Striking AT&T workers are asking the public to join them on the picket line in Hadley, Massachusetts. Hadley borders Northampton and Amherst. The picket line will happen on May 21, starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. It will be at 359 Russell Street.

These photos were taken on May 14. They show the Connecticut river overflowing its banks at the 724 acre Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is in Northampton and Easthampton. In the second photo (lower left) two swallows can be seen catching flying insects. Most of the birds' diet consists of flies. To enlarge a photo, click on it, then scroll down and click “see full size image.” The sanctuary is open to the public for hiking, canoeing, and kayaking. Details are at:

www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/arcadia

photos by Eesha Williams

Dozens of people attended a rally in Northampton on April 9 to protest President Trump's military attack on Syria. Sabine Merz spoke at the rally. "The way to help Syria is to open our borders to them," she told the Valley Post. The event was outside city hall. It was organized by the American Friends Service Committee of Western Massachusetts www.afscwm.org.

In Greenfield, nurses are asking the public to join them at a rally for justice on March 9 at 4:30 p.m. The event will be at the town common. The nurses work at the Greenfield hospital, now known as Baystate Franklin Medical Center. They are members of a union, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which is organizing the rally. The workers want fewer patients per nurse, and better wages and benefits.

Activists in the Valley who have fought to save the environment are seeing their work pay off. Government money that exists because of their work is being used to protect land near Keene, Northampton, and Brattleboro. “It's 182 acres of land along and around the West Cliff trail,” Emily McAdoo told the Valley Post in a telephone interview on December 28. She is on the board of the Putney Mountain Association, which “recently signed purchase and sale agreements” for the land in Brookline, Vermont, near Brattleboro, according to a letter from the group's president to its members.

Mark Hummel and his band will play blues at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton on November 22 at 7 p.m. Jerry Portnoy was a member of blues legend Muddy Waters' band for eight years. Portnoy said of Hummel, “Mark's terrific.” The San Francisco Chronicle daily newspaper praised Hummel's singing and harmonica playing.

Hummel and his band played last month in Seattle, Washington and San Jose, California. The Iron Horse is the Valley's best live music venue. Tickets for the Northampton concert are about $20, depending on how you get them. Details are at www.iheg.com.

Activists who, in April, stopped a fracked gas pipeline that would have crossed the Valley, held a solidarity rally August 21 in Plainfield, Massachusetts. Plainfield is near Greenfield and Northampton. The rally was in solidarity with Native Americans in North Dakota who are trying to stop a proposed oil pipeline. In recent weeks, 24 people were arrested for non-violent civil disobedience along the route of the North Dakota pipeline.

Valley Post Radio is airing on two local radio stations. Brattleboro Community Radio WVEW 107.7 FM, and Valley Free Radio WXOJ 103.3 FM in Northampton are airing the show. Both stations can be heard world-wide via their web sites.

Two weeks ago, Valley Post Radio began airing on "Cam's Carousel" at 12:30 p.m. every Wednesday. There may be a hiatus on August 24. On August 21 at 8:45 a.m., Valley Post Radio will be on WXOJ on "Kickin' It For Peace, Culture & Education."

You can hear Valley Post Radio anytime at:

www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wnv1cYmyXHEz_yvtYqLzw

Habib Koite and Vusi Mahlasela and their band performed an excellent concert at the Academy of Music in Northampton April 10. Koite lives in the west African nation of Mali, where he is from. Mahlasela lives in South Africa, where he is from. The venue appeared to be almost sold out. The applause was loud and long after every song. Many people danced in the aisles.

Habib Koite and Vusi Mahlasela will perform a concert in Northampton on April 10 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be at the Academy of Music. Koite (pronounced KWA-tee) lives in the west African nation of Mali. Mahlasela lives in South Africa. They will perform at prestigious concert halls in New York City and Los Angeles in the coming weeks.