Arts and Recreation
"Mother of a Comedy Show" for Mothers Day at Park Theatre
3 Moms go professional stand-up with their comedy on Friday, May 8 in Jaffrey, NH
Photo courtesy of The Park TheatreJAFFREY, New Hampshire (May 4, 2026). When three moms go on stage with their comedy, anything can happen, and usually does. The Park Theatre has the perfect night out for all Moms and Grand-moms!) on Mother's Day Weekend, Friday, May 8 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $30.00.
The "Mother of a Comedy Show" has had packed houses roaring with laughter all over New England. This strong female comedy showcase, featuring Christine Hurley, Kelly MacFarland, and Kerri Louise, deliver a night of relatable humor about family, kids, and relationships that resonate with laughter throughout audience. The show, a celebration of life as a mom, daughter and spouse, in all its messy glory, offers a hilarious take on everything from the challenges of raising kids to the absurdities of everyday life. Christine Hurley's sharp wit and observational humor, combined with Kelly MacFarland's storytelling style and Kerri Louise's high-energy antics, creates a dynamic and unforgettable comedic experience. Audiences can expect to laugh along with relatable stories about trials and tribulations of school lunches, the joys and frustrations of family and relationship challenges.
The "Mother of a Comedy Show" is more than just a night of laughs; it's a chance for Mothers (and Dads) to connect and realize they're not alone in the chaotic world of raising children and living life. Get your tickets to a "Mother of a Comedy today and give yourself a night they won't forget!
For tickets, visit theparktheatre.org, or call the box office at (603) 532-8888.
The Park Theatre performing arts center is located at 19 Main Street in downtown Jaffrey, New Hampshire. The facility is fully accessible.
Coming Up at Nova Arts in Keene
Friday, May 8: Trinary System!
Trinary System is Roger Miller's (Mission of Burma) current rock band. He plays guitar, sings and composes, accompanied by Larry Dersch (Binary System, A.K.A.C.O.D., etc.) on drums and Andrew Willis (the Web, Crappy Nightmareville, etc.) on bass, vocals and electronics.
Beat-driven. Dirty, glitchy, lyric-centered, groove-based. Solid earth. Soaring soundscapes. A mass of noise. Volatility. Vocal Singularity. Employing heavy elements of funk and soul, paris_monster closes a gap between synthesized sound and garage; between modern detail and old-school grit.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and music begins at 7:30 p.m.
Access For All tickets are available thanks to support from Savings Bank of Walpole. Please note: to purchase more than one Access For All ticket, each must be completed in a separate transaction.
All shows are all ages, and seating is first come, first served.
Tickets and more info available at www.novaarts.org/events
Nova Arts is located at 48 Emerald St, Keene, NH.
Theatre at the Mount Announces Auditions for the High-Energy Musical "Footloose"
image courtesy of Theatre at the MountGARDNER, MA - Theatre at the Mount invites performers to kick off their Sunday shoes and audition for Footloose, the electrifying musical that celebrates the power of youth, resilience, and rock 'n' roll rebellion. Bursting with iconic hits like "Holding Out for a Hero," "Let's Hear It for the Boy," and the unforgettable title track "Footloose," this crowd-pleasing production follows city teen Ren McCormack as he shakes up a small town where dancing has been outlawed--proving that one voice, and one dance, can spark a revolution.
Auditions will be held Monday, May 18 and Tuesday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m. in Room A110 (formerly 182) at Mount Wachusett Community College. All auditions are by appointment only. To schedule an audition time, call 978-630-9388 or email box-office@mwcc.mass.edu.
Directed by Will Gelinas, with music direction by Dave Twiss and choreography by Kaden Scopelitti, the production seeks a large cast of teens and adults (ages 16 and up). Performers should prepare a short vocal selection that best showcases their range; those singing material not from the show must bring sheet music (please note: no music printed from MuseScore). Comfortable clothing and footwear are recommended for the dance portion of the audition, and select roles will include cold readings from the script.
Footloose features a dynamic lineup of principal and ensemble roles, including Ren McCormack, Ariel Moore, Reverend Shaw Moore, Vi Moore, Rusty, Willard Hewitt, Chuck Cranston, and a vibrant ensemble of townspeople and students. Most ensemble members will be asked to both sing and dance.
Rehearsals are tentatively scheduled for Sundays from 6:00-9:00 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00-10:00 p.m.
The production will take the stage August 7, 8, 14, 15 at 7:30 p.m. and August 9 and 16 at 2:00 p.m.
