The Northampton Community Music Center’s annual online auction, where the public can bid on a plethora of items from locally beloved businesses, is now open until March 7.
Page 4
EASTHAMPTON
Easthampton City Council shelves school funding act
At its Feb. 18 meeting, the Easthampton City Council dismissed the adoption of an act that would have allowed additional funding methods for the School Department.
Page 5
Tenants win eviction cases through pre-trial mediation
Two Pine Valley tenants have won their eviction cases following what they and many other tenants of Pine Valley Realty have called unfair hikes in rent.
Page 5
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
Healey, Driscoll make Holyoke campaign stop
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
HOLYOKE — On Feb. 17, Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll visited the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke as part of two campaign stops in Western Massachusetts.
The stop in Holyoke and the one later that day in North Adams provided Healey and Driscoll the opportunity to discuss state investments in new housing projects and local arts and culture, in addition to the duo’s affordability agenda and their reelection campaign.
“The bottom line is both Kim and I feel incredibly privileged to be in these positions,”
Healey stated. “We also deeply, deeply love our state, and we want to work and stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone and anyone who believes in our state and who wants better for their community, for their family, and we’ll work so, so hard to get that done.”
Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia opened the event by endorsing the duo and highlighting some of the work they and the state have done to help Holyoke achieve certain goals. He specifically highlighted advancements in housing, regaining local control for its school district and construction advancements at the Victory Theatre as major milestones in the community.
Garcia recalled a similar event four years ago at the Victory Theatre in Holyoke, where he first endorsed Healey for governor.
“Today, I stand here once again alongside our governor to reaffirm my full support for Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll as they seek reelection, because their leadership has been clear, their vision has
been strong and their commitment to not only Holyoke, but communities everywhere in the commonwealth.”
Other legislators at the event endorsed Healey and Driscoll, including state Reps. Pat Duffy and Brian Ashe, Easthampton Mayor Salem Derby, Holyoke City Council President Tessa Murphy-Romboletti and Holyoke City Councilor Juan Anderson-Burgos.
Healey emphasized some important accomplishments from her first term, including tax cuts, the passage of a “historic” housing bill, and improvements in health care costs and economic development.
Healey said the housing bill has resulted in 100,000 housing starts, in other words, new housing units either built, permitted or constructed around the state in the last three years. She further explained that experts said when they started, Massachusetts needed to build about 220,000 units around the state by 2035 to get to where they need to be.
“We’re focused on affordability, we’re focused on building more homes as quickly as we can to drive down costs,” Healey said. “Build more housing, we drive down costs.”
First-time homebuyers can also receive $25,000 towards the purchase of a new home. Healey also recently announced an increase in the production of Accessory Dwelling Units in Massachusetts to expand housing options, support homeowners and increase affordable housing.
For economic development, Healey talked about a key economic driver in the state.
“One thing that we’re really excited about in this region is the opportunity for more investment in arts and culture. This is a great
example. What Victory Theatre is going to yield; what that’s going to become is just going to be so awesome,” Healey said. Healey also announced that her administration is focused on lowering the cost of energy bills.
“Standing up to utility companies, we’ll oppose any rate hikes out there. I filed energy legislation, which will reduce energy costs by $13 billion.”
Healey discussed the completion of the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line that is now delivering affordable, stable hydropower from Canada to Massachusetts. According to mass.gov, the NECEC line will provide Massachusetts with nearly 20% of its overall electricity, deliver $3.38 billion in total net economic benefits to Massachusetts ratepayers over the life of the contracts and reduce ratepayer bills by around $50 million each year.
On the topic of health care, Healey said they are the first team to eliminate copays and deductibles for people on their health care. They also recently
got rid of prior authorizations for “a whole bunch of staff.”
She explained, “If you got diabetes, you no longer have to wait for some insurance company to OK your receiving insulin. We’re trying to make it easier for people to get access to care, and we fundamentally believe in this. At a moment where the president and Congress have taken a trillion dollars out of health care, we stand here united in support of making sure that we’re doing everything we can to get health care to our residents who need it.”
