Hilltown Families 
Listen to Podcast:
TOYS IN THE ATTIC EPISODE
Hilltown Family Variety Show
WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM
Northampton, MA
July 17th, 2007 @ 7pm
New Podcasts ♦ Archived Podcasts ♦ Subscribe to Podcast
Radio ♦ Facebook ♦ Twitter
PLAYLIST
- Steve Weeks – “Hilltown Family Variety Show”
- Scribble Monster & His Pals – “Pick Up The Toys” [Best of Friends]
- Owen Duggan – “The Marvelous Toy” [An Elephant Never Forgets]
- David Weinstone – “I Like Your Toys” [Runaround Kid]
- Bill Harley – “Barbie’s Head is Missing” [I Wanna Play]
- Green Chili Jam Band – “Yo Yo Rodeo” [Coconut Moon]
- The Chiselers – “Playmate” [Rudy’s Rockin Kiddie Caravan]
- Tim Knuth – “Little Red Wagon” [Wiggleworms Love You]
- Woody Guthrie – “My Yellow Crayon” [Nursery Days]
- Nancy Tucker – “Escape of the Slinkys” [Escape of the Slinkys]
- AudraRox – “All My Toys Are Broken” [I Can Do It By Myself!]
RETRO TOYS & FRIED TWINKIES
I took my daughter to a Retro Party at the Berkshire Museum last week for their exhibit, Kids Stuff: Great Toys from Our Childhood. The exhibit was a walk down memory lane. All the old toys I remember from being a kid were on display. Visitors had the chance to look through View Finders, get their fortunes told by Crazy Eight Balls, make Slinkys walk down the stairs, do a cats cradle with Yo-yos, toss about Nerf Balls, dress dolls with Colorforms, race Hot Wheels or entangle themselves in a game of Twister. The exhibit is up until September 3rd. It’s worth the effort to take the kids and go. Parents will get a kick out of their old toys being displayed in a museum, and kids will have fun playing with the exhibits.
Aside from the games and toys, the thing I found very interesting was the Retro Food Fare being served, including Twinkies and Ho Hos. The nutritionist in me noted the mounds of artificial confections when we arrived and thought them more as a display from crimes of the culinary culture of the past. Following the party I was dismayed that people had actually eaten them! These were Hostess Twinkies … not fresh baked short cake stuffed with a banana creme filling, as they had originated as. No. These were the kind stuffed with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil and/or beef fat. People were gobbling them up. I overheard one guest talking about eating deep fried Twinkies. What? Deep fried Twinkies aren’t an urban legend? I had heard of fried Oreo’s (they were selling them at the Clearwater Music Festival), but this was the first time I had heard of someone actually frying a Twinkie! I later read that over 25,000 deep-fried Twinkies were sold at a county fair in New York. That’s one heck of a load of crispy Twinkies!
SUGGESTED TITLES
- American Folk Toys: Easy-To-Build Toys for Kids of All Ages.
- Big Book of John Deere Tractors: The Complete Model-by-Model Encyclopedia, Plus Classic Toys, Brochures, and Collectibles.
- Toys Through the Ages: Dan Foley’s Story of Playthings, Filled with History, Folklore, Romance & Nostalgia.
- Mexican Games and Toys.
- Folk Toys Around the World and How to Make Them.
- Shop on High Street: The Toys and Games of Early America.
- Golden Years of Tin Toy Trains, 1850-1909.
- Barbie: Her Life & Times.
- Baby Boomer Games: Identification & Value Guide.
Gerber Cereals Recalled Due to Choking Risk
All packages of Gerber ORGANIC Rice and ORGANIC Oatmeal Cereals have been voluntarily recalled due to a potential choking risk. A limited quantity of product may contain lumps of cereal, which do not dissolve in water or milk and pose a potential choking hazard. Gerber has received choking complaints, but no reports of injury. The FDA is aware of this recall.
