“Facing the Wall”, a Poem by Janet Aalfs

Janet Aalfs is a former Poet Laureate of Northampton and the director of Valley Women’s Martial Arts. Her poetry collection Reach was published by Perugia Press in 1999. The poem below is reprinted with permission from her chapbook Full Open (Orogeny Press, 1996). Facing the Wall 1. Someone found a heart on market street not […]

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SmarterTravel.com: Northampton one of “Five perfect college towns”

SmarterTravel.com recently praised Northampton as a tolerant town that’s fun to walk around in… The downtown area is filled with ma-and-pa-owned boutiques, coffee houses, hip restaurants, and theaters housed in historical buildings. Home to Smith College, the nation’s largest liberal arts college for women, this funky little town is well-known for its art–many galleries feature […]

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Which One of These Does Not Belong on Downtown King Street?

NPN walked around King Street today and took these pictures. Capital Video’s renovations at 135 King Street are ongoing. Their distinctive blue signs went up this week.See also:Satellite photo shows schools, churches near 135 King StreetSatellite photo shows homes surrounding 135 King StreetWalk Into Something Wonderful (explicit language)“I certainly, will be taking other walking routes […]

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National Geographic Adventure magazine names Northampton as one of the top 50 adventure towns in the nation

The September issue of National Geographic Adventure magazine names Northampton as one of the top 50 adventure towns in the nation. “Earnest Northampton combines the cultural breadth of a major metropolis–art galleries, diverse eateries, nightly concerts–with the low-key sensibility of a small town.” Today’s Gazette reports on the honor.See also:Northampton Worth Fighting For: Awards and […]

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Richard Wilbur…What Love Is

We note with sadness the passing of Charlotte Wilbur, wife of Cummington poet Richard Wilbur. Today’s Gazette writes, Married for 64 years, Charlotte and her husband shared an enduring love. Richard Wilbur, 86, who called his wife “my best reader,” said he viewed her life as poetry in motion and that she was often his […]

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Dorothea Dix: Giving Voice to Suffering, Getting Results

Many comments from our opponents have a despair- or paralysis-inducing cast to them. We have been derided for not making a big dent in a $56 billion industry within a few months, told that sexual abuse has been pervasive in society long before the advent of today’s porn, told that to improve the lot of […]

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Gazette: “State retail group pins honor on downtown Northampton”; walk-ability praised

Today’s Gazette reports the Retailers Association of Massachusetts has recognized Northampton as having the “best downtown shopping district” in 2006: Rich Segel, who founded the Retailers Association of Massachusetts Awards of Excellence, said Northampton won the title because it is “everything a downtown should be.” Segel cited the uniqueness of the city’s stores, their longevity, […]

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Journal of Planning Literature: Adult Bookstores Often Increase Fear of Crime, Discourage Walking

From “Is it Safe to Walk? Neighborhood Safety and Security Considerations and Their Effects on Walking”, Journal of Planning Literature, February 2006 (p. 225): The importance of walking and physical activity as determinants of good health has been well established in the medical and public health literature, but a significant number of Americans live sedentary […]

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Preserve Northampton, Former King Street Resident Asks Mayor

Albert Lavallee wrote the following to Mayor Higgins today…As a former Northamptonite who resided at 128 King Street from 1939 to 1956, I think it is a travesty that [a porn] business could operate at the old Chevrolet Dealership. It would appear to me that any other business than a porn shop could successfully operate […]

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A Historical Tidbit about Those Puritans

Some people sling around the word “Puritan” as a shorthand for a prude who is anti-sex. I think the Puritans themselves would find this ironic. Finding Paradise (by Allison Lockwood, published by the Daily Hampshire Gazette, p. 12-13) tells us, Many [Northampton] Puritan couples were prolific. Elder John Strong fathered 17 children; one of his […]

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