Eclipses, a reservoir birthday, and the Bridgerton Ball
By Neal Quesnel ·
A partial solar eclipse crosses New England on Wednesday, August 12, and the Springfield Museums run a free safe-viewing setup starting at 1pm. That same afternoon, Chicopee Public Library hosts Ice Cream with the Mayor from 1:30 to 4pm, and Brett Outchucunis brings yo-yo tricks and DJ sets to the Clapp Memorial Library lawn in Belchertown at 6pm. Saturday, Wyckoff Country Club in Holyoke throws a regency-era Bridgerton Ball with a live Springfield Symphony string quartet, while the Drake in Amherst runs an indie sleaze dance party starting at 8pm. On the civic side, Holyoke confirmed its first chief administrative financial officer, Deerfield heads toward a fall Special Town Meeting on ADU bylaw changes, and the 30-year fixed nudged up to 6.69%. August 14 marks 87 years since workers sealed the Swift River diversion tunnel and the Quabbin began to fill. The valley is full.
This Weekend
§ 01- № 01
Matt York plays Dylan and Cash on the Storrs Library lawn
Fri Aug 14 · 1pm · Storrs Library front lawn, LongmeadowMatt York, a New England musician and author, plays the songs of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash on the front lawn at Storrs Library, with stories about both careers between songs. Outdoors at 1pm Friday.
- № 02
Basics of Landscape Painting for Beginners
Sat Aug 15 · 11am · Greenfield Public Library Makerspace, GreenfieldThe Greenfield Public Library and the Greenfield Plein Air Club run a beginner landscape painting session in the Makerspace, working in acrylics on canvas with skills aimed at outdoor drawing and painting. Saturday at 11am.
- № 03
All Your Friends: The Indie Sleaze Dance Party
Sat Aug 15 · 8pm · The Drake, AmherstAll Your Friends, a DJ-run indie sleaze dance party, takes over The Drake on Saturday night. 44 N Pleasant Street in Amherst, doors at 8pm.
- № 04
Summer Pollinator BioBlitz at UMass
Sun Aug 16 · 10am · Eastman Lane Pollinator Garden, UMass AmherstThe UMass Bee Campus Committee runs its second annual summer pollinator bioblitz at the new Eastman Lane Pollinator Garden, using nets and phone cameras to catch, photograph, and release bees and other pollinators for the record. Sunday at 10am on the UMass campus.
- № 05
Mid Life Crisis at The Boathouse
Fri Aug 14 · 7pm · The Boathouse, South HadleyMid Life Crisis plays The Boathouse on the Connecticut River in South Hadley, Friday at 7pm.
- № 06
Brewing Massachusetts
Sat Aug 15 · AmherstBrewing Massachusetts runs Saturday, August 15 in Amherst through the Amherst Area Chamber. Details and registration at the link.
- № 07
Julia's 3v3 Soccer Jamboree
Sat Aug 15 · Belchertown State Street Fields, BelchertownJulia's 3v3 Soccer Jamboree runs Saturday at the Belchertown State Street Fields, 66 State Street. The jamboree will benefit the Julia Haynes Scholarship Fund in memory of Julia, who lost her courageous battle with brain cancer in March 2023.
- № 08
Wyckoff Bridgerton Ball
Sat Aug 15 · 6pm · Wyckoff Country Club, HolyokeThe Wyckoff Bridgerton Ball fills the Grand Ballroom at Wyckoff Country Club with regency-era dress and a live string quartet performance by the Springfield Symphony. Saturday at 6pm, 233 Easthampton Road in Holyoke.
Kids Corner
§ 02- № 01
Ice Cream with the Mayor and End of Summer Party
Wed Aug 12 · 1:30pm · Chicopee Public Library, ChicopeeAges · All agesCost · FreeThe Chicopee Public Library closes out summer with ice cream on the back patio from 1:30 to 2:30, with the mayor on hand for hellos. Games and a bounce house obstacle course run outside from 2 to 4, so plan to stick around.
- № 02
Music and More with Brett Ooch Outchucunis
Wed Aug 12 · 6pm · Clapp Memorial Library lawn, BelchertownAges · All agesCost · FreeBrett Outchucunis brings a yo-yo, music, and dance show to the Clapp Memorial Library lawn in Belchertown. Rain moves it to the Town Hall Auditorium; either way, bring a blanket and expect a mixed-age crowd.
- № 03
Kids' Engineering Challenge and Creature Meet-and-Greet
Thu Aug 13 · 4pm · Forbes Library Community Room, NorthamptonAges · 5 and upCost · FreeA Hitchcock Center educator leads a seed-dispersal story and hands-on engineering session at Forbes Library, where kids design their own seed-carrying contraption. Live creatures from the Hitchcock Center come along for a meet-and-greet.
- № 04
Storytime at the Fire Department
Fri Aug 14 · 10am · Longmeadow Fire Station, LongmeadowAges · All agesCost · FreeStorrs Library runs a story time inside the Longmeadow Fire Station, followed by a tour of the trucks and bays. Firefighter tours pull in kids who normally squirm through a library circle.