The product has been distributed in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. If a consumer has Gerber ORGANIC Rice or Gerber ORGANIC Oatmeal Cereal, they should not use the product and call the Gerber Parents Resource Center 1-800-443-7237 or 1-231-928-3000 to return the product and receive a full refund. Read More
Fairy Festival at the Children’s Art Museum
- Fairy Festival
- Sunday, July 15th, 2007
- 2:30-4:30pm
- Children’s Art Museum
- Shelburne Falls, MA
- $15 per child
- Contacts: Tony(a) Lemos (413) 625-6826
- Pre-registration a must to guarentee your child’s spot in Fairyland!
Bring your children to join together in celebration of all things sprite! Come dressed in your faerie finery. All elves, pixie, gnomes, fairies and sprites are welcomed! There will be a Fairy Tea Party, dancing in a Fairy Ring and making Fairy Art! A Sunday afternoon mythical celebration. Read More
FIRST ANNUAL T-SHIRT REVIEW
The Hilltown Family Variety Show (HFVS) is having its first annual T-shirt Review and Promo this fall!
We’ll be inviting a group of Hilltown Families to review t-shirts from children’s musicians or compilation albums that feature kid or family-friendly music. Our review will be posted here on http://www.HilltownFamilies.org in November. It should be a lot of fun!
Call for Photographers (Ages 5 to 12)
On our route between Northampton and the Hilltowns, we often zoom by the Northampton Community Gardens. Yesterday Persephone and I were passing by and the gardens were bursting in blooms. So we stopped. We wandered around. Horses passed by. Gardeners were weeding. Bees were buzzing. And of course, Persephone and I took photos.
She has become quite the budding photographer. I found us fighting over the camera as we discovered colors and compositions. The desire to take pictures pulses through our collective familial veins. It’s in our blood. Runs in the family. Persephone’s grandmother, great aunt and her mother (that’s me) are all photographers of varying degrees. With that collective make-up she’s bound to display signs of the Shutterbug Syndrome.
All I can say is, thank goodness for digital photography! I NEVER thought I’d say that. I was a purist until recent years. Only showing C-prints in art galleries in New England and New York. Scoffing at the idea of digital images. Those days are long gone. Mostly because my film camera disappeared while photographing a friends wedding. 
But also because digital cameras allow for experimental photographing (for adults and kids) without the financial ransom that must be payed to see the results with film cameras.
I highly recommend lending your child (supervised of course) your digital camera. Put it on auto focus and then allow them to wander around and take photos of anything that they are inspired by. You’ll end up with a collection of unique photos, to say the least. We have photos of a dead fish at the shore. The feet of chickens. Self-portraits in the bathroom mirror. Splotches on the sidewalk. My lower backside. And loads of photos of the floor. Main Streets, festivals (“festibals” as Persephone says), gardens and amusement parks always render interesting shots.
Submit your child’s favorite photo to Hilltown Families. If we get enough submissions we can have an on-line photo exhibit! If you’re ever passing by the Northampton Community Gardens, stop and let your child run loose with the camera. With over 400 garden plots, it’s the perfect place for your kids to do a visual study of plants and flowers while creating photos.
SUGGESTED EVENTS THIS WEEK
If you have a family-friendly event or educational program happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, or would like to submit your event to the Hilltown Families calendar of Suggested Events, email Sienna at swildfield@juno.com. Comments are warmly welcomed!
Check your local forecast | Get directions | Add an event
Free Museum Passes | Farmer’s Market
Events Happening in the Hilltowns
Friday – 07/13
10am – PLAYDATE – Bridge Street School playground in Northampton, MA. 10am-Noon. [Families] (Free)
Kids Stuff: Great Toys From Our Childhood
A Retro Party to celebrate the exhibition Kid Stuff: Great Toys from Our Childhood at the Berkshire Museum in downtown Pittsfield, MA, will take place tonight (07/12/07) at 5pm.
Kid Stuff highlights more than 40 of the most popular toys and games of the last 50 years. The exhibition was organized by the Berkshire Museum in 1999 and has been seen by more than 1 million people at museums across North America, and will be at the Berkshire Museum through September 3rd.
Tonights party will feature a menu that combines casual picnic atmosphere with retro party fare. Retro food that reflects the 1950s and 60s will be offered (read “unhealthy”), along crudite and fresh fruit (read “healthy”).
