Montague Reporter Podcast: Recent Episodes
Sarah Brown-Anson
The Montague Reporter Podcast brings you inside the making of this weekly newspaper and the stories we report. The Montague Reporter covers the five villages of Montague, Massachusetts and the surrounding towns of Gill, Erving, Wendell, and Leverett.
Lots of Montague news in this episode! Montague has gotten funds totaling nearly $10 million to demolish the Strathmore Mill complex that lays between the canal and the Connecticut River. The Montague Selectboard saw a presentation from MassDOT on their plans to replace the bridges in the same vicinity in Turners, and the design phase is expected to last till 2027. Casella Waste Management is taking over trash collection in Montague starting in July.
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Comments or Ask the Editor ideas? podcast@montaguereporter.org
Managing Editor Mike Jackson joins podcast host Sarah Brown-Anson in a wide ranging conversation about brick-and-mortar happenings in both Greenfield and Turners Falls. Plus, voters in Erving did not allocate money to demolish the International Paper Mill, so that complex of buildings may be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Mike joins Sarah on the podcast again to talk about a surprise A1 article about spiky shards in the road on Industrial Boulevard, Montague Selectboard discussions about redevelopment of the former Farren site in Montague City, and the mural project on the side of the Shea Theater.
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You can reach the podcast team at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Editor Mike joins podcast host Sarah for a discussion about complex budget preparation in the town of Erving. The town of Montague does its best to find a pesky infiltration and inflow ground water leak that is costing the town tens of thousands of dollars in sewage fees.
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Our perennial and most honored guest Mike joins Sarah to talk about the issues surrounding a potential battery energy storage site in Wendell; plus an inside look into the coverage of the sale of an Avenue A building and two winter fires in the Patch neighborhood.
Reach out to us at podcast@montaguereporter.org
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Sarah Robertson recently was awarded the Paul Keough Award from the New England Water Environment Association. Congratulations, Sarah!
All of Sharon Lerner's pieces about PFAS can be found here: https://theintercept.com/series/bad-chemistry/
Boston Globe article about PFAS in composting facility: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/07/06/science/when-organic-is-toxic-how-composting-facility-likely-spread-massive-amounts-forever-chemicals-across-one-town-massachusetts/
Mike and Sarah discuss the loss of millions of dollars of grant funds for local organizations due to a missed deadline; and the Gill Montague Regional School District is set to receive less Chapter 70 state aid than expected, and that means tough choices during budget season.
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Reach out to us at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Sarah and Mike discuss the recommendation by a regional board that a new regional district be formed with six towns, including Gill and Montague. Plus, a discussion of the airport in Turners Falls that has had to search for a solution for too many deer on the runway.
Order the Wrapping Paper Edition online here.
https://montaguereporter.org/wrapping-paper/
Reach out to us at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Mike joins Sarah to discuss the possible visions for reuse of the old Farren spot in Montague City; the housing project on town-owned land in Erving that is moving forward; and continuing discussions of merging two local school districts.
Order the Wrapping Paper Edition online here.
https://montaguereporter.org/wrapping-paper/
Reach out to us at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Garth Shaneyfelt has been the Business Manager at the Montague Reporter since Fall 2022. He and Sarah discuss what that entails, and how the paper gets and spends its money.
Reach out to the podcast: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Subscribe to the paper: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe
Sarah and Mike discuss the agreement on a collective bargaining agreement for teachers at the Gill-Montague school district. The paper broke the news that Erving voters rejected most expenditures at a special town meeting (thanks to reporter Katie Nolan). Plus a very important Ask the Editor segment where Mike describes the exhausting process of putting together the paper and asks for help.
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Ask the editor submissions can be sent to: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Mike and Sarah discuss September news items: two new members will join the the Gill-Montague School Committee, and a group of people is planning a new and different Falls Festival for October 21. Plus lightning round recent news updates.
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Ask the editor submissions can be sent to: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Sarah and Trouble discuss Trouble’s column in the Montague Reporter, “Notes from the Heartfelt Cafe.”
Have a columnist you would like to hear more from on the podcast? Email us with your ideas: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Mike discusses an Ask the Editor question about correcting mistakes in the newspaper. Montague town officials propose a zoning change to a town-owned parcel. Teachers at Gill-Montague Regional schools are still working without a contract and talks are now in arbitration.
