Daily Hampshire Gazette du lieu suivant : Northampton, Massachusetts • b5

BU I SS B5 day, Oc tober 1 6, 2017 gazet tenet.com By DAVID McLELL AN For the Gazette I the age of the internet, there is a grow- ing hunger for hands-on learning, and, where the education realm and the toy industry collide, a resistance is mount- ing. Toys made for learning mathematics kinesthetically are leading the charge. according to Yana Mohanty, a long- time math instructor and University of Mas- sachusetts Amherst alumna whose award- winning Geometiles are being sold at a A2Z Science Learning Store, the first retailer to carry the geometric y. trend is in the opposite direction be- cause of all the digital stuff and so much money in that, but Geometiles, un- said Mohanty, who holds a doctor- ate in mathematics. feeding a minority movement where people are just hungry for something they can Geometiles come in the form of yellow, or- ange, purple and green plastic tiles that snap together, forming 2-D and 3-D shapes and solids.

seven different shapes triangles, rectangles, squares and pentagons allow children to learn geometry and math while playing. click just feels Mohanty said. After a successful run of selling Ge- ometiles to school districts across the coun- try, Mohanty contacted A2Z on King Street to see if they would be the first to carry the prod- uct. Mohanty remembers the store from her time at UMass in the late has always been in the back of my head as a science-y store and more than just a toy Mohanty said. years ago, I came back with my daughter and visited A2Z before the Geometiles idea.

I bought her a Hoberman Switch Pitch Mohanty corresponded with the owner, Boulay, who is a UMass alumnus him- self, and eventually sent him a sample. Boulay worked at A2Z for several years, and for the last two and a half years has owned it with his wife he knows from experience what toys are a fit for the store. try and keep things that make you use your head. Children learn through Boulay said. anyone what their favorite toy is sometimes really simple but it can have a huge impact.

Careers are born out of Boulay, who thoroughly vets each A2Z toy before carrying them, was attracted to sev- eral things about Geometiles: they are made in the U.S., they been sold at any other location and they, most importantly, are in- credibly valuable for their price, allowing chil- dren endless education, creativity and fun. do well as you put them in Boulay said. one of those things you have to pick up and play It also feels good, Boulay said, to work with someone who has a local connection. A love of math Mohanty discovered her love of math after her two electrical engineering degrees a bachelor degree from the University of Cali- fornia, Los Angeles, and her degree from UMass and went on to earn her doc- torate in mathematics from the University of California, San Diego. Insurance firm to donate books to Hilltown school EASTHAMPTON Finck and Perras Insurance Company is a new Link to Libraries Business Book Link sponsor and will be sponsoring the Littleville Elemen- tary School in Huntington for three years.

The program and sponsorship donates to the school over 900 new books during the three-year commitment. In addition, staff at the Finck and Perras office will read to third-graders during the school year. After each reading, the students receive a new book. To learn more about the Link to Libraries Business Book Link program, visit www.linktoli- braries.org. Bank of America supports Food Bank of Western Mass HATFIELD The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts has re- ceived a $25,000 contribution from Bank of America to support the distribution of emergency food throughout the four counties of western Massachusetts.

The grant will allow food bank to distribute healthy food to their 200 member agencies, comprised of food pantries, meal programs, community centers and shelters. The bank also provides assistance to individuals facing hunger through its direct-to-client feeding programs, including a Mobile Food Bank and Brown Bag: Food for Elders. Bank of contribution was made in September during national Hunger Action Month, when food banks across the coun- try encourage people to take ac- tion to support their local emer- gency food network, and to help raise awareness of the issue of hunger in our communities. Florence Bank names new branch manager FLORENCE Florence Bank has promoted Cynthia Mali- nowski of Easthampton to the po- sition of assis- tant vice presi- dent, branch manager of the downtown Northampton office. Malinowski is an 18-year employee of Florence Bank.

With 30 years of banking experi- ence, she brings extensive knowl- edge and skills to her new role. Prior to her recent promotion, she was the assistant branch manager at the downtown Northampton of- fice. She has been the recipient of the Club Award, awarded to employees who demonstrate superior levels of performance, customer service and overall contribution. Malinowski is an active mem- ber of Helping Hand Society and the Greater Northampton Chamber of Com- merce. She is a 2017 United Way volunteer and represents Flo- rence Bank at the Cooley Dickin- son Benefit Fair, Table Top Expo in Holyoke and Northampton Sidewalk Sales.

Krauthamer awar ded by Assoc. of Black Women Historians AMHERST Barbara Krauthamer, dean of the graduate school and professor of history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, received the Lorraine A. Williams Leadership Award from the Association of Black Women Historians on Sept. 30. The award, handed out at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, is given to an African-American woman histo- rian in recognition of outstanding scholarly achievement, a demon- strated commitment to mentoring black women scholars, and lead- ership in organizations that create opportunities and promote the success of women of color.

A member of the UMass Amherst faculty since 2008, Krauthamer is widely recognized as a leading historian of African- MAKING NEWS CYNTH IA MALIN OWSKI SEE MAKING NEWS B6 UMass award-winning math toy hits shelves at A2Z, the first retailer PHOTOS COURTESY OF GEOMETILES Yana Mohanty, Ph.D., creator of Geometiles, in San Diego with the product. EOM I Learning geometry is a a By BERA DUNAU aDunau NORTHAMPTON no doubt they think downtown Northampton is the jewel of Paradise City, but even a jewel can be a bit more awesome. And where the fledgling Downtown Northampton branch of the Awesome Founda- tion comes in. Backed by cash from its 10 mem- bers downtown business owners and other groups the local chapter of an international organization has this lofty goal in mind: to bring an edgy, interesting, different to downtown. according to Amy Cahillane, execu- tive director of the Downtown Northampton As- sociation, which is a trustee of the Northamp- ton branch of the Awesome Foundation.

The or- ganization does this by awarding money to peo- ple and groups who have inspiring ideas to make downtown you guessed it awesome. Cahillane said that the definition of awe- some is left purposefully vague and subject to branch interpretation. The group is always looking for proposals to get behind. would just love to get more Cahillane said. The Awesome Foundation is an interna- tional organization that seeks to improve qual- ity of life in the communities in which it oper- ates.

The local branch started in January. goal is just to bring more awesome into the said Cahillane. The Northampton branch is overseen by 10 trustees, all of which are prominent organiza- tions that are active in downtown Northamp- ton, including A2Z Science Learning Store, Thornes Marketplace and the Hampshire Council of Governments. The other trustees include the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, Northampton Brewery, Northampton Center for the Arts, Northampton Community Televi- sion, Northampton Radio Group and a shared seat for and restaurants. Each of the trustees agreed to donate $100 for every month of the year.

These donations then enabled the Awesome Foundation to award $1,000 grants for projects and activities in downtown Northampton, or up to $12,000 a Awesome Foundation gives money to projects designed to bring back the edgy, interesting, different to downtown Putting the back in downtown GAZETTE FILE PHOTO The downtown Northampton branch of the Awesome Foundation awarded a $1,000 ra earlier this year to have this mural painted at its headquarters. Maricella Obando Moya of Greenfield, who is originally from Costa Rica, is pictured in July painting the acrylic mural in the stairwell. SEE AWESOME FOUNDATION B6 SEE GEOME TILES B6.