When N.L. Dennis was singing in a recording studio with Toots and the Maytals, Bob Marley stopped by to listen. Marley praised Dennis's delivery. Today, Dennis lives in his native Jamaica and joins hundreds of Jamaicans who come to Vermont every summer in search of better paying work. Most of them work on vegetable farms and at apple orchards. Dennis works as a reggae musician.
On July 19 at 11 a.m. Dennis and the Thunderballs will play the Brattleboro farmers' market.
There will be a rally to protest Trump on July 17 at 4 p.m. at the gazebo in Park Square in the Pioneer Valley town of Westfield, which borders Holyoke. One of the groups that's promoting the event is the Women's March. In 2017, the group organized what, at the time, was the biggest one-day protest in US history. About 1 million people marched in Washington, DC and another 2 million marched in cities like LA and New York and in small towns like Brattleboro, and towns and cities throughout the Pioneer Valley. Details about the 2025 Westfield rally are at: https://GoodTroubleLivesOn.org.
In Northampton, 122 acres of farmland has been saved. The USA is losing 6,000 acres of open space to development every day. Europe offers a model for how to protect open space. Details on the Northampton deal are at:
https://www.kestreltrust.org/vollinger-farm-in-northampton-conserved-for...
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On June 3 outside the hospital in Northampton about 200 nurses and their supporters held a union rally for justice, a union spokesperson told the Valley Post. The workers have a web site at www.MassNurses.org.
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In Northampton and the neighboring town of Easthampton on June 1, workers at River Valley Co-op held a rally for justice. About 150 people were there, despite rain. Details are available by contacting the workers via their web site www.ufcw1459.com.
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About 80 people were at a pro-democracy rally in the Pioneer Valley town of Northfield on May 24, Al Norman told the Valley Post. Norman has lived in Greenfield for decades. He led a successful movement to keep Walmart out of Greenfield. He runs a group that has a web site at https://sprawl-busters.com.
On June 14 in Springfield, Northampton, Greenfield, and Brattleboro, there will be marches and rallies to protest Trump. Details are at www.NoKings.org.
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On May 13 in the Pioneer Valley town of South Hadley, about 100 janitors, dishwashers, other workers, and supporters held a rally. “This is my second year working at Mount Holyoke college," Philip Bernashe told the Valley Post in a voice phone interview on May 21. He is one of 170 workers at the college who are members of a union, SEIU Local 32BJ.
On May 13 in the Pioneer Valley town of South Hadley, about 100 janitors, dishwashers, other workers, and supporters held a rally. “I've worked as a cook at Mount Holyoke for seven years – it will be eight years in August,” Rich Sugrue told the Valley Post in a voice phone interview on May 16. He is one of 170 workers at the college who are members of a union, SEIU Local 32BJ.
About 13,000 people watched the Pride parade in Northampton on May 3. “About 2,000 people were registered in the parade,” Clay Pearson told the Valley Post on May 5. Pearson runs the group that organized the event. The group has a web site at:
The Valley Post asked Pearson, “To what extent was this event a protest of Trump's policies?”
Pearson replied, “This year Hampshire Pride partnered with Northampton Resists to make a political rally the kick off event of our festival.”
About 2,000 people marched and rallied to protest Trump on April 19 in Northampton and other cities and towns in the Pioneer Valley, according to one of the groups that organized the events. The group has a web site at https://in-slwm.org. Photos and video of the marches and rallies are on the group's Facebook page.
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In Brattleboro on May 1, there will be a workers' rights march, starting at 5 p.m. outside 193 Main Street. Details are at:
https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/780852/
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In the Pioneer Valley town of Williamsburg, two land trusts are working to protect a 288 acre defunct golf course from development. If they succeed it will go back to being a forest. The land trusts need donations and volunteers. Details are on the Facebook page of one of the groups, Hilltown Land Trust. The other group is the Trustees of Reservations.
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