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HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!
A Happy St. Patricks Day from all of us at Southwoods!
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The Journal of Clifton (Jerry) Noble, Sr: Strains, Pains, & Accidents Edited by Jerry & Kara Noble
The Life of Clifton (Jerry) Noble, Sr told through his daily journal entries
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Peddling Milk by Trudy Knowles
Milk delivery like clockwork. No one could see the gears move but they always did. And when the Great Depression hit, a young boy headed out to deliver milk long before the sun would rise.
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Shadow by Cindy DeMay
A Pup on a small farm, Shadow learns the trade of being a Farm dog. Follow her adventures from a 3-week old puppy to a full-grown member of the family!
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On the Porch on an Evening
A time for relaxing, for emptying the mind. Sit on the back porch and enjoy the time!
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How Did College Highway Get Its Name?
An excerpt from “Historical Facts and Stories About Southwick”. Learn how the main road through Southwick changed its name from Simsbury Road to College Highway!
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Country Kitchen
While the weather turns from cold to warm, come enjoy a hearty meal to say goodbye to the snow of winter and end with a dessert that welcomes the planting of spring.
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Community Calendar
Local events from Plays to Trips, Antique Appraisals, and so much more. Find something to do and support your local non-profits!
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Classifieds
Employment, Goods & Services & Thank You’s.
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February Advertisers
On The Cover – Diemand Farm Cows
Cover photograph by Christine V. Baran-Cox was taken last year at Diemand Farm in Wendell, MA. Al Diemand purchased his…
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Winter….It’s Not So Bad After All By Philip Pothier
We hoped for winter better than the last, and thought we had escaped the stormy blast, of icy wind until short days ago, when we awoke to bitter cold and snow.
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Winter of the Lost Wedding Ring – Edited by Jerry & Kara Noble.
New Year’s Day, 1964! Elizabeth lost her wedding ring. We looked everywhere to no avail. She is understandably upset, but I assured her it would turn up. I headed back to work on January second. Two-and-a-half inches of snow fell overnight, mostly
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Life At The Cabin By Wilhelmina H. Tryon
The cabin was our home for a number of years, and we loved living in the woods with its beautiful pine trees. The picnics in the grove, the evenings before the fireplace, the skating parties, the sliding on Cemetery Hill, the grouse nesting in the woods and feeding the birds in winter were things we enjoyed so much.
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Organ Donation
February 14th is National Donor Day, an observance day originally designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to raise awareness for organ, eye, tissue, marrow, platelet and blood donation.
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Winter’s Beauty By Bernadette Gentry
The colors of the winter sunset, The ever increasing daylight, The pure whiteness of the snow, The presence of the winter birds…
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1989 Memories By Todd Shively
Somewhere between the misty cold rains of Winter and the feverishly warm winds of Autumn. There we lie Among the suburban slums on the edge of town, where turned up train tracks with rusted rails and band names spray – painted on store alleyways depicted the landscape of our teenage years…
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Country Kitchen By Christy Cox
Warm up this winter with some homemade soup and croutons.
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Southwoods Bulletin Board
A list of local non-profit events and volunteer opportunities. Come join concerts, photography shows, and much more this month! FREE publishing and promotion of local non-profit events.
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Classifieds
Job Offers, Goods and Services, Items for sale, and anything else!
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January Advertisers
Southwoods provides its readers with over 70 advertisements from trusted local services ranging from tax filing to home repair to cleaning services and so much more! Click to see what deals you can find this month!
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On The Cover: Marie Flahive
A quick bio about our Cover Artist, Marie Flahive!
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New Year Begins
A joyous welcome to the New Year and all the possibilities it brings.
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Write On Dad, A Memorial
A final moment to remember Clifton (Jerry) Noble Sr., a long time writer for Southwoods, dear friend, and “memorable” to all who met him.
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Skating by Tonie Ann White
Memories of Skating, her dad, and Dog Reddy. Tonie Ann recalls the simple joy of spending time with her family and the interesting things you can find unexpectedly.
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A Visit to the Azores By Elaine Adele Aubrey
So the holidays are over and as winter looms, I think back
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New York Memories by Frank Houlihan
When snow fell and there were no heavy-duty trucks to quickly move the snow, the kids would play and the teens would earn pocket money by shoveling.
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Country Kitchen
Warm up with some homemade soups while the cold of winter slowly fades to warmer weather.
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Bulletin Board
Dinners, trips, cookie sales, and much more! Come see what’s happening in your neighborhood this month!
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Letter from the State House
A letter to the constituents from our State Representative, Nickolas Boldyga
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Classifieds
Employment Opportunities, Goods and Services, and other local messages from local businesses to you!
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May There Always Be Room by Sarah Meiklejohn
I have heard it said we should close our doors, No matter how bitter the story or the cold. Safer not to share the warmth of our hearth, With a stranger whose past has not been told…
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December 1963 by Clifton (Jerry) Noble Sr.
