Magazine Archive
Magazine Archive
It’s a Great Time to Test Your Home for Radon
Radon gas escapes the fissures in rock and mineral deposits, and percolates through pores in the soil towards the surface where it can dissipate into the atmosphere. But, if there is a house in its path, radon gas naturally moves from the high pressure environment in the ground to the lower pressure disturbed zone below foundations and ultimately inside your home.
The Neighborly Absorption (Part 1)
As we gratefully enjoy and look forward to the year ahead, it might be worthwhile to find a better indoor hobby than training your cat to walk on a leash.
Shaun and Tim: Can’t stop a dream
Few people know the Valley better than Shaun McLean. For over 40 years, Shaun has called the Valley home. She met her husband, Tim Pitkin, at the Grace Episcopal Church in Amherst and they were married there four years later. Their two children were born at Cooley-Dickinson and raised in the Valley, all while Shaun tended to her 35-year career as a lawyer.
Why all the talk about financial wellness?
Terms like “Financial wellness” and “financial fitness” are thrown around a lot these days. So what does it mean to be financially well, and why is it important? These terms describe a state in which you feel in control of your finances, a state many Americans are unfamiliar with.
It’s not the weight you carry, but how you carry it
As my cousin Anselm approached his death from AIDS, he wrote detailed instructions for his own private memorial dinner. According to plan, after the funeral a group of Anselm’s closest friends and family members went directly to a friend’s Manhattan apartment. We crowded around a large table weighed down with casseroles, stews, traditional dishes, elaborate salads, and all sorts of deserts.
This winter, keep the heat in your home
Winter is coming and if this year continues the trend from years past, we may be looking at a crazy, cold, and snowy future. With the cold and snow comes the expense of heating our homes. Just like taxes, it is best to pay as little as possible. These are my top three tips to keep the heat in your house and money in your pocket.
Liz and Gwen: Building community through family
When Elizabeth (Liz) Solomon and Gwen Bass met six years ago, Liz had just launched her own business and Gwen was finishing up her doctorate in Special Education. They met through their children, as they were both on the board of directors at Sunnyside. Two highly educated, driven individuals—who care deeply for their families and their community—it was no surprise when they started a relationship two and a half years later.
Weaving joy in times of stress
When one examines the multitude of factors that elicit pain in our bodies and in our relationships, we can observe a delicate thread that becomes snagged deep in our nervous system when we do not practice self-care. Taking care of ourselves has never been more important or more challenging in the face of the pandemic.
5 tips for putting up your christmas lights
“It’s the most won-der-ful time of the year,” you sarcastically sing to yourself while untangling a bin full of colorful lights. Instead of gritting your teeth through this joyful time, follow Electrical Experts’ five easy tips for hanging your outdoor Christmas lights like a pro!
Wooden Fence Care 101
The continuously changing weather conditions in this area can be extremely harsh on a wooden fence. Your maintenance plan must be geared to combat the problems caused by water absorption and water loss, mildew growth, and discoloration of wood from the sun. But there’s quite a lot you can do for your fence to keep it sturdy and clean.
The Cliffords: Shaping hair and emotions
Andrea and Katie Clifford have been a valued part of the Northampton community since opening their hair salon, Salon 241, in September of 2008. Although the salon is no longer at 241 Main Street, the name has stuck and for more than a decade they have cut and shaped the hair of countless members of our community.
Wi-fi tips and tricks for working & learning from home
For many reasons, home Wi-Fi is frequently neglected. Maybe intentionally to encourage kids to play outside or not spend so much time in front of a screen. Maybe your Wi-Fi use was limited and you didn’t need a robust network or maybe you just weren’t sure what to do to make things better.
Small town charm, big picture thinking
I became a Realtor in 2003—with a special niche. The most successful Realtors are those who have an identifiable niche, or even two. I specialize in the sale of houses near to biking and walking trails or other conservation lands. I also specialize in antique or historic houses, particularly those near village center locations. And, of course, lesson number one for niche marketing is to stand out from the crowd.
Love is still in the air
Micro-weddings, dash weddings, mini-gatherings, intimate events, elopements, or whatever trendy name one can think of, are getting to be the new normal. With the ever-changing rules and regulations from the state, it is hard to imagine when we’ll be attending a wedding with 200 guests.
Mount Sugarloaf hike
If you want views of iconic New England villages, churches, and landscapes, a hike up Mount Sugarloaf in South Deerfield will always deliver. Sugarloaf is a rounded butte composed of two mountains-South Sugarloaf and North Sugarloaf. Most of the hiking action happens on the south mountain, seen prominently with its observation tower on top from many vantage points in the river valley.