Anniston: (256) 835-7821, ext. Whether it’s a large concert featuring Israeli singers or a celebration of women in the rabbinate, we aim to encourage programs … The municipalities of Franklin and Hampshire counties then organized two voluntary county-oriented "regional councils of government". Extreme inequities in additional state assistances per capita for Western Massachusetts cities compared with Eastern Massachusetts cities—for example, in 2006, for every $278.66 Boston received, its neighbor Cambridge received $176.37, Greater Boston's westernmost city, Worcester, received $67.50, while the City of Springfield received $12.04 per person. MA: MassDOT: East-West rail ridership could be 4 times greater than expected, but project out of reach without federal help, "Western Mass. Hiking Church, Christ Church, Trumbull, The Episcopal Church in Connecticut: $1,353. Calling Latinx artists and organizations—grants are available to support those facing critical financial emergencies due to the impact of COVID-19 in the United States and Puerto Rico. Representatives of FFD said they believe they can manage water use to avoid overtaxing underground resources. Since the start of the pandemic, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts has given almost $12 million in grants to more than 180 … [32] The debate has been particularly strong in northern towns; for example, in Greenfield, Massachusetts and Hadley, Massachusetts.[37]. And so as hilltop farming towns declined in importance, industrial towns in the river valleys rose to local prominence. Governor Bradford of Massachusetts writes that in Windsor, notably the site of a trading post, where European diseases often spread to Native populations, "of 1,000 of [the Indians] 150 of them died." The Fund achieves its mission through capital grants for the purchase of conservation easements and fee title. — The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) is pleased to announce upcoming grant opportunities, with up to $250,000 available for organizations that serve women and girls in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire Counties. All rights reserved (About Us). New England's largest river, the Connecticut, flows through the center of its agricultural valley. For information or to file an application, contact the Rural Development (RD) office serving the county in which the house is located:. Western Massachusetts is a region in Massachusetts, one of the six U.S. states that make up the New England region of the United States.Western Massachusetts has diverse topography; 22 colleges and universities, with approximately 100,000 students; [dead link] and such institutions as Tanglewood, the Springfield Armory, and Jacob's Pillow. Pocumtuck tradition describes the creation of Lake Hitchcock in Deerfield by a giant beaver, possibly representing the action of a glacier that retracted at least 12,000 years ago. [27][28] The residents of Western Massachusetts have vibrant culture in and support the local mix of arts, tourism, and culture.[29]. The grants are from the COVID-19 Response Fund, which to date has awarded $10.2 million to 182 organizations in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. Some individuals became deeply enmeshed in colonial life, even becoming employed by white households. Western Massachusetts. State awards $1.6M in grants for technical skills programs in Western Massachusetts. Essential. AREA OFFICES. [15] The third largest city in Massachusetts, Springfield is situated in the region, and it has struggled financially coming close to bankruptcy at the beginning of the 21st century. With less relief, the river valleys are less pronounced, but still moderately high gradient. Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants Today at 6:02 AM. Recent Post by Page. The modern-day Springfield metropolitan area was inhabited by the Agawam people. Grants of up to $5,000 to western Massachusetts non-profit organizations that are working to address the various needs of local community residents. [16] The unemployment rate in the area lags behind that of Eastern Massachusetts by double[17][18] though officials have pushed for ways to lure more longer term business growth into the region to tap the abundance of students being turned out by colleges and universities in the area. Now It’s a Turnaround Success Story. Innovations originating in the valley include the sports of basketball (James Naismith, 1895) and volleyball (William Morgan, 1895); the first American automobile (Duryea, 1893); the first motorcycle company (Indian, 1901); the first use of interchangeable parts in manufacturing (Thomas Blanchard, 1825); and the first commercial radio station, (WBZ, 1920, from Springfield's Kimball Hotel). Recent State Funding Opportunities. Springfield—The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) has awarded $859,560 in grants to 18 nonprofit organizations in the region providing direct financial assistance and support to immigrant and non-English speaking individuals … Although most grants in the past have been