER

As we approach the end of February, the idea of sitting in the West Whately Chapel, enjoying some fine acoustic music while snacking on watermelon sounds quite appealing. And hold onto that thought because the Watermelon Wednesdays concert series is gearing up for its 2025 season, and it’s not too far away!

By BILL DANIELSON

If there has been any theme to this winter it has been the cold. For the first time in years the temperatures have dropped below freezing and generally remained there for weeks on end. Back when I was a kid, my father used to make a skating rink in the back of our house where we would spend endless hours playing hockey. My father even put spotlights in the bedroom windows so that we could play outside at night. On particularly cold nights, my mother would insist that the faces of her children were slathered with copious amounts of Johnson’s baby cream so that we didn’t freeze solid. Those were the days.

By AALIANNA MARIETTA

ASHFIELD — A record high of 60 kids took to the ice Sunday morning for the annual Ashfield Lake Youth Ice Fishing Derby, according to Ashfield Rod & Gun Club President Jack Shea.

By TINKY WEISBLAT

For Black History Month, I’m making Macaroni Pie.

By GUSTAVO ATENCIO FLORES

BERNARDSTON — From her home on Shaw Road surrounded by rolling fields and horse stables, Melissa Murphy crafts custom embroidered apparel for local businesses.

By SHERYL HUNTER

California-based blues and rock musician Tommy Castro said that his new album, “Closer to the Bone,” is the first real blues album he’s made. Considering that the guitarist, singer, and songwriter has released 16 albums in his award-winning four-decade career, this comes as somewhat of a surprise.

By BILL DANIELSON

The kitchen windows face due east. The narrow writing desk is as wide as the double windows and looks out at my deck. Ten feet away is the deck railing and a collection of different feeders. The Birch Perch is there and another five feet away there is a giant lilac bush that fills the yard with perfume in May. But this is wintertime and the only thing the yard is full of now is the hustle and bustle of hungry birds as they bicker with one another over food.

By TINKY WEISBLAT

I’m celebrating Presidents Day a day late … with a recipe for treats our second president enjoyed at the breakfast table: muffins.

By GUSTAVO ATENCIO FLORES

GREENFIELD — The annual Supper for Six food drive brought together families, friends and coworkers from across Franklin and Hampshire counties last week to support community members facing food insecurity during the February school break.

By ADA DENENFELD KELLY

WENDELL — All 12 articles sailed through last week’s Special Town Meeting in just 18 minutes, receiving unanimous approval from the 21 voters in attendance.

By JACOB NELSON

Plenty of young kids tap a few maple trees, inspired by the sweet promise of maple syrup. Few become enamored with it to the point of kickstarting a family business. Cooper Deane, who helps run Bear Hill Sugar Farm, is one of them.

By EVELINE MACDOUGALL

A crowd recently gathered at the Second Congregational Church to hear ecologist and educator Dr. Martha Gach describe how to support birds by growing and tending plants. Gach delivered a sobering update: the number of birds worldwide has decreased by 30% since 1970; nearly 3 billion birds died unnaturally in that time span.

By GUSTAVO ATENCIO FLORES

TURNERS FALLS — The United Arc is collaborating with the Shea Theater Arts Center for its second annual Arc-a-Palooza fundraiser, bringing together award-winning musicians from across western Massachusetts.

By BILL DANIELSON

I’ve been living in my house on the hill, my house above the meadow, for almost 20 years and ever since the day that I moved in I have been feeding the birds. It all started out small, as these things tend to do, and then the feeding program grew and became more elaborate. Today, I have a total of eight different feeders, of various types, that hang in highly curated positions around my deck. A lot of thought has gone into the collection and to this day there is always room for minor, but essential adjustments.

By SHERYL HUNTER

Combine John Sheldon’s extraordinary guitar playing with the powerful words of Beat Poet Laureate Paul Richmond and Tony Vacca’s excellent percussion skills, and you have the makings for a special night of words and music.

By TINKY WEISBLAT

We tend to associate chocolate with Valentine’s Day. Americans will spend billions of dollars for that holiday this Friday, much of that money on chocolate. It seems like the perfect romantic gift.

By LIESEL NYGARD

Two Franklin County towns are each receiving a $15,000 grant as part of a program that trains town officials on how to engage in public art projects most effectively.

By EVELINE MACDOUGALL

Lily Bix-Daw, 25, heads to Dallas this week for intricate surgery to address idiopathic condylar resorption, a degenerative and debilitating condition affecting the jaw and many adjacent body parts. ICR would test anyone’s endurance and sanity, yet despite steep challenges, the Easthampton resident is on schedule to receive her BA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst this spring, having pursued her degree while enduring staggering pain, disfigurement, and financial hardship.

By LORETTA YARLOW

In 2013, the widely acclaimed artist Carrie Mae Weems — a charismatic artist, activist and educator, known for installations, videos and photographs that invite the viewer to reflect on issues of race, gender and class — was among 10 artists commissioned to participate in “Du Bois in Our Time,” an exhibition I curated when I was director of the University Museum of Contemporary Art at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

By AMY NEWSHORE

Being that relationships play such a huge part in the quality of our lives, I am expanding beyond my relationship coaching practice and monthly newspaper column to host a local television show. It will be called “Let’s Talk Relationships,” the same name as this column. I want to provide you, my readers, as well as others in our local community, an additional resource where you can benefit from the discussions we will be having about important, relatable relationship topics.