When it comes to the federal administration, Healey said they will continue to look for ways to work with them, but stated, “Where the president and federal administration do things to harm people, we’re going to stand up and defend Massachusetts.”
She continued, “I’m excited about some of what we’ve been able to accomplish. We know that these are hard and challenging times. Both of us were col-
Gov. Maura Healey discusses some accomplishments during her current term while at the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
See HEALEY on page 3
Fundraiser is an alley-oop toward pediatric cancer research
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
SOUTHAMPTON — Community members of all ages will once again participate in a slam dunk effort to raise money in support of pediatric cancer at the fourth annual Magic for Maddie 3v3 basketball tournament, which returns to Norris Elementary School on March 28 and 29.
Magic for Maddie is a nonprofit organization conceived during the summer of 2022 to raise funds for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma research and to help fund Maddie Schmidt’s clinical DIPG trial at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. Ninety percent of children diagnosed with DIPG die within two years of diagnosis; the median survival time is 11 months, and the overall survival rate is less than 1%.
“Although cancer is what took Maddie’s life, it is not her legacy,” said Nora Schmidt, Maddie’s mother. “In eight short years, Maddie loved deeply, shined brightly and inspired a community. If people leave our events with a little bit of Maddie’s magic, then we’re doing exactly what she would want.”
The 3v3 basketball fundraiser honors the enduring “sparkle” of forever 8-year-old Maddie Schmidt, of Southampton, and although she lost her heroic 10-month battle against DIPG, her legacy has continued to shine and inspire her community, according to organizers.
“When Maddie passed, what really became important for us was obviously to continue her legacy, but also to try and create a means to support the community around her. Her brothers, Patrick and Will, being at the forefront of that focus,” explained tournament chair Joe Wescott. “These types of situations are obviously tragic and very unfortunate, but to see the community continue to turn out, I mean, we’re four years in. The harsh reality of a lot of
these types of functions is, once somebody passes or you have a tragedy, you might get a year or two out of it before the reality of life sets in. Other things happen, other people pass, other tragedies happen. This hasn’t lost traction, and that’s just incredible.”
Community members of all ages, first graders to adults, will spend the upcoming March weekend at Norris School in competitive games of hoops, all to raise funds for pediatric cancer research and local family support. The tournament is presented by the Southampton Youth Athletic Association, Hyundai Hope on Wheels, Aurora Jewelers and the McColgan Family.
“Magic for Maddie stands very strongly on turning pain into purpose, and that’s something the family and the mission have really held true to. At the foundation of this, the goal was to continue Maddie’s legacy and basketball, and sports were very important to Maddie, Will and Patrick,” added Wescott.
High school, middle school teams and the three adult brack-
ets — women, men under 40 and men over 40 — are set to tip off at 11 a.m. on March 28. On Sunday, elementary teams will tip off at 9 a.m.
All games will be played at Norris School in Southampton, and the tournament will feature double-elimination brackets, prizes for winners and best “Spirit of Maddie” team awards.
Proceeds from the first two years of the tournament went to fund the memorial scholarship in Maddie’s name for senior athletes at Hampshire Regional High School. This year, funds raised will continue to add to the fund, but they will also support Magic for Maddie, which helps fuel research.
A special online auction on magicformaddie.com will also support the Magic for Maddie 3v3 tournament starting on March 20 and ending on March 29 at 2 p.m. Auction items include 2026 Red Sox Green Monster tickets, Boston Celtics tickets, concert tickets to Chris Stapleton, a party at Maddie’s Magical Playground, and Rhode
Island and New Hampshire vacation getaways.
Concessions will be available throughout the entire tournament, including food from La Veracruzana, Log Rolling and Riff’s. In addition, Nini’s, Starbucks, Dam Café, Elm Butcher Block, Tandem Bagel and Coca-Cola will donate food and drink for the tournament. Funds raised from this portion of the event will go directly toward local family support.
“This event has become much more of ‘mission over money,’ if you will. We’ve been very fortunate with the turnout in the first three years, and again, we funded this scholarship for a comfortable level of time where it is right now. Our actions and efforts right now are more focused on making sure that Maddie’s memory rings strong, and we continue to support the mission, and continue to help the local community and individuals who are going through some of these challenges,” said Wescott. “It’s not so much about how much money we can make. Obviously, that’s an important component to the mission, but really, it’s more just trying to make sure everybody remembers Maddie and to continue to support local families.”
