Outraged by the recent killing of Renee Nicole Good by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis, well over 1,000 people took to the streets in Northampton on Jan. 11 to protest ICE’s operations across the country.
Page 3
Emergency winter shelter open at St. John’s Episcopal
A new overflow emergency winter shelter has opened inside St. John’s Episcopal Church to provide life-saving warmth for unhoused neighbors during the coldest nights of the year.
Page 5
EASTHAMPTON
Committee to form for EPS’s future strategic plan
With the help of the School Committee, Easthampton Public Schools will create a Strategic Planning Committee to aid the process of formulating the department’s next strategic plan.
Page 4
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY
Northampton Family Fourth fireworks paused
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Family Fourth Committee announced its annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration event has been paused for 2026.
“It was a really difficult decision because we really love the event and never wanted to see it have to get to this point, but I think just the economy, and people in their own lives having their own bills and things to take care of. The cost and expense for things have gone up significantly, so it definitely has a big impact on things,” explained Northampton Family Fourth Committee Co-Chair Brenda Ryan.
Since 2011, the event has been powered by a small, dedicated core group of volunteers who have taken on the bulk of the behind-the-scenes work. Their efforts have included fundraising, reaching out to donors through phone calls, emails, letters and in-person visits, as well as coordinating logistics, managing outreach and supporting event operations.
Look Memorial Park, the city of Northampton, and Parks & Recreation have also been essential partners, contributing significant in-kind support, staffing, space and day-of-management.
In recent years, however, the volunteer committee has struggled to sustain the level of work required to produce an event of this scale. No new volunteers have joined the planning effort for several years, and the longtime core members have limited capacity due to other responsibilities.
“We’ve been working really hard for the last couple of years. Once we went through COVID, it was really hard to kind of re-
coup from that because we had to continue to pay for things during COVID; insurance, and different things like that to maintain all of our status and do everything,” Ryan said. “As we got through that, all the costs of things started to increase. Bills became higher, and it kept dipping back into what we had available.”
She continued, “What we’re seeing is that people are really being very cautious and they’re not giving as much as they were in the past. We looked at what we had, the expenses we’d have to take on this year and how they were going to increase. And we had to make that really tough decision to put it on pause and say we really need to sit down and go over how we can raise more money and what can we do.”
Last year’s fundraising effort needed to meet the event’s approximately $25,000 cost. Ryan said the effort became extremely challenging and required considerable time, energy and repeated outreach from the committee. The committee anticipates that, given current economic conditions, raising the necessary funds for 2026 would be even more difficult.
“Last year felt like pulling teeth,” said Ryan. “We barely made budget, and it took a tremendous amount of effort from a very small group of people. We love this event, and it’s been a wonderful tradition for Northampton, but we simply cannot sustain it at this time without more hands and more support.”
Ryan said the committee is emphasizing that this is just a pause and not a permanent ending. She added the group hopes that taking a year off will create a space to reassess what is needed to bring the event back in the future — ideally with new volunteers, fresh lead-
ership energy, and a broader base of support to handle fundraising and day-of operations.
“We would be happy to have more people join the committee and help with this because it does take a lot of people to do the fundraising and reach out, especially when you’re in times like this where you need more bodies to do that,” said Ryan. “Hopefully, we can get some people who have some other ideas on different ways or types of fundraising. And maybe some new energy to help with doing that and reaching out to different groups and people that might be willing to support and help would be great.”
Ryan added that the committee has not yet started looking at new potential fundraising efforts to return the event in 2027, as they still need to finish going through some logistics, but this announcement was an effort to make the community and all the partners of the event aware of the event’s current paused status.
“We’re going to get together again in another month or so
and really take a look at what are some different ways that we can actually raise some money. See if we can get some support from the community. Maybe somebody has a different idea than we have to help us out and try to rebuild. You have to have enough money to start the next year to be able to do it, and we weren’t at that point to be able to make that happen this year,” said Ryan.
Community members interested in shaping the future of the event or joining a potential future planning effort are encouraged to reach out to info@NorthamptonFamilyFourth.com. The committee also has a Facebook page with more information. Ryan said people can make more suggestions about the event there, too.
“I’m definitely willing — if they want to reach out and need someone to talk to, they can just send it to one of those two paces, and I’m more than happy to call them back and talk to them about that,” said Ryan.
Fireworks going off in a past Family Fourth Fireworks event at Look Park.
