We’re back from vacation!

And it turns out we’re not the only ones. Following a nine-month round of renovations, 33 Hawley Street is open once again. So we bring in some folx from the core trio of groups that make up the Northampton Arts Trust to talk about what that re-opening means for the greater western Massachusetts arts community. Co-director/steward at Available Potential Enterprises (A.P.E.) Kathy Couch, Managing Director for Northampton Center for the Arts Joanna Faraby Walker, and Executive Director for Northampton Open Media (NOM) P. Albert Williams gather to talk about what changes to expect at their official event during Northampton’s Art Walk on January 12th, as well as what an updated facility can offer everyone.

We’re returning to the moon as well. Mr. Universe, Hampshire College’s Salman Hameed, A lot of missions from many organizations across the globe seem to be, which has created the issue of ownership. When spiritual beliefs, national integrity, and a profitable bottom line come into conflict, how can we parse out the real estate of cosmic bodies? And whose systems take precedence when human remains are involved?

And we’re taking another look at two goals of The Bay State which have ended up at odds. Author/journalist/Smith College Professor Naila Moreira has recently published an article about the conflict between forest conservation efforts and the expansion of solar arrays entitled [“The Forest and the Trees: Western Mass’ Solar Siting Problem” ](http://The Forest and the Trees: Western Mass’ Solar Siting Problem)which takes a look at the varying environmental costs for good and ill of building solar farms in our region, especially with regards to clear cutting forests to make building sites for them. We dig into the root of this friction including what western Massachusetts’ Beacon Hill delegation is doing to lessen the stress and provide less environmentally stressful ways to help create more environmentally friendly energy ways.