Over three years, the tournament has raised over $70,000.
“It’s been incredible, and the support doesn’t just come from Southampton, Easthampton, Westhampton; it comes from surrounding towns — Holyoke, Westfield, Belchertown, Wilbra-
ham, which again kind of just shows how impressive it is that Magic for Maddie and Maddie’s impact has reached so far,” added Wescott. “What’s important to emphasize is, events like this really take a village. I’m very fortunate to be the chair, but I’m still a very small component to what makes this a successful event. There are a lot of folks who really play a part in this, so it really shows you it takes a village to make something like this successful.”
Magic for Maddie, Inc. is an official 501c3 charity. In 2025, the foundation doubled down on its mission to fuel research for DIPG, helping families in the fight against pediatric cancer, funding more than $250,000. Since 2022, Magic for Maddie has raised $1.3 million.
“Magic for Maddie, in its entirety, supports much larger efforts. At the governmental level, in terms of getting involved. Really lobbying for attention and those funding sources, and bills passing, and really aggressive initiatives that really could affect pediatric cancer on a much larger scale. This particular event is more so supporting the family, and supporting other local families, but keeping Maddie’s memory alive and doing it in a way that she really enjoyed, which is sports,” said Wescott.
Registration for the tournament closed Friday, Feb. 20. For more information on Magic for Maddie’s work and Maddie’s legacy, visit magicformaddie.com.
Some shots of last year’s Magic for Maddie 3v3 tournament.
Photo credit: Magic for Maddie
‘Dissolving Thoughts,’
NORTHAMPTON — “Dissolving Thoughts” derives from the Buddhist practice of letting thoughts go. Karen Iglehart said, “Thoughts are always emerging ... sometimes predictable and sometimes random and surprising. This body of work seeks to represent the space where thoughts arise and dissolve and float around in the back of our awareness.”
This series of work has been evolving for the past three to four years and comes from her practice of Buddhism of many
Healey
Continued from page 1
lege basketball players, so we do a little bit about taking lumps and getting back up and throwing the necessary elbow when necessary, or pick when necessary, but fundamentally, whether it’s volleyball or basketball, it’s about teamwork, and that’s the vibe we’ll continue to bring, not only to the campaign — as we seek to grow more support — but also to the that way we look to govern.”
Driscoll said she and Healey work hard to make sure the decisions they make at the State House reflect the needs of each
years. Iglehart works in layers, with a process of painting then subtracting from previous layers, so that a “memory” of previous paint appears. It creates a quality of mystery that relates to how thoughts arise and dissolve.
Iglehart has been painting full time since 2001. She is a member of GalleryA3 in Amherst and is also represented by Jessica Hagen Fine Art, Newport. Lauren Clark Fine Art, Great Barrington, Meridian Art Consulting, Boston and Winston Scott Gallery on Artsy.
community in Massachusetts as they continue to uplift and empower local governments.
“We can have the best policies, and I think we have a lot of them. We can make significant investments in things like housing and infrastructure, but none of that gets done unless we [have] a strong team locally,” Driscoll said. “That’s why it’s such a privilege to be serving in a time when we have the ability to work with amazing leaders, shape policies, shift resources, and do things that are going to help communities lower costs, drive high quality of life, and make Massachusetts the best place to live to raise a family [and] to come visit.”
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
Community Music Center auction is open
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Community Music Center’s annual online auction, where the public can bid on a plethora of items from locally beloved businesses, is now open until March 7.
The auction benefits equity and accessibility in music education, as the Northampton Community Music Center is the only nonprofit music school in Hampshire County that offers financial aid, making sure no one is ever turned away from an inability to pay.
“The thing we’re really proud of is that [with] our financial aid program, we’ve never had to turn away a qualifying student. If the need is there, we find money, and we’ve been able to sustain that for nearly 40 years,” said Community Music Center Executive Director Jason Trotta. “It’s for all ages. It’s from little babies in our early childhood programs taking music classes with their parents, all the way up to senior citizens; we have a senior citizen concert band program. It’s anybody who needs help. If they want to do it but they can’t afford it, it’s a simple application.”
