Around Westfield

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The Sorority Sisters were getting frisky on the UMass concourse this week.

A rainy street in Ware.

I took the bus to Westfield, where Mr. Liberty was offering tax services.

One of the best stores for outdoorsman is in Westfield. It's called Witeks and has everything, provided you're lucky enough to find it open since it has no set hours.

I'm saddened to see that it will soon be going out of business entirely.

I went to the Westfield Athenaeum.

What the hell is an atheneum? According to Springfield's Merriam-Webster:

ath·e·nae·um
Variant(s): or ath·e·ne·um \ˌa-thə-ˈnē-əm\
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin Athenaeum, a school in ancient Rome for the study of arts, from Greek Athēnaion, a temple of Athena, from Athēnē
Date: 1799
1 : a building or room in which books, periodicals, and newspapers are kept for use
2 : a literary or scientific association

Later I crossed the street to The Westfield Tavern where Chris was putting up the St. Paddy's bouquets.

 



That night I went to Jester's in downtown Westfield for supper. Joining me was my sister Bev and cousins Margaret and Pauline.

Jester's has a cool menu based on musical themes. (click to enlarge)

I had "The Hendrix" which is a straight ham and cheese sandwich. Jimi never could tolerate any kind of baloney. I like this psychedelic sun by the cash register.

 



Garrison Keillor at the Calvin in Northampton last weekend.

 



Former Valley Advocate reporter Al Giordano reunited recently with Johanna Lawrenson, the widow of Abbie Hoffman. Al and Abbie were arrested together at a UMass protest rally in the 1980's in the company of Amy Carter, the daughter of President Jimmy Carter. The resulting trial in Northampton was one of the biggest local media circuses of the decade. Abbie Hoffman committed suicide in 1989.

Screaming psychedelia from Amherst's Conduit.

 



Now look, I like him too, I like hippie Johnny.