Activists in Northampton are working to make passenger train service between Greenfield, Northampton, Holyoke, Springfield, Boston, and New York City faster, more frequent, and cheaper. Ben Heckscher is a spokesperson for the group Trains In The Valley. On October 25, he told the Valley Post, people should tell their “elected officials that you want more frequent passenger rail service north of Springfield, and fares that are comparable to the fares offered on the Hartford Line for travel south of Springfield.”
Brattleboro Climate March Set for April 17
On April 17 in Brattleboro there will be a march calling on local, state, and federal politicians to do more to address climate change. Marches are a big part of the reason Vermont Yankee closed, the civil rights movement had the successes it did, apartheid ended, women won the right to vote, and the labor movement built the middle class.
In recent years, 9 million people a year have died of starvation. Droughts, floods, and unseasonable heat and cold -- all caused by climate change -- make it harder for farmers to grow food.
160 March
About 160 people marched in South Hadley, Massachusetts on March 8. They were protesting a decision by Mount Holyoke College, which has $789 million in its endowment, to close a child care center. South Hadley borders Holyoke. “This impacts women most,” Andrea Fernandes told the Valley Post in a voice phone interview on March 10. She is one of the march organizers.
The group that organized the march has a web page at:
1,500 Acres Saved
Fifteen hundred acres of forestland has been protected from development in Holyoke and West Springfield. “The deal will be completed on or around April 22. I am certain it will go through,” Bob Wilbur told the Valley Post in a voice phone interview on January 13. He is director of land conservation for MassAudubon. A map of the land is at:
https://www.massaudubon.org/our-conservation-work/land-conservation/urge...
60 Rally
About 40 people attended a women's rights rally in Chicopee, Massachusetts on January 5. Chicopee borders Holyoke and Springfield. “The rally went well. We had a few dozen people brave the cold and darkness to make their voices heard," Jeannette Rivera told the Valley Post. She organized the rally with the help of a group that has a web site at www.OurRevolutionMA.com.
365 Rally
About 100 people attended a Brattleboro rally calling for democracy. The rally was on November 4, 2020 at 5 p.m at the town common. “It was beautiful,” Abby Mnookin told the Valley Post on November 5. She lives in Brattleboro, is on the staff of the group 350 Vermont, and she helped organize the rally. “We sang – masked and distanced -- the songs 'Labor of Love,' 'Lead with Love,' 'Phoenix Song,' and 'We Are Together,'” Mnookin said. More information is at www.350Vermont.org.
Forest Victory
The biggest cause of climate change is overpopulation. One of the best ways to fight climate change is to guarantee the right to safe, legal, affordable abortions. That's one of the demands of the Women's March, according to www.WomensMarch.com. The Women's March in Northampton was set to start on October 17, 2020 at noon at the corner of Main and Pleasant streets.
The Amherst Women's March was set to start on October 17, 2020 at 1 p.m. outside 4 Boltwood Avenue.
The Brattleboro Women's March was set to start at the town Common on October 17, 2020 at 1 p.m.
200 March in Easthampton
About 200 people marched in Easthampton, Massachusetts on August 1. The goal was to cut the police budget and use the money to help people of color in the city. Easthampton borders Holyoke. Easthampton is home to about 16,000 people. Three groups organized the march. They have web pages at:
www.facebook.com/groups/395051324734167
www.facebook.com/groups/413staywokestayactive
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There will be a march for campaign finance reform on August 8 at 1 p.m. The march starts in Keene. More information is at:
Public Enemy's New Song About Trump
The band Public Enemy, best known for their song Fight the Power, which was used in the film Do the Right Thing, has a new song out. It's about Trump and the kind of Black Lives Matter protests seen in the photos from Holyoke at:
https://valleypost.org/node/1593
You can hear the song at:
Three Rallies on May 1
On May 1 there will be car rallies in Brattleboro at 12:30 p.m., in Holyoke at 2 p.m., and in Springfield at 4 p.m. The rallies are for workers' rights. All three are caravans. A similar rally in Greenfield on April 24 drew more than 100 people. The Brattleboro rally starts at the high school parking lot and will pass grocery stores and hospitals. It's being organized by the Vermont Workers' Center and other groups.