Operations Director: Curtis Panlilio
Executive Editor: Chris Maza
Managing Editors: Dennis Hackett, Ryan Feyre
Staff Writers: Sarah Heinonen, Deb Gardner, Amy Porter, Trent Levakis, Cliff Clark, Tyler Garnet, Peter Tuohy
Graphic Design Manager: Beth Thurber
Graphic Design Department: Leigh Catchepaugh, Lorie Perry, Sophia McClellan, Susan Bartlett, Jim Johnson-Corwin, Molly Arnio
Sales Manager: Scott Greene
Account Executives: Matt Mahaney, Paula Dimauro, Lisa Nolan, Jeanette Grenier, Paul Poutre, Andy Shaw, Laura Tassistro
Classified Account Managers: Roxanne Miller-Longtin, Evan Marcyoniak, Shannon Spada
Sales Support: Carolyn Napolitan
Financial Department: Nancy Banning
Circulation Department: Nate Halla
STRM: Sacerdote talks Railroad Hobby Show
By Ryan Feyre rfeyre@thereminder.com
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The largest railroad-themed trade show in North America will once again stop people in their tracks this winter.
On this week’s episode of “So That Reminds Me,” hosts Dennis Hackett and Tyler Garnet sat down with John Sacerdote, show manager for the Railroad Hobby Show, to discuss what’s in store for the event, which is slated for Jan. 24 and 25 inside the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds.
Sponsored by the Amherst Railway Society, the show covers all facets of railroad hobbies, including model railroads, railroad art and photography, railroad history and preservation, tourist railroads, railroad artifacts and railroad books and videos.
The event occupies 350,000 square feet in four buildings on the Big E fairgrounds, and this year’s show will feature visitors from all over the world and 396 exhibitors encompassing trains of all shapes and sizes.
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON—
QuonkHampton, a new immersive arts space nestled in the basement of 122 Main St., is creating unique experiences for attendees looking for a change of pace to their evening entertainment options.
Also known as Quonk, the idea for this new space comes from owner and founder Jonathan Pedigo, a Hampshire College alumni who moved back to Northampton in 2023.
“No one quite knows why it is Quonk. Many of my friends told me it was a bad idea to name something Quonk,” said Pedigo, with a laugh.
Pedigo said in his life, quonk was the nickname he gave to Quest Chips, his favorite chips, so naturally that was front of mind for him when thinking of the new venue’s name.
“I think there’s another definition, which could be like, it’s like a quest, but a mini fun quest.
Like a quonk. It’s not quite a full quest, it’s a fun silly adventure,”
But according to Sacerdote, the show is more than just a “flea market.”
“Every major manufacturer on the planet is at the show; every dealer that has large hobby stores, distribution centers; they’re all at the show,” Sacerdote said. “But more importantly, all these historical societies are at the show. All these museums are at the show. All these places where you can still ride trains in the Catskills, up in Maine, all over the United States, down in Rhode Island, are at the show. So, if it’s got something to do with railroads, they’re at the show.”
Although the hobby show already has a rich history, Sacerdote noted that the Railway Society is always trying to outdo itself every year. He highlighted the Sunday morning Brunch Express, which is essentially an Amherst chartered CTrail train ride that leaves from Springfield Union Station at 7 a.m. and arrives at Hartford Union Station shortly after. It is at the Hartford station where passengers will en-
said Pedigo.
By definition, quonk is a noise that disturbs or disrupts a television or radio program because of its proximity to microphones or cameras. But Pedigo explained to Reminder Publishing that the name has layers to it, and sometimes things just come together by chance.
“Accidents are part of our process,” added Pedigo, when talking about developing the space.
To get an idea of what Quonk is all about, the current montly show, Medieval Fantasy Tavern, has transformed the space into a medieval tavern, with actors playing roles and characters while attendees frequent the bar like one typically would.
Here, patrons can get drinks and interact with one another, or with any of the roaming characters, including Kragnar, the Guardian of the Tavern, while they become immersed in the space. Most of the actors in attendance are also professional bartenders, adding even more to the immersive experience.
Pedigo said before attendees enter the space, they use an app to
joy a buffet breakfast at the station’s Great Hall.
This year’s show will also feature a Women in Model Railroading information session and reception on Jan. 24 at 3 p.m., where people will have the opportunity to meet the women that play key roles in the railroad and model railroad industries.