Bug Watching
It appears that my daughter is not alone with her fascination with insects. Along with several comments, I also received the following suggested activity from one of our loyal readers:
Hello Girls!
I have two little granddaughters who also love bugs and have lots of fun collecting and creating “bug museums” to share with everyone. My daughter, their mom, is a 2nd grade teacher and recently read about a great idea for bug watchers. Hang a white or light colored sheet on the clothesline after dark and place a lantern or campfire on the backside of the sheet. Sit in front of the sheet and watch how the moths and night bugs are attracted to the light and stand out against the sheet! They also observed some great bat action since it was like a feeding station for them. The girls had a great time with this idea and I thought Persephone might enjoy it also.
By the way, the bug museum only contains bugs that were not alive when found. They don’t kill anything of course.
Have fun!
Gail H.
Notes from Nan
by HF Contributing Writer, Nan Parati
Having a great time in Opposite Land!
This is your ace reporter reporting from Opposite Land, where I have been residing for the last two weeks.
Opposite Land is on the other end of the earth from Ashfield, MA, and it is located inside the New Orleans Super Dome with a population 111 times the size of our fair town up north.
One of the most interesting things about Opposite Land this year (and one origin of its name) were the bounding rings of joy that radiated within this week in contrast to the pictures of horror from the Dome that the whole world watched almost exactly two years ago when all those people were stuck there during Hurricane Katrina. The building is nearly entirely back together and that which isn’t yet done, we (I and my design crew) wrapped and swagged and draped and festified so that no one could ever tell that anything bad had ever happened there.
Hilltown Family Variety Show
WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM
Northampton, MA
July 10th, 2007 @ 7pm
Butterflies in the Park Episode
Playlist
- Steve Weeks – “Hilltown Family Variety Show”
- Robbi K & Friends – “Summer’s Here”
- Opus Ditty – “Riley in the Park”
- Arthur Askey with Kenneth Blain (piano) – “The Bee Song”
- Randy Kaplan – “You Are My Sunshine”
- Elizabeth Mitchell – “Little Liza Jane”
- The Juice Pops – “Little Butterfly”
- Uncle Rock – “Brand New Butterfly”
- Elizabeth Mitchell & Daniel Littleton – “You Are My Sunshine”
- Greg Loop – “Butterfly”
listen now | subscribe to podcast | archived shows
Bug Bungalow
When my daughter grows up she says she’d like to be a bug doctor. Is there such a thing? Nevertheless, we encourage her love of insects. As do her friends and family. For her birthday she was given various bug paraphernalia, including a large resin horned beetle from mom & dad in an attempt to aid her in her post-traumatic stress recovery from previous beetle trauma.
Fireworks, Music & More Summer Fun!
We’re off this weekend to New York for a 07/07/07 Wedding, sorry to miss all of the fun stuff happening this weekend in Western Mass. The evening of the 4th of July was a wet one, so a few firework displays were postponed to this weekend.
We’ll also be missing AudraRox at Cup & Top. (Boy, I wish we were going to be around for that!) Click here to view a video of AudraRox with several hilltown kids at the Brooklyn Hootenanny jamming to “D is for Drum.” AudraRox and Steve Weeks will be a guest bloggers in the coming weeks. Check back for their debut.
Nan Parati (of Elmer’s Store fame) has joined Hilltown Families as a weekly contributing writer, with her column “Notes From Nan.” She’ll be posting Elmer’s Friday menu alongside her southern wit and wisdom every week.
Notes from Nan
by HF Contributing Writer, Nan Parati
I am back in New Orleans (what??). Yes, again, working on another festival.
It is July and, children, it is hot!
Now I am not talking about no Yankee dry heat, I am not talking about chickens who don’t feel like laying hot; I am talking about 96 degrees with 96% humidity and it’s not raining outside. Walk out your house and your glasses fog up, knock an Ashfield chicken clean OUT hot. That’s what hot is. I’m surprised they even have eggs in New Orleans, it’s so hot.
Many years ago I knew a woman in New Orleans who kept her air conditioning on in the summer so cold that she had to use an electric blanket at night to stay warm.