On the first Sunday in December 1963, Mrs. Webb’s solo to the tune of “Liebestraum” went well, but John Camp and I made a mess of the anthem’s ending. When we were out of sight of congregation, I got laughing about it. Lillian Cowles and…
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An Amazing Sight on Winter’s Night by Barbara Mitchell-Washington
We had moved to Windsor Locks, CT into a small complex of approximately 50 to 60 families. The units were a combination of single houses and duplexes with a single road running through the units. It was like one huge Mother Goose…
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Believe by R. James Milos
“Shhh,” my brother accented with a finger near his mouth. We jostled for position on the top steps peering through the banisters. It was midnight: Wigilia. The moon shone through the living room window. Spotty was sleeping in the hall. “Shouldn’t he be near the Christmas tree?” I whispered. “Or the manger?”…
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Holly by Carol Leonard
Holly sprigs and New England Christmas seem synonymous; glossy, leathery green leaves adorned with brilliant round red berries. One of the most extensive collections of hollies in the country is located in the town of E. Falmouth on Cape Cod. A unique wildlife sanctuary and arboretum, the Ashumet Holly Reservation protects…
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Mice + Gingerbread = A Christmas Tradition by Barbara James
Our old but newly purchased farm house had been exactly what we wanted. Of course it needed lots of work but we were ready for the challenge. I was a new mother; totally absorbed in the needs of our precious baby boy, wanting him to be warm and safe but also…
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Beat The Holiday Blues by Barbara Rousseau
The Christmas season is here but instead of the warmth you’ve come to expect at this special time of the year, the holiday spirit is eluding you and somehow you feel left out. It’s a loneliness all too common at this season…
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Country Kitchen
Take a break from the diets and enjoy yourself with some sweet Christmas treats.
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Christmas Memories by Bernadette Gentry
The tree stands in the corner of the living room–all blue lights nestled in its prickly branches. It’s adorned with shiny red, gold, green, and blue balls, and silver strands of tinsel…
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Southwoods Bulletin Board
Local and non-profit events including bake sales, cat adoptions, and so much more!
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Classifieds
From Goods and Services to Help Wanted. Classifieds come from your local businesses to you!
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Veterans Day
In honor of those who have served and who are serving now… Thank You!
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November 1963
The governor signed a pay raise for state employees! That gave us $260 a week.George Berry and I agreed to wait till afternoon to…
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The Parade
Jeff looked up at the sun and wiped his brow. It was a hot November Sunday and he was mad. He had on his woolen army uniform and was sweating like a pig. He also felt like
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Smiles and Groceries: My Life As A Brown Bag Volunteer
Just the other day at the Westfield Brown Bag a woman approached me and asked if the apples that we were handing out were real. I was a little puzzled by the question at first but…
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A Long Drive to Nowhere
At the end of the Korean War I was stationed at Misawa Air Base in a rural area of Northern Japan. While there I decided it was time to get my driver’s license. I took some lessons and took my…
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Local Gift Guide
Your local businesses welcome you to stop by and get something special for the loved ones in your life this holiday!
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Granola the Truth Revealed
Why write about granola? Here’s the thing. I. Love. Granola. I love it with yoghurt, with fruit, with crème fraiche, with milk (that’s a lie…
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Country Kitchen
Taste the flavors ofThanksgiving with some pretty creative dishes that are both sweet and healthy!
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Thanksgivings I Have Known
Thanksgiving has always meant family. When I was young, the traditional feast was prepared by my mother. She roasted turkey large enough for seven and any relatives who…
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Thanksgiving Thoughts
This Thanksgiving as we thank God for His blessings in our lives, let us think of the Pilgrims and the hardships they endured in their new homeland…
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Bulletin Board
Local and non-profit events including bake sales, breakfast with Santa, craft fairs, raffles and so much more!
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From the State House
A letter to the constituencies with updates about your local government by Representative Nicholas Boldyga!
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Country Classifieds
From Goods and Services to Help Wanted. Classifieds come from your local businesses to you!
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A Walk With Southwick Spirits
The fourth annual “A Walk with Southwick Spirits” will be held at the Old Southwick Cemetery in Southwick, MA on…
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October Thoughts By Bernadette Gentry
In the cool morning air, and wearing my red fleece jacket and pink Red Sox baseball cap, I’m surrounded by the beauty of the October leaves. I wonder, though…
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October 1963 By Clifton (Jerry) Noble
Tuesday October 1, I did our laundry in Russell from 5-6:30 am. The next day started at a chilly 39 degrees with fog. I got to Greenfield by 7:20. Later I got potatoes at Ed’s Foodland in Easthampton.Chatted with cousin Lester Emerson in his Southampton yard for a few minutes.He is taking half-hour flying lessons from Richard
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“Elvis” at the Big E By Tonie Ann White
Last year we scanned The Big E entertainer list online and discovered that A-Ray of Elvis was performing on Saturday afternoon. We saw Ray Guillemette Jr. do his impersonation of Elvis the previous summer at the Agawam Summerfest Concert series and we both loved…
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Why I came Back to my Small Town By Darrell Cass
Being a descendant of most of the town’s founding fathers, I remember the days of giant family gatherings on our farm listening to the baseball game on the radio; and friends chatting away in my grandmother’s small town family restaurant. Not all that far removed from their lifestyle…
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Ephraim Graves – The Damned Soul By Todd Shiveley
Just above Boston in the ancient town of Malden in the mid 19th century, lived a man by the name of Ephraim Graves. A man whose mysterious life was out-shined only by his strange death and the stories that followed…
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For the Love of Milkweed By Susan Comee
I never really thought much about Milkweed until this summer when I started seeing several beautiful Monarch Butterflies in my yard. I posted a picture of the Monarch on facebook and my sister Kelly told me that Monarch’s love Milkweed…
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Country Kitchen Oct 16
Taste the flavors of Autumn with a treat and something to warm you up on those windblown fall days!