Submit ask the editor questions to podcast@montaguereporter.org
Did you know that there is a monthly travel column in the newspaper? It’s called Travel With Max and it’s written by Max Hartshorne. Sarah and Max discuss travel, travel writing, and why New Englanders can be boring.
Mike discusses the July 13, 2023 paper with Sarah. Community Health Center of Franklin County bought a location in Montague City and hopes to open it to provide medical care to patients in 2024. The Selectboard unanimously selected Casella to provide trash pickup services starting in July 2024. On Avenue A, a new record store called Music Connection will open.
Send us Ask the Editor ideas: podcast@montaguereporter.org
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Sarah and Mike discuss two A1 news stories in the June 8, 2023 issue of the Montague Reporter newspaper. Plus - don’t miss the Ask the Editor and non sequitur segments!
Send us Ask the Editor ideas: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Subscribe to the paper: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
Mike and Sarah are back for their first joint episode since March!
Submit you questions for Ask the Editor to: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Mike and Nina come on the podcast to talk about the March 30th edition of the Reporter-- a themed issue about death and dying. More fun than it sounds! Outro music by She Said, featuring Nina Rossi on bass. Buy the album here: https://shesaid2.bandcamp.com/album/she-said
And subscribe to the paper! https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
Plus more info about how I got started with the podcast.
Lights! Camera! Greenfield! is coming up and you can find more info here: https://gctv.org/lcg/
Subscribe to the Montague Reporter here: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
Sarah and Mike discuss the pistons on the Turners Falls dam leaking fluid, school budgeting processes in Erving and Gill-Montague, and the negotiations that towns are having with FirstLight Power as it tries to renew its license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Plus: Ask the Editor and a short non sequitur
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Sarah Roberston joins Mike Jackson and Sarah Brown-Anson to discuss her recent stories on fuel assistance delays and sewage sludge disposal.
You can read Sarah's article on fuel assistance delays: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/December-15-2022.pdf
And the follow up: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/January-26-2023.pdf
Sewage sludge disposal issues: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/March-2-2023.pdf
Mike and Sarah discuss the decision in Erving to set aside money for the demolition of the International Paper Mill complex. They also discuss an analysis piece on combined sewer overflow (abatement) and the history of projects in the town of Montague related to CSO abatement. Plus - non sequiturs and ask the editor.
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Sarah and Jae discuss their efforts on the subscription drive for the Montague Reporter newspaper.
To see your subscription options, check out https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
Sarah and Mike discuss the latest news about the Farren building in Montague City; the announcement of $975,000 in grant money for downtown sidewalks, and plans to update or replace the elementary schools in Montague. Plus, a series of missteps has lead to a very slow year in getting fuel assistance to applicants in Franklin County.
Send in Ask the Editor questions: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Order wrapping paper on our website: https://montaguereporter.org/
Mike is back on the podcast with Sarah to discuss an Ask the Editor question, important building news in Franklin County, and turkey day football coverage.
Please be in touch if you would like to submit a jingle for the Ask the Editor segment! podcast@montaguereporter.org
If you have Ask the Editor questions please submit them via email: podcast@montaguereporter.org, instagram: @montaguereporter , or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/montaguereporter
Mike joins Sarah for a discussion of Montague's upcoming Historical Commission meeting on the Farren Care Center building. Jeff Singleton's article on the town-owned building that currently houses the Montague Center Library discusses the building's need for repairs as well as its long history in the town. Plus, the wrapping paper edition will be a fundraiser for the paper, and Sarah had a few favorites on A1 in this week's edition.
If you have Ask the Editor questions please submit them via email: podcast@montaguereporter.org, instagram: @montaguereporter, or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/montaguereporter
In this bonus episode, Sarah speaks with Nathan Frontiero, a writer who started contributing to the Montague Reporter earlier in 2022.
If this episode gets you interested in writing for the Reporter, you can contact Mike Jackson at editor@montaguereporter.org.
Mike and Sarah discuss the efforts to increase safety for children taking the school bus on Route 63 in Leverett, and the listing of an estate for sale at the price of over $23 million, well over its assessed value. Plus an on-the-ground story of the Franklin County Fair — along with pictures — makes us smile.
