Our Climate Committee Launches Multiple Action Initiatives

By Linda Ammons and Jeana Edmonds Our Grassroots Central Mass Climate Committee has been doing exciting work during the past few months. We showed for the public an in-depth climate film “Regenerating Life“, in three parts, with insightful and spirited discussions following each. These were shown in November, December and January at Joshua Hyde Public Library, Sturbridge, and for Zoom participants. We followed the series by creating a list of simple and not-so-simple actions we all can take which is attached here: Another central focus of our Climate Committee has been sorting through the complex set of climate-related bills now…

Grassroots Central Mass Endorses Jeromie Whalen, Democrat for Congress Running in MA-01

By: Lizzie Roberts and Colin Brown As Grassroots Central Massachusetts (GCM) Youth Council Executive Board leaders, we are proud to announce that GCM has voted to endorse Jeromie Whalen, who is running for US Congress in the Massachusetts First Congressional District Democratic Primary (MA-01). The GCM Youth Council endorsed Jeromie ahead of the general membership as many of the Youth Council members have been provided the opportunity to work with Jeromie and his campaign team. For Colin, Jeromie has connected with him on a personal level like no other adult. Jeromie actively listens to him and shows understanding about personal…

Remembering Beautiful Souls Taken: 2025 Trans Day of Remembrance

Reflection by Karen Nothe-Valley “We remember those we’ve lost Who died from fear and hate, Let’s give deep support to those of us still here… For Love, there’s no time to wait.”   -Trans Day of Remembrance Song, by Sherry Zitter Recently, members of Grassroots Central Mass and friends gathered at the Sturbridge Common Gazebo on a chilly late afternoon — Thursday, November 20, 2025 — to acknowledge a solemn Trans Day of Remembrance, stand in solidarity with the trans community, help raise awareness, and most importantly remember and honor those trans individuals who have been violently killed solely because of…

Let’s savor our wetlands, as we do a good meal

By Maureen Doyle If I made a fantastic meal, you'd want the whole thing, right? A fragmented meal isn't as satisfying or fulfilling. Similarly, a fragmented landscape is missing elements that make it satisfying to its animal, insect, and plant inhabitants. The construction of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) proposed for Oakham, Mass. will fragment the wetlands there, and therefore has the potential to threaten the entire watershed that provides essential water for millions of Massachusetts residents, and essential habitat for animals and plants. AND you wouldn’t want that delicious meal poisoned or spoiled, right? The danger of such…

Shining Light on Immigration

By Shannon Teabo “No one leaves home unless homeIs the mouth of a sharkYou only run for the borderWhen you see the whole city running as well” The words of poet Warsan Shire burn through the body and soul; igniting compassion and empathy for those who are forced to flee from the people and places they love. This was the simple ask of the devoted members of Grassroots Central Mass, a division of Indivisible; to feel for the people who have no choice but to run from the horrors or else be swallowed by them. The presentation on the myths…

Central Mass stands united for No Kings Day

By Colin Brown On June 14, 2025, Central Massachusetts rose up and joined the nation for No Kings Day, a powerful day of protest against authoritarianism, the Trump administration, and any attempt to undermine our democracy. From small towns to our cities, Grassroots Central Mass members showed up in force to say NO to authoritarianism. NO to Trump. NO kings—then or now. Hundreds line the sidewalk in West Brookfield for the No Kings Day protest. A massive THANK YOU to Brookfields Fight Fear (BFF) for organizing the West Brookfield protest, where over 400 people made their voices heard. Worcester saw…

Grassroots Central Mass pays tribute to our beloved friend Sarah Heller

Sarah Heller, left, with Jeana and Lynne at the Climate Cafe. By Jeana Edmonds On March 12, 2025 members of Grassroots Central Mass and friends gathered at 6 p.m. on the Brookfield Common to honor and bid farewell to our dear companion Sarah Heller. Sarah was absolutely central to the founding and development of Grassroots Central Mass. She was one of the original members of Brookfield Indivisible back in 2017 when we were first hit by the horrors of the 45th president. Sarah often hosted in her home the meetings of Brookfield Indivisible and shared her commitment to making this…

Hooray for our 6th Annual Trees Are Treasures Celebration

By Jeana Edmonds Another fantastic Trees Are Treasures celebration occurred on May 18, 2025, and it was one for the record books!!! What a great day we had. The weather was chilly but gorgeous, and it didn't rain — amazing! The trees were beautiful — including paw paw, redbud, and tupelo trees. Our tree expert and her two able assistants did a fantastic job selecting the trees and preparing them for the giveaway. All three engaged everyone entering the Mill Pond path at Wells State Park with information about why trees are crucial elements of our environment, how to plant…

Thank you, Jamie Raskin, and thank you, IMC

By Regina Edmonds Many of us in Grassroots Central Mass were really excited when we learned that Indivisible Mass Coalition (IMC) would be hosting Representative Jamie Raskin on their Statewide Call on August 27, 2024. And we were even more fired up when we learned that our own Grassroots Central Mass colleague and IMC Board member from CD-1, Karen Nothe-Valley, would be one of the three chat monitors on the call. In this role Karen and the other monitors fielded questions placed in the chat, organized the questions seen there into themes, and related the questions to elements of the…

Work to change the flag and seal of Massachusetts

By David Detmold The flag and seal of Massachusetts show a settler’s hand holding a Colonial broadsword over the head of an Indigenous man, with a Latin motto beneath, commonly translated: “She seeks a quiet peace with liberty under the sword.” A recent special commission established by the state legislature concluded in November of 2023, that the image on our state flag and seal is easily interpreted as “a celebration of the history of settler violence perpetuated against Indigenous people.” No one wants to have a sword hanging over their head. In 1985, former state representative Byron Rushing, a Boston civil…