Attached to that will be an operating session from 6-8 p.m.
where women of all ages will learn more about model railroad operations.
Sacerdote also mentioned that there will be multiple activities for children and stated that the society is hoping to surpass last year’s turnout of 27,535 people.
“I’m really trying for
go through the events onboarding process, a crucial design of the show. The app and onboarding process help establish the “core facts” of the night for attendees. These core facts help build the setting for the evening as well as the guardrails for where things can go within the figurative sandbox.
help advance the overarching world attendees are immersed in. Each night plays out differently by nature, said Pedigo, leading to a unique ending to the show.
“The sandbox is down there. Onboarding happens up here so everyone is on the same page. We put the facts up front so people will play with you downstairs. It’s an incredibly effective design that it took us a while to really settle on but it’s helped incredibly so; it’s like night and day,” explained Pedigo. “It’s really not meant to feel like it’s a piece of theater.”
As the night goes on, there are typically two story beats that
“After about an hour, the team all huddles up in the back, and we just discuss what have we been talking about with everybody? Are there any standout story lines amongst the participants? What are some common themes? And we decide on what the finale is going to be live,” said Pedigo. “It’s an electric energy. It’s very obvious that everyone is kind of flying by the seat of their pants, and that energy is part of the design. It’s intentional. By the time the finale comes, we have not rehearsed it, we don’t know what order people will say what, but
See RAILROAD on page 8
See QUONK on page 4
Attendees at a previous Medieval Fantasy Tavern at Quonk go through the onboarding process in preparation for the immersive experience. Photo credit: Dan Little Photography.
Railroad Hobby Show show manager John Sacerdote (left) joined hosts Dennis Hackett and Tyler Garnet for the latest episode of “So That Reminds Me.”
Reminder Publishing photo by Chris Maza
Thousands rally in Northampton against ICE raids
By Ryan Feyre rfeyre@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON — Outraged by the recent killing of Renee Nicole Good by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis, well over 1,000 people took to the streets in Northampton on Jan. 11 to protest ICE’s operations across the country.
The rally and procession were organized by Indivisible Northampton-Swing Left Western Massachusetts, River Valley Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Northampton Resists. It was one of several rallies across Western Massachusetts and one of thousands that permeated the country on that day.
Protesters gathered at Northampton City Hall for brief remarks from various speakers before they marched down the sidewalk of Main Street to the corner of King and Pleasant streets, crossed the street, and walked back to City Hall for closing remarks and songs.
Throughout the event, protesters chanted and carried various signs that depicted messages like, “killing and abducting people off our streets is terrorism” and “due process under the law, stop human rights violations.”
Several speakers took to the steps of City Hall, including state Rep. Lindsy Sabadosa, who made her detestation of ICE palpable to the sea of protesters.
“Thank you for showing up and making sure that in Northampton, people took to the streets to say what ICE is doing is just … wrong,” Sabadosa said, leading to a rousing cheer from the crowd.
She noted that it is difficult to walk in the State House right now because one bill cannot fix the decades-long problems that surround ICE and their actions. However, she said now is not the time to roll over. Instead, Sabadosa beseeched the crowd to tell
legislators to pass three bills that offer greater protections against immigration enforcement agents: the Safe Communities Act, the Immigration Legal Defense Act and the Dignity Not Deportations Act.
“All you need to do is write and call, and do it every day,” Sabadosa said. “Whether it’s to me, or another legislator, or another district; you need us to know that if we do nothing else this session, we need to put a line in the sand and say, ‘our police protect us, they don’t collaborate with ICE.’”
Well over a thousand people marched the streets of Northampton to protest ICE’s actions across the country. The event occurred just days after Renee Nicole Good was killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis.
Photo credit: Steven Kramer
EASTHAMPTON
Committee to form for EPS’s future strategic plan
By Ryan Feyre rfeyre@thereminder.com
EASTHAMPTON — With the help of the School Committee, Easthampton Public Schools will create a Strategic Planning Committee to aid the process of formulating the department’s next strategic plan.
At the School Committee meeting on Jan. 13, EPS Superintendent Michelle Balch said that the hope is to have more information about the timeline of the planning committee and the strategic plan at the School Committee’s next meeting on Jan. 27.
The formation of the planning committee will be randomized, according to Balch, and the strategic plan itself will reflect the district’s goals and priorities over the next several years.
“I’m going to show up with a timeline,” Balch said. “I really need the work done by the end of the [school] year so we can kick off [20]26 [and] [20]27 with a three- and five-
year strategic plan.”