September 15 edition: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/September-15-2022.pdf
September 8 edition: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/September-8-2022.pdf
If you would like contact the podcast, email us at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Montague Reporter website: https://montaguereporter.org/
I invited David Brule on the podcast to talk about his column, West Along the River, that has been appearing in the paper for decades now. We ended up talking about much more: his connections with France, language learning, how he learned about and explored deeply his family's roots in this area, and his writing process. Near the end of the conversation we also talked about his service on the Board of Directors for the Montague Reporter, which is a nonprofit organization.
Reach out to the podcast at: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Thank you for listening! Please tell a friend!
Sarah and Mike discuss the town of Montague’s response to resident complaints regarding crime in downtown Turners Falls; and Mike’s recent long pieces on the music scene. Plus a discussion of the new $1.50 price of the paper.
This episode features the song "Theme For Bald Eagle Over Food City" from the album Bald Eagle Over Food City by Bromp Treb, the solo project of beloved former Turner's Falls resident Neil Cloaca Young. Listeners can find the album digitally at https://bromptreb.bandcamp.com/album/bald-eagle-over-food-city.
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Reach the podcast at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Thanks for listening!
The future of the Strathmore complex is the subject of both an article by Jeff Singleton (July 14 edition) and a public meeting on July 26 at town hall. Mike and Sarah discuss the latest news about the Gill Montague Regional School Committee. Finally, Mike explains more about his editorial in the July 14 edition entitled “Being Bad.”
July 14 edition link: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/July-14-2022.pdf
If you would like contact the podcast, email us at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Montague Reporter website: https://montaguereporter.org/
Mike and Sarah discuss the latest on bridge replacements, refurbishments, and closures in the town of Montague. They also mark the July 1 planned closure of beloved local business About-Face Computer Solutions. Plus, non sequiturs from Sarah and Mike.
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Reach the podcast at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Thanks for listening!
Mike joins Sarah to talk about town meetings in Montague, Gill, Erving, Wendell and Leverett. Plus, the town election in Montague and non sequiturs.
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Reach the podcast at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Thanks for listening!
Stephanie’s new book is called EMDR Therapy and Sexual Health: A Clinician’s Guide.
https://stephaniebairdlmhc.wordpress.com/
Email: sexmatters@montaguereporter.org
Recent columns:
December - sex-positive TV shows: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/December-2-2021.pdf
January - sex-related pain: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/January-6-2022.pdf
February - body hair: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/February-3-2022.pdf
March - relationship affairs: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/March-3-2022.pdf
April - sexual trauma awareness month: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/April-7-2022.pdf
Mike and Sarah discuss the local filming of "Money Game," the leaking of hydraulic fluid from the Turners Falls dam, and the extra special photo spread in the B section in this week's paper.
Read the April 14, 2022 edition here: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/April-14-2022.pdf
Subscribe: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
Heather Hamilton and Spencer Shorkey discuss science communication and the monthly Science Page in the Montague Reporter.
Heather’s email address: heather.sc.hamilton@gmail.com
Spencer’s website: http://spencersphere.science/
In this special 50th episode we talk about the podcast's origins and our vision for its future. Mike Jackson hosts, with guests Sarah Brown-Anson and Stella Silbert.
Do you want to share ideas about the podcast? Email podcast@montaguereporter.org
Emily Alling speaks with Sarah about compiling the weekly police log for the town of Montague.
Here is a link to the collection of mangy fox calls Emily speaks about in this interview: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XZ0_DOfHsBYS-RVqKO83d744u0pvtrs0QiZwyQnun1M/edit?usp=sharing
Subscribe to the Montague Reporter here: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
This episode is the audio accompaniment to an item in the March 3rd, 2022 edition of the Montague Reporter, which can be found on page B1, entitled "Stomping and its Discontents: An Audio-Enhanced Police Log Retrospective." You should listen with the March 3rd edition of the paper in front of you!
Thanks to Galen Huckins for the audio accompaniment, Emily Alling for curation, and Nina Rossi for illustrations.
Mike and Sarah discuss his recent road trip themed series that takes readers up to Harriman Station in Windham County, VT (through Monroe, MA). They also discuss progress in relicensing negotiations for First Light hydroelectricity production.