made for preservation activities, we also encourage projects in research, education, and publications. Western Massachusetts organizations from Springfield to the hilltowns were among those that received much needed grants from this program, which recognized both the great value of these organizations and the economic loss suffered by them due to the COVID-19 public health crisis. Elevations increase from about 200 feet (60 meters) to at least 1,000 feet in the escarpment zone. In 1636, a group of English settlers—lured by the promise of a "great river" and the northeast's most fertile farmland—ventured to Springfield, where they established a permanent colony. Diocese of Western Kansas Digital Minister, Episcopal Diocese of Western Kansas, $20,000; St. Anselm’s Episcopal Church, Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee, $30,000; Project Grants . However, there was a simultaneous effort by the English to enforce social division, including bans on interracial marriage, English habitation among Indians, and Native presence in English towns during nighttime hours. White settlers traded wampum, cloth and metal in exchange for furs, as well as horticultural produce. GrantWatch ID#: 177497. Applications due February 3, 2021 at 5pm. [14] Its average population density is 293.07 inhabitants per square mile (113.16/km2), compared to 422.34/km2 (1,093.87/sq mi) for the rest of Massachusetts, and 312.68/km2 (809.83/sq mi) for the state as a whole. Amtrak trains on the route between New Haven and Springfield reach speeds of 110 mph (177 km/h). The Berkshires have long been patronized by artists (e.g. Then in the early 1800s better land opened up in Western New York and the Northwest Territory. The passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act in 1990 ordered museums across Western Mass and the country to repatriate these remains to Native peoples, an ongoing process. Tobacco, tomatoes, sweet corn, and other vegetables are still produced there in commercial quantities. (Springfield lies only 4 miles north of Connecticut; however, Agawam included lands as far south as Windsor Locks, as far north as Holyoke, and as far west as Westfield. Funding awarded during the next 5 months will be made available from the following programs: the Fund for Me too Movement and Allies, Emergency … Updated Mar 03, 2021; Posted Feb 20, 2021 . SPRINGFIELD — The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts announced new grants to 36 local nonprofits through the COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley totaling $785,000, targeting food insecurity, homelessness, those with disabilities, and summer programs, as well as addressing immediate needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.. Blue Ridge Service Corps, Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina, $2,000; Canterbury Fellowship, Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming, $2,000; Canterbury House Episcopal Campus … the Knowledge Corridor.) Artistic Director Daniel … Good News Gardens Diocesans Initiative, The Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts: $1,353. Leadership Grants. Regardless, the valley remains New England's most productive farmland. We also provide consultation for family child care owners and out-of-school time and center directors and administrators. Job title: Grants/Proposal writer for Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts. With an average annual household income of $65,401.00, less than 65.70% of the people actually paid off their mortgages. Farther south, the area called the Quaboag Hills includes Hampden, Monson, Wales, Warren, Holland, and Wilbraham on the Connecticut border. Western Massachusetts is a region in Massachusetts, one of the six U.S. states that make up the New England region of the United States. . Some residents of Western Massachusetts are critical towards Boston, the state's capital and largest city. The Massachusetts Bay Colony settled at the Connecticut River Valley's most fertile land - stretching from Windsor, Connecticut, (once part of Springfield,) to Northampton, Massachusetts - from 1636 to 1654. The western part of Western Massachusetts includes the Berkshire Mountains, where there are several vacation resorts. The fur trade stood at the heart of their economic interactions, a lucrative business that guided many other policy decisions. Me Too Grantmaking Update In … A good number of the residents in Massachusetts is not able to afford to pay off their mortgages. [2] In the eastern part of the area, the Quabbin region is a place of outdoor recreation.