CHESTER — Back in November 2023, Eversource Energy offered to buy the electric utility assets of the Chester Municipal Electric Light Department, and as the town recently made the details of ...
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TOLLAND — For the third year in a row Leo Dennis, a ninth grader attending Southwick Regional School, has been awarded first place in Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 873’s annual essay co...
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CHESTER — Co-producing artistic directors James Barry and Tara Franklin have announced the plays included in the 35th anniversary season of the Chester Theatre Company. 

The produ...
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Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. across Massachusetts for the “Super Tuesday” presidential primary election on Tuesday, March 5, including at the usual voting locations in the Hillto...
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HUNTINGTON — Library Director Amanda Loiselle is ramping up special activities and club events at the Huntington Public Library at 7 E. Main St., and is looking for feedback for more ideas.&n...
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RUSSELL — Local boating and fishing enthusiasts say the town now has the opportunity to have a Westfield River boating and fishing access area constructed on town property and paid for by the...
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In-person early voting will be available starting Feb. 24 for the presidential primary election in Massachusetts. In every town, early voting is open to any registered voter. Those who are register...
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CHESTER — “Small towns in Massachusetts share many of the same problems as their larger neighbors,” said Town Administrator Donald Humason, “but they also have a set of uniq...
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HUNTINGTON — Council on Aging Director Kathleen Peterson said while it’s been a challenge this winter between the weather and the construction of the new ramp leading to Town Hall and S...
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CHESTER — Elizabeth Massa and the Western Mass. Hilltown Hikers don’t wait for a sunny warm day to go hiking. They’re out year-round in all sorts of weather, and partner with othe...
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HUNTINGTON — On Jan. 23, the Council on Aging met with Becky Basch of Pioneer Valley Planning Commission to discuss expanding the existing demand response transportation program with the Fran...
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OTIS — The O’Brien family is approaching the second anniversary of the night their 20-year-old son, Jack, was killed in a snowmobile accident. Since then, they have mourned and cried, b...
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HUNTINGTON — Gov. Maura Healey’s $375 million in 9C budget cuts, announced last week due to flagging revenue collections, were gut-wrenching to the Hilltown Community Ambulance Associat...
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HUNTINGTON — At the Norwich Cemetery on Littleville Road, next door to the Gateway Regional School High School, a single gravestone in a large plot surrounded by a marble border reads Parley ...
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CHESTER — Chester Elementary School has partnered with Marsy Belle Farm in Blandford to bring students a microgreen planting project experience.

Principal Vanna Maffuccio said the scho...
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BLANDFORD — Interim Town Administrator Ira Brezinsky said the screening committee for a permanent full-time administrator for the town completed its work on Dec. 4, and forwarded three names ...
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HUNTINGTON — To start this year’s budget process, Gateway School Superintendent Kristen Smidy and Assistant Superintendent and Business Manager Stephanie Fisk presented a report on the ...
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HUNTINGTON — At the Dec. 13 Gateway Regional School Committee meeting, Superintendent Kristen Smidy reported that the school has entered the “dream” phase of the Barr Foundation g...
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HUNTINGTON — The Huntington Fire Department hosted a successful toy drive at its open house on Saturday, Dec. 16 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The toys will be distributed to hilltown families throug...
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BLANDFORD — Every year, the Blandford Animal Hospital sponsors Pictures with Santa, inviting clients and any pet owners in the community to bring in their furry friends to pose with a pet-fri...
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CHESTER — The Pease Store, at 11 Main St. in Chester in the historic Fay Building, first built in 1896 to house a clothing and a household furnishings store, has a new life this holiday seaso...
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BLANDFORD — On Saturday, Dec. 2, Blandford showed off its holiday spirit with events all over town.  At the Town Hall, the Blandford Fire Association hosted a pancake breakfast with Sant...
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CHESTER — Keirsen Broman, Chester’s new Council on Aging director, has a month of activities planned leading up to the holidays. The Council on Aging meets in the basement of Chester To...
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HUNTINGTON — The First Congregational Church on Norwich Hill was packed for its final service on Nov. 26. After worshiping together as a congregation since 1778, the membership had voted to c...
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CHESTER — The Jacob’s Ladder Business Association, now in its 31st year, is inviting all Hilltown business owners to its annual Snack ’n Schmooze networking event at the Chester R...
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BLANDFORD — Town Administrator Christopher Dunne will be leaving in the beginning of December for a new position as a planning and economic development person in Deerfield, a job that will in...
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HUNTINGTON — At its meeting on Nov. 9, the Board of Selectman announced that an offer was made to hire Brad Curry as highway superintendent for the town, which he has since accepted, accordin...
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HUNTINGTON — The Gateway Regional School Committee is working on a new visitor policy that will permit the School-Based Health Center, run by the Hilltown Community Health Centers, to allow s...
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HUNTINGTON — Congregants of the First Congregational Church of Huntington, United Church of Christ, on Norwich Hill, 6 Searle Rd., announced that after 245 years, they have voted to complete ...
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CHESTER — Second and third graders at Chester Elementary School went on a Nov. 1 field trip hike led by local geologist James Higby to Gobble Mountain, which they see every day right across t...
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HUNTINGTON — The Gateway Regional School District learned in late October that it will receive a 177% increase in rural school aid for fiscal year 2024, for an increase from $300,000 in FY23 ...
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HUNTINGTON — The 25th anniversary of the Southern Hilltowns Domestic Violence Task Force, observed on Oct. 26 in Stanton Hall, began with a moment of silence for victims Karen May Hart, Jessi...
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GRANVILLE — Searching for historical relics in a Granville hay field, a Southwick metal-detecting club found more than the usual old coins or buttons. They found something more personal: a fa...
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HUNTINGTON — Following negotiations over the last two months, the Gateway Regional School Committee voted unanimously to offer Superintendent Kristen Smidy a six-year contract covering July 1...
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CHESTER — While cooks Colleen O’Brien, Melissa McAuliffe and James Higby prepared beef stew and corn pudding in the vintage 1976 Blue Caboose dining car, “hobos” Matt O&rsqu...
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HUNTINGTON — Former Selectboard member and current Planning Board member Karon Hathaway admitted to violating conflict of interest law and has paid a $5,000 penalty, according to a press rele...
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HUNTINGTON — The Southern Hilltowns Domestic Violence Task Force will observe 25 years of working to prevent and end domestic violence with a family-friendly celebration Thursday, Oct. 26....
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CHESTER — The Hampden County sheriff’s community service program was out in force at Chester’s Fisk and Eastman cemeteries on Oct. 4 for cleanup and fence repair.  The histor...
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CHESTER — Elizabeth Massa and Karen McTaggart, co-founders of the Western Mass. Hilltown Hikers, announced this week the purchase of 2.6 acres in Chester, the site of the Hudson & Chester...
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HUNTINGTON — Visitors to Huntington this Saturday, Sept. 30, and  Sunday, Oct. 1, won’t be disappointed.  Not only is it a beautiful time of year to come to the Hilltowns, but...
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GRANVILLE — The 40th annual Granville Harvest Fair takes place on Oct. 7, 8 and 9. After a two-year hiatus due to the restrictions of COVID-19, this three-day festival made its return last ye...
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HUNTINGTON — New School Committee representatives Alex Seid of Middlefield, Brian Forgue of Chester and Nicole Daviau of Blandford were introduced at the first Gateway Regional School Committ...
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CHESTER — The Chester Railway Station is planning for the Hobo Harvest Dinner, coming up on Saturday, Oct 14, at the Railway Station.

“We are largely returning to a traditional f...
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CHESTER — On Aug. 22, Tom O’Shea, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, along with other state officials gathered at the Chester Railway Station to announce the...
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HUNTINGTON — Gateway Superintendent Kristen Smidy is “really excited” to start the new school year. The administrative team has been meeting throughout the summer, new staff are i...
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BLANDFORD — On Aug. 19, volunteers were out in force preparing for the upcoming 154th Blandford Fair on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1-4, many of them representing a multi-generational commitment...
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HUNTINGTON — The Huntington Food Pantry at Pioneer Valley Assembly of God will be reaching out for donations for the first time in a long time, said pantry director Laura Gavioli.

She ...
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CHESTER — The last play of the summer at Chester Town Hall is “Circle Mirror Transformation,” which will close Aug. 20.

Chester Theatre Company is ending its season, the fi...
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HUNTINGTON — The Gateway Regional School District’s Explorer Summer STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) Camp wrapped up its final week with an unveiling of murals in ...
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HUNTINGTON — A new sign on the Huntington Country Store on July 31 announced the end of an era. The store will be closing after 30 years, and everything must go.

“It is with mixe...
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MONTGOMERY — After a year and a half of performances in the dining room of the Montgomery Marketplace at 46 Main Rd., Music in Montgomery has moved to a new venue. The Thursday afternoon 3 p....
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CHESTER — A new swap shed was delivered to the Chester transfer station on July 21, thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection awarded to the Chester Boar...
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CHESTER — Volunteers are hands-on getting ready for the 101st Littleville Fair on Aug. 4, 5 and 6 at the Littleville Fairgrounds, 15 Kinnebrook Rd., Chester. 

There is a new conce...
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BLANDFORD — Town Administrator Christopher Dunne said state legislators are accepting comments on a bill to give the town’s local volunteer firefighters a break on their taxes.

&...
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CHESTER — At the Board of Selectmen meeting on July 17, Andy Sutton said the town is waiting for Comcast to turn on Wi-Fi for two weeks for the Littleville Fair.

Sutton said he spoke t...
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CHESTER — Brian Forgue was elected to the Board of Selectmen on July 8, winning a three-way race with 73 votes out of 146 cast.

He will serve a one-year term in the seat left vacant wh...
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CHESTER — A special election on Saturday, July 8, will pick a new Chester selectman for a one-year term, filling the vacancy left when Selectman Jason Forgue resigned this spring. The special...
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GRANVILLE — Edwin Beckwith just always had a “knack” for music.

That knack, as he called it — “gift” is probably a more apt description — led him fr...
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RUSSELL — Elizabeth Hanechak of Russell, who will be entering her junior year at Pope Francis Preparatory School, did very well at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in ...
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CHESTER — Forty-nine residents at the Annual Town Meeting on June 12 passed all of the articles presented for a vote, with some discussion on a few.

With Chester’s and Russell&rs...
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HUNTINGTON — Helena Alves is the Green Team coordinator for the Springfield Jazz and Roots Fest, run by Kristin Gaitenby Neville, both of Huntington, for the nonprofit Blues to Green, which K...
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RUSSELL — The town is putting $151,000 into a plan for inspections and repairs of its water and sewer systems, but more than half of that money will be reimbursed.

Voters approved the ...
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CHESTER — In addition to budget and spending articles on June 12, Town Meeting voters in Chester also passed a new bylaw to regulate short-term rentals and “glamping,” and force a...
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HUNTINGTON — During the month of June, young readers have the opportunity to vote for a mascot for the Huntington Public Library, to kick off the “Find Your Voice” summer reading ...
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HUNTINGTON — Voters at Town Meeting on June 5 decided to begin the process of having the town’s clerk appointed instead of elected.

