WARE — During the May 8 School Committee meeting, the principal of each Ware school gave a brief presentation on updates within their building. Each highlighted ongoing programs as well as recent achievements in supporting students.
LUDLOW — At its May 7 meeting, the Board of Selectmen met with representatives from the Ludlow CARES Coalition who are pursuing program and operating expense reimbursement from the town’s opioid settlement funds.
BELCHERTOWN — Extreme weather and intense rain events have become more common in recent years. In August 2023, many New England communities experienced severe flooding when more than 6 inches of rain fell over a six-hour period. In an effort to mitigate future storm impacts, Belchertown and Ware have partnered with The Great American Rain Barrel Company to offer rain barrels to residents at discounted prices, helping homeowners collect the water, instead of letting it go down the drain.
Since December, the Agawam Community Artists and Artisans have been hosting “paint and sip”-style workshops to raise money for local food banks. Known as “Art with a Heart,” ACAA President Ceil Rossi described them as a “two-and-a-half-hour paint party.”
NORTHAMPTON — A cutting edge program that is free to the public and offered by Massachusetts General Brigham Cooley Dickinson is changing the way society supports older adults with dementia and their caretakers.
LEVERETT — During the coronavirus pandemic the Ashram of Light, a small spiritual center in Amherst, pulled up stakes and moved into a house near the New England Peace Pagoda in Leverett. With all the disruption around COVID-19, the leader of the group, GurujiMa, didn’t get the chance to formally introduce herself to the community.