Some items available in this year’s auction include concert
tickets, museum passes, memberships, sporting goods, beauty and wellness services, gift cards, classes and more.
Trotta told Reminder Publishing that the fundraising effort supports the Community Music Center’s scholarship and outreach programs. The nonprofit arts organization brings quality education, performances and activities to more than 1,000 community members each year.
NCMC’s scholarship fund provides more than $70,000 in tuition assistance to more than 240 music students each year, about 27% of their student body. No qualifying student has ever been denied aid.
“I think we’re really fortunate to live in the valley that values music education and values the arts. The people who do have the means are more than happy to support the organization that’s helping people without the means,” said Trotta.
The goal of this upcoming auction is to raise $10,000, and 96 items are currently listed. Although the center spearheads various fundraisers throughout the year, Trotta said this auction every winter has become a consistent fundraising opportunity for the organization and its mission.
“Our connections are strong within the public schools, so we’re
able to work with leaders in the public schools: music teachers, administrators, to make connections with families and let them know we have these services available,” said Trotta. “If there are kids entering the middle school and they’re going to take up an instrument and join band, but they don’t know how to play their instrument or don’t have access to one, whatever it is, we have the infrastructure here to help them. We’ve been doing it for a long time now so our reputation for being able to help has been strong.”
Scholarships through the Community Music Center extend to any of their programming, and private lessons are also available. Trotta said that the center’s motivation and passion to help people get connected with access to music is why their legacy has only grown since its founding in 1986.
“One of the great joys of learning music and engaging in making music is to do it with others, so we try to have a lot of ensemble programs speaking to people’s interests. We have jazz programs, rock programs; we’ve done bluegrass workshops. We’ve done choruses and all different things as we see the community need arise,” said Trotta.
Northampton Community Mu-
sic Center has also expanded its music therapy program through a partnership with Westfield State University. Through this program, staff certified music therapists work with children on the autism spectrum through different opportunities in music. Trotta said that these opportunities can be incredible pathways to expression, connection and other life goals.
Trotta encourages the public to check out this year’s auction and continue support for the nonprofit and its mission to foster the love and pursuit of music within the community.
“What we love about the auction is anybody can shop on it. We have gift cards as low as $20 for anyone who wants to support a local business. There’s also a lot of services on there that are really cool, like massages and yoga classes, things like that,” said Trotta. “And then we have a week-long vacation in Puerto Rico, which is awesome, and that seems to be a really popular item this year. Anything in between, whatever people are looking for, there’s something there.”
To bid on the auction, visit ncmc.net/auction. For more information on the Northampton Community Music Center, visit ncmc.net/about.
Housing Authority begins executive director search
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Housing Authority has established a search committee to help find a new executive director for the organization.
The Northampton Housing Authority is a quasi-public agency maintaining public housing at the McDonald House, Forsander and Cahill Apartments, Tobin Manor, Salvo House, and Hampshire and Florence Heights.
Northampton Housing Authority Board of Commissioners Chair Patty Healey told Reminder Publishing that the Housing Authority is tasked with managing housing of the federal government under Housing and Urban Development. She added that with about 1,500 units in total, NHA is one of the largest groups in the state.
“We have in Massachusetts more public housing than most
other states,” said Healey. “People are under the impression that public housing is funded by municipalities and by the cities and towns, and they’re not. There’s no money from cities and towns.”
Healey explained that a search committee for a new NHA executive director was just established, and the committee is made up of mostly residents and NHA board members. Sharon Kimble has served as acting executive director since the fall and also serves as the authority’s chief accounting officer.
The search committee will have their work supplemented by the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials. The mission of MassNAHRO is to educate, support and advocate for its member agencies to ensure the preservation, protection and expansion of public and affordable housing.