A few weeks ago in Ashfield I heard the fast-talking-weather-man on WAMC say that it was going to be a warm and muggy night in our area, with temperatures in the high 50s and low 60s. I looked at the radio because I thought that man was lying! Then I realized that he was a Yankee and only knew about dry heat.
That’s all I have to say about the weather. It’s too hot to type.
Michelle Shocked Plays in Ashfield
Following a Friday evening performance at the Iron Horse in Northampton, alternative folksinger Michelle Shocked spent early Saturday afternoon in Ashfield, singing songs and sharing stories with Sienna and Persephone of the Hilltown Family Variety Show (HFVS). The HFVS airs every Tuesday at 7pm on WXOJ-LP 103.3FM out of Northampton, MA. Read More
Listen to Podcast:
BIRTHDAY BASH EPISODE
Hilltown Family Variety Show
WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM
Northampton, MA
July 3rd, 2007 @ 7pm
New Podcasts ♦ Archived Podcasts ♦ Subscribe to Podcast
Radio ♦ Facebook ♦ Twitter
PLAYLIST
- Steve Weeks – “Hilltown Family Variety Show”
- Eric Herman – “Prune Juice”
- The Ovaltineys & Monte Ray – “Balloons”
- Wizard of Oz Soundtrack – “We’re Off to See the Wizard”
- Hullabaloo – “Hey Everybody”
- Kevin Kammeraad – “Little Low One”
- Bernie Steinberg – “Birthday”
- Farmer Jason – “Mrs. Mouse”
- Justin Roberts – “It’s Your Birthday”
- John Painter – “Delivery Girl”
- Bullseye – “Mick Jagger’s Birthday Bash”
- Owen Duggan – “Lady Bug”
- Laurie Berkner -“This Hat”
- Kevin Kammeraad – “Opening Gifts”
- Maria Muldaur – “Italian Rhyme”
- Brady Rymer – “Happy Birthday Around the World”
FEATURED ALBUMS (REVIEWED BY ZOOGLOBBLE)
- Monkey Business by Eric Herman and The Invisible Band
- Hey, Everybody by Hullabaloo
- Rocking in the Forest by Farmer Jason
- Meltdown! by Justin Roberts
- Hoodwinked by various artists
- An Elephant Never Forgets by Owen Duggan
- Archived List – Laurie Berkner
- Every Day is a Birthday by Brady Rymer
Have Toy, See Movie? Not This One.
Your little kids want Transformers. How could they not? According to The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, no fewer than 129 different Transformers tie-in toys are being offered for kids under 13. They’re also being heavily promoted through ads that are rated as age-appropriate for kids as young as 2. Add to that the promotions with Burger King, Kraft, and others. So, if your kid has the toy, why not take him to the movie? Because the movie isn’t age-appropriate for a 5-year-old, that’s why. It’s rated PG-13 for violence, sexual humor, and language. And if you think that doesn’t matter, think again.
Chesterfield 4th of July Parade
This year will mark the 60th annual 4th of July Parade in Chesterfield, MA! To recognize this milestone, this year’s parade will reflect the theme of “An Old Fashioned 4th.” All Hilltown Families are invited to join the Hilltown Coalition To End Domestic Violence and march in the parade. They are marching to promote peace in the home.
With the theme of “An Old Fashioned 4th,” the parade will feature bands, floats, the clown Peppermint Patty, costumed children, antique cars, and horses and buggies. There will be plenty of food, with a Pancake Breakfast preceding the parade and a chicken barbecue right afterwards. A variety of snacks will also be available throughout the day. For kids (of all ages), in addition to the clown, there will be a magic show, petting zoo, climbing wall and “sticky wall.” After the parade, visitors will be entertained by the Heritage Pops Orchestra and will be able to watch the traditional Firemen’s Mini-Muster, an art show and a quilt display. Except for the food, everything is free of charge, and of course everyone is welcome.
Got (breast) Milk?