“I don’t want to leave it to write...
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BLANDFORD — A strong showing of 150 residents attended the Annual Town Meeting on June 5, passing all warrant items including the Gateway and vocational school budgets, and a transfer of $245...
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RUSSELL — Residents attending Russell’s Annual Town Meeting on June 12 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall will vote on the school budget and a series of transfers from free cash for ongoing project...
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BLANDFORD — The majority of Blandford’s mini-town meeting on May 22 centered on a discussion of the fire and highway garage project and the funds necessary to continue the process.

CHESTER — With college  interns arrived and first rehearsals begun the last week of May, James Barry and Tara Franklin of Williamstown, the recently appointed co-producers and artistic d...
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CHESTER — A parade kicked off Chester on Track on Saturday, May 20, lining up at 10 a.m. at the Firehouse on Route 20 and winding its way down Main Street. Craft fair artisans and the Jacob&r...
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HUNTINGTON — Seventy-one registered voters turned out for the town’s municipal election on May 20 in Stanton Hall. There were no contested races on the ballot, with several positions th...
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BOSTON — On May 10, the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight hosted a meeting on a bill to reopen Cobble Mountain Road for passive recreation in the towns of Bland...
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BLANDFORD — The town’s Fire and Highway departments hosted an open house on May 13 in order to give residents an opportunity to tour their garages, both of which have been deemed inadeq...
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CHESTER — A couple of dozen residents who live on dirt roads in town attended listening sessions at Town Hall on May 10 to talk about their roads for a resilient dirt road study being conduct...
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HUNTINGTON — Abdul Butt, owner of B&D Variety since 2016, has been building on his investment in the town of Huntington.

B&D’s, as it has been known for decades, offers s...
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HUNTINGTON — Tenth grader Kyleigh Benson, of Chester, competed in early education and care at the SkillsUSA Massachusetts State Conference in Marlborough on April 28. Benson was among approxi...
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CHESTER — With no contested seats and nobody on the ballot for several key vacancies, only 82, 9% of Chester’s 906 registered voter participated in the town election on May 6. 

HUNTINGTON — It Takes a Village, in partnership with the Hilltown Community Health Centers and the Southern Hilltowns Domestic Violence Task Force, is launching a campaign to bring awareness ...
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CHESTER — The 32nd annual Chester on Track, presented by the Chester Railway Station, will take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 20, featuring a wide range of activities all day for all a...
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CHESTER — On the ballot in the May 6 annual election are unopposed incumbents John Baldasaro, for a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen; Jason Forgue, for a two-year term on the School ...
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RUSSELL — The 413s, a rock ’n’ roll band with a blues heart, will be featured at the celebration after the Westfield River Wildwater Races in Russell on Saturday, April 22.

CHESTER — Due to the actions of one as-yet-unidentified permit holder, the town of Chester has closed its transfer station for two weeks on the recommendation of the state Department of Envir...
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HUNTINGTON — The Gateway Regional School District’s unique Vision Impairment Program is accepting tuition-in students in grades 6 to 12 who have support needs in the area of sensory vis...
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GRANVILLE — After a public hearing April 3, the town’s Planning Board approved three special permits that will allow a Boston-based solar energy company to build agrivoltaic solar array...
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CHESTER — Ed Sourdiffe of Chester, also known as the “Green Thumb Guru,” is teaching a free class on organic garden planning for Hilltown residents at the Southern Hilltowns Adult...
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HUNTINGTON — At the start of a meeting with state Rep. Nicholas Boldyga and state Sen. Paul Mark on March 28, the legislators asked school administrators, staff, students, alumni and School C...
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GRANVILLE — When residents head to the polls on April 10 to cast ballots in the municipal election, they will have two choices for the Selectboard: political newcomer Edwin A. Beckwith or inc...
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CHESTER — Town Moderator Barbara Pease Huntoon convened a Special Town Meeting on March 27 at 6:30 p.m. in Chester Town Hall. Most agenda items were financial, including unpaid bills from the...
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CHESTER — At the Selectboard meeting on March 27, Water Commissioner Lyle Snide said the board needed to vote on a memorandum of understanding with Blandford for a shared water operator.

BLANDFORD — Russ Lapierre, president of the Jacob’s Ladder Business Association, is encouraging JLBA members to support legislation for the reopening of Cobble Mountain Road to passive ...
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John Meiklejohn of Granville, a member of the Berkshire chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby and Voices for Climate, a committee of the Granville-based Voices Rising Together, said area res...
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John Meiklejohn of Granville, a member of the Berkshire chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby and Voices for Climate, a committee of the Granville-based Voices Rising Together, said area res...
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HUNTINGTON — The 68th annual Westfield River Wildwater Races will start at 9:30 a.m. on April 22. This whitewater kayak and canoe race goes through the towns of Huntington and Russell, with d...
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HUNTINGTON — After 40 years taking care of the roads in Huntington, 28 years full-time and the last 13 as highway superintendent, Charles “Chip” Dazelle is crossing the town line ...
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RUSSELL — According to Elizabeth Hanechak of Russell, a sophomore at Pope Francis Preparatory School in Springfield, science is her everything. Judges at the Western Massachusetts Science &am...
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GRANVILLE — The town’s Planning Board will host public hearings at 7 p.m. on March 27 to take comments about three solar energy arrays proposed at 170 South Ln., 274 South Ln. and 123 B...
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HILLTOWNS — The heavy wet snow that fell beginning in the early morning hours on March 14, sometimes at a rate of more than an inch an hour, totaled from one to three feet at the highest poin...
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HUNTINGTON — Gateway Regional School Superintendent Kristen Smidy presented the proposed fiscal year 2024 budget at a public hearing on March 1. The following week, on March 8, the School Com...
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GRANVILLE — Voters on March 20 will be asked to allow the Selectboard to sell a vacant house and pay for the large bills incurred acquiring it.

There are three articles on the Town Mee...
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HILLTOWNS — From the Gateway Regional School District budget hearing on March 1, to a plea for advocacy in the latest issue of the Gator Bites newsletter, to a speech from the third grade stu...
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HUNTINGTON — The Selectboard voted on March 1 to change the job title and job description of Jennifer Peloquin from administrative assistant to town administrator for a three-year term, effec...
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CHESTER — The Chester Railway Station Trustees are hosting a meet-and-greet for residents of Chester and Middlefield with newly elected state Sen. Paul Mark. The informal Sunday brunch will t...
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HUNTINGTON — Registration is open for Gateway Regional School District’s free summer camps, and program and communications coordinator Martha Clark says people need to sign up immediate...
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RUSSELL — Environmental educator Nancy DeWitte Condon of Russell will speak at the Russell Public Library on March 11 from 2 to 4 p.m. about her recently published memoir, “Paddle for W...
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RUSSELL — Neighbors still have questions about a proposed cannabis grower in Russell after a public hearing before the Planning Board on Feb. 14.

Jessica and Gene Finkle are proposing ...
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HUNTINGTON — Library Director Amanda Loiselle is taking advantage of extended hours for the Huntington Public Library, and hopefully some free time for residents during Fe...
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HILLTOWNS — Five Gateway Regional Middle School eighth-graders, one each from Blandford, Huntington, Montgomery, Middlefield and Russell, began the year as Project 351 Ambassadors on Martin L...
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SOUTHWICK — Public health nurses based in Southwick are starting to schedule office hours in the communities covered by a regional public health nurse grant from the state.

Two public ...
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BLANDFORD — The Planning Board has scheduled a public hearing at the Blandford Town Hall, 1 Russell Stage Rd., at 6 p.m. on Feb. 9 to consider the application for a site plan review and speci...
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CHESTER — Chester Town Administrator Donald Humason recently returned from the first in-person Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) annual meeting since 2020, at the Hynes Convention Cen...
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HUNTINGTON — Broadway performer Ben Bogen spent the week of Jan. 10-13 working with fifth graders at Littleville Elementary School and third graders in Chester Elementary School, in a guest a...
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MONTGOMERY — The Board of Selectmen notified residents this week that the town will not be sending out property tax bills for Feb. 1, because it was unable to submit the required documents to...
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CHESTER — The Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center is hosting a five-part preparedness series with Carlos Flores, a former Holyoke police officer and U.S. Army veteran who is passionate ...
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HUNTINGTON – Several Hilltowns are seeking candidates for key positions, reflecting worker shortages throughout the region in communities of all sizes.

During the Huntington Selectboar...
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CHESTER – Approximately four dozen people joined the Western Mass. Hilltown Hikers to start the new year off right with a First Day Hike at Chester-Blandford State Forest on Jan 1.

Fir...
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BLANDFORD — A small group of key officials in three towns has begun meeting with Patty Gambarini, chief environmental planner, and other staff at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC)...
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HUNTINGTON — The Village Closet distributed free toys during extended holidays hours on Dec. 22 and 23 leading up to the Christmas holiday, with the help of many volunteers who gave their tim...
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HUNTINGTON — The Board of Selectmen, Edward Renauld, chair, Roger Booth and William Hathaway, met for the last time in 2022 on Dec. 21 in Stanton Hall. Immediately following the meeting, all ...
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HUNTINGTON – Many residents in Huntington are still reeling from the unexpected deaths of Huntington Liquor Store owners Evelyn Korfias and Gary Rom on Dec. 14.

Gary Rom, 70, and Evely...
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HUNTINGTON – The Community Events Committee again this year invited residents to decorate their homes and post them on a map for everyone to enjoy the holiday lights.

People were invit...
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HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional High School is partnering with area towns and businesses on finding internships for students interested in starting a career path.

Martha Clark, director ...
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HUNTINGTON – About 70 seniors from local councils on aging attended a holiday brunch and performance at Gateway Regional High School on Dec. 7. 

Breakfast was served by National H...
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GRANVILLE — When the Granville Federated Church started a capital campaign fund for much-needed repairs in 2013, nobody knew how much that money would wind up reshaping the lives of an entire...
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CHESTER — Deryck Savoy, chair of the Chester Municipal Electric Light Department (CMELD), came to the Select Board meeting on Dec. 5 to express some concerns about the report the Energy Commi...
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HUNTINGTON — At 4 p.m. on Dec. 3, with four hours to go in the first week of shotgun season that began on Nov. 28, 55 deer had been brought to the MassWildlife Deer Checking Station in the pa...
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CHESTER — With power supply costs rising and green energy mandates on the horizon, Chester Municipal Electric Light Department (CMELD) needs to make some changes, Special Town Meeting voters ...
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HUNTINGTON –  The newly revived Huntington Lions Club, which last year at this time was in danger of closing due to a shortage of members, planned to deliver 10 turkey dinners to the Hil...
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BLANDFORD – Speakers at the Blandford Special Town Meeting on Nov. 14 didn’t hold back on their views about spending as much as $8 million on a new Highway and Fire Department garage....
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PERU – Democratic state Rep. Paul Mark will move to the state Senate after beating independent Brendan Phair in the race to succeed state Sen. Adam Hinds, who did not run for reelection.

HILLTOWNS – The Hilltowns largely skewed Republican in the Nov. 8 state election, despite the statewide totals favoring Democrats.

In unofficial results as of Nov. 11, Blandford, Chest...
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HUNTINGTON – Highway Superintendent Charles “Chip” Dazelle said he is worried about this winter with only two full-time employees, including himself, and nobody applying for posit...
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BLANDFORD — Town Administrator Christopher Dunne said the Special Town Meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. on Nov. 14 is an important one.