[3]. Our grants support individuals and organizations in making such opportunities available. The Community Foundation is no longer running the Capacity, Innovation or Mission grant programs. As continental glaciers receded near the end of the last glacial period, a moraine at Rocky Hill, Connecticut dammed the river to create Lake Hitchcock, extending northward some 200 miles (320 km) inundating places such as Springfield, Agawam, and West Springfield, while certain highlands remained above water, (i.e. [21] The 1,200 mile 'middle mile' project was completed in early 2014,[22] connecting public institutions throughout central and western Massachusetts, but also providing a fiber-optic backbone to allow for further expansion in these regions. Since 1982, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts has been feeding our neighbors in need and leading the community to end hunger. © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Fossil dinosaur footprints in Holyoke attest to the life present in this region during the Mesozoic. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. This created new jobs, land development, and had gentrifying effects in many college towns. WFWM Meets COVID Challenges with Bold Grant Opportunities Spring 2021 Grant Opportunities Multiple grants totaling up to $250,000 will be awarded by The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) to... Read More. The Open Space Institute’s Western Massachusetts Land Protection Fund (“Fund”) is an initiative designed to support the conservation of forested landscapes in western Massachusetts, with a focus on protecting wildlife habitat while also facilitating appropriate human use. The region was inhabited by several Algonkian-speaking Native American communities, culturally connected but distinguished by the place names they assigned to their respective communities: Agawam (low land), Woronco (in a circular way), Nonotuck (in the midst of the river), Pocumtuck (narrow, swift river), and Sokoki (separated from their neighbors). 22News is working for you with a look at snowfall totals from across western Massachusetts, as reported by trained spotters and HAM radio through the National Weather Service. Secondary rifts branched off the main crustal fracture, and this one was eventually occupied by the Connecticut River. Building off of that project, the Commonwealth launched a 'Last Mile' initiative targeting 54 communities that were unserved or under-served by broadband. As the conflict grew in its initial months, the English in Western Massachusetts were deeply concerned with maintaining the loyalty of “their Indians.”[9] The Agawams cooperated, even providing valuable intelligence to the English. Since taking office, Governor Baker and Lieutenant Governor Polito have been making Massachusetts a great place to live, work and raise a family – while delivering a customer-service oriented state government that is as hard working as the people of the Commonwealth. The Quaboag Hills and Valley, the Quabbin Regions, and populated places stretching east towards Worcester are all locally known as "Hill Towns"; a term interchangeable with the Hill Towns west of the Pioneer Valley. After a number of county governments were eliminated in Massachusetts in the late 1990s (including Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Berkshire and Worcester), most county functions were assigned to the state government. In 2008-2009, the top five locations providing the highest average FSEOGs had been the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Vermont, Hawaii, and Massachusetts. From these valleys, uplands to the east appear as a rounded mountain range, rising some 1,600 feet (500 meters) although they are actually a plateau. Immediate. Williamsburg in Hampshire County and Becket in Berkshire County are prominent Hilltowns. Accumulation of fine sediments during the era of Lake Hitchcock accounts for this region's exceptionally rich agricultural soil, which attracted settlers as early as 1635. [11] Many refugees of the war joined the Wabanaki in the north, where their descendants remain today. The hilltown agricultural population went into a long decline and fields began reverting to forest. Accurate. Multiple grants totaling up to $250,000 will be awarded by The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) to women-and girls-serving organizations based in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire Counties. Opportunity grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding. In descending order of size, its largest communities are: Springfield, Chicopee, Pittsfield, Westfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Agawam, West Springfield, Amherst Center (CDP), Easthampton, Longmeadow (CDP), East Longmeadow, North Adams, and Greenfield (CDP). The New Haven–Springfield Line was upgraded in conjunction with the launch of the Hartford Line service. By Women's Fund of Western MA Grants. Because of the seasonal nature of goods provided by Native people, compared with the constant availability of English ones, a credit system developed. Fewer than a third of prominent pro-democracy activists charged under a new national security law were granted bail Thursday after a hearing at … Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts 1160 Dickinson Street Springfield, MA 01108 (413) 737-4313 info@jewishwesternmass.org Geologically, however, the Berkshires are a westward continuation of uplands west of the Connecticut River and a southern extension of Vermont's Green Mountains. The … The South Quabbin region (formerly the Swift River Valley) includes the towns of Barre, Belchertown, Pelham, Ware, Hardwick, Leverett, and Shutesbury. [31] In response, the Franklin County School Committee Caucus released a map that overlaid the county north-to-south over Metro Boston. The overlay reached from Rhode Island in the south to New Hampshire in the north and Framingham in the west. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Western Massachusetts is seeing the same kind of slow but consistent decline in coronavirus activity that the Department of Public Health has reported for Massachusetts as a … The Metacomet Ridge is a series of narrow traprock ridges where lava penetrated this rift zone, beginning at the northern end of the graben near Greenfield and extending south across Massachusetts and Connecticut to Long Island Sound. Western Massachusetts was originally settled by Native American societies, including the Pocomtuc, Nonotuck Mohawk, Nipmuck, and Mahican. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. The eastern part of the region includes the Connecticut River Valley, which has a number of university towns, the major city Springfield, and numerous agricultural hamlets. Western Massachusetts has been compared as a microcosm of the rest of the United States. The portion of this valley in Massachusetts is also commonly referred to as the Pioneer Valley. This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Most of this region is a rolling upland of schist, gneiss and other resistant metamorphics with intrusions of pegmatite and granite. In a 2010 editorial, the Boston Globe berated communities in northern Western Massachusetts for resisting efforts to force consolidation of local school districts. Massachusetts Housing Grants: At an average value of $352,300.00 per housing property, there are more than 2,800,000 housing units in Massachusetts. West of the Housatonic-Hoosic valley system rises the narrower Taconic Range along the New York border. February 2, 2021 . The population amounted to approximately 12.84% of the 2000 population of the entire state of Massachusetts, which was 6,349,097. Common Capital provides funding to businesses in Western Massachusetts that are unable to get conventional loans. SPRINGFIELD — The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) announced upcoming grant opportunities, with up to $250,000 available for organizations that serve women and girls in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.. Funding awarded during the next five months will be made available from the following programs: the Fund for Me Too Movement and Allies, Emergency Grants, … View Full Grant » NEW. Although there are no set priority areas for these grants, proposals that support the areas of: the arts, children, or literacy are of particular interest to the Foundation. Upper tributaries of the Hoosic separate Massachusetts' highest peak, Mount Greylock 3,491′ (1,064 meters) from both ranges, however Greylock's geology connects it with the Taconics. After the American Revolution, a rebellion led by Daniel Shays culminated in a battle at the National Armory in Springfield. Herman Melville, who wrote Moby-Dick while living in Pittsfield; Edith Wharton, who wrote The House of Mirth and Ethan Frome while living in Lenox; and Norman Rockwell, many of whose painting were based on scenes that he observed in the town of Stockbridge. Grants to Massachusetts nonprofit organizations to benefit communities where the funding source has a business presence. Our local community is rich in opportunities for people to engage in vibrant, enriching Jewish community programs. Facebook Share. Various sites indicate millennia of fishing, horticulture, beaver-hunting, and burials. We distribute food to our members in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties. Several communities in Western Mass have fought to have changes made the Chapter 70 structure which the state presently uses to allocate education funding to cities and towns.[30]. Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. On top, elevations rise gradually to the west. $2,500 artist grants. Western Massachusetts is a region in Massachusetts, one of the six U.S. states that make up the New England region of the United States. “Western Massachusetts has been hard-hit by COVID-19 and this CDBG money will go directly to local needs. Leaders in a small Massachusetts town have granted a special permit for a 91,000-square-foot outdoor cannabis farm in the community after the … Western Massachusetts has diverse topography; 22 colleges and universities, with approximately 100,000 students; [dead link] and such institutions as Tanglewood, the Springfield Armory, and Jacob's Pillow. 