Magazine Archive
Magazine Archive
Stay cool and save money this year
Saving money on your heating and cooling costs won’t just affect your wallet, but it will help save the planet, while also extending the life of your systems - which are some of the most valuable investments in your home. Our top five tips to improve energy efficiency will lessen your impact on the grid, and reduce the wear and tear on your AC unit - because it’s not getting any cooler this summer!
Jill Foley: Nowhere Else Felt Like Home
Jill Foley is a Northampton native who’s excited to be back in the Valley. “After living in Boston for 10 years after college” she began, “nowhere else I went felt like home.” It was especially difficult because she had so many ties to the local community. She grew up doing laps at the YMCA and forming many of the lasting relationships she’s carried with her to present day.
Paul & Kelsey Thompson: Falling into place
Everybody knows what it is like to relocate. Most people have moved homes at some point in their lives, often multiple times. Whether it was growing up, moving to a different town, moving out of your parent's house for the first time, relocating for work, or buying a new house with a significant other, moving somewhere new can be nerve-wracking.
God-Wrestling With Sister Mary
If grief is a teacher, then perhaps we are all sometimes her reluctant students. My father died nearly half a century ago. After his funeral, Edith, one of Dad’s closest friends, offered me some rather blunt advice: “Rob,” she said, “you’ll never get over this.” I’ve always been grateful to Edith for letting me in on one of life’s best kept secrets; that our greatest losses may change us forever.
Boss Consulting: My Story
My image consulting journey began in 2010 when I finished training as a diplomat. Growing up in London, competition was fierce. From an early age, I knew I had to stand out if I wanted to get ahead in life. But no matter how educated I was or how many accolades I won, I still felt average because there was always someone better than me.
Money Myth #3: Investing for a life beyond age 120
Eight years ago, my wife Lorie and I visited Human Longevity Inc, in LaJolla California. Longevity is run by famed Longevity Researcher, Dr. Craig Venter, who was the first person to map the human genome. That’s what we had done. The results- all positive and a map for living to 148.
The Northampton Jazz Festival Presents: Music Inn
There was a time in the 1950s when musical giants strutted the Berkshire Hills in Western Massachusetts. Be-boppers, folk singers, African drummers, blues singers, jazz legends, poets, and musicologists gathered at a place called Music Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts – just a stone’s throw away from classical music’s most famous summer festival at Tanglewood – to share their converging traditions and go looking for roots most people didn’t think even existed.
The Absorption (Part 7)
Temperature’s rising, skin’s flaky and dry Can’t see Vancouver, can’t barely fly Drumsticks so heavy, go grab some bread I wish I was a baby, or a poult or an egg Dry turkey has got me on the run for some mayo or some mustard or some gravy or some custard.
Amy Dawn Kotel: A champion for empathetic fitness
Amy Dawn Kotel is a Personal Fitness Trainer who strongly believes that everyone should strive to be active in whatever way is possible for themselves. “I do think that if we’re feeling good we’re gonna be kinder to each other,” she said. It’s this spirit of finding innovative ways to stay active and this philosophy of doing so with self-kindness that she carries through her practice: Fit Spirit Personal Training. What brought her to starting this business and to her philosophy of fitness and life is a story all to itself.
Jonathan & Danielle Alger: A chance encounter
The ebb and flow of life can often be summarized in the well-known quote from the movie Forrest Gump stating, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.” This motto often rings true for most people because even the best laid plans are subject to life’s changes. The circumstances by which two people come together is unique for every couple and often happen when least expected.
Types of light bulbs on the market today: Choosing the right one
The invention of the light bulb is one of the most valuable for daily life. With the help of artificial light, we can continue to work, read, enjoy hobbies, and socialize long after the sun goes down. Much has changed since Thomas Edison created the first carbon-filament light bulb in 1879. Today, home improvement shelves are filled with a dizzying number of light bulb options. The following overview will help you choose your next light bulb with confidence.
The potential threat of an interconnected world
The year is 2010. It’s spring. Apple just announced a brand new product that claims to revolutionize the way people interact with each other, do work, and entertain themselves among many other things. They had been consistently putting out new connected devices, first with iPods, then with iPhones, all designed to make our lives easier, at a time when life was getting increasingly more complicated.
Park Story: Sustaining the ecosystem and legacy of Bliss and Laurel Parks (Part 2)
The April issue offered a discussion of the history of Bliss and Laurel Parks 70 years ago, ending in 1952 with the collapse of “the Pump” as the Town’s summer watering hole and the opening of the Bliss Park Pool. Today, the parklands remain a sanctuary in the middle of our Town.
Valley CDC Helps Small Businesses Succeed
Along with almost all businesses, COVID took a toll on mine. I launched my website strategy and design shop in 2019, and have spent more time working during COVID conditions than normal ones. So, I jumped at the chance to enroll in the Valley Community Development (Valley CDC)’s Small Business Fundamentals workshop listed in the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce’s newsletter.
The Absorption (Part 6)
Sugar rations during WWII landed American snackers to eat three times more popcorn. The salacious scribe, the paradise pear pundit, pasta maker David Bow Tie described this time period as “Corns gold rush” and the golden age of popcorn. Meanwhile, the research and development teams at Hauer Gang brands developed Pelican Briefs, it was rumored that this short form fitting turned the tide.
The Neighborly Absorption (Part 16)
Sugar rations during WWII landed American snackers to eat three times more popcorn. The salacious scribe, the paradise pear pundit, pasta maker David Bow Tie described this time period as “Corn’s gold rush” and the golden age of popcorn. Meanwhile, the research and development teams at Hauer Gang brands developed Pelican Briefs, it was rumored that this short form fitting turned the tide.
David Mintz: Helping People with the Power of the Law
If there’s one thing David Mintz is familiar with, it’s the law. “I’ve always been interested in the art of persuasion,” he started. “My friends would say that I’ve always loved a good debate.” Having worked with the law since graduating from George Washington University in 1982, David knows firsthand how impactful a good lawyer can be when they’re needed most.
The Armata’s Family
If you live in or around Longmeadow, chances are you have heard of Armata’s. What makes the store so significant to so many residents is that Alexis Vallides, the owner, and her employees try to foster a familial environment, not only with each other as coworkers, but also with the customers. The fire that burned down the store last November definitely put that family to the test.
Veterans & Medicare: Healthcare for those who served
Did you know that 1 out of every 5 Medicare beneficiaries is a veteran? Many don’t realize that enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan will not disrupt VA coverage; in fact, it can enhance it by adding provider choices and extra benefits such as dental, transportation, and in some situations a partial Part B premium giveback.
Amelanchier: Connecting Seasons, Wildlife, and People
Early spring, when winter still brings snow flurries and cold frosts, when Daffodils and Hyacinth fight through the frozen ground to bring light and hope for the coming months, before the mosquitos and ticks become active and the ecological engine that are the Northeast Deciduous forests open their leaves to the sun, there is a humble yet vital native shrub blooming silken white flowers and sharing its delicate scent through crisp air currents.