“There are at least a couple of very serious v...
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HUNTINGTON — Gateway Regional High School has started a FIRST competitive robotics team that meets weekly on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

The team is led by Deanna LeBlanc, Gateway&r...
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CHESTER — The town of Chester had two emergencies on Oct. 27 that required outside assistance.

Just after midnight, mutual aid was requested to assist Chester to fight a fire at a hous...
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CHESTER — Hobo reenactors set up camp in the yard at the Chester Railway Station, a National Historic Landmark, while the “Berkshire Balladeer” sang railroad songs on the steps an...
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BLANDFORD — Town Administrator Christopher Dunne just applied for funds through the new Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant program, to support the plan to reconfigure the Town Common and Ve...
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HUNTINGTON — Paraprofessional Cheryl Miller-Harper, the Gateway Regional School District’s most senior employee, will be celebrating 41 years with the district on Oct. 15.

She f...
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HUNTINGTON — Board of Health Administrative Assistant John Bergeron wants to alert residents about a new statewide waste ban starting Nov. 1. After this date, the transfer station will no lon...
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GRANVILLE — After a two-year hiatus the 39th annual Granville Harvest Fair is returning this weekend on the Town Green with vendors, crafts, and food.

The Granville Harvest Fair first...
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HUNTINGTON — Two square dance callers, Rich Sbardella of Stafford Springs, CT, and Gene King of Huntington, whose friendship goes back 30 years, reconnected at Stanton Hall on Oct. 1. Althoug...
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HUNTINGTON — The Hilltown Community Development Corporation has announced a full slate of art activities that run throughout the weekend of Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 in and around the Hilltowns of W...
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GRANVILLE — The former West Granville School has been sold to Granville residents who are exploring options to refurbish it and possibly build a senior living facility.

Forrest and Nin...
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BLANDFORD — During Town Administrator Christopher Dunne’s six-month review at the Select Board meeting on Sept. 19, Chair Cara Letendre said this was a hard one for her, because she had...
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CHESTER — The Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center is sponsoring a workshop on “Essential Oils for Stressful Times” led by certified aromatherapist Kay Judge of Blue Skye Wel...
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RUSSELL – The new librarian at Russell Public Library is a familiar face to many people in the Hilltowns. Dawne Piers-Gamble retired as a teacher in 2020 after many years at Murrayfield and L...
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PITTSFIELD — After winning his primary contest on Sept. 6, Paul Mark will now face independent candidate Brendan Phair in the general election race for the state Senate seat being vacated by ...
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GRANVILLE – The former West Granville School is one of seven parcels in Granville that can be bought at a public auction Sept. 21 at noon at Town Hall.

Auctioneers from Zekos Group wi...
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CHESTER — Ann Daley, director of the Council on Aging, is inviting seniors and individuals from area towns to a free informational workshop at the Chester Town Hall auditorium, 15 Middlefield...
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HILLTOWNS – Chester and Huntington are among nine Hilltown communities participating in a program that helps pay for culvert improvements on local roads that cross tributaries flowing into th...
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HILLTOWNS – The Hilltown Community Development Corporation is offering a free class to Hilltown business owners on how to apply for two grants being offered by the Massachusetts Growth Capita...
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BLANDFORD – Historical Society President Pliny “Chips” Norcross welcomed representatives of the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum and Revolution 250, a group of organizations wo...
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CHESTER – After spending most of his career in government service, former Westfield mayor, state senator and state representative Donald Humason Jr. has been hired as the new town administrat...
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HUNTINGTON – Superintendent Kristen Smidy and Student Program and Communications Coordinator Martha Clark recently announced that the Gateway Regional School District was awarded the 21st Cen...
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BLANDFORD – With tractor pulls, livestock shows, live music, food, and the ever-popular midway, there’s excitement in the air as people await the annual Blandford Fair.

Now in it...
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HUNTINGTON – Voters in Huntington will be voting in two different elections on Sept. 6.

A special municipal election for an open seat on the Selectboard and for a Huntington representa...
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HUNTINGTON – Lisa D. Goding of Montgomery Road has announced a run as a write-in candidate for Huntington representative on the Gateway Regional School Committee in the special municipal elec...
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BLANDFORD – Jennifer Dubiel of Huntington has been hired as the new police chief of the Chester-Blandford Police Department, replacing outgoing Chief Tammy Weidhaas. Dubiel was slated to star...
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RUSSELL – The Russell-Montgomery Police Department will host a Family Fun Day and Car Show from noon to 5 p.m. on Aug. 21 at Strathmore Park, the first since the police departments in the two...
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HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional Superintendent Kristen Smidy said she is pleased to announce several new administrative positions in the school district.

“All of them are very enth...
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HUNTINGTON – Despite an unexpected localized downpour that dampened the start of the Gateway Family Night on Aug. 2, more than 100 students and family members came to the Gateway Regional sch...
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HUNTINGTON – On Aug. 14 at 2 p.m. the Historic North Hall Arts Festival returns to the Huntington Town Green with a performance of funk, jazz and rock ’n’roll by The Uncles.

BLANDFORD – Jeff Allen, Blandford’s newest selectman, joined board Chair Cara Letendre and Selectman T. J. Cousineau, who participated, remotely at the July 25 Select Board meeting. ...
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BLANDFORD – The Blandford Historical Society and its president Pliny “Chips” Norcross is planning a week’s worth of activities leading up to Labor Day to celebrate the 200th...
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RUSSELL – After only a month on the job, Russell’s Fire Chief Edward J. Renauld Jr. underwent a trial by fire when the stock house of the former Strathmore Paper Company burned to the g...
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CHESTER – On Aug. 5, 6 and 7, the Littleville Fair at 15 Kinnebrook Rd. in Chester, the first of the local agricultural fairs during the summer, will celebrate 100 years, and excitement is in...
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HUNTINGTON — Town Clerk Linda Hamlin wants voters to check their registration status with the state before the Sept. 6 primary and special town elections. To check voter registration status, ...
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HUNTINGTON — Gateway Regional Superintendent Kristen Smidy was marveling at the number of students taking advantage of the free summer camp being offered at Gateway through Aug. 11 for the fi...
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CHESTER – During one of the last weeks of her tenure as town administrator before assuming the same role in Becket, Katherine “Kathe” Warden was still working on the water situati...
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HUNTINGTON – Following a two-year break due to the coronavirus pandemic, North Hall at 40 Searle Rd. will reopen its doors for the upcoming 12th annual Historic North Hall Arts Festival on Su...
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NORTHAMPTON – People of every heritage and background are invited to attend the 27th annual Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival on July 16 in Look Park in the Florence neighborhood of Northampton...
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CHESTER — “One of the things that is great about a small town is when the chips are down, people help each other out,” said Selectmen Chairman John Baldasaro on the evening of Jul...
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HUNTINGTON – On July 6, the Board of Selectmen, currently composed of Edward Renauld and Roger Booth, met at 5 p.m., the new time for meetings in the summer, which are scheduled every other w...
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HUNTINGTON — The Summer Music Series on the Green kicked off on July 7 with singer-songwriter Grayson Ty accompanied by Jeff Lynch, and a special one-time-only appreciation picnic of hamburge...
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HUNTINGTON — Town Clerk Linda Hamlin recently announced that nomination papers will be available July 6-8 for a September special election to fill vacancies on the Board o...
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CHESTER – The Chester-Blandford Police Department is seeking a new leader after Chief Tammy Weidhaas announced that she would be stepping down to take a position in the Otis Police Department...
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TOLLAND – How’s the retirement? What’s the best part of not having to trudge down to Town Hall every week? How are you spending your Monday nights?

Surrounded by his family...
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BOSTON – Two Hilltown women at the forefront of helping people in their communities who are most in need were among 121 Massachusetts women recognized as Commonwealth Heroines at a special ce...
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CHESTER — Hunting won’t require written permission from the property owner, following a wide majority vote on June 13.

Just 15 out of the 86 voters at Chester’s annual Town...
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RUSSELL — Approximately 50 people attended the Russell Annual Town Meeting on June 13, with Moderator Illtyd Fernandez-Sierra presiding. All items passed, with some discussion about the Gatew...
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GRANVILLE – Voters at the Annual Town Meeting June 6 in Granville approved all but one of the 25 articles on the warrant after the meeting was postponed a month from May 9 due to a COVID-19 o...
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HUNTINGTON – Following the overwhelming passage of the Proposition 2½ override of $86,328 to fund the Huntington Public Library’s budget in the special election on June 4 and at ...
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RUSSELL – Gloria Farrell defeated four-term incumbent Selectman Keith Cortis, 134 to 90, in the municipal election in Russell on June 6.

Farrell is a 41-year resident of Russell and a...
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GRANVILLE – Voters at Granville’s Annual Town Meeting voted for the town not to purchase an 18-acre plot of land at 144 Barnard Rd. to be used for a highway garage, citing concerns over...
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CHESTER – Friends of the Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center (SHAEC) is offering a series of Saturday evening gardening classes with the “Green Thumb Guru” Ed Sourdiffe of C...
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HUNTINGTON – Approximately 120 residents packed Stanton Hall on June 6 for the Annual Town Meeting, in the second part of a two-step process to pass Proposition 2½ overrides to fund th...
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CHESTER – Voters in Chester will decide on 21 articles on the warrant for the Annual Town Meeting June 13 at 7 p.m. at Chester Town Hall.

The first major article is Article 3, which w...
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HUNTINGTON – At the Gateway Regional Senior Class Awards Celebration on June 1, High School Principal Jason Finnie announced that Leah Santiago is the winner of the Golden Achievement Award. ...
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HUNTINGTON – Huntington’s Memorial Day Parade stepped off from Pettis Field at 8:30 a.m. led by Lou Purinton, flag bearer, and veteran James Arnold, follo...
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GRANVILLE – After the Annual Town Meeting slated for May 9 was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak among town officials, voters in Granville will decide on a series of articles at 7 p.m. on ...
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TOLLAND – Proposals to merge the offices of town treasurer and tax collector, and convert both the town clerk and the treasurer-collector from elected to appointed offices, failed at the town...
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BLANDFORD – The Blandford Select Board and Finance Committee convened their annual “mini-town meeting” on May 23 to review the budget in advance of the Annual Town Meeting on June...
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HUNTINGTON – The Annual Town Meeting on June 6 is the second step of a two-step process required to pass the Proposition 2½ overrides for the town’s share of the Hilltown Communi...
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OTIS – Challengers were elected in the only two contested races on the May 24 ballot in Otis.

According to preliminary results released by Town Clerk Lyn O’Brien on election nigh...
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CHESTER — Chester on Track was back in full force for its 31st anniversary on May 21. The parade at 10 a.m. featured antique cars, tractors and lawnmowers, including a strong Corvette conting...
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HUNTINGTON — Approximately 75 residents attended a budget forum in Huntington on May 16 to hear Edward Renauld, chair of the Selectboard, explain the reason that the budgets for the public li...
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MONTGOMERY — Town Clerk Cheryl Masciadrelli reported that 85 residents attended the annual Town Meeting on May 16.