For additional information, contact Professor Gail Steele at 978-630-9162 or g_steele@mwcc.mass.edu
Regional News
Senate Ways and Means Releases Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Recommendations
Senate Prioritizes Support for Local Communities, Schools, and the State's Housing Needs
(BOSTON - 5/5/2026) The Senate Committee on Ways and Means today released a $63.3 billion budget plan for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) that invests responsibly in key areas like public education and support for municipalities, unlocks new opportunities for housing growth, and stewards the Commonwealth's core commitments to its residents.
The Committee's budget recommendation achieves this without any tax hikes or fee increases on Massachusetts residents, who are already feeling the weight of inflation, tariffs, and the impact of the federal government's costly foreign entanglements.
The Senate's FY27 budget is a responsible, future-focused plan that strengthens our fiscal foundation while making meaningful investments in the people of Massachusetts," said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "With record local aid, historic support for our public schools, and major steps to streamline housing development and expand access to higher education, this budget reflects our commitment to affordability, opportunity, and long-term stability. At a time when our residents are feeling real pressure, we are protecting essential services, easing burdens on cities and towns, and laying the groundwork for strong communities across the Commonwealth. I'm incredibly proud of the thoughtful work that went into this budget, and I believe it demonstrates the best of what we can accomplish when we put the needs of Massachusetts residents first."
"For the eighth time as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, I am proud that we are putting forward a balanced and fiscally responsible budget that reflects the priorities and input of all 40 Senators and leads with a steady and stable hand in the face of continued economic and federal uncertainty," said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. "Firmly grounded in the principles of sound budgeting and fiscal responsibility, the Committee's budget does not raise taxes or fees on our residents and businesses, while making major investments in education and local aid, emphasizing the Senate's strong commitment to helping all 351 cities and towns. This budget also invests resources to make higher education more affordable, combat hunger, strengthen food security initiatives and protect core services for our most vulnerable, our growing aging population and individuals with disabilities. I am very grateful to Senate President Spilka for her partnership, along with my Vice-Chairs, Senator Comerford and Senator Feeney for their input, along with committee members and the entire Senate membership for sharing their voices and helping shape a budget that strives to build a more resilient and affordable future for our Commonwealth."
The Committee's recommendation is built on a responsible increase of 3.5 per cent in general budget spending over last fiscal year and a total bottom line of $63.3 billion in spending. The bottom line represents a reduction of $66 million from House 2, more strategically aligning revenues to address current spending pressures.
The Committee developed its plan in line with the FY27 consensus revenue estimate of $44.9 billion, which was agreed upon earlier this year and represents a 2.9 per cent increase over the FY26 benchmark. The Ways and Means recommendation includes $2.7 billion in Fair Share spending for public education and transportation initiatives.
The Committee's budget does not raise any taxes on Massachusetts residents and would not spend any dollars from the state's 'rainy day fund.' The bill would continue to responsibly save for the future by placing a $51 million deposit into the state's savings account for a record balance of $8.2 billion by the end of next fiscal year.
"This budget proposal reflects the Senate's shared commitment to building a Commonwealth that works for everyone," said Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. "It makes thoughtful, far-reaching investments in our people and communities--strengthening food security, expanding access to public education, and delivering record support for municipalities--while safeguarding essential services in a time of skyrocketing costs of living. In a moment of real uncertainty, the Senate is choosing stability, equity, and care. I am grateful to Senate President Karen Spilka and Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues for their steady, compassionate leadership in advancing this proposal."
"With fiscal uncertainty being exported from Washington, along with dramatically increasing cost pressures here at home, the challenges in drafting the Commonwealth's budget this year are significant," said Senator Paul R. Feeney (D-Foxborough), Assistant Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. "Guided by our collective values however, under the leadership of Senate President Spilka and Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues, this budget shows that we can maintain our commitments, create opportunities, and continue to lead, without raising taxes and despite the growing uncertainty. From a historic investment in local aid and student funding, to responsible spending that creates opportunities in every community, the FY27 Senate Budget accomplishes something very important--it invests in the people of Massachusetts."
The Ways and Means Committee's budget makes historic investments in local towns and cities through record levels of Chapter 70 school aid, which helps support the full range of school expenses from teachers to school supplies, and Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA), which local leaders can use as flexible spending for everything from paving sidewalks to hiring police officers.
The recommendation would complete the Legislature's promise to fully fund and implement the Student Opportunity Act with $7.66 billion in funding for local school districts; an increase of $297 million over last fiscal year in school aid to local municipalities; and a record $160-per-pupil minimum level for local school aid.
The Committee also recommends boosting UGGA, flexible direct municipal aid, by $53 million and sharing the funds with town and city halls across the state through a new, more equitable system. The increase to direct local aid would be allocated based on a town or city's population, as the Senate seeks to proactively create a fair system and move away from an archaic funding distribution that has left some municipalities behind.