“They’re going to do more of managing the logistics. We write the job description, they will tell us where it’s reasonable to place ads, and they will receive the resumes or contacts, and then they’ll help sort it for us in a way that is much more manageable for our committee,” said Healey. Healey explained that the NHA will begin placing ads and job notices around the position in the coming weeks. As far as responsibilities for a new executive director, Healey said the job entails managing staff and tending to the needs of people throughout various housing settings. She also said NHA will eye candidates who are mission driven, passionate about housing opportunities for residents and certified in the financial work that comes with property management.
“We are looking for someone who’s going to promote a strong ethical work culture and has really a passion and vision for making
better opportunities for residents,” said Healey.
Healey added that the search committee’s work is just getting underway, and they will conduct future meetings and discussions about what they are looking for in a new director. She hopes the committee has its next executive director locked down by the spring.
“My hope is that whoever applies will see how great it is to live in Western Mass., that Northampton is a wonderful city to live in, and we have a supportive, involved community who values social justice and the concept of providing housing for people,” said Healey. “We’re living in a time where we have horrible housing availability, and this is just one sliver of the housing world, but I’m really excited that someone might be able to really look at our community as a place they can expand their wings, develop a really great career, all in a community where it’s nice to live in.”
EASTHAMPTON
Easthampton City Council shelves school funding act
By Tina Lesniak Correspondent
EASTHAMPTON — At its Feb. 18 meeting, the Easthampton City Council dismissed the adoption of an act that would have allowed additional funding methods for the School Department, leading it to discuss possible adjustments to the city’s charter.
In discussing his desire to dismiss the act without prejudice, City Councilor Thomas Peake, chair of the Finance Committee, noted that the adoption of the act had “been bouncing around for a while” and stemmed from concerns about needs for adjusting funds for the school district.
The act would have allowed the City Council, by a two-thirds vote, and following a two-thirds vote by the School Committee, to reallocate funds to increase the total amount of money in the school budget.
Peake explained that recent
Tenants
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
EASTHAMPTON — Two Pine Valley tenants have won their eviction cases following what they and many other tenants of Pine Valley Realty have called unfair hikes in rent.
The two Pine Valley tenants, Mona Shadi and Roland De Caires, were notified by Pine Valley Realty of rent increases of $300 and $350 last August. When their leases were up in October, both tenants refused to pay the higher amount and continued to pay their existing rent, as is in their right under Massachusetts law, leading to mediation between the parties.
In December, a press conference was held inside Easthampton City Hall by the Pine Valley Tenants Association, who were joined by the Easthampton Tenants Union, Northampton Tenants, other tenant advocates and state Rep. Homar Gomez. Tenants and organizers collected more than 600 signed letters from community members expressing their support, and the letters were hand-delivered to the Pine Valley Realty office following the conference in an attempt to get landlord Matthew Gawle to negotiate in good faith.
These requests were denied, and Gawle initiated no-fault evictions against Shadi and De Caires.
Through organized actions by the Easthampton Tenants Union and the legal counsel of Joel Feldman, whose Springfield firm specializes in tenants’ rights, a successful outcome was reached after two pre-trial mediation sessions. The two neighbors will now pay increases of only $45 and $50, respectively, locked in with a one-year lease and will receive substantial monetary damages.
“These Easthampton tenants were glad to work out a resolution of their cases through the mediation process, rather than having to defend themselves in an eviction trail,” said Feldman. “The results here show the benefits of landlords being willing to
discussion of the act had made him aware of a “level of anxiety from the departments” about their own funding. “It was more divisive than I thought it was going to be,” said Peake.
After conversations with School Committee Chair Laura Scott and Mayor Salem Derby, it became clear to Peake that this was no longer a priority for the School Committee because it didn’t have the same concerns about funding with the current mayor.
However, Peake explained that these discussions led the Finance Committee to think there may be a “desire to revisit the checks and balances in the charter.” He noted that the charter was set 30 years ago and would likely benefit from an update now.
After the council voted to dismiss the act without prejudice, meaning it could be brought up again, Easthampton resident
meet at the earliest possible time with their tenants and then negotiating face-to-face, rather than unilaterally putting their tenants at risk of eviction and potential homelessness.”
Also part of the negotiation was a demand that Pine Valley Realty engage in collective bargaining for all of its tenants. A meeting date is currently being set.
