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The Cool Down

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Massachusetts tenants hit with $400 rent hikes face another increase — and refuse new leases

"People are invested in this. [Some] people have been here almost 20 years."

Easthampton, MA · 1d

Boston Globe

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Main Street is ‘a place where people come together.’ In Northampton, it’s tearing the town apart.

NORTHAMPTON — Anna Bowen, who owns Strada Shoes on Main Street, recently spent half an hour helping a customer find the perfect fit, but as she was about to pay, the woman pulled the shoebox back. First, she wanted to know Bowen’s position on Picture Main Street, a controversial $43 million project to redesign downtown.

Northampton, MA · 2d
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takingthekids.com

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Changing Water Levels Can Reveal The Lost Roads Beneath This Massachusetts Lake

Four entire towns were cleared and then covered by water, and their old roads still show up when the water drops. Yes, real roads with real stone walls beside them. The last residents had to leave by April 1, 1938. Weeks later, the towns officially stopped existing. Then the valley...

Massachusetts · 1d
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hoodline.com

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Springfield Estimate Counts 1,128 Homes With Deceased Owners

Unresolved ownership can leave vacant homes stalled, making repairs or sales difficult to pursue. Gerry McCafferty, who works on Springfield's housing policy, said unresolved ownership issues are complicating the Maynard Street property's path forward, according to MassLive. Dina Fein, a former Massachusetts Housing Court judge who began helping nonprofits and municipalities redevelop vacant homes in 2021, described a recurring connection between vacancy, deterioration, and complicated ownership. “There seems to be overlap between vacant, abandoned, deteriorated properties” and homes tied up in probate, informal family ownership, or poorly documented transfers, Fein said, per the same report.

Springfield, MA · 5d
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WWLP 22News

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Polish center marks 25 years in western Massachusetts

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – The Polish Center of Discovery and Learning celebrated its 25th anniversary Sunday with a special event at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The organization marked the milestone with a buffet of Polish cuisine, an awards presentation and entertainment for attendees. The ethnic museum tells the...

Holyoke, MA · 8h

wamc.org

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Winner of community media award for Mass. docuseries, local producer talks local access, Main Streets and more

Earlier this year, a director working in western Massachusetts collected a top community media honor. Thomas Draudt is no stranger to awards – he’s collected at least one Emmy and several nominations for his work on the series "This Old House" – and one nomination for "This New House."

Northampton, MA · 1d

WWLP

partner publisher · 84.7K followers

Western Massachusetts residents may want to start early Thanksgiving shopping

Thanksgiving is just three weeks away, and supermarkets across western Massachusetts are beginning to prepare for the holiday rush as shoppers look for ways to save money and avoid last-minute crowds.

Chicopee, MA · 3d

thereminder.com

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Easthampton City Council honors outgoing parks director

EASTHAMPTON — At its Nov. 4 meeting, the Easthampton City Council paused to recognize and honor outgoing Parks and Recreation Director John Mason, who began the meeting with his own recognitions and thanks. After the initial meeting matters, Mason stepped to the podium to praise and thank members of...

Easthampton, MA · 2d

MassLive.com

publisher · 130.0K followers

Holyoke seeks community input on safer streets at public forum

HOLYOKE — Whether it’s speeding on a neighborhood street or a crosswalk that feels unsafe, Holyoke residents will have an opportunity to influence how the city tackles local traffic safety concerns. A public workshop on Nov. 19 will ask residents to help design the process the city uses...

Holyoke, MA · 2d

westernmassnews.com

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Chicopee officials float school redistricting to cut costs

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Chicopee City Councilors are opening a new debate over school boundaries and busing, as transportation costs for the district have doubled in less than a decade. An order brought forward this week asked the school committee and superintendent to launch a comprehensive review of enrollment, attendance...