'Most of the growth is to the east': Springfield gains jobs, but unemployment rate stays well above Worcester and Boston, Business 2018: Valley’s economy is riding high, experts more optimistic than they’ve been in years, Federal government grants to expand broadband Internet access in Western Massachusetts, "Construction, Turnover Complete on New 1,200 Mile Fiber Backbone for Western and Central Massachusetts", "Massachusetts Broadband Institute announces completion of rural high-speed network", "Officials celebrate Comcast broadband expansion in 9 rural Western Massachusetts towns", "Savoy, Florida back wireless route to last-mile internet", "Little engine that could: Mount Washington flips switch on fiber". Travel and Tourism Recovery Grants The Travel and Tourism Recovery Grant Program is a new marketing effort that will support the My Local MA campaign, enhance tourism recovery, and have the potential to increase non-resident visitation. In the past, our organization has given grants that supported 10-and-Under tennis initiatives, in-and-after school programming, Junior Team Tennis, as well as various types of program scholarships. In August 1675, English soldiers in Hadley demanded the disarming of a “fort” of Nonotuck Indians. Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a total of $2.5 million in Urban Agenda grants to support 30 projects in 23 communities. Chester Theatre Company. Black economic development will require immediate and long term community action, leadership and outside-the-box solutions. [19] To combat the higher cost of telecommunications which were roughly double that of Eastern Massachusetts, the government of the Commonwealth invested $45.4 Million in building out a broadband network using Federal grant under the 'Massachusetts Technology Park - MassBroadband 123' initiative,[20] funds which were matched by $45 million in federal investment. Other Specialized Financing Options You may be able to get funding for specific activities. Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts - CFWM administers a charitable endowment consisting of nearly 600 separately identified funds ($121 million) serving the three counties bordering the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts (Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties). Grants target organizations that provide direct financial assistance to individuals and families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. *Samuel Adams is the founding brand of The Boston Beer Company, makers of Twisted Tea, Truly Hard Seltzer, Dogfish Head and Angry Orchard * Video. masslive.com - SPRINGFIELD — The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts has awarded $859,560 in grants to 18 nonprofit organizations, to help provide … Community Foundation of Western Mass. The Chester Theatre Company received a grant of $94,000. awards $859K in COVID-relief funds to groups helping immigrants - Flipboard Please call ahead for an appointment. Below is a list of opportunities recently published in the local state: Funding Number Funding Title; USDA NRCS MA EQIP 21 NOFO0001047: Watershed Assessments for the National Water Quality Initiative in Western Massachusetts: USDA NRCS MA MULTI 20 NOFO0001026: … This set of four counties is sometimes regarded as defining Western Massachusetts; for example, the Western Massachusetts Office of the Governor serves residents of these counties. The Connecticut River Valley is an ancient downfaulted graben or rift valley that formed during the Mesozoic Era when rifting developed in the Pangaea supercontinent to separate North America from Europe and South America from Africa. [13][better source needed]. In 1777, George Washington and Henry Knox selected Springfield for the site of the fledgling United States' National Armory. Western Massachusetts' population is concentrated in the cities and suburbs along the Connecticut River in an urban axis surrounding Springfield that is contiguous with greater Hartford, Connecticut (i.e. Our work in Congress is far from over.” In Western Massachusetts, the following CDBG funds were secured: Chicopee $706,467; Holyoke … Towns at the western edge of Worcester County, especially those near the Quabbin Reservoir, may be considered to be in western Massachusetts for some purposes; for example, two Worcester County towns have telephone numbers in western Massachusetts's area code 413. Unwilling to relinquish their weapons, they left on the night of August 25. The western portion of Massachusetts consists approximately of the four counties of Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and Berkshire. Attention nonprofits—we've posted a new RFP for the “COVID Relief fo ... r Underserved Populations” grants. We know that there are many people, both within and outside … Love 0. At its southern tip, the Springfield-Hartford region is home to 29 colleges and universities and over 160,000 university students—the United States' second highest concentration of higher learning institutions after the Boston metropolitan area. Projects funded during this cycle must focus on either economic security; parity in positions of power and leadership; leadership and visibility; safety and anti-violence; or freedom from … Grants to Massachusetts nonprofit and for-profit organizations, CBOs, and city departments in eligible regions for programs that strengthen neighborhoods and benefit local residents.