In Brattleboro on February 27, about 25 to 30 people attended a rally. The rally was to call on the Brattleboro high school (BUHS) to do more for survivors of sexual abuse. Diana Whitney is one of the organizers. She told the Valley Post, "The rally was small but immensely powerful. Around 25-30 people came, from all generations— survivors, advocates, allies, BUHS students and parents, a BUHS teacher... even former/current school board members. An advocate from the Women’s Freedom Center spoke about the insidious nature of rape culture and the power of being visible in the community. The message to survivors was, 'You are not alone.' Everyone who wanted to had a chance to speak.” For more information, click this link then scroll down to Whitney's essay:

https://valleypost.org/2024/01/26/rallies-abortion-rights-affordable-hou...

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In Granby, Massachusetts people are fighting a proposed gravel pit. Granby borders Amherst. Colleen Aberdale is the town's Board of Health assistant. On March 1, she emailed the Valley Post a letter the health board sent the select board about the pit. The letter says, in part, “The proposed earth removal operation will result in significant health and safety risks to the public.” On February 26, about 70 people showed up at a select board meeting to oppose the pit.

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Al 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 February 28, 2024, Norman told the Valley Post he is leading an effort to keep a proposed Starbucks out of Greenfield, and is also part of an effort to keep a proposed giant lithium battery out of Wendell, Massachusetts. Wendell borders Montague, which borders Greenfield.

The English translation of the book “Slow Down” by Japan's Kohei Saito was released last month, and was praised by the New York Times. It says on page 47, to make lithium batteries for electric cars and other uses, mines in Chile cause "rapid drainage of groundwater (which) is causing shortages in the fresh water accessible to the residents of the area."

A better solution for climate change than electric cars is described in the Venn diagram at:

www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/climate/

Starbucks has used illegal tactics to fight its workers' union for years. On February 27, 2024 the company said it would stop. It remains to be seen if the new promise will be kept.

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Erving, Massachusetts borders Wendell. Mariah Kurtz is the Erving town planner. On February 27, she told the Valley Post, “It wouldn't make sense to go after International Paper, since they weren't the ones who abandoned” the vacant factory in town. International Paper sold the vacant building to a developer who then failed to pay taxes. The town took it. The town will now likely need to pay the cost of demolition and clean up.