Read the paper online: https://montaguereporter.org/read/
Subscribe to the paper: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
You can reach the podcast via email at: podcast@montaguereporter.org
My guests Hannah Brookman and Beverley Ketch discuss their creative work and the monthly Children's Page in the Montague Reporter.
Podcast editor Stella Silbert edited this episode.
The outro music for this episode is "The Lovelights Theme," written by Beverly Ketch, performed by Shannon Ketch, Kevin Smith, Omeed Goodarzi and Beverly Ketch, recorded by Omeed Goodarzi. The Lovelights soundtrack can be found at https://thelovelightsisters.bandcamp.com/releases
Looks Here’s website: https://lookyheregreenfield.com/ and email: Lookyheregreenfield@gmail.com
Order the zine here: https://lookyheregreenfield.com/product/the-lovelights-selected-works-from-the-montague-reporter-childrens-page/
Monthly Mail Art subscription: https://www.patreon.com/lookyhere
Lovelights website: https://lovelightstv.wordpress.com/
Podcast email (if you read the Children’s Page): podcast@montaguereporter.org
Four proposals were submitted to the town of Montague to reuse and repurpose the old highway garage on Avenue A. Mike discusses how the pandemic continues to strain the health care system in our area, and towns are trying to buy testing kits.
Read the paper here: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/January-6-2022.pdf
Subscribe to the paper: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
You can reach the podcast via email at: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Thank you to our podcast editor Stella Silbert!
Jae and Charlotte share about redacting names from older editions of the Montague Reporter police logs.
Here is the fundraiser link for the redaction project: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-montague-reporter-redact-names
You can reach Jae Southerland at jae@montaguereporter.org
You can reach the podcast at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Stay for the non sequiturs for this one! Sarah asks Mike about the budget process for towns and possible transfer of town land (to the Montague Conservation Commission) in the dingle in Lake Pleasant.
Read the Montague Reporter online: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
Reach out to the podcast: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Thanks for listening! Tell a friend!
Podcast regular Sarah Robertson joins the podcast in this bonus episode to talk about her reporting on PFAS chemicals in area drinking water sources.
Link to previous podcast episode: https://anchor.fm/montaguereporter/episodes/Late-March-highlights-from-A1-and-beyond-etu0kf
Read Sarah’s previous reporting in these issues of the Montague Reporter: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/April-29-2021.pdf, https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/March-4-2021.pdf
Mike tells Sarah about recent reporting on what’s happening in the village of Montague City.
Thanks for listening! Tell a friend!
Read the newspaper: montaguereporter.org/read
Thank you to Stella Silbert for editing the podcast!
You can reach us @ podcast@montaguereporter.org -- but it does go to my spam box.
Super special thanks to Stella Silbert, our new podcast editor!
Sarah and Mike discuss his October 22 editorial encouraging comments on draft solar policy guidelines. They also discuss an October 14 article Mike wrote about accusations against the most recent Chief of Police in the town of Buckland, Mass. Plus, non sequiturs from the paper.
You can read the October 21 edition of the Montague Reporter here: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/October-21-2021.pdf
You can read the October 14 edition here: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/October-14-2021.pdf
Volunteer: editor@montaguereporter.org
Subscribe: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
To read the articles that we discussed, see the September 16, 2021 edition of the Montague Reporter: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/September-16-2021.pdf
Follow the Montague Reporter on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/montaguereporter/
Reach out to the podcast: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Thanks for listening! Tell a friend!
Mike and Sarah discuss volunteer opportunities at the Montague Reporter, and Mike’s recent reporting on the special selectboard election, as well as current town business taken up at a recent selectboard meeting.
The Montague Reporter Instagram account has 649 followers - join the ranks: https://www.instagram.com/montaguereporter/
Contact us: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Subscribe and read this week's edition: montaguereporter.org/subscribe
Josh’s website: http://www.newenglandfloods.org/
You can learn more about “Connecticut River Valley Flood of 1936” and purchase it here: https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467145770
Read a longer form of this conversation in this week's Montague Reporter newspaper: https://montaguereporter.org/
Reach out to us at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Subscribe to the paper: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
Sarah and Mike discuss changes to the St Katz building on Avenue A, as well as what local towns plan to do with the federal funds becoming available through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Contact us at podcast@montaguereporter.org or 413-586-8666.
Thanks for listening! Tell a friend!