Chicopee, MA · 3d

Boston

partner publisher · 99.1K followers

A ‘Simpsons’ writer is running for president and visiting Springfields, including ours

“If I want to follow the show’s example and use Springfield as a lens for understanding America, I need to go to all the Springfields, or at least as many as I can.”. After finding fame writing about a fictional Springfield and its yellow-hued inhabitants, a writer for “The Simpsons” is visiting the Massachusetts city of the same name Friday as part of his 2028 presidential bid.

Springfield, MA · 2d

amherstindy.org

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Amherst Joins Blue Tidal Wave | With the Exception of Ballot Question 7, Local Results Mirror the Rest of the State

Almost 58% of Amherst’s 14,296 registered voters cast ballots in the November 3 midterm election. With the exception of Question 7, the ballot initiative to reduce the required minimum lot size for single-family homes to 5,000 square feet, Amherst voted with the state majority. However, Amherst voters skewed substantially more toward Democrats than the state at large and joined the blue tidal wave that saw Democrats chalk up resounding, and often shocking, wins across the nation.

Amherst, MA · 2d

WWLP 22News

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Holyoke community rallies for Stuff the Truck drive

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – The Holyoke Safe Neighborhood Initiative, part of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, teamed up with United Way for its annual Stuff the Truck food drive on Sunday. The groups set up at both Stop & Shop locations in Holyoke, on Lincoln Street and Northampton...

Holyoke, MA · 8h

hoodline.com

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Springfield Councilor Moves to Ban Flock License Plate Cameras Citywide

Springfield City Councilor Zaida Govan unveiled a draft ordinance that would ban the city from acquiring, operating, funding or using Flock camera systems and would terminate all existing municipal contracts for them. The proposal lands amid a wave of Massachusetts communities reconsidering automated license plate readers, pitting privacy advocates against a police department that says the cameras have cracked real cases.

Springfield, MA · 3d

egoease.com

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New Holyoke Veterans Home reborn six years after COVID tragedy

On a cold morning in Holyoke, new brick and glass catch the river light in a way the old soldiers home never managed. Families who once waited in parking lots now cross a lobby built for both distance and dignity. Six years after a coronavirus outbreak killed at least 76 veterans inside the former facility, the Commonwealth has opened a replacement that officials describe as a reckoning set in concrete. The Holyoke Veterans Home stands where grief and public obligation finally met a budget large enough to answer both. Ribbon cuttings rarely heal anyone. This one asks whether a building can keep a promise that management once broke.

Holyoke, MA · 1d

MassLive.com

publisher · 130.0K followers

Annual craft fair draws crowds to Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield

Timed for early gift shopping, the holiday-themed show runs for two days, with almost 200 exhibitors offering ornaments, gift sets and seasonal pieces.

West Springfield, MA · 1d

Western Mass News

publisher · 27.2K followers

Baystate patients raise concerns over new system

Springfield, MA · 2d

WWLP

partner publisher · 84.7K followers

$37M bridge replacement project to bring traffic detours to Springfield’s Armory Street

Drivers traveling along Armory Street in Springfield should prepare for traffic detours beginning Monday as MassDOT starts preliminary work on a $37 million bridge replacement project.

Springfield, MA · 2d

westernmassnews.com

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Road work to take place in Springfield’s North End

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A traffic alert for those driving to work in Springfield Monday morning as drivers are being advised to avoid Armory Street. Multiple detours will be in place beginning Monday morning at 8 a.m. and ending at 2:30 on Friday. No work will be done on Wednesday for Veteran’s Day.

Springfield, MA · 12h

hoodline.com

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Springfield's Latino Book Fair Returns Bigger Than Ever at Hope Center Nov. 14

What started in 2024 as an event that ran from Friday afternoon through Saturday, with a Sunday authors' workshop, has grown into a cultural gathering in Springfield, and this year it's moving into a brand-new downtown home. The third Springfield Latino Book Fair is set for Saturday, November 14, at the Hope Center for the Arts at 150 Bridge Street, with doors opening at 10 a.m. and the free, one-day festival running until 5 p.m.

Springfield, MA · 2d