All warrant items passed except for the Gateway Regional School Distr...
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OTIS — The historical Episcopal church in the center of Otis will live on as a community center, following a unanimous vote by Town Meeting on May 17.
The next step is finding out what ...
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CHESTER – Chester on Track will return live for its 31st year on May 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., marking the 181st anniversary of the Western Railroad, the world’s first mountain and wild...
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HUNTINGTON – On May 11, the Huntington Selectboard, now comprising Chair Edward Renauld and member Roger Booth since the resignation of third member Karon Hathaway on May 2, met with the Hill...
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OTIS – Ten positions will be up for a vote in Otis town election on May 24. Voting will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 1 N. Main Rd., Otis.

HUNTINGTON – Memorial Day Parade organizer Lori Belhumeur attended the Selectboard meeting on May 11 to discuss plans for this year’s parade.

Marchers are assembling at Pettis F...
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TOLLAND — In the only contested votes of the night, Town Meeting participants agreed on May 9 to combine the town treasurer and tax collector into one office, and make the town clerk and trea...
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HUNTINGTON – Five positions on the town election ballot will be vacant as Huntington polls are open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 21 at Stanton Hall.

There are no listed candidates for a tw...
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HUNTINGTON – The Hilltown Community Ambulance Association (HCAA), which is based in Huntington and serves the towns of Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Montgomery, Russell and Worthington, has...
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CHESTER – In the municipal election of May 7, 166 votes were cast out of 910 registered voters, and several two seats have been filled with write-in candidates, though two others were left un...
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OTIS – The town of Otis will have its annual Town Meeting on May 17 at the Otis Town Hall, where voters of Otis will decide on 16 articles on the meeting warrant.

The first major arti...
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MONTGOMERY – The town election saw 148 registered voters at the polls on May 2. Incumbent Donald E. Washburn defeated challenger Daniel Jacques, 92 to 55 votes, and will serve another three-y...
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HUNTINGTON — On April 29, the Huntington Selectboard and Finance Committee decided not to include funding for the Hilltown Community Ambulance Service or the Hu...
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GRANVILLE — Voters in Granville will decide on 24 warrant articles at the annual Town Meeting at 7 p.m. on May 9 at the Granville Village School.

Article 1 is a vote on whether to acce...
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CHESTER – Two significant town offices may be filled by only a handful of votes at Chester’s town election on May 7.

No one signed up to run for a three-year term to replace outg...
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TOLLAND – Salaries and public works materials are two of the key factors driving a 4.5 percent hike in the town budget to be voted at this year’s annual Town Meeting.

At a budget...
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HUNTINGTON — Like the town library, the Hilltown Community Ambulance Association also had its fiscal year 2023 budget slashed to zero in an April 29 meeting of Huntington’s Selectboard ...
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TOLLAND – Nearly a half-century after showing up at a town caucus and letting himself be talked into running for selectman, Eric Munson Jr. made local history on April 19 by attending the cau...
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HUNTINGTON – In its fourth year, the Hilltown Mobile Market is changing its business model to provide more flexibility and efficiency and to reach more customers.

This year, instead of...
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BLANDFORD – Town Administrator Christopher Dunne announced last week that he would re-engage with efforts to reopen Cobble Mountain Road to at least some vehicular traffic, and to see the sta...
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HILLTOWNS – Eric Weiss, director of economic and municipal collaboration at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, will lead the effort to form a rural economic development network, thanks t...
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RUSSELL — The Westfield River Wildwater Races, one of the country’s oldest whitewater canoe races, returned on April 24 for its 67th run down the Westfield River at the height of its fl...
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CHESTER — At the end of March, state officials announced the amounts to be distributed of the $7.5 million to small towns in western and central Massachusetts as disaster relief payments for ...
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GRANVILLE — Scott Bergeron said he is excited that the townspeople of Granville believed in him enough to vote him in as the next Selectboard member, after Ted Sussmann chose not to run for r...
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RUSSELL — The towns of Russell and Montgomery have received a state grant of $200,000 to establish a shared police department.

Russell Police Chief Kevin Hennessey, who will oversee t...
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CHESTER – Hamilton Memorial Library in Chester reopened its doors to the public on April 5 with interim librarian Judy Kelly joining the library trustees at the helm. Kelly was previously the...
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CHESTERFIELD – For the past 15 years, broadcasting weekly on Valley Free Radio, the Hilltown Family Variety Show has delivered local families a commercial-free alternative to Saturday morning...
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HUNTINGTON — At a joint meeting on March 31 with the newly elected Finance Committee, the Selectboard heard from Police Chief Robert Garriepy who submitted a Police Department budget with a 1...
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CHESTER — On April 14, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Chester Town Hall Auditorium at 15 Middlefield Road, a Senior Safety information event will be presented, showcasing new senior outreach program...
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GRANVILLE — At next week’s town election, two candidates are looking to fill a seat on the Select Board left vacant after Ted Sussmann decided not to run for a fifth consecutive term. <...
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MONTGOMERY – A vibrant new art and music community is blooming within the Montgomery Marketplace on 46 Main St., starting with the opening of the Gray Catbird Gift Shop and Art Gallery a litt...
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CHESTER – The first-ever Jacob’s Ladder Business Association Home Show is slated to open during the Chester on Track Festival on May 21, and JLBA member businesses and all others intere...
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HUNTINGTON — On March 15, Gateway Regional High School participated for the first time in the SkillsUSA regional competition. SkillsUSA is an international partnership of students, teachers a...
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WESTFIELD – Students from Gateway Regional School and Agawam High School faced off over the weekend on the 61st season of “As Schools Match Wits,” in an episode that will air in M...
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HUNTINGTON – At the start of the Gateway Regional School Committee meeting on March 15, elementary school Principal Megan Coburn’s announcement that she would be leaving after 12 years ...
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HUNTINGTON – At its March 15 meeting, the Gateway Regional School Committee unanimously voted to approve a fiscal 2023 budget of $16,747,274, an increase of $80,541 over the fiscal 2022 budge...
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HUNTINGTON – The Recreation Committee hosts its annual Easter egg hunt on April 9, beginning at 11 a.m., in Pettis Field, after having to cancel last year due to COVID-19. The rain date is Ap...
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OTIS – Last month, the Otis Preservation Trust invited Heather Bruegl of the Stockbridge Munsee Nation, director of education for the Forge Project, a Native-led initiative centered on de-col...
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CHESTER – The Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center (SHAEC), located in the Village Enterprise classroom at 26 Main St. in Chester, has a new website at www.umass.edu/shaec and a new seri...
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TOLLAND – The Tolland Police Department has a new chief starting this week, after the retirement of former Chief Ed Deming.

Westfield Police Officer Steve Carrington, a Tolland reside...
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HUNTINGTON – Read Across America Day was celebrated at Littleville and Chester elementary schools on March 2, the birthday of Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss.

Every year at Gateway, ...
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HILLTOWNS – With town halls opening, and face masks coming off staff and students at Gateway schools on March 14, residents of the Hilltowns are slowly getting back to a more normal routine a...
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HUNTINGTON – Superintendent Kristen Smidy ran her first public hearing on the fiscal 2023 budget on March 2, announcing a 0.48 percent increase of $80,541 in th...
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HUNTINGTON – Council on Aging Director Kathleen Peterson and outreach coordinator Crystal Wright-Partyka were encouraged as more than a dozen people came to the Memory Cafe at Stanton Hall on...
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BLANDFORD – Christopher Dunne will begin as the new town administrator on March 7, a date that town officials have been eagerly awaiting.

“He can’t start soon enough, in my...
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CHESTER — Outside of the Hamilton Library, the Sitterly Movers truck was parked and bookcases lined up after the library recently underwent mold remediation and renovation. Overseeing much of...
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HUNTINGTON – Three months ago, the local Lions Club stood on the verge of disbanding. Now, new President John Bergeron is adamant that they’re sticking around.

“By December...
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HUNTINGTON – After six years of applications by Highway Superintendent Charles Dazelle, the MassWorks Infrastructure Program has finally awarded Huntington $1 million to repair Route 66, Pond...
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HUNTINGTON – In January, the Gateway Regional School District expanded its inclusive preschool program with a new classroom in Littleville Elementary, offering an additional morning or aftern...
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HUNTINGTON – The first in a series of municipal vulnerability workshops took place in Huntington on Feb. 8, led by environmental planners Mimi Kaplan, Patty Gambarini and Emily Tully of the P...
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OTIS – Families from all over Western Mass. turned out on a 50-degree Saturday in mid-February for the third annual Cardboard Box race at the Otis Ridge Ski Area.

The parking area was ...
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OTIS – For the third time in recent years, Otis Ridge Ski Area will host a Cardboard Box Race on Feb. 12, beginning at 1 p.m.

General Manager Eric VanOostveen said this year’s ra...
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OTIS – Town officials expect to hear this month whether a state agency will contribute to the construction of a new library in Otis.

The town submitted a building plan Dec. 1 to the Ma...
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BLANDFORD – Teaching artist Jay Mankita with Playful Engineers was at the Porter Memorial library on Feb. 2 helping young patrons to make chain reaction contraptions with boxes of toys, domin...
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HUNTINGTON – After four years in Gateway Regional High School’s Introduction to Welding and Manufacturing program, students are ready to enter the workfor...
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CHESTER — Tony-award winning Broadway costume designer William Ivey Long recently transferred ownership to the town of the 1906 Chester Elementary School, according to Selectman Richard Holzm...
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HUNTINGTON — Residents, businesses, and representatives from Huntington and surrounding communities are invited to learn about the town’s upcoming Hazard Mitigation and Municipal Vulner...
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HUNTINGTON — Members of the Board of Selectmen were happy to announce at the Jan. 19 meeting that three residents have volunteered to serve on the town’s Finance Committee, the first ti...
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GRANVILLE — “It’s a story of tragic loss and a story of great hope,” said John Meiklejohn when he spoke on Jan. 19 in a Zoom presentation hosted by the Granville Public Libr...
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RUSSELL — As Comcast upgrades the lines serving former customers of Russell Cable, which the Philadelphia-based company bought in October 2021, Steve Delnickas, president of Russell Underserv...
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CHESTER – State officials will allocate $7.5 million to small towns in Western and central Massachusetts as disaster relief payments related to a July 2021 storm.

State Sens. Adam Hind...
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RUSSELL – The Hess family in Russell has been breeding goldendoodles for sale for the past five years, and has now added bernedoodles. A goldendoodle is a mix of golden retriever and poodle, ...
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HUNTINGTON — After five years of discussion and meetings to draft a new regional agreement required by the state between the Gateway Regional School District and its six member towns, officia...
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BLANDFORD – Arcadia Publishing has announced that “The White Church of Blandford,” the first book written by Westfield State University Dean of History Nicholas J. Aieta of Westfi...
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BLANDFORD – The town of Blandford is seeking to fill the town administrator job vacated by Joshua Garcia when he left for his successful run for election as the mayor of Holyoke.

When...
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HUNTINGTON ­– Anyone in the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts who needed help with toys for the holidays was able to find them this season at The Village Closet, 2 E. Main St., Huntingto...
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CHESTER – Those who resolve to spend more time exploring nature, or being active outdoors, will have an immediate opportunity to start the year on the right foot.