In 1911 the very first milk bank in the country was established in Boston. Many more were established from then, later to be closed in the 80’s due to concerns of HIV contamination. Today we have 10 non-profit breastmilk banks in the U.S. The nearest location for parent’s in Western Massachusetts to attain a supply of breastmilk is North Carolina or Ohio … until now!
Our friend Tanya Lieberman over at Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog is part of a breastfeeding coalition working to establish a collection point in our area for breastmilk donations. These donations will become part of the Mother’s Milk Bank of New England, scheduled to open in Boston in a year of so.
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Veggie Booty Snack Food – Risk of Salmonella Contamination
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat Veggie Booty snack food, marketed by Robert’s American Gourmet, due to possible contamination with Salmonella Wandsworth, bacteria that cause gastrointestinal illness.
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY
If you have a family-friendly event or educational program happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, or would like to submit your event to the Hilltown Families calendar of Suggested Events, email Sienna at swildfield@juno.com. Comments are warmly welcomed!
Check your local forecast | Get directions | Add an event
Free Museum Passes | Farmer’s Market
Events Happening in the Hilltowns
Friday – 06/29
6:30pm – CONCERT – Easthampton Arts in the Park offers free concerts on Fridays in Easthampton, MA. Pulaski Park (on rotary near Old Town Hall) Bring lawn chairs. This week, “Musical Cavaliers.” [Families] (Free)
Unite & Write for Better Funding of Small and Rural Schools in MA
Parents and community members are urged to email the Friends of Gateway friendsofgateway@hughes.net to be registered in a data-base of people willing to Unite and Write for better funding of small and rural schools in Massachusetts.
“Both schools and towns have been hamstrung by the lack of state funding,” said Friends of Gateway (FOG) President Deb Carnes. “It’s time to take a stand to keep our schools strong, our towns viable, and our tax rates affordable for everybody.”
Gateway School District Offers New Round of Laptops for Student Lease
Gateway school district in Huntington, MA, is offering a new round of laptop leases to students for the 2007-08 school year! Gateway’s 1 to 1 Laptop Program gives all students in grades 7 – 12 the opportunity to lease or purchase their own personal laptop for use at school and at home.
Registration forms and lease agreements must be submitted by August 1st; laptops will be distributed to families the week of August 27th.
Informational meetings for all interested families will be held in the Gateway Performing Arts Center (Middle/High School complex) at 6:30 p.m. on July 17; 6:00 p.m. on July 19; and 6:30 p.m. on July 26. Read More
TRADITIONAL SPRING TONICS: ROOTS
By HF Contributing Writer, Tony(a) Lemos
Sassafras, Burdock, Yellowdock, Sarsparilla and Dandelion … these roots, as tonics, are known as blood purifiers that promote the regeneration of the cells and the elimination of toxins by assisting in circulation, digestion and elimination. The brews made up by a combination of these roots are excellent spring tonics and commonly known as ROOT BEERS.
To follow are a few herbal beer recipes I’ve compilied, including my favorite Root Beer and Ginger Beer recipes the kids might like making (and drinking!). I’ve also included a recipe for Nettle Beer for the adults. Read More
Listen to Podcast:
SUMMER BIKE RIDING EPISODE
Hilltown Family Variety Show
WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM
Northampton, MA
June 26th, 2007 @ 7pm
New Podcasts ♦ Archived Podcasts ♦ Subscribe to Podcast
Radio ♦ Facebook ♦ Twitter
- Steve Weeks – “Hilltown Family Variety Show”
- John Painter – “Hoodwinked Theme (Surfer Version)”
- Gunnar Madsen – “Summertime is Here”
- Vince Guaraldi Trio – “Surfin’ Snoopy”
- Nat King Cole – “Lazy Days of Summer”
- Geoff Kaufman & Pete Seeger – “Haul, Make Her Go High”
- Billy Bragg & Wilco – “Birds and Ships”
- Montag – “Kiddo 2”
- Dog On Fleas – “Green Grass of Summer”
- Uncle Rock – “Rock Out!”