Following the December press conference, Gawle and his wife Donna told Reminder Publishing through a joint statement that the rent increases were in response to the rising cost of living.
“We have explained our situation to the tenants, who requested negotiations. We kept rent as low as possible for as long as possible,” they said in December. “We are open to finding solutions to keep local landlords and tenants in Easthampton. However, we feel the community has spoken.”
When contacted about the mediated cases, Pine Valley Realty did not respond for comment by print time.
Reflecting on the course of events, Shadi highlighted the critical importance of both organizing with other tenants and having access to legal counsel. She noted that on average, there are 40,000 evictions in Massachusetts every year, with 25% of those being no-fault. Meanwhile, only 7% of tenants who are evicted have legal representation.
While this is a successful example of collective action in the face of unfair rent hikes, Easthampton Tenants Union member Ilene Roizman told Reminder Publishing that many other tenants agreed to pay more because they believed they had no choice.
“That’s one of the two things we were trying to emphasize, is having access to legal counsel is critical and most people don’t. As part of the legal process, there is an opportunity for both sides to sit down with their lawyers and try to hash it out, and that’s what they did,” said Roizman. “As far as the other tenants are concerned,
Daniel Gilbert spoke to what the Charter Commission process would look like. According to Gilbert, it would be initiated by a petition signed by 2,000 registered Easthampton voters. Then, on the next city ballot, voters would both vote on a ballot question to establish a commission and vote for nine commission members. That would then begin an 18-month process of reviewing the charter and making changes.
The mayor also provided several updates to items in the city.
He noted that a pipe had recently burst at the closed Pepin school, causing no real damage, but starting a conversation about how best to care for the building until it is repurposed. After discussions with the DPW, water and electricity were turned off in the building and the windows have been boarded up. Derby added that he’d had the opportunity to speak with the lieutenant
governor and made sure that the schools are in the queue to be turned into housing.
Derby also offered more insight into the recent discussions to pause Cultural Chaos for this year. He said that organizers had
that’s where the other component of the big picture comes in: the organizing. By organizing and forming their own tenants association, and working for collective bargaining, they will be able to negotiate. And the intention is to negotiate for everyone.”
With the support of the Easthampton Tenants Union, Pine Valley tenants continue to organize and take action against rent increases and maintenance issues that have been ignored for years. Gawle owns multiple apartment complexes in Easthampton that total around 230 units.
Roizman said that while this was a win for tenants’ rights in Easthampton, it was not a permanent fix to the issues in housing availability and affordability. She shared that in the State House, there is a new ballot initiative called the Massachusetts Rent Control Initiative. The proposed ballot initiative would cap annual residential rent increases at 5% or by the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower, in an effort to address housing affordability and reverse the 1994 state ban on rent control.
“We have wins now, but we’re
also prepared to keep fighting. We’re also prepared to keep negotiating if we have to, and in the meantime, we’re going to push very hard to try and get that bill passed,” Roizman said. Roizman said, regardless of the initiative’s status, the work and education around tenants’ rights will continue.
“Solidarity is powerful. Collective action works. It takes a lot of effort and commitment. It takes a lot of people working together with similar goals, cooperating and sharing resources, and providing education. Knowledge is power. The more we know, the more we can do,” said Roizman. “Citizen participation is essential to a healthy democracy. We’re encouraging people to get involved. We are letting people know that they have rights, and that we can help each other exercise our rights, and that we don’t have to put up with the status quo. I’ve been very encouraged seeing so many people step up and do good work and contribute substantially to improving the situation for renters in Easthampton, especially.”
The Easthampton Tenants
explained that event has become increasingly difficult to run with fewer volunteers and an event that requires significant time and energy. Derby noted that there will be several cultural events this year, just on a smaller scale.
Union was formed to build solidarity among renters and others in the community in response to unreasonable rent hikes and poor management by landlords and property owners, and provide support, encouragement, resources, referrals and expertise. Its mission is to empower people in standing up for their legal rights and foster solidarity across the city of Easthampton and the surrounding community.