All are invited to jo...
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HUNTINGTON — Student guides from Gateway Regional High School, Littleville Elementary School in Huntington and Chester Elementary School greeted town officials from Chester, Huntington and Mi...
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HUNTINGTON — A uniquely qualified hilltowner has been hired by the Huntington Council on Aging to fill two new five-hour grant-funded positions.

Crystal Wright-Partyka, who lives on t...
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HUNTINGTON – By 3 p.m. on the first day of shotgun season for deer and bear on Nov. 29 at the B&D check-in station, a crowd of teenagers were standing around. When asked what was going on...
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HUNTINGTON – If you would like to do something to help a local agency that has helped many people this year, then consider giving a gift of a few hours to The Village Closet to help sort the ...
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BLANDFORD – Residents once again gave thanks this year to the principals at Belle Fleur LLC, a wholesale cannabis cultivation and manufacturing operation at 138 Otis Stage Rd., which is ready...
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CHESTER – About 40 members and guests of the Jacob’s Ladder Business Association (JLBA) gathered at the Chester Railway Station Museum on Nov. 18 to network and share good food prepared...
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HUNTINGTON — Laura Gavioli, director of the Huntington Food Pantry at 63 Old Chester Road in the Pioneer Valley Assembly of God Church, said this year the pantr...
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HUNTINGTON – The seats were filled at Stanton Hall for the presentation on “The Forgotten Valley Remembered: Life Before the Knightville Dam,” on the afternoon of Nov. 14.

...
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GRANVILLE – An international clean energy company is offering Granville residents a spot in a community solar power project that would allow them to see some of the benefits of solar power wi...
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HUNTINGTON – The Gateway Regional School District will face “some hard decisions” on how to continue paying its increased staff when funding from federal ESSER grants runs out, Sc...
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BLANDFORD – As he prepares for his new job as chief executive in a city of 38,000, Joshua Garcia says he’s proud of what he’s accomplished as chief administrator in a town of 1,20...
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CHESTER — New Council on Aging Director Ann Daley is planning a Veterans Day Luncheon at the Chester Common Table on Nov. 11 at noon.

...
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HUNTINGTON — Although Chad Donovan-Hall has spent the last three years studying the history of Knightville and Indian Hollow, the two villages that were flooded...
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GRANVILLE — State Sen. John Velis and state Rep. Nicholas Boldyga will attend another site visit at the Cobble Mountain Reservoir next week in the hopes of getting a better understanding of w...
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HUNTINGTON — Witches, princesses, tot-sized police officers and various goblins and ghouls filled the parking lot of the Huntington Public Library on Oct. 16 for the trunk-or-treat sponsored ...
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CHESTER — Hobo reenactors Jay Blain of Springfield, Bill Stroud of Westfield and Rich Martin of Hatfield set up camp on the Chester Railway Station grounds while traveling musician brothers S...
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RUSSELL — Comcast can’t guarantee that it will serve all of the neighborhoods in Russell that lack cable television and high-speed internet.

Russell Cable, however, can guarantee...
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HUNTINGTON — The Gateway Regional School Committee agreed last week to stop discussing a change in mask policy after learning that it could lose millions of dollars in funding and teachers co...
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GRANVILLE — Members of the Selectboard lobbied state officials to reopen the roads and trails around the Cobble Mountain Reservoir last week for recreational use and emergency vehicle access....
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HUNTINGTON — The Council on Aging hosted a comprehensive health fair for all ages on Oct. 16, with information booths inside Stanton Hall, the Huntington Health Center offering COVID-19 vacci...
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WESTERN MASS. – Municipal light plant (MLP) managers in Chester, Russell and Westfield say recent scorecard rankings from the Massachusetts Climate Action Network don’t tell the wh...
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SOUTHWICK – The Select Board last week accepted a state Department of Public Health grant for $179,630 to fund a public health nursing staff to be shared between Southwick, Blandford, Granvil...
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CHESTER – Although the annual Hobo Dinner has been a popular event at the Chester Railway Station and Museum for at least 10 years, the dinner had to be cancelled in 2019 due to COVID-19. Las...
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HUNTINGTON — The Select Board surveyed town officials, and received about $740,000 in suggestions on how to spend Huntington’s aid payment from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Th...
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HUNTINGTON — A wide range of activities for all ages are planned for next Saturday in Huntington.

The Bill Rose Memorial Fly-Fishing Clinic, co-sponsored by the Westfield River Watershed Ass...
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CHESTER – State and local representatives and members of the National Park Service, Westfield River Watershed Association, Wild & Scenic River Committee, Western Mass Rail Coalition, Frie...
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SOUTHWICK – Although his last official day was Aug. 31, friends and colleagues of former Gateway Regional Superintendent David B. Hopson took some time out on Sept. 23 at The Ranch to wish hi...
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GRANVILLE – For the second straight year, Columbus Day will come and go without a Granville Harvest Fair. This year it isn’t the coronavirus itself that is responsible, but the added wo...
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RUSSELL – Board of Assessors Chairman Thomas Ray and consultant Roy Bishop had some good news for taxpayers at the Select Board meeting on Sept. 21 convened by Wayne Precanico, when they anno...
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HUNTINGTON – Council on Aging Coordinator Kathleen Peterson is hoping to increase services in the Hilltowns to people with memory problems and their families. On Sept. 15, 18 and 19, she offe...
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HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional Athletic Director Matthew Bonenfant gave an overview on fall sports to the School Committee on Sept. 8. He said after receiving a lot of late sign-ups, the high ...
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GRANVILLE – Imagine a comedy club in a school or a library, and you’ve got “Laugh & Learn,” an educational show that explains while it entertains.

Teacher, comedi...
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GRANVILLE – Libraries in Granville, Southwick, Tolland, Westfield and three other communities are joining forces to recognize Climate Preparedness Week, Sept. 24 to 30, with a host of educati...
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HUNTINGTON – The debate over mandatory masks continued at the Gateway Regional School Committee’s meeting on Sept. 8, with people speaking on both sides of the issue. No action was take...
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HUNTINGTON – The Jacob’s Ladder Business Association hosted its regular monthly meeting at the beautiful setting of The Retreat on Norwich Lake at 128 Norwich Lake Road on Sept. 9.

CHESTER – The Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center will offer a wide range of free sustainability, business and computer classes online for Hilltown residents this fall.

Monique T...
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RUSSELL – The Boy Scouts of America Horace A. Moses Scout Reservation at 310 Birch Hill Road in Russell is hosting a 9/11 remembrance ceremony from 8 to 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 11.

Art Lob...
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HUNTINGTON – The Council on Aging is sponsoring a bus trip to Encore Boston Harbor Casino on Sept. 30, with departures from Huntington and Westfield, open to all.

The cost of the trip ...
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HUNTINGTON – The Village Closet is hosting its third free sidewalk sale on Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Called the “Mommy and Me Closet Cleanout,” the free “sale” w...
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HUNTINGTON – At the reorganization meeting for the Gateway Regional School Committee on Aug. 25, Superintendent Kristen Smidy presided over the meeting until the election of new officers, the...
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BLANDFORD – The Porter Memorial Library in Blandford unveiled its permanent StoryWalk in Watson Park on Aug. 28. The installation consists of a wooden series of 20 sign boards on posts, cover...
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BLANDFORD – Town Administrator Joshua A. Garcia spoke to Reminder Publishing about current town projects and priorities identified through recent planning efforts.

Garcia said Resilien...
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HUNTINGTON – Administrative Assistant Jennifer Peloquin has put out a call for volunteers to serve on one of a dozen committees and boards in town with vacancies on them.

She said one ...
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HUNTINGTON – The Huntington Historical Society is inviting the public to an open house for the Norwich Bridge School Museum from 1 to 4 p.m. on Aug. 29.

The one-room schoolhouse and m...
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HUNTINGTON ­– When Kristen Smidy began on Aug. 2 as the new superintendent of the Gateway Regional School District, her first impressions were positive.

“It was awesome. It w...
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CHESTER – Terry Donovan was appointed by the Board of Selectmen at the end of June as the new Chester town clerk, replacing Rosemary Dalesandro, who served for two years.

Donovan is al...
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RUSSELL – The Russell Police Department put out an alert this week on social media that the free Family Fun Day and Car Show at Strathmore Park is fast approaching on Aug. 22, from noon to 5 ...
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GRANVILLE – A Canadian company has donated $5,000 to the Granville Green Committee toward the construction of a new pavilion on the Town Green.

...
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CHESTER – The Hamilton Memorial Library in Chester Commons on 195 Route 20 is currently closed due to the presence of mold spores.

...
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CHESTER – Chef John Slattery and volunteer Tami Wright served a meal of sauteed vegetables, beans and sausage, cucumber salad with sour cream and poppy seed dressing, kale slaw, blueberry slu...
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HUNTINGTON – Fire and police personnel from Montgomery, Russell, Blandford, Huntington and Chester parked their vehicles in the circular driveway at Littleville Elementary School on Aug. 1 fo...
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HUNTINGTON – Keyboardist and bass guitarist Khalif Neville, drummer Talyn Neville (sons of the late Charles Neville) and Jason Szafranski on guitar brought Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, John C...
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CHESTER ­– When asked what’s new at the Littleville Fair, President Moe Boisseau, Sr., said the biggest news is that the fair is back, and will be presented on Aug. 6, 4 to 10 p.m.,...
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CHESTER – Emily Smith-Lee, the new owner of the historic Riverside Inn at 20 Main St,. opened its doors during a guided walking tour of the town July 24 for visitors to check out the gutted l...
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CHESTER – Chester Foundation President David Pierce and Director of Parks and Trails Elizabeth S. Massa recently completed a two-year quest to find and document...
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HUNTINGTON – There is now another reason to visit the Huntington Public Library every week, in addition to the summer reading program and the new books and other reading materials on the shel...
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HUNTINGTON – Hilltown Community First Responders and the Start Em Early Foundation are teaming up to host a sensory friendly community Touch a Truck event on Aug. 1 from 12 to 3 p.m. at Littl...
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BLANDFORD – Town Administrator Joshua A. Garcia announced that a new tanker for the Blandford Fire Department has arrived. The tanker holds 2,000 gallons of water, increasing the town’s...
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CHESTER – The Western Mass. Hilltown Hikers is sponsoring a group hike of the Chester Becket Railroad on July 24, 10 a.m., beginning at the Chester Railway Station Museum on 10 Prospect Hike....
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HUNTINGTON – The Huntington Summer Music Series Thursday evenings on the town green will kick off this week with Misty Blues on July 15. This year, the concerts will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m., ...
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BLANDFORD – Theodore J. Cousineau is the newest Select Board member in Blandford following the June 26 election. Cousineau is replacing Eric McVey, who did not ...
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GRANVILLE – Granville Public Library Director Lise LeTellier is looking to welcome adults, teens, children and families to the Library at 2 Granby Road this summer. “Whether it is a goo...
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BLANDFORD-“We’re back!

“That’s our tagline for this year’s Blandford Fair,” said Greg Girard, vice president of buildings, grounds and concessions.

HUNTINGTON – C.M. Gardner State Park on Route 112 North has reopened after gates were closed over the weekend of June 19 and 20 due to a senseless act of vandalism.