The announcement of this committee and eventual plan comes after Balch conducted 13 listening sessions with the community, staff and administrators, as well as 45 smaller group meetings. She also administered a student survey with the help of the Collaborative for Educational Services in Northampton, and participated in classroom visits and learning walks.
What came out of those conversations were the four core values that Balch said best represent the community and who EPS is as a district: learning, belonging, equity and shared responsibility.
“These were the most frequently used terms and commitments,” Balch said. “So, I think we’ve landed on some core values that really speak to who we are as a community.”
The core values presented by Balch are part of a 10-page report that delineates what she discovered while facilitat-
ing the meetings and listening sessions. Balch said the report — which also illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of the district based on those conversations with staff, students and administrators — will act as a roadmap for the strategic plan.
“I think it’s again another opportunity for our community to weigh in on what’s happening in Easthampton and how we can improve educational outcomes for our students,” Balch said.
Balch, who was hired as the district’s superintendent at the end of 2024, said she will spend the next few months tightening relationships with city officials and formulating a “comprehensive” budget that aligns with the priorities of the schools.
“I think there’s a real opportunity for new superintendent [and] new mayor to become real partners in this work,” Balch said.
She added that staffing, class sizes, program studies, AP opportunities and special
education will be major focuses throughout the strategic planning process.
“Programming is going to be a part of our strategic planning work,” Balch said. “I think it takes a little bit more time to really identify the root causes of some of this, and does our special education programming truly meet the needs of our students and are we staffing
it in a way that meets the needs of students.”
Balch said the full report will eventually be available on the Easthampton Public Schools website for the public to view. The School Committee’s next meeting is Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. on Google Meet or at 50 Payson Ave. in the second floor meeting area.
bankESB Donates $50,000 to Franklin, Hampshire United Way
EASTHAMPTON — bank-
ESB and its employees recently donated $50,000 to the United Way of the Franklin and Hampshire Region. Employees pledged nearly $19,000 of their own funds in the bank’s United Way workplace
Quonk
Continued from page 2
people are watching us just like an improv[isation], but the suggestion comes from an hour of role playing with people.”
Quonk opened to the public last fall, but this is not Pedigo’s first foray into theater. In 2017, he opened his own immersive theater show in Northampton from his own apartment called, “Bar of Dreams.” The immersive play focused on a young person who wanted to open his own bar, but his depression from the realities of the world prevented him from following through.
“I just love getting people to
campaign. Combined with the bank’s dollar-for-dollar match and additional corporate contribution, the campaign total of $50,000 was donated to the United Way of the Franklin and Hampshire Region. The campaign lets employees donate and direct funds, advocating
interact. I didn’t really see examples of being able to do that in person. Like I love how advanced games get and the advanced levels of play you can get to. People would throw theater and parties, but there’s not as much play. So, I started exploring immersive theater and LARPing [live action role playing],” he said.
Pedigo grew up south of Chicago and moved to the area when he became a student at Hampshire College in the 2010s. After graduating college, he moved to New York City and worked in software before moving back to Northampton in 2017.
Pedigo explained that, during his time as a student at Hampshire College — and later on
for causes that are most important to them.
As a long-time contributor, the bank and its employees have donated over $790,000 to United Way organizations in Western Massachusetts in the last 14 years. The United Way is a vol-
through trips to New York City, he learned on the fly how theater could reach grander heights.
“I would come back here and tell my roommate Alex, ‘dude the experience I went to was crazy. I was talking to these actors, and then I was the main character for a second, and I was dancing on stage for everybody,’” explained Pedigo.
Pedigo and his partner on the production eventually moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 2018 and brought “Bar of Dreams” with them. Pedigo returned to the area in 2023 seeking to reignite the community connections he had prior to his departure, and to also experiment and see what could be added to the immersive arts scene in Northampton. By spring 2024, Pedigo found the home for Quonk.
Since officially opening in 2025, Quonk has been a big hit thanks to its monthly Medieval Tavern show and monthly masquerade event, according to Pedi-
Continued from page 1
Ryan expressed gratitude on behalf of the Northampton Family Fourth Committee to all the donors, volunteers, partners and community members who have supported the fireworks celebration since 2011. Because the tradition is such a highlight of
unteer-driven organization that serves residents through its own programs and services as well as those of its partner agencies. The organization works to advance the common good by focusing on the building blocks for a good life — education, financial stability,
go. But Quonk is also committed to providing a space for art outside the scope of what has been popular thus far. Pedigo said he plans to experiment with “intimate work,” including smaller scaled immersive works or comedy shows.