“Collective action is something we’re not used to, right. Usually, we think of it in terms of workers’ unions, where people are unionizing for better wages, or they’re unionizing for better working conditions. This is very different, but the premise is similar,” Roizman said. This is a group of people who have a common interest. Who are saying, ‘we have rights, and we want to exercise those rights, and we have an arrangement with somebody who owns the property we live in, and we want to keep living here and make it work.’” For more information on the Easthampton Tenants Union, visit easthamptontenantsunion.org.
Every week we will provide you with a complete listings of deaths from the preceding week from throughout Greater Springfield. We are doing this as a convenience to our readers in case you miss an obit in the daily paper. We hope you find this useful and that you will refer to it weekly.
CUMMINGTON
Lorena Mae Thayer
GOSHEN
William Kerby
NORTH HATFIELD
Wilma Johnson
NORTHAMPTON
Mary Ellen Carlon
Kathryn Marie Denny
Jill Atchinson Falk
Thomas A. Lynch
SOUTH HADLEY
Peter A. Gagne
Hugh Parker Hutton
Gaetano J. Milano
Tessie O’Neill
Robert J. Valenti
SOUTHAMPTON
Edward Cunningham
WILLIAMSBURG
Victor F. Caputo III
Joyce Elaine Culver
The Easthampton City Council met on Feb. 18 at 50 Payson Ave.
Photo credit: E-Media
On Feb. 12, Samone Young scored 20 points to lead the Easthampton girls basketball team to a 53-45 win over Mount Greylock. REMINDER SPORTS PHOTOS TAKEN BY SAM BLAKE
Teagan Crussana makes a one handed under the basket layup.
Samone Young makes a long pass across the court to her teammate.
Piper Collins catches the pass from down the court.
Nola Roos makes a bounce pass to her teammate.
Samone Young goes after the ball before it goes out of bounds.
Camilla Corsello battles for the rebound.
Teagan Crussana passes the ball to an open teammate in the corner.
Easthampton players high five each other after they get the foul.
Nola Roos dribbles the ball down the sideline. Piper Collins reaches up for the ball and catches it.
Teagan Crussana catches the pass from her teammate.
Piper Collins dribbles around the defender to the hoop.
Arts in the Area: Local company to debut
Local independent film production company Xposse Productions will release its new psychological thriller, “Dark Places,” on March 14 at Agawam Cinemas.
Written and directed by Geno McGahee, the film centers on college student Natalie Parker, who is managing anxiety and social challenges while navigating a new relationship with fellow student Jason Evans. When two professors are murdered, the pair become entangled in a confrontation with a satanic cult as they work to uncover those responsible.
The film is produced by Rick Caride, Matt Hebert, Eric Michaelian, Brent Northup, Lorrie Bacon and McGahee, with Gregory Hatanaka of Cinema Epoch serving as executive producer. McGahee also operates the horror review website ScaredStiffReviews.com, which he founded in 2006.
The ensemble cast includes Lindsey DeLand, Jake Whitlock, Lorrie Bacon, Phil Godek, Eric Michaelian and Gabbi Mendelsohn.
Following its theatrical release, “Dark Places” is expected to be made available on streaming platforms including Tubi, Fawesome and Amazon Prime
Video. Ticket information for the Agawam Cinemas screening will be available through the theater.
Lumos Experience candlelight concert
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Longmeadow will host a Lumos Experience concert titled Step Into the Glow: A Vivaldi & Mozart Candlelight Experience on Friday, March 27.
The 60-minute performance will feature an ensemble of violin, viola and cello performing selections by Vivaldi and Mozart in a candlelit setting. Seating is limited to maintain an intimate atmosphere.
All tickets must be purchased in advance at lumosexperiences.com.
‘Hope and Glory’ production
On Saturday, Feb. 28, at 4 p.m., Young@Heart and Hope Center for the Arts will present “Hope and Glory,” a show that will combine the hope for the future as represented by the Hope Center’s students, faculty and staff at the newly renovated center in Springfield. The “lory represents the life and times of the recently deceased Evelyn Harris, who was a member of Young@ Heart for the last 2 1/2 years
of her life.
Special guests for the show will include:
Members of Sweet Honey in the Rock, an all-female, African American a cappella ensemble that started in 1973. They are a three-time Grammy Award-nominated troupe who express their history as Black women through song, dance and sign language. Harris was a member of the group from 1974-1992.
