In Brattleboro on December 23 about 50 people attended a rally to demand politicians stop U.S. military aid to Israel. Some of the protesters blocked traffic on Main Street, most stayed on the sidewalk. No one was arrested.

A reliable person who was at the rally and asked to not be identified told the Valley Post, "The protesters set up the cones that some angry drivers drove through. One truck in particular did not even give adequate time to clear the way and we had to scatter and shout for people to watch out. There was one individual who threw eggs from the top story of the Brooks House. Police helped divert the traffic safely once they arrived."

The rally was endorsed by a group that has a web site at www.jvp.org.

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On December 22 in Hadley, Massachusetts, workers at the Barnes & Noble corporate chain bookstore walked off the job to protest the company's refusal to hire enough workers. Hadley borders Northampton. Photos are at:

www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=884068977061009&id=100063737433582

The photos seem to show about 20 people at the protest. The workers have a web site at www.ufcw1459.com.

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On December 26, a spokesperson for the Franklin Land Trust emailed a press release to the Valley Post. It said 46 acres of farmland in Ashfield, Massachusetts has been protected from development. Ashfield is near Northampton and Greenfield.

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On December 22, the Valley Post received by snail mail a newsletter from the Putney Mountain Association. It said the Tamler family had donated 21 acres of forestland to the group, which works in Vermont towns near Brattleboro.