The Committee's budget recommends reconvening the Foundation Budget Review Commission (FBRC) to examine the current K-12 funding formula. Fulfilling the Senate President's call, the FBRC will assess potential new ways to address rising costs and the allocation of school resources statewide. This reflects the Senate's recognition that school districts statewide face serious fiscal challenges related to escalating costs of special education, student transportation, personnel, educator health care, and other factors. The Committee also recommends convening a commission to study public school construction financing through the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and ensuring that the authority's grant funding formula allocates resources responsibly and equitably.
The Committee's FY27 budget prioritizes construction of new housing across the state through provisions that build on last session's Affordable Homes Act and streamline local permitting to help meet housing demand and drive down costs. Housing priority sections would make it easier for homeowners and developers to work with buildings or properties that don't fully meet current zoning rules because they were built under older codes, provide reasonable timelines for projects to proceed under existing zoning rules, and modernize the variance standard.
The Committee's FY27 budget takes proactive steps to support our most vulnerable, fight poverty and build upon investments in child assistance, anti-hunger, food security, and economic security initiatives. It provides over $265 million to support anti-hunger, supplemental nutrition assistance and food security initiatives. This includes $148 million for Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) caseworkers to support staffing needs to maintain program integrity, protect access to SNAP food benefits and comply with new federal SNAP requirements. It also provides $55 million for Emergency Food Assistance to assist residents in navigating the historical levels of food insecurity and $29.7 million for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) to support local farmers and ensure access to healthy food options.
The Committee's budget maintains recently increased benefit levels through the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) programs--fully annualizing prior increases in both programs to help fight deep poverty and including a clothing allowance of $500 per child for families receiving TAFDC benefits.
Other initiatives in the Ways and Means budget recommendation focus on improving safety and emergency protection at assisted living residences, responding to the tragic fire at the Gabriel House in Fall River last year; making higher education more affordable for local college students through Senate-led programs like MassEducate; and fully supporting jail diversion programs that connect people with mental illness and substance use disorders to appropriate treatment in order to improve their lives and strengthen public safety.
The legislation also requires a simpler way to cancel online subscriptions, protecting residents' bank accounts from being nickel-and-dimed by 'junk fees' and repeat charges that come from hard-to-cancel monthly subscriptions. A section of the bill would require companies and sellers of subscription products to make canceling a subscription as easy as signing up.
A detailed summary highlighting the many key components of the Ways and Means budget is available in a fact sheet in the Senate's press room.
Under the Senate Rules, Senators can file amendments to the Ways and Means recommendation until 3 P.M. on Friday, May 8. Following introductory speeches on Monday, May 18, the Senate will debate the FY27 budget proposal during a formal session which convenes Tuesday, May 19.
The FY27 Senate Ways and Means budget recommendations are available on the Massachusetts Legislature's website: https://malegislature.gov/Budget/SenateWaysMeansBudget.
Housing Lottery Applications Now Open for Baldwinville School Apartments in Templeton
Templeton's First Multifamily Development in 25+ Years Set to Deliver by Fall 2026; Lottery Applications Due July 15
May 6, 2026 - TEMPLETON, MA - Today, MPZ Development LLC, Capstone Communities LLC and Peabody Properties announced the affordable housing lottery for Baldwinville School Apartments is officially open for applications. Slated for delivery in Fall 2026, Baldwinville School Apartments is the first multi-family housing project permitted in Templeton in more than 25 years, bringing much-needed affordable and market-rate housing to the community.
Managed by Peabody Properties, Baldwinville School Apartments is transforming the historic Baldwinville Elementary School into 54 rental apartments across two connected, three-story buildings, 49 of which are designated affordable for households earning at or below 30–60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Designed by ICON Architecture, the project includes a new Enterprise Green Communities-certified Passive House addition, with apartments available in a range of layouts, including loft, studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom, many of which are being rehabilitated in the original elementary school.
Applications for the housing lottery are to be submitted online or postmarked no later than July 15, 2026. All applicants who submit a complete application by the deadline will be entered into the lottery drawing, which will take place on July 22, 2026, at 4:00 PM EST via Zoom. Following the lottery, Peabody will contact and process applicants in lottery number order.
Prospective residents are encouraged to attend an upcoming information session on Thursday, May 14 at 5:00 PM at Narragansett Regional School, 462 Baldwinville Road, Baldwinville, MA 01436. A virtual attendance option will also be available. The session will provide an overview of the community, available units, income qualifications, and the application process. An ice cream truck will be onsite to provide treats to all attendees!