While the immersive experience is less common, Pedigo said Quonk and its team received direct feedback while crafting what works and what doesn’t in this unique experience. He said the feedback came from play testing events before Quonk officially opened.
“It was really about understanding the behavior and motivation of people and also the anxiety of people. For a lot of people, the idea of immersive theater is the scariest thing in the world because it’s like, ‘oh my God, the spotlight’s going to be on me, I won’t know what to say,’” Pedigo said. “So, learning about these things and how to just create a really safe ground for people to express themselves in the shows
summers in Northampton, the committee remains optimistic that, with renewed participation, the event may one day return.
“We would just like to say thank you for all the support that the community has given us in the past, and hopefully, we can work together to make it happen again. By taking a one-year pause, hopefully we can rebuild and get something for the following year,” said Ryan. “If any-
health and basic needs.
“We are proud to support the United Way in its mission to unlock the full potential of our friends, neighbors, and communities in need throughout Western Massachusetts,” said Matthew S. Sosik, bankESB president and CEO.
so that those feelings of anxiety, fear, nervousness and being uncomfortable, there’s support to all of that. We’re aware of it, and the experience is aware of it and can bring you further if you want.”
Overall, this passion and effort from Pedigo comes from a love of play, something he said too many adults suppress from their everyday lives. With the heightened level of sophistication coming from the Quonk experiences, Pedigo said he hopes people can relearn play and its importance in everyday life.
““I think it just requires a higher level of sophistication and a higher level of understanding,” Pedigo said. “It’s harder and harder to play because life bogs you down. But I think adults still want to play, and we still need to play. There are things in this world to of course take very seriously, but a lot of the time, we take a lot of things very seriously that don’t really have to be. We should bring a stronger sense of play to a lot of scenarios.”
body has positive comments to send about experiences they had or anything like that, we’d love to hear them, because it makes it nice to know that it impacted the community the way it did. If they want to reach out, whether it’s monetarily to try and build up the funds again or just with different thoughts and things they think might help us, we are very willing to listen.”
Easthampton Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Balch talks about her entry findings and what’s next in the district’s strategic plan process during the School Committee’s Jan. 13 meeting.
Photo credit: E-Media
Emergency winter shelter open at St. John’s Episcopal
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON — A new overflow emergency winter shelter has opened inside St. John’s Episcopal Church to provide life-saving warmth for unhoused neighbors during the coldest nights of the year.
The St. John’s Emergency Shelter will operate specifically on the nights when the city’s Clinical Support Options, or CSO, shelter on Industrial Drive hits its maximum capacity of beds during winter emergencies. There are now 12 beds available at St. John’s, with more planned to be added.
The new shelter comes at a time when Northampton experiences approximately 20 nights each winter that plunge to 15 degrees or below, conditions that pose severe, even fatal, risks, to those without shelter.
“This project is a Jesus project,” said Rev. Anna Woofenden of St. John’s. “We are called to see the image of God in each and every human being, and no one should freeze to death in the winter. In the Episcopal Church, one of the promises we make at baptism, and reaffirm on a regular basis, is to ‘respect the dignity of every human being.’ Making this shelter a reality is what it means to follow Jesus. While we can’t solve all the suf-
fering in the world, we can do our part to respin this part of the broken web in our community.”
This effort, led by St. John’s, is in continuation of its effort to reimagine church as a place of restorative justice, real healing and radical welcome. In 2026, the church is celebrating its bicentennial.
The shelter placement is coordinated by the city’s Division of Community Care, and the shelter is run by trained volunteers and fully funded by donations. Many of the area’s unhoused neighbors are already familiar with St. John’s as the church hosts Manna Community Kitchen and Community Center.
Kathy Whittemore, a member of St. John’s senior leadership team, told Reminder Publishing this effort started about a year ago when two regulars of Manna Community Kitchen shared with Woofenden that they had spent a night on the move to keep from freezing because they did not have a shelter option.
