Thanks to the work of environmental activists, the state will plow snow off the rail trail between Amherst and Northampton. The state will put sand on ice. On average, even electric cars are worse than busses and trains for the environment. That's because cars so often have just one person in them. Electric cars still require roads. Asphalt is made from oil and gravel. Train tracks are narrower than roads and they are built on plain crushed stone. Eliminating roads could create space for forests to grow. The activists have web sites at https://walkmass.org and www.massbike.org. The state announced the news on its web page at:

www.mass.gov/news/dcr-to-pilot-winter-plowing-along-norwottuck-rail-trail

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Keene is about 15 minutes by car from Brattleboro, town line to town line. Greyhound goes between the two places, as does a rail trail. In Keene on November 2, there will be a freedom march, organizer Beth Caldwell told the Valley Post. The goals include getting politicians to guarantee access to reproductive health care, and do more about climate change. The march starts at 1:15 p.m. at the corner of Main Street and Appian Way. Details are at keene-freedom-march.eventbrite.com

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In Amherst on November 1 at noon there will be a march to demand that Umass provide more childcare. The march starts at noon at the Student Union building. One of the organizers has a web page at:

www.umass.edu/social-sciences/about/directory/eve-weinbaum