South Deerfield’s Downtown: The Good and the Sad
Are the empty storefronts in our little town indicators of what is to come in the future? I was saddened recently when the one high-end restaurant in South Deerfield, called MRKT, closed its doors in July. There is now a sign that says ‘for lease’ and like the general store […]
Art in the Orchard: What a Wonderful Stroll in Easthampton
We had a magical summer evening last week when we visited the Park Hill Orchards in the rolling hills around Easthampton for their bi-annual celebration of outdoor art known as Art in the Orchard. New for this year are spiffy handicap accessible men’s and women’s bathrooms, along with a […]
A South Deerfield to Greenfield Bike Path: Can It Work?
What if there was a safe and easy route to ride a bicycle between South Deerfield and Greenfield? I think a lot of people would ride this route. I have a dream that we could create such a bike path, and provide not only a tourist attractor, but an alternative […]
What’s Up at GoNOMAD This Morning
On a rainy day in the office, there are all kinds of things coming at me. I enjoy the fast pace of being in publishing–and the connectedness of people reaching out at you by email from all parts of the world. I got some interesting messages today, here is a […]
Aeronaut’s Field Day in Northfield: Let’s Go to The Hops!
On Saturday I’m going to a concert next to very very tall plants….20 feet high, beautiful green hops plants are what they grow at Four Star Farms. It’s their first ever Aeronaut Field Day, sponsored by the Somerville brewer of the same name. The brewers are celebrating their hops supplier […]
“Mr Burns A Post-Electric Play” A Long Night
As the Bart Simpson and Mr Burns characters sang what felt like a nearly endless string of songs about dying in the third act of “Mr Burns a post-electric play,” I gazed at my watch. My God, man, just die, so this long, long series of songs can finally end, […]
Tanglewood: Time is Fleeting, Drink it In
Tanglewood almost made the cut last week, except for our fear of pending rains that detoured us to another destination to the north. Every season Tanglewood looms as an important event I don’t want to miss, but when I examine the calendar, the window seems to shrink and shrink. But […]
Two Down in Deerfield
Two local retail businesses have closed down in South Deerfield. Sadly, it was a chef-owned bistro, a small celebration sort of restaurant, which could not keep going. The staff was notified by a text, then the next day, they were closed and gone. When MRKT first opened, it took me […]
Ashfield Lake House: Like a Summer Vacation Getaway
I have been reading about Chris and Dre Rawlings’ purchase of the venerable Ashfield Lake House on Facebook for a few months. I’ve followed Dre’s reports of the sad state of the kitchen floorboards, and read many comments from people who have been coming in and raving about the place. […]
Luna Gale at New Century Theatre: Riveting from Start to Finish
“Luna Gale” is the best play I’ve seen New Century Theatre perform in the five years I’ve been enjoying their annual summer slate of shows at Smith College’s Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts. From start to finish, we were transfixed by the fast-paced dialogue, spot-on characters, and the impressive […]
KantoorKaravaan Creates a Workplace in a Dutch Forest
One thing I wrestle with all the time is the loneliness of working at home. Sure, I have total freedom, and yes, it’s great not having a boss, but after a few years I have missed the camaraderie of my fellow workers, the end of the day banter, and all […]
The Harbor View Hotel is the Classiest Place to Stay on the Vineyard
We took a tour of the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown with the lovely Rebecca Bartlett, sales director for Scout hotels who manage this and eight other waterfront hotels, and she showed us the penthouse. She explained that this 1880s era hotel was once owned by a local man named […]
Edgartown’s Harbor View Hotel: Home for a Few Days
For most of my life, I’ve strolled down North and South Water Streets in Edgartown, Mass with the confidence and pride that comes with being a landowner. Our family house once stood on Cummings Way, just off North Water. My grandmother Essie bought the house just after the war, and […]
My New iMac is a Radical Departure from the Age of Dell
I’ve joined the cult of the Mac. After decades of having an office full of Dell computers, I reached my last straw when all three of these hard-working machines slowed to a crawl and once again I was faced with having to get them cleaned up. Spend another $200 for […]
Green River Festival 2015: Sharing A Tradition with Newbie
It’s July again in the Valley and the best punctuation mark in this glorious vacation month is the annual Green River Festival at GCC. The weather yesterday was perfect–not too hot, but still worth bringing an umbrella to sit under, and the legions of old friends and acquaintances who I […]
Valley Venture Mentors: What Can You Tell Us in Two Minutes?
What can you tell me about your business in two minutes? That was the challenge tonight when Valley Venture Mentors met for the first time in Franklin County, bringing 10 entrepreneurs nursing their own small businesses and hoping for attention and funding to the John Olver Transit Center for some […]
Solid Sound 2015: The Spirit was There Despite the Rain
Every two years Wilco gathers the faithful at a fantastic venue for a festival…instead of a mountain slope ski area or a farmer’s alfalfa fields, they choose the run-down small city of North Adams where the biggest museum in the US is improbably located. Then they turn this former factory […]