“I think anybody would feel terrible about that, but Rev. Anna is a really amazing, feeling, human being, and at the sermon that Sunday, she told that story and said, ‘we have to do better, this is not OK.’ And that set in motion a bunch of things,” explained Whittemore. “This is not to criticize the shelter system as it exists now ... it’s just that there’s not
enough room, not enough beds. In manageable weather that is not a crisis, but in freezing weather, this is not ambivalent, this is not a gray area, this is black and white. It’s life or death.”
While efforts were made then to establish more shelter space for those without a place to stay, Woofenden and leadership at St. John’s looked to create a more sustainable option. After St. John’s received grant funding from Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan, they moved its industrial kitchen space to the upstairs of the church, which made way for that space to become home for the new emergency shelter.
Trinity awards grants to faithbased and community organizations focusing on areas like housing, social justice and economic resilience. Whittemore explained that with this grant funding, they remodeled the church’s basement to make it accessible as an emergency shelter.
Current Trinity Church Rev. Phillip Jackson is an Amherst College alum and has ties to the area, which helped the church identify the funding opportunity.
Now with work complete and the space ready for use, the shelter had an official blessing and ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 8 to mark the opening of the new emergency winter shelter. The ceremony featured remarks
from Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra and the Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts. Both expressed gratitude for the new shelter and highlighted the critical gap in cold-weather housing for the most vulnerable community.
The new shelter will offer beds in the church’s undercroft, the basement beneath the sanctuary. Whittemore said the effort is in line with St. John’s DNA, as the church previously hosted a cot shelter in decades past. She also credited the city’s Interfaith Clergy group for creating a network where other houses of worship can collaborate to meet the needs of the public.
Whittemore explained the shelter space has been dubbed the “Trinity Room” because they are honoring group collaboration just like the holy trinity of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It also serves as a nod to Trinity Church for their grant funding that made the project a reality.
Weather will be monitored regularly by church leadership, volunteers and other city groups. When a cold weather emergency is on the horizon, they will notify the public when the overflow winter shelter will open. Whittemore said over 70 people have already signed up to volunteer, and she said those interested in joining
can also reach out to get involved. Volunteers will go through an extensive, several-hour training before taking on the role.
“It’s been quiet, but we are trained in resuscitation with Narcan, trained with de-escalation techniques. We are trained in just being vigilant,” said Whittemore, who added that many have already taken advantage of the shelter during the first few nights it opened.
The new emergency shelter is a low-barrier congregate shelter, meaning you don’t have to be sober to enter, and you can bring your pet if you own one.
Whittemore added that this effort from St. John’s Episcopal is a good reminder of what a church can offer for its community.
“We live in a liberal, mostly secular area around here. And in this day in age, unfortunately, and perhaps justifiably, people hear the word ‘Christian’ and associate it with the right and conservative Christian, and Christian nationalism. That is not what St. John’s is. St. John’s is a very progressive church, and we believe in living our faith just as Jesus did, which is reaching out to the marginalized,” said Whittemore. “I think that unhoused folks in Hampshire County know this is a generous community, both secular and faith-based. And we really wanted to meet a need.”
Office of state Rep. Mindy Domb announces January office hours
AMHERST — State Rep. Mindy
Domb’s office will host community office hours in January at the following times:
Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. at the Granby Free Public Library (297 E State St., Granby, MA 01033)
• Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 12:30 p.m. at the Amherst Survival Center (138 Sunderland Road, Amherst, MA 01002)
• Friday, Jan. 30 at 4 p.m. at the Amherst Town Hall, 1st floor, (4 Boltwood Ave., Amherst, MA 01002).
This is an opportunity for constituents of the Third Hampshire District to speak to the representative and her team and to share concerns and thoughts on state legislation, and to seek assistance. There is no need to schedule an appointment, constituents
Northampton girls youth lacrosse returns this spring
NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Parks & Recreation Department is again offering girls youth lacrosse this spring. The program is open to youth in grades 3-8, offering teams in the Bantam (grades 3 and 4), Juniors (grades 5 and 6) and seniors (grades 7 and 8) divisions. The program is held mid-March to mid-June and is for both new and experienced players.
The deadline to register is Thursday, Feb. 19 at 11:59 p.m. or when a division is full. Information and online registration are available at www.northamptonma.gov/recreation. For further information, contact the Parks & Recreation Department at 413-587-1040 or stop by the Parks & Recreation office at 100A Bridge Road, Florence, Mass., 01062.
can stop by anytime during the hour to speak to Domb or a member of her staff. If this is an urgent matter, please do not wait for office hours and call 413-335-1362 or 617-722-2060.