According to staff ...
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HUNTINGTON – It Takes a Village, which runs The Village Closet at 2 E. Main St. in Huntington, is this year’s winner of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network’s Nonprofit Excellence ...
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HUNTINGTON – The gates were closed until further notice over the weekend of June 19 and 20 at C. M. Gardner State Park on Route 112 North in Huntington due to an  act of vandalism.

BLANDFORD – During the Annual Town Meeting on June 21, residents will be asked to approve the fiscal year 2022 budget of just over $4 million, a decrease of approximately $300,000 from last y...
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HUNTINGTON – In a record 30 minutes or so, the residents of Huntington voted to pass all 13 articles with little discussion and only one or two dissensions at the Annual Town Meeting on June ...
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HUNTINGTON – Franklin Tech scored 14 runs over the final three innings of a high school softball game to defeat Gateway 15-4 Thurs., June 3.

Kaitlin Trudeau, Lilly Ross, Emily Eastman,...
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HUNTINGTON – The Huntington Community Events Committee and the Huntington Recreation Committee have announced music and baseball events of interest to all Hilltown residents.

Free musi...
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CHESTER – The Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Committee (SHAEC) is offering a free in-person informational session for Gateway Hilltown residents interested in Holyoke Community College&rs...
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HUNTINGTON – The Boston Post Cane was presented on May 15 to Virginia Malanson, 95, who is now Huntington’s oldest resident.  Making the presentation were Huntington Board of Selec...
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TOLLAND ­– About two dozen Tolland residents gathered at the Public Safety Complex on May 10 for the annual Town Meeting where 18 articles were voted on. 

The meeting began wi...
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BLANDFORD – The Blandford Memorial Day parade will start promptly at 11:30 a.m., May 31 at the Blandford Town Hall, and proceed up Main Street to Veterans Park. All participants should be at ...
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BLANDFORD – At the conclusion of a virtual public hearing on May 5, the Planning Board issued a special permit with conditions to Belle Fleur Holdings, LLC to construct and operate a two-stor...
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CHESTER – Moe Boisseau Sr., president of the Littleville Fair Association, was happy with the turnout at the pancake breakfast May 2 at the fairgrounds on Kinne Brook Road. 

The b...
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BLANDFORD – Town Administrator (TA) Joshua A. Garcia recently took out papers seeking election as mayor of Holyoke. Garcia, who was born and raised in Holyoke and still lives there with his w...
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EAST OTIS – Local historian Thomas Ragusa has spent the last 12 years recreating a 30-mile survey of the Knox Trail, eight miles of which he has documented through Otis and Sandisfield. ...
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RUSSELL – During school vacation week, Zackary Cernak, 18, was clearing a trail in the woods for his dirt bike on private property in the Dickinson Hill Road area, when he came upon some rock...
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RUSSELL – Russell Town Clerk Jodie Paradis has released the 2021 political calendar relating to the Town Caucus and Town Election.  

The Town Caucus took place on April 26 at Russ...
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RUSSELL – The Woronoco Heights Outdoor Adventures (WHOA) is soaring to new heights with the reopening of its 60-foot-tall climbing and rappelling tower April 24.

WHOA, located at the H...
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CHESTER – Chester Town Clerk Rosemary Dalesandro announced this week that the town election will be conducted on May 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Town Hall auditorium.  Early voting is...
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HUNTINGTON – Nursing students in two area colleges are sponsoring drives for diapers and menstrual supplies to benefit It Takes a Village and the Amherst Survival Center.

Mollie Hartfo...
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GRANVILLE –  Four hundred-six Granville voters went to the polls April 12 for the annual town elections.

Most of the elections on the ballot were uncontested, except for the conte...
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GRANVILLE/SPRINGFIELD –  A Granville resident is working with a Springfield College senior to help local youth by turning a room in the Springfield College Center for Leadership and Civi...
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WESTHAMPTON – Maggie Rubeck (14 points) and Madde Pond (11) combined for 25 points in Hampshire’s convincing 70-22 win over Gateway in a girls basketball game April 6.

Hampshire ...
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HILLTOWNS – The Jacob’s Ladder Business Association is hosting a virtual speed networking event on April 22, from 7 to 8 p.m. JLBA President Emily E. Smith-Lee of Hilltown Law in Cheste...
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HUNTINGTON – Hampshire Regional High School Principal Kristen Smidy was selected the new superintendent of the Gateway Regional School District by a vote of 11 to 1 of the School Committee on...
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WESTERN MASS. – The school committees from the Hampshire Regional School District selected Diana Bonneville as their next superintendent during a March 29 meeting.

Bonneville, who was...
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HUNTINGTON – Four finalists were interviewed by the Gateway School Committee via Zoom on March 24 and 31. A vote for the new superintendent is expected this week.

The finalists were Gi...
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BLANDFORD - During a public zoom informational meeting on March 26, Pudding Hill Farm owners Thomas Fielding and Scott O’Connor introduced their proposed indoor cannabis micro cultivation bus...
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GRANVILLE – The virtual tour of the Noble and Cooley Drum Factory is complete and available online for the viewing pleasure of local history enthusiasts.

The virtual tour can be found...
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HUNTINGTON – The Gateway Boys Basketball squad was looking to avenge their prior loss to Belchertown when they hosted the Orioles once again on April 1.     

Sadly ...
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HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional hosted Belchertown Tuesday afternoon in a boys basketball matchup. The visiting Orioles took advantage of 10 first quarter turnovers committed by the host Gators...
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CHESTER – The COVID-19 pandemic has been largely highlighted by the impact it has had in large cities and population centers, but often discounted is the experience smaller, more rural commun...
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HILLTOWNS – The Hilltown Mobile Market organizers are making plans for the 2021 season of weekly stops in Blandford and Huntington on Fridays, and in Cummington and Worthington on Thursdays, ...
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HUNTINGTON – If Gateway Regional High School basketball never sees the St. Mary’s Saints again, it would be a blessing, of sorts, for the Gators.

St. Mary’s swept the week ...
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BLANDFORD – At a Special Town Meeting on March 22, two dozen residents gathered at Town Hall and voted unanimously to transfer $120,000 from the Building Stabilization Fund to pay for an Owne...
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HUNTINGTON – Town Clerk Linda Hamlin has announced that the 2021 Huntington Municipal Election will take place on May 15.

Residents will be voting for positions on the Board of Selectm...
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BLANDFORD – Town Administrator Joshua Garcia has announced a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) award of $449,825 for eligible homeowners to make necessary repairs in their homes.

HUNTINGTON – At a virtual meeting on March 10, the Gateway Regional School Committee voted to adopt the FY22 budget of $16.7 million, reflecting a 1.2 percent increase over last year, and to ...
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HUNTINGTON – The Council on Aging (COA) is offering seniors a chance to have traveling musicians come to their homes on March 27 to play some lively songs in their yards to herald spring.

HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional Superintendent David B. Hopson convened a public hearing on the fiscal year 2022 (FY22) district budget on March 3, where he reviewed a 1.2 percent increase with...
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HILLTOWNS – David Christoplis, executive director of the Hilltown Community Development Corporation has announced that businesses, nonprofits, artists and farmers in the hilltowns who have su...
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BLANDFORD – Residents and town officials are seeking to reopen Cobble Mountain Road, formerly a direct connection to Granville village, for emergency management access and recreational use. T...
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HILLTOWNS – The Jacobs Ladder Business Association (JLBA) is offering a $250 prize to the best business proposal from a Western Massachusetts Hilltowns high school student or team of students...
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GRANVILLE – On Feb. 11, the Granville  Library Club marked 125 years since its inception.  New Granville Librarian Lise LeTellier said they are in the process of still trying to con...
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HUNTINGTON – The Hilltown Community Ambulance Association (HCAA) has big ideas for the future, according to Service Director Angela Mulkerin and Assistant Service Director Loretta Stober.

HUNTINGTON – When Gateway Regional Superintendent David B. Hopson retires in Augus, 2021 after 18 years on the job, it will mean the end of a 40-year career in education which began in Connec...
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he 2019-2020 year and now into fiscal year 2021 (FY21) is a reflection of hard work and change in how we mitigate the various challenges that impact our local government and community in the effort...
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RUSSELL – The Dollar General at 45 Blandford Stage Road, Route 20, directly across the street from the Russell State Police barracks, opened on Feb. 11 with no advance announcement, three wee...
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CHESTER – On Jan. 13, the National Historic Landmarks program announced the designation of 21 new National Historic Landmarks by the secretary of the interior.  Among them were the Weste...
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CHESTER – On Feb. 4, Tammy Weidhaas of Russell was formally sworn in as the new police chief for the combined Chester Blandford Police Department during a pinning ceremony at Chester Town Hal...
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HUNTINGTON – A collaboration between the Council on Aging and the Huntington Community Events Committee is bringing live acoustic music to two local restaurants on Valentine’s Day weeke...
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HUNTINGTON – The Huntington Recreation Committee is offering free new 300 to 500 piece family friendly jigsaw puzzles to combat the winter blues.

Promoting the puzzle pick as “so...
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CHESTER – Amateur ham radio operators Marc Richute and Mindy Hull of the “The Bearsden Radio Gang” braved the bitter cold to participate in the Winter Field Day in Chester on Jan....
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HILLTOWNS – For Hilltown small business owners and residents with questions about 2020 tax returns, accountant, bookkeeper and tax preparer Dorine Lasky will be hosting a free “Ask the ...
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HUNTINGTON – The Village Closet received a truckload of diapers at the end of January, thanks to a generous donation from Baystate Health.

Mollie Hartford, director of outreach and dev...
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CHESTER – Amateur ham radio operators from the Bearsden Radio Gang will be participating in the 2021 Winter Field Day from the wooden caboose at the Chester Railway Station on Jan. 30 and 31....
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BLANDFORD – The town of Blandford is in the process of developing a Resilient Master Plan (RMP) thanks to a grant of $102,000 from Gov. Charlie Baker’s Mass Vulnerability Preparedness (...
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RUSSELL – Residents, business owners, stakeholders and representatives from surrounding communities were invited to participate in the initial public meeting on the town of Russell’s Ha...
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HILLTOWNS – In December 2020, the Jacob’s Ladder Business Association voted in a new slate of officers for 2021.

Emily Smith-Lee, an attorney with practices in Sharon and Cheste...
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BLANDFORD – Town Administrator Joshua Garcia said construction is continuing on the broadband network in town, and signups are going “great, better than what some of us hoped for.&rdquo...
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HUNTINGTON – Gateway Superintendent David B. Hopson said on Jan. 8 that the decision to go to strictly remote learning Jan 8 to Jan. 14 was based on an increase to over 5 percent in COVID cas...
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HUNTINGTON – A hovercraft with a firefighter in a thermal suit carried a hunter to safety after the man got lost hunting and became stranded in the middle of a pond about 300 feet from shore ...
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HILLTOWNS – The Hilltown Community Development Corporation has partnered with local retailers to create the Hilltown Food Bucks, a local effort to help Hilltown residents stretch their food d...
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HILLTOWNS – The Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center (SHAEC) is offering support for southern Hilltown residents to enter into the healthcare field through a new partnership with Holyoke...
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HUNTINGTON – The Fire Department recently released its guidelines for the upcoming 2021 Open Air Burning Season, according to Massachusetts state law and MassDEP regulations.

