Michael Carolan

Dwight, New England

Writer, Husband, Father, Son, Brother, Journalist @Masslivenews, Essayist, Teacher @ClarkUniversity @NEPRnet @alumniumass @kualumni @umassmfa

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Articles

Municipal arts program transforms recycling containers in Hampshire County town

1 day ago | masslive.com | Michael Carolan

Belchertown — Residents in Belchertown participated in a unique beautification project as residents joined artists to decorate large recycling containers at the town’s transfer station. Elena Bradshaw, 11, was busy Monday evening applying red paint within the lines delineated by Melissa Pandina, one of the three muralists whose work was chosen to adorn the containers at the transfer station on Hamilton Street.
‘Reckoning of histories’

1 week ago | medium.com | Michael Carolan

Journalists, historians discuss media reparations in Western MassachusettsA group of panelists at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst recently said while some in the media industry have acknowledged historical harms toward marginalized communities and people of color, more work needs to be done.
Journalists, historians discuss media reparations at UMass Amherst workshop

2 weeks ago | masslive.com | Michael Carolan

AMHERST — A group of panelists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently said while some in the media industry have acknowledged historical harms toward marginalized communities and people of color, more work needs to be done.
Headliner at HistoryFest 2025 will feature Francis Perkins portrayal

2 weeks ago | masslive.com | Michael Carolan

WESTFIELD — Local historians, scholars and the public will gather Saturday at Westfield State University for HistoryFest Pioneer Valley 2025 to discuss everything from Daniel Shays’ Rebellion to poet Emily Dickinson to President Franklin Roosevelt’s history-making Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins. “HistoryFest is the embodiment of the Pioneer Valley History Network (PVHN),” said Jessica Fontaine, PVHN president and director of the Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield.
Nonprofit group bringing history back to life in Greenfield

1 month ago | masslive.com | Michael Carolan

The headquarters for the Connecticut River Conservancy in Greenfield is the old Franklin County Courthouse. The group is looking to rehabilitate the building. (Submitted photo)submitted photo
‘I can’t abandon the Black people in my heritage,' a WMass historian says

1 month ago | masslive.com | Michael Carolan

More than half a century ago, local historian Cliff McCarthy visited with his father and Poppa Mac, his grandfather, who spoke at length about his life. The talk changed how Cliff McCarthy, then a teen, understood his family and heritage. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.
The 250th anniversary of a neglected Revolutionary battle that never was.

1 month ago | medium.com | Michael Carolan

A reenactor portraying Capt. John Felt, author’s third cousin, seven times removed, confronting British soldiers in Salem, Massachusetts. The semiquincentennial (250th) celebrations of Leslie’s Retreat, ostensibly the first “battle” of the American Revolution, were held February 26, 2025. No shots were fired. Courtesy Boston Globe. Michael Charles Carolan·Follow5 min read·--Is it ever the right time to bring up your notable third cousin, seven times removed? Yawn.
These lucky WMass workers don’t have to go far to get food on their lunch breaks

2 months ago | masslive.com | Michael Carolan

SPRINGFIELD — Breaks at work are precious, and many of us will waste that time driving to get something to eat. Some Pioneer Valley employees we spoke with, however, enjoy getting a bite to eat next to, or even within, their places of employment. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.
These Western Mass. hotspots help working people chill out

2 months ago | masslive.com | Michael Carolan

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Brent Bonfiglio did five tours of duty in Iraq. He was in Bosnia in the 1990s and Afghanistan in the aughts. After serving in three military branches — the Army, Air Force and Navy — he worked a stressful job at the Veterans Affairs Administration until a few years ago. Like most people living in the Pioneer Valley, Bonfiglio has many choices for relaxation to help improve his work-life balance.
WMass historian’s talk to delve into his family’s secret

2 months ago | masslive.com | Michael Carolan

BELCHERTOWN — Local historian Cliff McCarthy will speak publicly for the first time Monday evening in Belchertown about his biracial family, telling the story of his grandfather’s “passing” over the color line. McCarthy, a former archivist at Springfield Museums, has contributed significantly to documenting the history of African Americans in the Pioneer Valley who actively sought freedom and equality.