If you are unable to attend at these times or if you have a time sensitive or private matter, Domb’s office can be reached via email at mindy.domb@mahouse. gov or via phone at 413-335-
1362 or 617-722-2060. Please include your name, address and contact information when contacting the office. Domb holds community office hours every month in the district.
HAMPSHIRE REGIONAL VS WESTFIELD
BASKETBALL
The Hampshire Regional girls basketball team faced Westfield High on Jan. 9 with Hampshire taking the 42-33 win.
REMINDER SPORTS PHOTOS TAKEN BY
Addison Miklasiewicz sprints down the court and looks back to catch the pass from her teammate.
Mariah Pacinella gets ready to pass the ball to her teammate.
SAM BLAKE
Addison Miklasiewicz drives to the lane and makes the layup.
Mariah Pacinella reaches out to stop the ball from going out of bounds.
Alexandra Henrichon looks for an open teammate to pass to.
Aubrey Parent makes a free throw during the first quarter of the game.
Samantha Moreau jumps in the air to pass the ball over the defender’s head.
Aubrey Parent makes the layup and gets fouled.
Alexandra Henrichon high fives her teammate after she gets fouled and makes the basket.
Samantha Moreau floats the ball to the basket and makes it in.
Provisions Picks: Big Italian reds from Campania
We’re back in the cold weather everyone, and you know what that means: big reds. Big Italian reds to be specific!
I’d like to turn your attention to Campania in Italy. It’s located right on the Mediterannean in the south along the boot’s ankle, and it is one of Italy’s oldest wine regions, dating back to the 1100s B.C. As you may have guessed, this makes for a hot and dry climate with a long growing season perfect for bulking up the wines from their local red variety Aglianico. While Aglianico has remained a popular wine grape for centuries, it actually achieved its greatest acclaim in the days of the Roman empire
when it was used to make the famous wine Falernum. Interestingly, the Romans chose not to use Aglianico’s thick, tannic skins in Falernum winemaking, opting instead to directly press the freshly picked fruit in order to produce a white wine. Today, however, the most acclaimed versions of this grape are mostly red in color, richly ripe, tannic, high in natural acidity due to volcanic soils and full-bodied with a tendency to reveal a great deal of complexity when aged. In fact, top-tier red appellations such as Taurasi produce wines that can happily age for decades, although not all of the wines require it. Don’t be fooled by the
richness and ripeness described here though; Aglianico is more than a simple fruit-bomb. Look out for notes of plum, cocoa, medicinal herbs, leather, pipe tobacco, meat and dark cherry.
We’ve loved the wines of Casa di Baal for many years now, and their reds offer an excellent introduction into the region for the curious. The Salerno family own and operate this small vineyard and winery producing a mere 2,000 cases of wine each year with their primary business being in olive orchards and olive oil production. In the early 2000s, the family’s daughters decided that they wanted to stop selling grapes to other local wineries in
order to establish their own wine program and Casa di Baal was born. They are excellent farmers who care tremendously for their land and have been farming the vines organically since 2006 before converting to biodynamic agriculture back in 2014. While this article focuses on their reds, the Salernos also produce some excellent white and sparkling wines that you won’t want to miss either!
• Casa di Baal Rosso di Baal 2022 ($19.99) — 40% Merlot and 40% Aglianico with the remainder made up of Barbera, this was the first wine produced at Casa di Baal, and it serves as an approachable
introduction to the region’s red wines. Rosso di Baal offers notes of red berries, plum, ample spice, and wet earth with lively acidity. Excellent with sharp Italian cheeses like Pecorino, red sauce pasta dishes or pizza.
• Casa di Baal Aglianico di Baal 2019 ($24.99) — Entirely composed of Aglianico and aged in a mix of stainless steel and used French oak barrels, this wine is bold and full-bodied with rich tannins now softened by age. Look for notes of leather, high quality tobacco, and dark fruit with a backbone of minerality. Pair with red meat or truffle dishes.
UMass Amherst to host the return of Five College Opera
AMHERST — When the cast of “The Marriage of Figaro” takes the Bowker Auditorium stage for the first of two performances on Feb. 6, it will mark an important return for the opera community in the Pioneer Valley.
For the first time in nearly a decade, the Five College Opera will be mounting a full stage production, bringing together cast, crew, orchestra and resources from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Smith College, Hampshire College, Amherst College and Mount Holyoke College to present one of the pillars of the operatic canon.