Burning s...
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HUNTINGTON – The Huntington Fire Department is actively seeking call/volunteer firefighters to join their crew. Fire Chief Josh Ellinger said the call department has ten active firefighters t...
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MONTGOMERY – After getting input from several residents at a public hearing on Dec 10, the Montgomery Board of Health and Board of Selectmen decided to hold off on a vote to end the town&rsqu...
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HUNTINGTON – After a vigorous discussion, the Gateway School Committee voted on Dec. 9 to go forward with a shortened varsity basketball season to begin practice on Jan. 4, 2021, with the fir...
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BLANDFORD – Santa Claus made a visit to the Blandford Fire Department on Dec. 12, and joined the department in a holiday parade through the streets, riding in Engine 1. Waiting for the trucks...
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HILLTOWNS – Russell beekeeper Nate Sperry, vice chair of the Hampden County Beekeepers Association (HCBA) said this year’s annual course on beekeeping will take place every other Thursd...
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HILLTOWNS – The Hilltown Community Development Corp. recently announced the winners of its Hilltown Director “Sights of the Hilltowns” photo contest.

Participants submitte...
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HUNTINGTON – The Huntington Recreation Committee is encouraging residents to spruce up their homes for the holidays, by sponsoring a Holiday Tour of Lights and Door Decorating.

Vicki M...
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BLANDFORD – Domenico Cardarelli, CFO of Belle Fleur Holdings, a marijuana wholesale cultivation business looking to open in town, gathered with other principals of the company at the Blandfor...
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HILLTOWNS – State Sen. Adam G. Hinds was feeling pretty upbeat after helping the Senate wrap up the budget at 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 19, when they unanimously passed a $46 billion budget for fisc...
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HILLTOWNS – Several area Hilltowns have received grants from the Baker-Polito Administration through the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) to help maximize their recycling and tra...
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MONTGOMERY – The Recycling Committee is recommending a change to the way residents in town recycle with the goal of lowering the projected cost.  

Committee members Chris Brown an...
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BLANDFORD – Peter Langmore, chair of the Municipal Light Board, hosted a virtual information session on Nov. 7 to provide an update to the Blandford community on the broadband project schedul...
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HUNTINGTON – A search is underway for a new superintendent for Gateway Regional Schools, to replace David B. Hopson who will be retiring next summer after 18 years in the district. The search...
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CHESTER – A Trunk-or-Treat took place on Halloween, Oct. 31, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Chester ballfield on Emery Street. Residents decorated their cars and truck beds to entice the 75 or so ch...
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HILLTOWNS – Community Works, a free pre-apprenticeship program that prepares men and women for a career in the construction and transportation industries, is now accepting Hilltown residents ...
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CHESTER – The Village Closet, located in the former St. Thomas Church in Huntington, will now have regular open hours on Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to P...
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BLANDFORD – Friday afternoon Oct. 9, Town Administrator Joshua Garcia and his children Allison and Ethan were joined by approximately a dozen residents on the “Kaolin Road Loop,” ...
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HUNTINGTON – The Bill Rose Memorial Fly-Fishing Clinic, co-sponsored by the Westfield River Watershed Association and the Western Mass Fly Fishermen Club, took place on Oct. 17 across from th...
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BLANDFORD - On Nov. 7, the Blandford Municipal Light Board will be hosting two informational sessions on the broadband project at Town Hall, which residents may attend virtually or in person.

CHESTER – The Jacob’s Ladder Business Association will host a “live and in person” Snack and Schmooze at the Chester Railway Station on Oct. 23 from 6 to 9 p.m.

The J...
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HILLTOWNS – Small businesses that have been adversely affected by COVID-19 closures in Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Middlefield and Montgomery may apply for grants of up to $10,000 through...
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CHESTER – Southern Hilltown Adult Education Center Director Michele Kenney has announced that free fall 2020 classes will be hosted online, utilizing the Zoom platform.

“In order...
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BLANDFORD – Porter Memorial Library Director Nicole Daviau, who is also an assistant librarian for Gateway Regional High School, is bringing together Gateway students, the school library and ...
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HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional Superintendent Dr. David B. Hopson sent out an email to school and town officials Sept. 23, sounding an alarm about a new proposal for Chapter 70 state aid to ed...
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RUSSELL – Many Hilltown residents travelling down Route 20 last week were surprised to see a sign announcing that a Dollar General is coming to town. The store is under construction at  ...
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HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional opened outdoors on Sept. 8 and 9 for students in grades K-12 to pick up chromebooks, return any textbooks or library books they may have held onto, and return&nb...
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BLANDFORD – The free Wi-Fi hot spot set up for residents at Blandford Town Hall will be extended through the end of 2020, the Baker-Polito administration announced recently. The program was o...
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RUSSELL – The Russell Police Department was one of 44 police departments and 65 fire departments across the Commonwealth to receive up to $50,000 in competitive federal Coronavirus Emergency ...
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BLANDFORD – Marijuana cultivator Belle Fleur LLC hosted a community outreach meeting via Zoom on Sept. 3 to talk about their plan for an indoor and outdoor grow operation on nine acres of lan...
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RUSSELL – Volunteers from Make MA Fishing Spots Great Again met on Saturday morning Aug 29 at the Jacob’s Ladder pull off in Russell to spend a few hours cleaning up the Westfield River...
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HUNTINGTON – Counter-protestors outnumbered protestors on Aug. 30 in front of the Huntington County Store, where a protest had been planned objecting to the store’s use of the words &ld...
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HUNTINGTON – Thirteen bids were submitted for drainage and road surface improvements to Kennedy Drive, which was awarded a grant from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

HILLTOWNS – The Jacob’s Ladder Business Association has released the fourth edition of its popular Hilltown Destinations, which features hiking trailheads and business listings, and wil...
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HILLTOWNS – If you are one of the people who has procrastinated filling out the Census 2020 form online, by telephone, or by mail, be aware that you may soon be visited by a Census taker.

CHESTER – One of the popular events every year at the Chester Railway Station & Museum is the Hobo Harvest Dinner, usually hosted in October. This year, the event has been moved up to Sep...
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HILLTOWNS – According to Russell Town Clerk Jodie Paradis, “We are getting a tremendous response to the mail-in voting option from Russell residents.”

Chester Town Clerk Ro...
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HILLTOWNS – Huntington and Chester were two of the hilltowns that saw a great deal of damage with trees and wires down from Tropical Storm Isaias, which hit on Aug. 4. After mostly dodging th...
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HUNTINGTON – “We’re so excited!” said Mollie Hartford, Development and Outreach Director for It Takes a Village, which manages the Village Closet, a donation and distributio...
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HUNTINGTON – "Everyone's excited to get out," said Vicki Mayhew of the Huntington Community Events Committee at the first concert of the Summer Music Series on the Green July 29.

About...
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HUNTINGTON – Following a phone call with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley and the state's superintendents last week, Gateway Regional ...
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HILLTOWNS – Severe storms brought with them a tornado that made its way through portions of Western Massachusetts on the evening of Aug. 2, the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed.

CHESTER – Poultry breeder Glenn Jameson calls the cancellation of the local fairs this year “a disappointment. It’s something we always look forward to, showing our animals and ve...
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HUNTINGTON – The Hilltown Mobile Market brought its fresh, local and affordable produce to Huntington on July 24 for the first time this season. In its second year, the Hilltown Mobile Market...
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HUNTINGTON – The Huntington Community Events Committee has announced that they will be holding three concerts for this year’s Summer Music Series on the Green, on July 30, Aug. 6 and Au...
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BLANDFORD – The Select Board recently appointed retired Easthampton Fire Chief David Mottor as the town’s newest Fire Chief.  

A welcoming and swearing in ceremony took plac...
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HILLTOWNS – During the dog days of summer, many people, out-of-towners and residents alike, seek out spots along the Westfield River, ponds and lakes in the hilltowns to beat the heat and enj...
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HILLTOWNS – The Gateway Hilltown Collaborative has just announced the release of its new marketing video. Co-chair Andrew Myers of Chester said the video is the first of five that will be rel...
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HILLTOWNS – Now that public libraries are permitted to open by the state, several libraries in area hilltowns are following the strict guidelines and preparing to open by appointment during l...
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HILLTOWNS – The Hilltown Community Development Corporation is establishing a Micro-Enterprise Relief Program to help businesses that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, an...
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HILLTOWNS – The Gateway Regional School District fiscal year 2021 budget was approved in the annual meetings of five of its six member towns, with Russell’s meeting scheduled for July 6...
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BLANDFORD – All warrants passed unanimously at the Annual Town Meeting on June 21.  Town Administrator Joshua Garcia said that the Finance Committee had worked hard to present the budget...
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BLANDFORD – A total of 145 residents, or 16 percent of the town’s registered voters, weighed in on a non-binding referendum about whether they favored construction of a new exit on the ...
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BLANDFORD – Pliny “Chips” Norcross, president of the Blandford Historical Society has announced a $95,000 matching grant from the Mass Cultural Coun...
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HILLTOWNS – One of the many units that responded to the Strathmore Paper Mill 2 fire in Woronoco on Saturday evening was the Huntington Emergency Management, which brought the Mobile Command ...
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CHESTER – Town Clerk Rosemary Dalesandro posted the following results of the town election held on Saturday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Eighty-six residents returned early/absente...
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HILLTOWNS – The Rapids Bar & Grill (therapidsbar.com) had a beautiful weekend to cap off its first week of outdoor dining, which began on June 9.

Tommy Ray, manager of the iconic r...
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WESTERN MASS. – The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is seeking $190,000 from the emergency Community Development Block Grant Covid program to address domestic violence issues that have bee...
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RUSSELL – On June 1, the town of Russell Recreation Department Facebook page posted that the town beach at Russell Pond would be closed “indefinitely.” The announcement is also po...
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CHESTER – June 27 would have been the 117th annual reunion of Chester High School, which graduated its last class in 1968 when Chester joined the Gateway Regional School District.

Walt...
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HILLTOWNS –  Although the annual prayer vigil to end domestic violence, usually hosted in May on the Huntington town square, had to be cancelled this year, advocates did not want to skip...
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HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional High School Principal Jason  Finnie has announced the plans to hold a drive-through graduation ceremony on June 5 have been postponed. Finnie said the plans...
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MONTGOMERY – The Montgomery Board of Selectmen (BOS) has voted to start direct personal interaction at town offices on a "by appointment only" basis. The vote, which was taken on May 28, gave...
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HILLTOWNS – On May 15, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) made $10 million of CARES Act funds available through the Community Development Block Grant (CD...
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HUNTINGTON - The Huntington Fire Department, Department of Public Works and Police Department gathered at Gateway Regional High School at 8:30 a.m. on Memorial Day, where they were joined by the Mo...
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EAST OTIS – The Otis Farmer’s Market announced this week that after much discussion with the owner of their space and the Board of Health, they will be hosting a market this season begi...
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CHAPEL HILL, NC – Lisa Gralinski, PhD, has been doing coronavirus research since 2008. The 1998 Gateway Regional graduate is part of Dr. Ralph Baric’s epidemiology team in the Gillings ...
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HUNTINGTON – More people voted by early and absentee ballot than showed up to vote in Huntington’s municipal election on May 15, which had a low overall turnout.