Don’t miss Trish Crapo’s last Art Beat column in the Montague Reporter June 17, 2021 edition out this week!
Jack Nelson: It's in the Brush: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/May-2-2019.pdf
Remembering Hallmark: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/January-7-2021.pdf
Trish’s website: http://www.trishcrapo.com/Telling_Stories_with_Light/Welcome.html
Sarah and Mike discuss the news from late May. Mike also talks about an unexpected story that he published online.
Reach out to the podcast: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Thanks for listening! Tell a friend!
In this episode we take a deep dive into Massachusetts state politics. I discuss with two local residents, Alex Davidson Carroll and Matt Barron, proposals to increase public access and transparency of the goings-on in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Link to the Letter to the Editor in the January 28, 2021 edition: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/January-28-2021.pdf
Act On Mass, an organization working on the statehouse transparency issue: https://actonmass.org/
Mike and Sarah discuss a proposed project in Northfield to allow dual-use solar on a farm. The discussion also turns to Mike’s experiences reporting long-form interviews, and the current (good!) state of the newspaper. Plus - speculations on the role of artificial intelligence at the paper.
Mike is taking applications for apprentices! You heard it here first. Contact him at editor@montaguereporter.org
Reach out to the podcast: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Thanks for listening! Tell a friend!
Join Sarah, Reporter Sarah Robertson, and Managing Editor Mike Jackson in a discussion of the newspaper’s recent reporting on goings-on in Montague and surrounding towns, as well as Sarah Robertson’s reporting on housing and the environment.
If you like the podcast, please leave us a review and subscribe.
Comments, questions, or suggestions? Reach out to us at podcast@montaguereporter.org
March 25 edition of the Montague Reporter: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/March-25-2021.pdf
Sarah R’s reporting on PFAS in the March 11 edition: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/March-11-2021.pdf
Join us for a deep dive into Sarah Robertson's (and the Montague Reporter's) reporting on the FirstLight Power relicensing process for power production on the Connecticut River. Scientists Ken Sprankel (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the CT River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office) and Rodger Gwiazdowski (Department of Environmental Conservation, UMass, Amherst) join us for a discussion on environmental impacts on the CT River.
Ken’s website, Connecticut River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office: https://www.fws.gov/r5crc/
U.S. Fish and Wildlife service page for Puritan Tiger Beetle: https://www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/saving-wildlife/species/puritan-tiger-beetle/index.html
Daily Hampshire Gazette reporting on Puritan Tiger Beetle: https://www.gazettenet.com/Puritan-Tiger-Beetles-26525449
New York Times Puritan Tiger Beetle article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/04/science/puritan-tiger-beetles-vicious-predators-may-soon-hunt-again.html
Sarah Robertson’s reporting on this issue in the Montague Reporter:
December 17, 2020 Page 1: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/December-17-2020.pdf
November 12, 2020, Page 1: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/November-12-2020.pdf
Other recent reporting on the FirstLight Power relicensing process:
https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/November-19-2020.pdf
https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/September-3-2020.pdf
Please feel free to reach out to Joe Parzych via email at Joerparzych@gmail.com. His website is https://www.facebook.com/Jrparzych/.
Link to the Faces and Places feature: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/September-24-2020.pdf (Page A8).
Reach out to the podcast at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Subscribe or donate to the paper! https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
The Montague selectboard met to discuss reopening town buildings after fewer new COVID cases were reported. The selectboard also convinced Eversource to remove more redundant polls in town. Gill-Montague schools are set to reopen in a hybrid model starting February 22. The Montague Reporter continues to cover evictions and the housing crisis in the area. Plus - entertaining tidbits and non sequiturs!
If you like the podcast, please leave us a review and subscribe.
Comments, questions, or suggestions? Reach out to us at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Read the Montague Reporter newspaper here: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/February-11-2021.pdf
Learn more about Valley Eye Radio on their website: https://valleyeyeradio.org/ and listen live here: https://valleyeyeradio.org/listen-live.html
Contact the Montague Reporter podcast: podcast@montaguereporter.org or 413-863-8666
Subscribe to the Montague Reporter: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
Leveret Village Coop has their annual meeting coming up after a year in which it came back from the brink of closure. Vaccinations are taking place in Franklin County, but the availability of future supply of vaccine doses is unclear. The second round of Paycheck Protection Program funding is now available and the Montague Reporter is following the infusion of federal funds into the local economy.
