It’s inevitable that new paths are forged.
We see it in the 71 year tradition that has become the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Starting as a one day celebration of the Irish community, it has grown into a two-day extravaganza recognized by the Library of Congress. Hayley Dunn, the president of the parade committee, talks to us about the evolution of the parade, her role within it, and how the Paper City is gearing up for the culmination of all the committee’s hard work this weekend.
We see it in a place that we know well facing a labor standstill. The members of the United Auto Workers employed by MASS MoCA have been on an indefinite strike for the past week after months of stalled negotiations. But, this conflict has repercussions that are reverberating far past the museum’s campus. NEPM reporter Jill Kaufmann just visited the picket line and is here to explain some of the nuances involved as the stalemate continues.
And, it’s in what the future holds. A recent series of connected articles in Scientific American and Nature have looked at population projections for American towns and cities in the year 2100, and the generalized numbers are not looking great for rural Massachusetts. In fact, an article published by Mass Live lists an overwhelming number of Franklin County municipalities at high risk for population decline. So, we chat with a trio of legislators who penned a retort to that “ghost town” article, listing 11 ways we as a commonwealth could address threats of depopulation. Sen. Jo Comerford, Rep. Natalie Blais, and Rep. Susannah Whipps are in to outline some of their concerns from the list, which is starting to gain traction on Beacon Hill.