Provisions Picks: Cotes-du-Rhone from
Yasmeen Betty Williams, an American gospel singer and former member of the Sweet Honey in the Rock from 1976 to 1986. After meeting in Sweet
Honey in the ‘70s, Williams remained Harris’ close friend for the remainder of her life. Kayla Staley, the director of vocal ensemble at the Hope Center’s after school. Buy tickets at the Hope Center website, hopecenterforthearts. org/events/youngatheart.
the French Rhone valley
The Rhone valley lies in eastern France just south of Burgundy, and the region has a long history of winemaking dating back to the 600s BC. The region is generally separated into two sec-
“What should I bring to dinner?” It’s a question that customers often ask us here at Provisions. In a perfect world, one can pair the wine to the food being served, but we may not always know what to expect as a guest. No one wants to commit a faux pas by bringing something that clashes with the food, and that’s where our favorite safe bet red wine comes in: Cotes-du-Rhone.
tions: the northern Rhone, where single varietal Syrah reigns supreme, and the warmer southern Rhone, where blends of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre dominate the production. The south contains many prestigious appellations for these blends, most notably Chateauneuf-du-Pape an area promoted from obscurity to prestige during the Avignon Papacy. The overwhelming quantity of wine, however, comes in the form of the humble Cotesdu-Rhone and Cotes-du-Rhone Village appellations, which together account for more than half of the Rhone’s wine production. Literally translating to “hills of the Rhone,” these wines are produced throughout the south, and what they lack in prestige they make up for in quality, approachability and value.
Always a red blend, Cotes-duRhone reds consist mostly of Grenache, a friendly and fruit-forward variety boasting high levels of ripeness and generally lower levels of tannin when grown in the lower altitude areas of the region. The blend is completed with Syrah, adding spice and tannin, and Mourvedre, which contributes earthy notes and inky
color. This trifecta works so well together that you’ll see the combination used in wines of many other warm climate wine regions of the world, including California, Australia, and South Africa. Together, these three varieties yield a wine that is medium bodied, dry, moderate to low tannin and food friendly with notes of berries and herbs. These wines pair great with chicken, burgers, pork dishes, hearty stews and most anything savory, but more importantly for the purposes of this article, they’re unlikely to clash with whatever your host may be cooking. So next time you’re running to the store for a bottle before a dinner party grab one of our favorites below.
Domaine La Manarine Cotesdu-Rhone Rouge ($19.99): Located in the southernmost tip of the region, La Manarine are meticulous organic farmers and take a hands off approach to winemaking, preferring to let the grapes speak for themselves. Their rouge is a somewhat rare example of a 100% Grenache Cotesdu-Rhone, and as a result it offers a great deal of aromatic fruit along with a pleasant amount of herbal spice. A lush and delicious
crowd pleaser.
Clos du Mont-Olivet Vielles Vignes Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge ($24.99): The Sabon family have been making the wines of Mont-Olivet since 1932 and are great example of a traditional producer that isn’t afraid of new techniques. This wine is produced from three organically farmed parcels of 40-plus year old vines and primarily ages in a mix of concrete and old wood, allowing the wine to breath and develop without imparting substantial oak flavor. This wine is the biggest of the bunch, offering more tannin, earth and spice due to the age of the vines and the higher portion of Syrah and Mourvedre.
La Cabotte Cotes-du-Rhone Colline ($19.99): Grown in a higher altitude, cooler area of the region, this blend of Grenache and Syrah is farmed biodynamically by the d’Ardhuy-Plumet family. In the cellar, the wine is fermented and briefly aged in stainless steel with an eye towards preserving the grapes’ natural fruit and acidity. Medium-bodied, aromatic and bright enough to cut through fattier cuisine.
A scene from “Dark Places.”
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
Title Insurance Inc., attorney-in-fact, to John S. Henderson-Adams and Mariel E. Lima, 320 West St.
Deborah L. O’Neill and Lauren K. Guilbault to Thomas E. Dadmun, Samuel J. Dadmun and Kristy