If you like the podcast, please leave us a review and subscribe.
Comments, questions, or suggestions? Reach out to us at podcast@montaguereporter.org
Read the Montague Reporter newspaper here: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/January-21-2021.pdf
Join host Sarah Brown-Anson, Reporter Sarah Robertson and MR Managing Editor Mike Jackson for a conversation about ongoing coverage of evictions and housing insecurity in Franklin County, and the relicensing of FirstLight’s operations along the Connecticut River.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us on our first year as a podcast! Like longer episodes? Like shorter episodes? Want us to talk about a certain topic? Reach out and let us know! podcast@montaguereporter.org or 413-863-8666.
Visit https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/ to subscribe to the paper or to read a PDF of this week's paper.
Data point to COVID-19 cases being more widespread than ever in Franklin County. FirstLight Power’s quest to renew their license takes a step forward. Plus Mike explains his reporting and editorial on the Paycheck Protection Program’s impact on our county and its economy.
Preregister for free COVID testing: tinyurl.com/y6etuajc
Tests will be available, on demand and at no cost, on the Greenfield Community College campus Tuesday, December 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Wednesday, December 16 from 1 to 6 p.m. They are available without a medical referral and to those without symptoms. Pre-registration is required at tinyurl.com/y6etuajc
Order wrapping paper! https://montaguereporter.org/montague-reporter-special-wrapping-paper-edition/
Email us: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Learn more about the special wrapping paper edition -- AVAILABLE NOW! -- from three of the people behind the project, Charlotte Kohlmann, Annie Levine, and Nina Rossi.
Order your copies of the special wrapping paper edition here: https://montaguereporter.org/montague-reporter-special-wrapping-paper-edition/
Or you can pick up a copy at a local retailer.
Donate: https://montaguereporter.org/donate/
Subscribe: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
Mike and Sarah discuss the Montague Reporter’s coverage of evictions in Franklin County, the town of Montague’s burgeoning marijuana industry, and the Puritan tiger beetle’s role in First Light’s relicensing process.
Reach out: podcast@montaguereporter.org
Subscribe to the newspaper: montaguereporter.org/subscribe
Hear directly from two local high school students, Sofia Holden and Izzy Vachula-Curtis, about what remote learning is like, what they like and dislike about it, and what some of the challenges of the pandemic have meant for their lives.
Check out Izzy Vachula-Curtis’s article in the Montague Reporter, October 15: “The At-Home Classroom: In Our Own Words” at https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/October-15-2020.pdf
Contact us: podcast@montaguereporter.org or 413-863-8666
Subscribe to the Montague Reporter newspaper: https://montaguereporter.org/subscribe/
Managing Editor Mike Jackson and podcast host Sarah discuss updates on the Farren Care Center closure process, election season, and unpaid work that parents are doing during remote learning.
Boston Globe article: “Nursing home of last resort on the verge of being closed” by Brian MacQuarrie and Laura Crimaldi: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/10/19/metro/nursing-home-last-resort-verge-being-closed/
Reach out to Nancy Folbre: economist.montague@gmail.com
What are the challenges you face? How are you coping with them? Do you have any suggestions about ways we could help each other out?
Please let us know what you think of the podcast. You can rate and review the podcast, email us at podcast@montaguereporter.org, or call us at 413-863-8666.
Host Sarah Brown-Anson discusses recent news with Managing Editor Mike Jackson: Erving residents approved borrowing up to $17.9 million for a sludge-drying system at a recent town meeting. Current State Representative Susannah Whipps and Will LaRose, candidates for 2nd Franklin state rep seat, debated in a virtual forum. Plus a voting season update for the town of Montague and the inside story of how the Montague Reporter was published against the odds after Wednesday night’s storm.
Reach out: podcast@montaguereporter.org or 413-863-8666
Managing Editor Mike Jackson and Sarah discuss the beginning of remote learning in the Gill-Montague school district. A hearing on potential closure of the Farren Care Center in Montague draws criticism from local politicians and others. Plus: coverage of the race for State Representative in the Second Franklin district, the push for safety barriers at French King Bridge on Route 2, and reminders of lighter topics in the paper this week.