- Asylum Street Spankers – “Training Wheel Rag”
- Justin Roberts – “Taking Off My Training Wheels”
- Ernie & Neal – “Untitled”
ROOT BEER
It’s officially summer! Our playlist includes several summer theme songs this week, including a favorite of ours we’ve been playing in the car since December, Nat King Cole’s “Lazy Days of Summer.” We replace the lyric “beer” with “root beer” which has led to a whole discovery of root beer in our house. I remember when I was a kid, we’d visit my relatives in Louisiana and my aunt would always make us root beer. I promised my daughter that we would brew root beer this summer. Hilltown Families contributing writer Tony(a) Lemos of Blazing Star Herbal School has posted a few recipes for brewing roots into tasty elixirs, including Root Beer. Click here to read more.
CLEARWATER MUSIC FESTIVAL
We went to the Clearwater Music Festival for Father’s Day weekend. We had a great adventure, running into friends I haven’t seen in years, listening to great music, surrounded by families and environmentally aware people. One of the first acts we saw was at the Song Circle tent where I met Maryellen Healy. She clued me in that the Cleawater Hudson River Sloop Singers (CHRSS) have released their 20th Anniversary Limited Edition CD, the third collection of songs the CHRSS has to offer. This week on HFVS we played a cut from their new CD (proceeds go to support the Sloop Clearwater and Sloop Woody Guthrie). “Haul, Make Her Go High,” is a catchy tune that celebrates the pride Pete Seeger and CHRSS have for the Sloop Clearwater. A sense of pride that is justified by the work the Clearwater and its crew members have accomplished over the many years. For more information on this fundraising project email Maryellen at mhealy@frontiernet.net.
BIKE RODEO
On Monday a Bike Rodeo was held at Sanderson Elementary School in Ashfield. My daugher brought her new pink Barbie bike she got from her second cousin. With her matching pink helmet, tassels and bell, she rode around with style through “Safety Town.” She learned to stop at stop signs, red lights and how to watch for obstacles. I learned how to properly put her helmet on and how to adjust her bike seat. If the kids didn’t have a proper helmet, Safe Kids of Western Mass provided free helmets.
The Ashfield Girl Scouts had a face painting table. my daughter had been swimming earlier at Ashfield Pond so she had zinc cream smeared on a scar from stitches she acquired this winter. One Girl Scout painting her face made the smudge into a cloud for a dragon to sit upon. She also got the Lucky Charm Special, a blue heart on one cheek and a yellow star on another (no green clover).
Third Thursday in Pittsfield
Berkshire Eagle writes:
[Pittsfield, 06/22/07] – On a slightly rainy Thursday evening on North Street, when shops are usually closed, the sidewalks are usually empty and the traffic is light, there was music in the air, dancing and dining on the sidewalks, and smiling faces everywhere.
“It’s so nice to see North Street alive again,” one woman was heard saying to her friend.
It was a sentiment that seemed to be common among the people walking up and down the street and the shopkeepers who remained open late to take part in the city’s inaugural Third Thursday. There are four more Third Thursdays, scheduled every month through October.
Click here to read more.
SWIMMING, PIZZA & BIKE RIDING, 10am-2pm – ASHFIELD
June 25th – It’s the first Monday of summer! Hilltown Families invites friends and families to hang out in Ashfield for the day. Come together around 10am for swimming and playing at Ashfield Pond. At noon, walk over to Country Pie on Main Street and treat your kids to a pizza pie on the porch. At1pm there will be a free Bicycle Safety Rodeo at Sanderson Elementary School for kids of all ages.
Kellogg to Curb Marketing of Foods to Children
[NY TIMES, Andrew Martin – 6/14/07] Froot Loops’ days on Saturday morning television may be numbered.
The Kellogg Company announced today that it will phase out advertising its products to children under age 12 unless the foods meet specific nutrition guidelines for calories, sugar, fat and sodium.
Kellogg also announced that it would stop using licensed characters or branded toys to promote foods unless the products meet the nutrition guidelines.
The voluntary changes, which will be put in place over the next year and a half, will apply to about half of the products that Kellogg currently markets to children worldwide, including Froot Loops and Apple Jacks cereals and some varieties of Pop Tarts.
