About Hampshire County, MA

DONUT ON A STRING CONTEST

What a ton of fun it was to watch the kids participate in a donut on a string contest. This was the first I have seen, and it was a riot! James Jr. tied for first place. Go James! Enjoy this video of my 3 sons and their good friend Sarah going to town on their donuts!

Peter Davies of Re/Max Hill and Valley in Northampton, Ma. has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales. This is invaluable expertise to offer at a time when the area is ravaged by “distressed” homes in the foreclosure process. Short sales allow the cash-strapped seller to repay the mortgage at the price that the home sells for, even though it is lower than what is owed on the property. With plummeting property values, this can save many people from foreclosure and even bankruptcy. More and more lenders are willing to consider short sales because they are much less costly than foreclosures. In the Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden county area, an increasing number of homes are in danger of foreclosing. It is happening in all price ranges. Local experts say that even high-priced homes are not immune. “This CDPE designation has been invaluable as I work with sellers and lenders on complicated short sales,” said Davies. “It is so rewarding to be able to help sellers save their homes from foreclosure.” Alex Charfen, founder of the Distressed Property Institute in Boca Raton, Fla., said that Realtors® such as Peter Davies with the CDPE designation have valuable training in short sales that can offer the homeowner much better alternatives to foreclosure, which virtually destroys the credit rating. These experts also may better understand market conditions and can help sellers through the emotional experience, he said. The Distressed Property Institute opened in January 2008 and provides training on-site and online. The CDPE is the premier designation for Realtors helping homeowners in distress and handling short sales. “Our goal is to educate as many people as possible so we can help as many homeowners as possible,” Charfen said.

Today we are featuring one of the many great universities located in Massachusetts, UMass Amherst. UMass Amherst originated in 1863 with just 4 faculty members, 4 buildings and 56 students set on 310 rural acres of land. The first female student enrolled in 1892 and this was the same year graduate degrees were authorized. After World War II, the university experienced rapid growth and expansion. Today, in the 21st Century, UMass is known as the flagship campus of the state's five campus University system with close to 24,000 students enrolled. It has a wonderful reputation for excellence internationally.

More UMass information from their website: http://www.umass.edu

Location

UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers.

Enrollment and Faculty (Fall 2008)

Students

• 20,540 undergraduate students
• 5,820 graduate students
• 26,360 total undergraduate and graduate students

Faculty

• 1,180 full-time instructional faculty

Tuition and Fees (2008-09)

Massachusetts resident, full-time undergraduate

• Tuition/Fees $10,232
• Housing/Meals $8,114

Non-resident, full-time undergraduate

• Tuition/Fees $21,929
• Housing/Meals $8,114

Rates are for fall 2008 semester and spring 2009 semester combined. Fees include mandatory fees only. Housing/Meals based on full year, standard double room, value meal plan. See complete fee details, including tuition and fees for New England Regional Student Program.

Research

Supported research activities total more than $140 million per year.

Academics

88 bachelor's degree programs, 6 associate's, 73 master's and 53 doctoral programs in 9 schools and colleges.

Library

The library system is the largest at a state-supported institution in New England with more than 6.1 million items.

Alumni

Approximately 215,000 living alumni around the world.

Athletics

21 teams compete at the NCAA Division I level.

Arts

The Fine Arts Center brings nationally-known theater, music, and dance to campus year-round. Six galleries provide a variety of spaces for visual arts. Student art and performance opportunities abound.

Looking for something different and fun to do with your children? Clay Mates Cafe is located in Belchertown, MA and is sure to be a fun experience for your child. Clay Mates Cafe is a ceramic cafe where children and adults can paint ceramic art. They have classes for all ages, birthday parties, family fun nights and accept walk-ins. They have an outdoor painting patio and feature a "kid's wall" full of ceramic art that they can choose to paint.

Call 413-323-4 FUN for more info!

Here is some information from Clay Mates Cafe's website:

Clay Mates mission is to provide ceramic classes
and workshops that are available to everybody,
beginner through advanced, and all ability levels.

Sue Hevey, owner and certified instructor, strives to create an
environment of fun, creativity and individuality, where there
are nodefinitive expectations, and students gain a sense
of accomplishment that will inevitably lead to increased
confidence and self esteem.

Services Include:

• Family Fun Nights • Birthday Parties • Adult Morn/Eve Classes

Kids Classes• Scout/School Field Trips • Bisque • Brushes • Paints

Smoke Free Studio• No Experience Required •Daily Firings

Walk-ins Welcome!

Birthdays~Mother's Day~Father's Day~Holidays~Thank-You's
Anniversaries~Graduations~Weddings~Baby/WeddingShowers
Housewarmings~Christenings~Hostess Gifts~Teacher's Gifts
"You Did a Great Job"~"I'm Proud of You"...

Do you enjoy good drive-in food and some ice cream for desert?  If you said yes, you'll LOVE Janine's Frostee in Ware, Massachusetts.  Around since 1956, Janine's Frostee got it's name from the original owners who had 2 twin sons and 1 daughter:  Janine.  They feature a jam packed menu with fresh seafood, burgers, nuggets and a wide range of ice cream.  We took the kids last night for a treat, we finally saw the sun shining so we hopped in the car.  As soon as we ordered our food, the gray clouds rolled in, the power went out for a few minutes and the thunder roared at us as the rain down-poured relentlessly throughout our meal.  After about 30 minutes the sun was making a comeback and 2 rainbows were glowing out of the sky.  We ordered some ice cream...and the boys were very messy with the chocolate dripping down their arms and sprinkles everywhere, but I told James not to worry about it because I'm sure the "clean-up fee" had to be worked into the $40+ we spent to all share a few meals and have an ice cream cone!  Here's our youngest Zachary showing off how to eat a great cone of ice cream and a picture of the rainbow after the storm.