- № 05
Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing
Wed Aug 12 · 1pm · Springfield Museums, SpringfieldAges · All agesCost · Free with museum admissionSpringfield Museums sets up a partial solar eclipse viewing on the Quadrangle, with staff on hand and safe viewing gear provided. Real astronomy on a Wednesday afternoon, indoors and out.
- № 06
Summer Juggling Meetups
Wed Aug 12 · 6pm · Forbes Library grounds, NorthamptonAges · 6 and upCost · FreeThe Summer Juggling Meetups on the Forbes Library lawn cover basic patterns and hand-eye coordination for beginners, with room for advanced jugglers to work their own tricks. Drop-in, outdoors, and unusually welcoming to a first-timer.
- № 07
Sunset Thursdays at The Carle
Thu Aug 13 · 4pm · Eric Carle Museum, AmherstAges · All agesCost · Cost not postedSunset Thursdays at the Eric Carle Museum keeps the galleries open into the evening with nature, art, and music activities woven through the grounds. A slower, cooler window than the midday Carle crowd.
- № 08
Family Movie: Monsters University
Fri Aug 14 · 2pm · Agawam Public Library, AgawamAges · All agesCost · FreeThe Agawam Public Library screens Monsters University (rated G) in the Judith Clini Community Room, with snacks provided. Chairs are set up, but a blanket on the floor is fair game.
Real Estate Pulse
§ XXThis Week’s Rates
Freddie Mac PMMS · August 6, 2026
| Instrument | This Wk | Last Wk | Yr Ago |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-yr fixed | 6.69% | 6.66% | 6.63% |
| 15-yr fixed | 6.01% | 6.04% | 5.75% |
| 10-yr Treasury | 4.69% | 4.70% | 4.27% |
The 30-year nudged up three basis points while the 15-year ticked down three, widening the 30-to-15 gap to 68 basis points. Year-over-year, both mortgage rates are higher and the 10-year Treasury is up 42 basis points, so buyers hoping the summer would deliver a break aren't getting one. If you closed on a Valley house a year ago, your rate is probably the better deal.
“As I have described, inflation is too high, and I consider the risks to the inflation side of the dual mandate higher than the risks to the employment side at this point. As such, I am prepared to act by raising rates, if necessary.”
A sitting Fed governor putting a rate hike back on the table is a notable shift from the cut-watch tone of recent months. The bond market is reading Cook's remarks as confirmation that the pause continues, with the risk skew tilted toward a hike rather than a cut if inflation does not cool on its own.
Around Town
§ 03- · Town
Holyoke has its first chief administrative financial officer. The City Council confirmed the mayor's appointment of Plante to the CAFO post at its August 4 meeting.
- · Opening
Bay Road bridge in Hadley has reopened after a water main break forced its closure. Commuters between Hadley and Northampton can use it again.
- · Town
The Easthampton City Council approved funding for repairs to the Manhan Rail Trail at its most recent meeting. The council also received a report on the work of the Council on Aging and Enrichment Center.
- · Notice
Greenfield's fire chief is proposing traffic-flow changes to improve emergency vehicle access through the city. The proposal is with city officials for review.
- · Town
Deerfield voters will consider changes to the town's accessory dwelling unit bylaw at a Special Town Meeting this fall. ADU rules govern in-law apartments and backyard cottages, and the vote will shape what homeowners can build.
- · Hiring
Six Flags New England is looking for performers and creative artists for its annual Fright Fest run this fall. The park is holding a hiring fair to fill a range of seasonal roles for the season.
- · Opening
Divalicious Beauty Salon held its grand opening with a ribbon cutting on Perkins Street in Chicopee.
- · Closure
Westfield Street in West Springfield is partially closed Monday while crews repair a leak on a major water transmission main. Route around it if you're driving through.
Local Wins
§ XXRocky's Ace Hardware, the Springfield-headquartered family chain, kicked off its annual Fill the Bucket fundraiser last week, with proceeds going to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Customers round up at the register or drop cash in the paint buckets by the counter. It's a small ask on a hardware run, and the Rocky family has been doing this one for years without making a fuss about it.
Baystate Children's Hospital in Springfield is the local CMN partner, so the money raised at the Valley stores stays close to home. Any Rocky's location will take a contribution through the end of the campaign, and if you're already headed in for a garden hose or a new smoke detector, the bucket is right there.
Valley Fact
Quabbin Reservoir
On August 14, 1939, workers sealed the diversion tunnel that had been carrying the Swift River past the construction site, and the Quabbin Reservoir began to fill. Over the next seven years the water rose behind Winsor Dam, submerging the roads that had linked the four disincorporated towns of the Swift River Valley and swallowing all but the peaks of about 60 hills. Prescott Ridge became Prescott Peninsula. The reservoir was full for the first time in June 1946.
That’s the week. Say Hi to a stranger. Talk on Tuesday.
– Neal