Posts by DIFDESIGN

The town of Amherst has been awarded a huge grant for accessible trail improvements. The $280,000 of grant money from the state will help to improve the town’s recreation facilities, including trail improvements at the former Hickory Ridge Golf Course. The trail will be designed and constructed to meet or exceed the U.S. Forest Service…

Christina Royal says community colleges are leaders in workforce development — and that’s why a new partnership between Holyoke Community College (HCC), Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), and Upright Education makes so much sense. “Our focus is on how we are able to bring education and training to the area and to be able to…

‘Ahead of schedule and under budget.’ Those are the words that any business owner or board of directors would love to hear regarding a specific project or undertaking. They are not heard often, to be sure, and they are being heard even less frequently, if at all, in these days of soaring inflation, supply-chain issues,…

As he talked about the new home for Scantic River Brewery in Wilbraham, Dave Avery stressed repeatedly that this will be much more than a facility to make beer — although that will happen, too. “This is a place where people can come and hang out,” said Avery, co-owner of Scantic River with Dave Buel,…

More than $250,000 in grants have been awards to western Massachusetts communities or projects that will focus on conserving forests and improving access to outdoor recreational areas. A total of $253,200 will be distributed through ten grants to seven communities in Franklin and Berkshire Counties as well as two organizations as part of the Commonwealth’s…

Downtown Amherst was among the regions hardest hit by the pandemic. With more than 30,000 students, faculty, staff, and more gone from the equation, it became, in many respects, a ghost town. But it’s staging a strong comeback as the students and everyone else return and many new businesses open their doors. Gabrielle Gould, executive…