“The Marriage of Figaro’s story and beautiful music have continued to resonate with audiences for more than 200 years since its premiere,” said Jamie-Rose Guarrine, professor of voice and interim associate chair of the
UMass Department of Music and Dance. “It’s a universal story of people falling in love, falling out of love, and finding each other again, told with wit, warmth, and a shared humanity that has stood the test of time. It’s comic and iconic, and the perfect story to experience live, told in the theater.”
Melanie Bacaling, guest stage director for “Le Nozze di Figaro,” has described the design concept as “stylized period, focusing on how the themes of the opera transcend time.”
The performance on Friday, Feb. 6 will start at 7:30 p.m. There will be a second show, on Sunday, Feb. 8, beginning at 3 p.m.
The Five College Opera is a collaborative production in which faculty from across the campuses join together to plan an opera, and students in music and
theater from all of the campuses have the opportunity to study and perform. Students learn operatic techniques from experts and perform in a production which is open to the public.
Previously produced every three years, the Five College Opera’s operations were postponed indefinitely when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Last year, a steering committee was formed with representatives from all five institutions to re-envision the direction of the organization. The result was the decision to return with a show that highlighted the unique talents of an all-student cast.
That cast was auditioned with “Le Nozze di Figaro” in mind, with the added consideration that performers will be able to capitalize on learning these core arias of the opera canon in their future careers, including in upcoming graduate auditions.
At UMass, opera is on the rise, following last spring’s production of “Fairy Tales and Magic”, a collaboration between the vocal and orchestral programs in the Department of Music and Dance. It’s a career pipeline that’s still being built, but Guarrine sees it as on an upward trajectory.
“Opera is just one part of a multi-faceted approach to prepare our students for the career landscape, whether as performers, educators, choral, oratorio, or opera singers,” she noted.
“What has been nice about Five College Opera is that it strengthens that area, but it also provides a connective force to the operatic experience by uniting us with the Five College community.”
Guarrine also hopes that this year’s production will provide a scaffolding for the future of the Five College Opera. At a time where budgets are stretched, the
production team of “The Marriage of Figaro” is exploring out of the box solutions and documenting best practices of the massive logistical undertaking of mounting an opera, hoping to create a roadmap for future productions.
The Marriage of Figaro is Mozart’s sparkling comedy of love and class, set during a single chaotic day. When Figaro and Susanna’s wedding plans are jeopardized by Count Almaviva’s entitled advances, a whirlwind of disguises and misunderstandings ensues, culminating in a joyous celebration of wit, compassion, and the triumph of love.
Tickets for “Le Nozze di Figaro” (“The Marriage of Figaro”) can be purchased at the Fine Arts Center Box Office (in the lobby of Frederick C. Tillis Hall), by calling 413-545-2511, or by going to UMasstix.org/musicanddance.
30,000,” Sacerdote said, adding that weather usually dictates the overall turnout. “When we have great weather, we have great crowds.”
Aside from showcasing some of the major facets of the show, Sacerdote also highlighted the decades-long journey that has defined the railroad show from its humble beginnings at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the mid-1950s to the extravagant celebration it has become today. Tickets are now available for the show on its website. It is $18
for adults and free for ages 15 and under. Events throughout the two days are held at the Big E’s Better Living Center, Young and Stroh Buildings and the Mallary Complex. Readers can listen to the full episode by visiting thereminder. com/our-podcast or search “So That Reminds Me” on your favorite podcasting platform.
Richard Hooker and Marie Hooker to Thomas P. Florence and Carla
Steven M. Hawkes and Heide S. Hawkes to Bruce B. Wilmer and Sydney
Darlene Orvieto to Darlene Orvieto, trustee, and Darlene Orvieto Revocable
Darlene Orvieto to Darlene Orvieto, trustee, and Darlene Orvieto Revocable Trust, 37 Mutter
Richard Dufraine, estate, Michelle L. Simpson, Michelle L. Simpson, personal representative, and Richard R. Dufraine to Nathaniel James Kirst and Karen Marie Guy, 22
Richard P. Beaulieu and Dianne M. Beaulieu to Richard P. Beaulieu, trustee, Dianne M. Beaulieu, trustee, and RDB Living Trust, 13 Robin Road
Cristie Frost and Carrie Frost to Andrew Placzek, 16 Picard Circle
Jeffrey L. Pelly to Michael D. Bauman, 6 Emily Lane