Reach out to us anytime! 413-863-8666 or podcast@montaguereporter.org
Sarah and Mike discuss what’s new at the Montague Reporter, then dive into the news: Gill-Montague schools are starting with remote learning for at least the first two weeks of classes, and Farren Care Center in Montague City announces it will close. Plus, columnist Izzy Vachula-Curtis finally gets to interview author Brandon Mull.
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Check out Joe’s photos on his website: https://www.facebook.com/Jrparzych/
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Find Jeff’s article on Page 1 of the Montague Reporter from May 22, 2014: https://montaguereporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/May22-2014.pdf
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The Montague Reporter is no longer being printed at the Gazette in Northampton ~ what does this mean for the future of the paper? And how does this tie in with regional trends in the news business?
The town of Montague is set to form two police advisory groups. What are these groups and what are their goals?
Town meeting voters in Wendell approved one-year moratorium after proposal from Apple Guy Flowers, LLC to grown 25-50 marijuana plants on West Street. What is the context for this story?
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Mike and Sarah discuss the Montague Reporter's coverage of Black Lives Matters protests in Franklin County, and a recent ACLU report that found huge racial disparities in arrest rates for marijuana possession in the county.
Link to Montague Community Television video of Black Lives Matter protest in Greenfield: https://vimeo.com/427189796
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Sarah and Mike discuss the venues for upcoming town meetings in Montague and Leverett, a three-week serialized discussion with Turners Falls local George Bush, and how small local businesses are paying or deferring rent during the state of emergency.
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Sarah and Montague Reporter Managing Editor Mike Jackson discuss the Farren Care Center's measures to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19, the first reported cases among staff at the Franklin County House of Correction, and how the leadership of Gill-Montague schools have responded to the pandemic. And, the Montague Reporter will be back in print starting with the April 23 edition. Folks are encouraged to be neighborhood point people through Western Mass Community Mutual Aid: https://www.wmacma.com/.
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Jeff Singleton, news writer for the Montague Reporter discusses the town's response to the pandemic and how things have changed (or not) as a journalist reporting on town business. He also takes us on a look back at the history of the Montague Reporter newspaper.
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Sarah speaks with the guest editors of the April 2, 2020 special youth-created edition of the Montague Reporter, Julian Mayo and Izzy Vachula-Curtis, about their experiences editing the paper.
News writer Samantha Wood, whose beat is Greenfield, discusses policy changes at the Franklin County House of Correction and the city of Greenfield in response to the coronavirus emergency. Plus, why journalists play a critical role in addressing the current health crisis.
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In this episode, Sarah and Mike discuss how the Coronavirus outbreak is impacting life in our reporting area, and how people are supporting each other through mutual aid and food distribution networks. The Montague Reporter newspaper will be publishing in an exclusively digital format beginning with the March 27, 2020 edition. Mike previews a youth-created special issue that will be published in April.
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In this episode, Managing Editor Mike Jackson and Sarah discuss the young comfort dog featured on the front page of the February 27 edition. Erving is trying do the math on pay raises promised to town employees. Sarah asks Mike about this week's editorial on national politics. PLUS non sequiturs on headlines and stopping the presses for a typo.
Izzy Vachula-Curtis discusses her Montague Reporter column where she writes about books and interviews authors. Izzy's most recent column, where she interviews the author of A Match Made in Mehendi, Nandini Bajpai, was published in the February 20 edition of the Montague Reporter.
An audio postcard from Gill as Sarah and Annabel Levine distribute the Montague Reporter.
Mike and Sarah discuss the withdrawal of plans to build a solar development in the center of Wendell, the latest updates from the struggling Leverett Village Co-op, and reactions to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation proposal to repair the General Pierce Bridge between Montague City and Greenfield.
Nina Rossi, features editor at the Montague Reporter, discusses her recently published investigative series on the history of state lotteries with podcast host Sarah Brown-Anson. Nina's three-part series was published in the January 2, January 9, and January 16 editions of the Montague Reporter.
This episode Sarah and Mike discuss the series of articles about rising recycling fees that are hitting area towns, the memorial article that ran celebrating the life of Elaine Cuthbert, why Mike chose to write an editorial about area food cooperatives' upcoming meetings, and Mike's distributing newspapers in downtown Turners Falls.