"We're thrilled to open the housing lottery for Baldwinville School Apartments and invite prospective residents to apply to live in this community," said Jason Korb, Principal of Capstone Communities and Mathieu P. Zahler, Principal of MPZ Development. "We're proud to help meet a need in Templeton through new housing opportunities in a building that has long been part of Baldwinville's community fabric. We encourage those interested in living here in the future to explore the application process."
"As the housing lottery opens, Baldwinville School Apartments marks an important step in bringing new housing opportunities to Templeton," said Melissa Fish-Crane of Peabody Properties. "Our team looks forward to guiding applicants through the process and ultimately welcoming residents into a well-managed, supportive community they can call home."
"I'm thrilled to see this project coming to completion," said James Ryan, Town Administrator, Town of Templeton. "Seventy percent of its unrestricted affordable units are reserved for Templeton residents, individuals who work in Templeton, or for parents whose children attend school in the district. Whether someone is looking to downsize and save, find a place of their own for the first time, or move closer to where their children are being educated, Templeton will soon have dozens of new apartments to meet those needs."
Additional on-site amenities at Baldwinville School Apartments include an outdoor courtyard, public children's playground, fitness center, EV charging stations, in-building laundry, and a public walking trail leading to an overlook of the Otter River. The Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MRTA) Winchendon Link bus stop is a block away and provides several 10-minute trips to and from Gardner, as well.
The site's five market-rate units will have a separate application process. Applications for these apartments will be reviewed on a rolling basis as received. More information will become available via baldwinvilleschoolapts.com.
Capstone and MPZ broke ground on the project in June 2025 and previously announced they secured financing to make this development possible. Financing for Baldwinville School Apartments was provided by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, MassHousing, Rockland Trust, National Equity Fund, the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and The Life Initiative. Capstone and MPZ were awarded $1.924M in funding for Baldwinville School Apartments through the Community Preservation Act via Templeton's Community Preservation Committee, as well as $750,000 through the Underutilized Properties Program (UPP) via the Commonwealth's Community One Stop for Growth awards, administered by MassDevelopment.
Lottery applications are available online or by mail. For more information, see baldwinvilleschoolapts.com or contact Peabody Properties at 857-281-1494 or baldwinville@peabodyproperties.com.
Gardening
Easy-Care Patriotic Container Gardens
A container garden planted with the Lady Liberty Mix of Soiree Kawaii vincas.
Photo courtesy of Suntory Flowers
Add some red, white and blue to your gardens and containers in celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States. When designing your plantings be sure to select plants suitable for the growing conditions and those that will look great not only on the 4th but throughout the growing season.
White petunias, alyssum and dusty millers are traditional favorites. These along with red geraniums and zinnias and blue salvia, ageratum and petunias are often used to complete a patriotic combination.
Consider trying something new for this special celebration. Suntory Flowers Soiree® Kawaii vincas (Catharanthus) retain their beautiful compact shape and impressive floral display all season long and with minimal care. The Lady Liberty Mix features Red Shades, White Peppermint and Blueberry Kiss Soiree® Kawaii varieties (suntorygardenclub.com).
You may also know these and other Catharanthus as annual, rose and Madagascar vinca. The Soiree Kawai varieties like the other vincas are heat and drought tolerant once established. Grow them in full sun or dappled shade with well-drained soil in garden beds and containers filled with a quality potting mix. Plant somewhere you can enjoy their flowers and the visiting butterflies and other pollinators. You'll appreciate their easy-care nature, pollinator appeal and that deer and rabbits tend to leave them be.
Let your red, white and blue arrangement shine in a simple black, green or terra cotta pot. Or fill containers with all white, red or blue flowers set in a red, white and blue pot. Purchase one or create your own from a plain terra cotta pot or upcycled items like coffee cans, buckets, food tins and crates. Select a paint appropriate for the container's surface and the outdoors. Add drainage holes if necessary and possible. If you can't provide needed drainage, grow the plants in a basic nursery pot. Set this container in your patriotic pot and use stones to elevate the inner container to the proper height and above any water that collects in the bottom. Dress it up a bit by covering the surface with decorative moss or mulch.
Give your containers of herbs and tropical plants a festive touch with some additional color. Place red, white and blue bandanas or placemats under these pots and your place settings.
Welcome guests with a few stars painted on the lawn with grass safe marking chalk spray. Just create cardboard stencils and head out to the lawn. Check the label of the paint you select to make sure it is safe to use on grass plants.
As you gather with friends and family, take some time to celebrate the contributions by individuals and organizations that have been instrumental in the creation and preservation of our democracy. It is also a chance to look forward to the future we want to create.
Melinda Myers has written over 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" instant video series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Suntory Flowers for her expertise to write this article. Myers' website is www.MelindaMyers.com.