News
Grandma of the Movement
Longtime Valley educator and activist Pat Griffin is a pioneer of LGBTQ sports equality.
Jason Collins
Sports equality history was made recently when twelve-year NBA veteran Jason Collins became the first...
Sports equality history was made recently when twelve-year NBA veteran Jason Collins became the first...
National Hockey League Partnership
Last month, the National Hockey League (NHL) took an unprecedented step on behalf of the athletic equality...
Last month, the National Hockey League (NHL) took an unprecedented step on behalf of the athletic equality...
Inspiration In The Classroom
The state’s top teacher is inspiring Springfield Central High School’s ninth graders. Anne...
The state’s top teacher is inspiring Springfield Central High School’s ninth graders. Anne...
Westfield Power Plant: How Green?
There is a lot of talk, pro and con, about Pioneer Valley Energy Center, a natural gas-fired power...
There is a lot of talk, pro and con, about Pioneer Valley Energy Center, a natural gas-fired power...
News Briefs
As the Trash Piles Up, Will Incinerators Come Back? by Advocate Staff The state’s new...
As the Trash Piles Up, Will Incinerators Come Back? by Advocate Staff The state’s new...
A Nod to Home Births
L ast week, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a new policy statement that, in part, called...
L ast week, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a new policy statement that, in part, called...
Do No Harm
A ndrea Cousins, a clinical psychologist in Northampton, was appalled to learn a few years ago that...
A ndrea Cousins, a clinical psychologist in Northampton, was appalled to learn a few years ago that...
The First Roll of the Wheel
Springfield City Hall drops Penn National from the casino approval process.
Springfield City Hall drops Penn National from the casino approval process.
Palmer's Pop-Tart
Indie rocker Amanda Palmer's poem for the Boston Marathon bombing suspect falls short on every level.
Indie rocker Amanda Palmer's poem for the Boston Marathon bombing suspect falls short on every level.
Are Economic Rules Made to Be Broken?
“Y ou’ve heard of the golden rule, haven’t you?” a disguised Jafar asks in...
“Y ou’ve heard of the golden rule, haven’t you?” a disguised Jafar asks in...
We’re Number 34!
B etter than Romania, but not quite as good as Bulgaria. That’s where the U.S. ranks on childhood...
When Big Papi Speaks...
At the conclusion of the pre-game ceremonies before the Boston Red Sox took the field at Fenway Park...
At the conclusion of the pre-game ceremonies before the Boston Red Sox took the field at Fenway Park...
Privacy vs. Piracy
As the hacker group Anonymous called for an Internet blackout reminiscent of the online protest held...
As the hacker group Anonymous called for an Internet blackout reminiscent of the online protest held...
Nightcrawler: Styx and Stones
Nationals and locals band together for Boston; rock royalty ready for summer tours.
Blow-Up
The West Fertilizer plant harbored more than 1,000 times the amount of ammonium nitrate that’s supposed to be reported to Homeland Security.
Pay Gap Increases
T he boss makes more money than the worker bees; we all know that. But a new report underscores...
T he boss makes more money than the worker bees; we all know that. But a new report underscores...
Critics Fight Dog Searches of Prison Visitors
The Mass. Department of Corrections is considering a new policy that would subject prison...
The Mass. Department of Corrections is considering a new policy that would subject prison...
Worth Quoting
G lenn Greenwald, columnist for the American edition of The Guardian and author of With Liberty...
G lenn Greenwald, columnist for the American edition of The Guardian and author of With Liberty...
Skating for Skunks
Maybe there’s a raccoon in your attic, or an injured rabbit under your porch. Or there’s...
Maybe there’s a raccoon in your attic, or an injured rabbit under your porch. Or there’s...
Permaculture Goes Public
From backyard gardens to UMass, old earthwise practices offer solutions for new problems.
Between the Lines: Enduring Boston
In the wake of tragedy, the Boston Marathon remains a symbol of hope and progress.
In the wake of tragedy, the Boston Marathon remains a symbol of hope and progress.
NYC to Pay for “People’s Library”
How much is a library worth? In the case of the Occupy Movement’s “People’s Library,”...
How much is a library worth? In the case of the Occupy Movement’s “People’s Library,”...
City Faces Deadline Over River Accessibility
Springfield city officials have until next week to come up with a plan to address the long-broken public...
Springfield city officials have until next week to come up with a plan to address the long-broken public...
More to May Day
May Day isn’t just about wrapping ribbons around May poles; it’s also International Workers...
May Day isn’t just about wrapping ribbons around May poles; it’s also International Workers...
Leave the Screen. Take the Book.
In 1994, a group called TV-Free America organized the first TV Turnoff Week, which called on...
Cleaning Up In-Flight Movies
Most parents, we can assume, would not let their four-year-old watch a movie about (to quote the Internet...
Most parents, we can assume, would not let their four-year-old watch a movie about (to quote the Internet...