500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art
My 4yo daughter and I have watched this video a couple dozen times. She is fascinated by it. I love it. The first time she saw it she asked, “Mommy, are they angels?”
The video is truly other-worldly. Cello music by Bach plays while portraits of women painted over the past 500 years by many great painters are morphed from one into the other:
Summer Reading 2007
Starting up this week is our state-wide reading program, “Catch the Beat at your Library,” a Massachusetts Regional Library systems 2007 summer reading program. Each library customizes a reading program and public librarians work closely with their counterparts in the local schools. By working together, library staff can build a strong support network to raise stronger readers.
I’ve included some of the events that are happening this week. For a more complete list of library events in Massachusetts, visit www.readsinma.org. For a few on-line reading resources, read this weeks web review, Summer Reading and Resources.
If you have a family-friendly event or educational program happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, or would like to submit your event to the Hilltown Families calendar of Suggested Events, email Sienna at swildfield@juno.com. Comments are warmly welcomed!
Check your local forecast | Get directions | Add an event
Free Museum Passes | Farmer’s Market
Events Happening in the Hilltowns
Friday – 06/22
2pm – KIDSFEST – At Look Park in Florence, MA. A multicultural festival for children of all ages. Live music, bouncy house, carnival games, crafts, food, and much more. 413.582.9508 [Families] ($1)
Listen to Podcast:
STRAWBERRY EPISODE
Hilltown Family Variety Show
WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM
Northampton, MA
June 19th, 2007 @ 7pm
Archived Podcasts ♦ Radio ♦ Facebook ♦ Twitter
Playlist
- Channels with Damon Locks – “Always Check For Holes”
- David Weinstone – “Big Boom Whacker”
- Milkshake – “Boom, Boom”
- Mr. David – “Yum”
- Ella Jenkins – “Hey Moo Ma Moo Ma Moo Ma Hey”
- The Beatles – “Strawberry Fields Forever”
- Michelle Shocked – “Strawberry Jam”
- Uncle Rock – “Medley: Magic Carpet Ride / Hey Bo Diddly”
- Nat King Cole Trio – “Kee-Mo Ky-Mo (The Magic Song)”
Guides, tips and information of summer reading.
Reading Is Fundamental: RIF’s 2007 Summer Reading Guide
This compilation of summer reading resources includes suggestions for family activities (such as a “book-nic”), summer reading tips, and reading lists for children. The “Travel Reads” list features books with settings in many U.S. states and some international locations. From the non-profit literacy organization Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). [LII]
http://www.rif.org
Compilation of summer reading suggestions for parents, covering reading aloud to younger children, encouraging children to read and write, and tackling school summer reading lists. Includes a small section of annotated website links (some broken). From PBS Parents. [LII]
http://www.pbs.org
“Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.” Features articles on strategies to help children who struggle with reading and techniques for teaching reading, and suggested book lists (such as “Beyond Harry Potter” and “Young Detectives”). Also includes author interview videos and podcasts, blogs, research reports, and more. From public television station WETA. [LII]
http://www.readingrockets.org
Link Update:
- 2010 Guide for Families to Discover Locally Grown Farm Products in Western Massachusetts
- 2009 Guide for Families to Discover Locally Grown Farm Products in Western Massachusetts
2007 Farm Products Guide
Blueberry Picking at Running Fox Farm in Worthington, MA - (c) Sienna Wildfield
A new and improved on-line searchable database, available the week of June 18 at CISA’s website will make it easier than ever to find the exact product you are seeking while browsing other in-season delectables.
Those who prefer hard-copies need look no further than their local newspaper. Over 175,000 copies of the Guide will be distributed the week of June 18.
- The Recorder – June 19
- The Daily Hampshire Gazette – June 20
- The Republican (Hampden County only) – June 20
- Town Crier (Greenfield/North Quabbin edition) – June 21
- Amherst Bulletin – June 22
- The BuyLine (Barre/Hardwick region) – June 22
- Area Chambers of Commerce, local farm stands and some local businesses will also distribute paper copies of the Guide.
How cool would it be to get new posts on Hilltown Families emailed your way! Click here to subscribe to our emailed newsfeed.
