News | Thursday, June 7,2012

School’s out at St. Joseph’s

After 136 years on Springfield’s north end, a family tradition comes to an end

“Good morning! Today is Thursday, May 17,” said St. Joseph’s School principal Linda Tusek into the intercom one recent morning. She began with the day’s announcements to studen

News | Thursday, January 20,2005

Feed your brain

By Will Burpee

Several years ago, Frances Moore Lappé and her daughter Anna Blythe Lappé set off on a journey spanning five continents. What they found, in their words, was "an invisible revolution of courage

News | Thursday, July 15,2004

A simple ceremony

They can’t marry, but that doesn’t keep them from exchanging vows

By Will Burpee

The eyes of the world were on Massachusetts two months ago as it became the first state to legally recognize same-sex marriages. New Jersey last week began issuing extended domestic-partnership benefi

Feature | Thursday, June 17,2004

Peace of paper

By Will Burpee

There was a graduation ceremony recently in Springfield. Nothing unusual about that, especially this time of year. But the setting -- the back yard of 830 S. College Ave. -- was remarkable, as was the

Feature | Thursday, April 15,2004

Ten years after

By Will Burpee

Bob Bartel remembers the trip that gave birth to what became the Poets and Writers Literary Forum of Springfield. "My wife, Janice,and I visited New York in 1993. We toured coffee shops in Greenwich

Feature | Thursday, March 11,2004

The action Faction

By Will Burpee

"They eat, they drink, they read, they talk." Siobhan Pitchford's description of the group she and her husband, David, co-host, if a bit concise, sums up what takes place when it meets. The Fiction

Feature | Wednesday, November 26,2003

Keeping it real

By Will Burpee

Wally Hartshorn still remembers his first reaction when a friend suggested they organize a group to explore paranormal claims and fringe science. "I thought it would be a lot of work," Hartshor

Guest Opinion | Thursday, June 19,2003

“The Last Great Radio Show”

By Will Burpee

You might not remember it--the show last aired more than 25 years ago--but for those who do recall Monitor the memories are vivid. Depending on the listeners, they'll cite the celebrity hosts, the imp