For Garbage, Shrinking Space
The closing of the Northampton landfill April 15 was the final signal for changes in the handling of...
The closing of the Northampton landfill April 15 was the final signal for changes in the handling of...
What Will He Say Next?
"If babies had guns they wouldn’t be aborted,” reads a bumper sticker created by U.S. Rep....
"If babies had guns they wouldn’t be aborted,” reads a bumper sticker created by U.S. Rep....
Corn, Tomatoes—Pottery? Earrings?
Farm shares we’re familiar with: you pay in advance and get a portion of your farmer’s...
24 Times the President
This past year, CEO pay averaged 24 times the presidential pay rate [of $400,000] and 300 times the...
This past year, CEO pay averaged 24 times the presidential pay rate [of $400,000] and 300 times the...
How Bikeable Is Hampshire County?
K ing Street/Route 10 in Northampton, Triangle Street near the UMass campus in Amherst, and the intersection...
K ing Street/Route 10 in Northampton, Triangle Street near the UMass campus in Amherst, and the intersection...
Shelters and Taxes
Boston-based comedian Jimmy Tingle once joked that he keeps an offshore account “on Nantucket.”...
Boston-based comedian Jimmy Tingle once joked that he keeps an offshore account “on Nantucket.”...
Campaign Finance Deformed
S tephen Lynch is supportive of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, and Thomas Steyer is not happy about...
S tephen Lynch is supportive of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, and Thomas Steyer is not happy about...
Remembrances of Towns Past
Governor Deval Patrick has declared this April “Swift River Valley Communities Month,”...
Governor Deval Patrick has declared this April “Swift River Valley Communities Month,”...
Springfield Library Celebrations
I n 1912, the city of Springfield celebrated the opening of its new public library, which was built...
I n 1912, the city of Springfield celebrated the opening of its new public library, which was built...
Activists Urge Tougher Mercury Law
L ast month, the Massachusetts Senate passed a bill addressing the recycling of old thermostats that...
Letters: What Do You Think
This week: Anti-Global Warming Project Needs Support; Raise Tobacco Tax to Save Young People From Addiction; and Yes, Nukes Need Radiation Filters
This week: Anti-Global Warming Project Needs Support; Raise Tobacco Tax to Save Young People From Addiction; and Yes, Nukes Need Radiation Filters
Court OKs OTC Contraception for Teens
T he drawn-out and highly political fight over access to emergency contraception took another turn...
T he drawn-out and highly political fight over access to emergency contraception took another turn...
A Law Too Late?
C onnecticut has passed a gun law that bans over 100 more assault weapons than before, requires background...
C onnecticut has passed a gun law that bans over 100 more assault weapons than before, requires background...
Imperium Watch: Frack, Baby, Frack
...but don’t assume that the oil or gas will power your car or heat your house.
...but don’t assume that the oil or gas will power your car or heat your house.
Candidate Emerges for Northampton's Ward 3
A week after incumbent Ward 3 Northampton City Councilor Owen Freeman-Daniels announced...
A week after incumbent Ward 3 Northampton City Councilor Owen Freeman-Daniels announced...
No Time Clock For Our Legislature
All right, so it was the runup to Easter, and you wouldn’t expect much from the Legislature,...
All right, so it was the runup to Easter, and you wouldn’t expect much from the Legislature,...
“Casino Whispers” Silenced
There appears to be a new casualty in the war over the sole casino license to be awarded in Western...
There appears to be a new casualty in the war over the sole casino license to be awarded in Western...
Between the Lines: Johnson Pardon—Why Now?
The proposed posthumous pardoning of boxing champ Jack Johnson raises questions.
The proposed posthumous pardoning of boxing champ Jack Johnson raises questions.
Where Your Money Went
Wondering what will happen with those taxes you just paid (or are about to pay, if you’re the...
Tosado Eyeing City Council Return
I t’s spring, when a young, or not-so-young, politician’s fancy turns to the November...
I t’s spring, when a young, or not-so-young, politician’s fancy turns to the November...
Letters: What Do You Think
This week: National Sales Tax: Another Look; Diocese “Hurts Best Supporters”;
This week: National Sales Tax: Another Look; Diocese “Hurts Best Supporters”;
Brattleboro Schools Go Solar
Schools in Brattleboro recently made a commitment to solar power, when the town school board voted...
Schools in Brattleboro recently made a commitment to solar power, when the town school board voted...
Can “Too Big to Fail” Be Fixed?
Independent Vermont senator Bernie Sanders recently proposed legislation to break up financial institutions...
Independent Vermont senator Bernie Sanders recently proposed legislation to break up financial institutions...
Find it Here:
Grandma of the Movement
Longtime Valley educator and activist Pat Griffin is a pioneer of LGBTQ sports equality.
Longtime Valley educator and activist Pat Griffin is a pioneer of LGBTQ sports equality.