There were 53 ea...
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BLANDFORD – Town residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on whether or not they favor a turnpike exit in Blandford in a non-binding ballot question at this year’s local election...
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HILLTOWNS – During the endless rain that started this spring season, Ryen Nolau and Justine Braman-Nolau of West Otis Landscaping thought there might be a way to help their hilltown customers...
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CHESTER – Chester on Track, one of the annual spring highlights in town, is going virtual this year on May 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with vintage train footage and musical acts interspersed ...
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HILLTOWNS –  Although the classroom sites are currently closed, the Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center is still offering free classes for hilltown residents through zoom and other...
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CHESTER – Michele Kenney, economic development coordinator for the Hilltown Community Development Corporation (HCDC), recently surveyed the small businesses in the hilltowns, to find out what...
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BOSTON/WESTFIELD – During Gov. Charlie Baker’s near daily press conference for COVID–19 updates on April 22, Lt. Governor Karen Polito announced their efforts to bring broader int...
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HUNTINGTON – While the question of whether MCAS testing would take place this school year has been answered, several others remain, according to Gateway Regional School District Superintenden...
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BLANDFORD – Tree Warden Mark Boomsma is offering trees to residents for planting in celebration of National Arbor Day, April 24. Boomsma said the Black Walnut, Golden Raintree, and Tupelo Tre...
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HILLTOWNS – In an unprecedented move during these unprecedented times, the southern hilltowns have begun to announce rescheduled dates for town elections, annual town meetings, or both. ...
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CHESTER – Chester Board of Health Chairman Nicholas Chiusano wrote an email on April 2 to the Home Depot Foundation, requesting personal protective equipment, specifically N95 masks, for firs...
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HUNTINGTON – Trout have mostly been stocked in area lakes and rivers, but access to popular fishing areas is in some cases restricted. Residents were saddened to see the closed sign posted at...
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GRANVILLE – The Granville Police Department is thinking about the children in the community who are home from school, missing their friends, and in some cases special celebrations.  ...
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CHESTER – The Chester Board of Health has been actively working to keep the town safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.   

On April 4, Chester had five residents in quarantine wh...
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HUNTINGTON – This Lenten and Easter season is very different for churchgoers accustomed to gathering together and waving palms on Palm Sunday, sitting quietly in prayer on Good Friday, and re...
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GREATER WESTFIELD – Local boards of health have been on the front lines helping to get information to towns and organize responses to the COVID-19 outbreak. Last week, the state Department of...
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OTIS – In response to Gov. Charlie Baker’s statewide emergency declaration regarding coronavirus in the commonwealth, the town of Otis followed suit with a local State of Emergency.

BLANDFORD – Town Administrator Joshua Garcia announced the super structure replacement of two small bridges on Gore Road and North Blandford Road is scheduled to begin in April.

&ldquo...
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HILLTOWNS – Transfer stations in the hilltowns, considered essential services, are open and operating, with a few changes in protocol.

Elizabeth Massa, a member of the Chester Board of...
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HUNTINGTON – Kathleen Peterson, chairman of the Huntington Council on Aging (COA), said the town responded quickly to COVID-19, closing all public buildings and coming up with a plan of actio...
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HILLTOWNS – Jacob’s Ladder Business Association President Mike Ross convened a virtual meeting via Zoom on March 15 to continue plans despite COVID-19 disruptions.

Discussed wer...
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HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional Superintendent David B. Hopson presented an overview of the fiscal year 2021 (FY21) budget to School Committee members and town officials during a public hearing...
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HUNTINGTON – The Westfield Bank branch at 14 Russell Road officially opened Feb. 25, with new signage and new bark mulch giving the exterior a shot of new color. Inside, the office was bustli...
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CHESTER – A group of enthusiastic friends hosted a meet and greet brunch at the Chester Railway Station Museum on Feb. 23, eager to share with residents a visi...
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HUNTINGTON – Stanton Hall in Huntington was host to a Valentine’s Day Party where people came out, danced and enjoyed each others company.

HUNTINGTON – The Gateway Regional School District, which serves the towns of Huntington, Blandford, Chester, Middlefield, Montgomery and Russell, is in “pretty good shape,” said S...
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BLANDFORD – When Blandford passed a one-year moratorium on new ground-mounted solar installations at a Special Town Meeting on Aug. 5 of last year, the planning board said they were being ove...
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MONTGOMERY/SOUTHAMPTON – Public transportation can impact a region in a variety of ways.  For Western Massachusetts, public transportation is considered by some to be lagging behind that...
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BLANDFORD – MassDOT has completed the I-90 Interchange Study, with the 30-day comment period ending on Feb. 3.  

Over the last two years, a working group of state and local offici...
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RUSSELL – Dale Oleksak, chair of the Russell Cultural Council, announced the award of 13 grants totaling more than $5,000 for cultural programs in the town of Russell.

This year’...
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HUNTINGTON – The Historic North Hall, located on 40 Searle Rd., is one of the two oldest buildings in Huntington.  Built as a school house for the town of Norwich in 1795, it is also one...
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CHESTER – Local entrepreneurs who are thinking of starting – or have already started – their own business have an opportunity to learn about local resources available to them from...
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BLANDFORD – The Town of Blandford is projecting an annual savings of almost $17,000 on its municipal utility bills thanks to recent engagement with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVP...
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HUNTINGTON – It Takes a Village, a non-profit organization that offers parenting resources and helps families to make essential community connections, has opened The Village Closet, its donat...
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GRANVILLE – Residents will have the opportunity to learn about the area’s ice harvesting history and Noble and Cooley’s history through on-ice demonstrations, a video, and tours o...
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CHESTER – When Attorney Emily E. Smith-Lee opened Hilltown Law on Main Street in Chester this past fall, it was the fulfillment of a dream she has had for many years.    

GRANVILLE – With very little snow so far this year, Maple Corner Farms staff is hard at work preparing its snowshoe and cross-country ski trails while they wait for Mother Nature to strike ag...
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GRANVILLE – After providing scholarships to local students over the past 46 years, the Granville-Tolland Dollars for Scholars program is looking for new members as several board members are s...
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GRANVILLE – State Rep. John  Velis fielded questions about his Senate campaign and his thoughts on Granville issues Jan. 7 during a Town Hall meeting in Granville.

Velis is seekin...
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HILLTOWNS – Housing rehabilitation funds are available for qualified hilltown households, according to Erica Johnson, senior planner for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC).

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CHESTER – The Hilltown Community Development Corporation has partnered with the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide to offer free tax preparation for Hilltown residents with low- and moderate-incomes, a...
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BLANDFORD – Cara Letendre, chairman of the Board of Selectman welcomed several dozen people to the first Blandford State of the Town address on Dec. 18 at Town Hall.

“I’m e...
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RUSSELL – Westfield musician and piano teacher, Isabel Marcheselli, will be kicking off the New Year by offering a classical piano concert for residents of the Hilltowns and surrounding commu...
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GRANVILLE – With Christmas and the holidays just under a week away, the Noble and Cooley Gift Shop offers a unique set of gifts for any last minute shopping needs for friends and loved ones.<...
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HILLTOWNS – On Nov. 26, leaders from the MassTech Collaborative, Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), and Comcast joined residents in Montgomery to celebrate the official launch of the to...
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RUSSELL – The Russell Cultural Council is looking for new members to vote on arts and cultural events in the community to be funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC)....
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BLANDFORD – The Blandford Fire Association hosted its annual pancake breakfast, craft fair and visit from Santa on Dec. 7. Association spokesperson Derek Daudelin said they had a good turnout...
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HUNTINGTON – Volunteers from the Huntington Fire Department came out in advance of stormy weather to fill buckets and deliver sand to more than 30 senior households in town as part of the Att...
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CHESTER – Restaurateurs Erin Patrick and Aaron Allen will bring back a Chester institution when they reopen Carm’s Restaurant and Coffee Shop on 241 Route 20 in Chester, somet...
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BLANDFORD – Ski Blandford is getting ready to put on the finishing touches before opening up this December for its second season under new management, according to General Manager Ron Crozier...
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CHESTER – A Westfield Technical Academy Aviation Maintenance sophomore has started his own business, and has set his goals high.

Samuel Mazzaferro, 16, of Chester, has launched West B...
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NORTHAMPTON – Women are rising in the Western Mass Tractor Pullers Association, as evidenced at the WMTPA Annual Banquet at the Bluebonnet Diner in Northampton on Nov. 9.

Although over...
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CHESTER – Bryan Farr, president and founder of the Historic U.S. Route 20 Association appeared at the Statehouse in Boston Oct. 15, to give testimony at the Joint Committee on Transportation,...
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CHESTER – The Chester Historical Society is sponsoring the 14th Annual Snowflake Holiday Craft Fair on Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Chester Town Hall, 15 Middlefield Rd.  Parking is a...
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CHESTER – For the 10th straight year, the Chester Railway Station will be celebrating the fall season with its annual Hobo Harvest Festival Dinner.

Walking up to the station tourists a...
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HUNTINGTON – Veteran’s Agent Edward Renauld, who also chairs the Board of Selectmen, and his wife Aimee Burnham, Huntington’s Treasurer/Collector, remember four years ago when the...
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BLANDFORD – The majority of the people who lined up to speak at the MassDOT Interchange Study Open House in Blandford on Oct. 10 were opposed to the idea of a new exit.

The Open House...
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BLANDFORD – Porter Memorial Library in Blandford hosted its inaugural Cookbook Club on Oct. 5, with 15 participants signing up to prepare recipes from the New England Orchard Cookbook by Lind...
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RUSSELL – The Russell Public Library hosted a reception Oct. 5 for Gail Duso, who retired after 28 years as library director. Prior to becoming director, Duso, who has lived in Russell all he...
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GRANVILLE – For the 38th year the Granville Harvest Fair takes over the town for the three-day weekend and offers events for the whole family.

What initially began as a quilt showcase ...
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HUNTINGTON – Huntington Planning Board chair Linda Hamlin said they were not notified of any public hearings on the proposed Holiday Hill Community Wind Project in Russell, when that town app...
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HUNTINGTON – Library volunteers are needed this year to help at Littleville and Chester Elementary Schools.

Littleville Elementary School Library is looking for parent or community vol...
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HUNTINGTON – The Huntington Fall Festival, on Sept. 28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., continues to grow, says festival organizer Janine LaPointe.  

No...
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HUNTINGTON – On Aug. 22, Huntington architect Jeffrey Scott Penn wrote a letter to the Russell Select Board and Huntington town officials objecting to the visibility from many points in town ...
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RUSSELL – A lot of excitement was generated as three massive turbine blades arrived in Russell via Westfield on the afternoon of Sept. 4.  

Each blade arrived on its own tractor t...
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HILLTOWNS – At the Village Enterprise Center in Chester, home base for the Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center (SHAEC), SHAEC Program Director Michele Kenney was excited.

&ldquo...
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HUNTINGTON – The Westfield River Watershed Association and the Western Mass Fly Fishermen Club (WMFF) co-sponsored a fly fishing clinic Aug. 24 along the Westfield River in Huntington. A coup...
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BLANDFORD - A new twist on old favorites as well as a “facelift” of sorts will await visitors this Labor Day weekend to the annual Blandford Fair, now in its 152nd year.

“W...
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