Continue reading »As reported in the Granville Center News
We have found why the first settlers took to this hill country instead of farming the rich lands in the valleys, abundant enough even in this part of the world. It seems that in the old days…
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Bulletin Board Oct 16
Local events and non-profit events including trips, festivals, frights, and preservation of History.
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From the State House
A letter to the constituencies with updates about your local government by Representative Nicholas Boldyga
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Country Peddler Classifieds
From Goods and Services to Help Wanted. Classifieds come from your local businesses to you!
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Thoughts by Bernadette Gentry
From the tragedy of 9/11 to the tragedies of today, so many times our country’s flag flies sorrowfully at half staff in honored memory and respect for those lost to violence in our country and around the world.
Each time…
35th Annual Harvest Fair- Columbus Day Weekend
The glorious colors of fall foliage in New England and the aromas of the season make Columbus Day weekend a perfect time to visit Granville and experience our annual Harvest Fair.
Coming through the Granville Gorge from Southwick on Rt. 57, you arrive at the Village School…
September 1963 by Clifton (Jerry) Noble, Sr.
On Sunday, September 1, I took the baby to Westfield when I picked up Hester to go to church. The choir marched in singing “Come to the Church,” and…
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A Vagabond Trip to Nova Scotia – Part 2 by Albert E. Fletcher
August 23, 1950 at 6 P. M. Richard N. Gaylord and Albert E. Fletcher started for Cape Breton Island and Nova Scotia driving a 1941 Chrysler Royal, and towing a sleeping trailer 3 1/2’ x 7’ x 2’.
The story continues….
Memories of the Big E
Like many of the people who grew up in this area, I have many experiences tied to The Big E. Unlike most people, my experiences are not the norm for the average fair goer. My early memories are when my dad worked for Western Mass Electric Co. and manned the Totally Electric Home display…
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Friday Night’s at Babbs
Another year of screaming teachers, bad grades and warnings of being grounded – Having to sit on the same school bus and behind desks for Catechism class on Saturday mornings – No surprise that my hair grew longer…
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Country Kitchen
With the Summer turning into Fall, enjoy these dishes to hold onto the fading season just a little longer!
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Help Save North Pond
Join the fight to save the pristine shores of North Pond in Southwick! We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect the only remaining undeveloped land…
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Southwoods Bulletin Board
Local events and non-profit events including Book Signing, Golf Tournament, Chili Cook-Off, Concerts and more!
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From the State House
A letter to the constituencies with updates about your local government by Representative Nicholas Boldyga
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Classifieds
From Goods and Services to Help Wanted. Classifieds come from your local businesses to you!
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On the Cover: Fun & Games In 19th Century New England
Don’t miss this fun presentation about the games and toys our ancestors played with in the 1800’s, on Wed., August 17th, 6:30 PM, at the NCCHP Museum…
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Summer Friends by Bernadette Gentry
The back door is open to let in the morning’s coolness. In the trees close by, the blue jays sit, awaiting my appearance, and the crumbled bread I will give them…
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August 1963 by Clifton (Jerry) Noble
The morning of Thursday, August 1 started with laundry at 5:10 a.m. That day, I worked at the schoolhouse till 8:50 p.m. on department records…
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Little Cottage in the Woods by Tonie Ann White
Our little cottage was located in the woods off South Longyard Road in Southwick. It was among a number of little rental cottages built in the 1940’s…
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Summer Sounds by Marcia Helland
In winter I awake to silence – a deep, enveloping quiet – and I know that when the window shades are raised, I’ll look out on a white, powdery stillness everywhere…
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Remember When? Our Readers Reminisce by Danny Nason
Who else had a great experience working for a small business in Westfield? In May 1975 I started working at Westfield Spring Manufacturing, Inc…
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Country Kitchen
Flavors of the Summer await with two dishes; one side and one main course.
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Water by Laura Poth
Sometimes I can see right through you. That only makes me love you more. In fact, I have always believed that you are more valuable than the biggest, brightest diamond…
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A Vagabond Trip to Nova Scotia by Albert E. Fletcher
August 23, 1950 at 6 P. M. Richard N. Gaylord and Albert E. Fletcher started for Cape Breton Island and Nova Scotia. We drove a 1941 Chrysler Royal, towing a sleeping trailer…
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August 2016 Bulletin Board
Local events and non-profit events including trips, festivals, benefits, and picnics.
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From the State House by Nicholas Boldyga
A letter to the constituencies updating what is happening in your local government by Representative Nicholas Boldyga.
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Classifieds
From Goods and Services to Help Wanted. Classifieds come from your local businesses to you.
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