Brief thoughts on some of the events making news from around Franklin County and the North Quabbin area:
People are still talking about parking issues at Greenfield High School – even two weeks after coinciding events at the new school and neighboring hockey rink had people parking in the fire lanes and on the grass, resulting in the police issuing tickets.
While some people were quick to complain that the new building doesn’t offer enough parking, that’s not the problem. The issue is more about visitors choosing convenience over a short walk, since to get to the auditorium or gym, you have to enter at the rear of the building. Because the rear parking spots can fill up fast, that leaves the option of parking out front and walking around the building or parking cars closer to the rear entrance — but where they don’t belong.
Leaving the car in a fire lane is a safety issue and driving a vehicle over the curb and sidewalk onto grass or fields damages the school’s new landscaping.
Our advice to get a parking spot close to the rear entrance: get there early. Otherwise, park legally out front and get some exercise.
Buying a piece of equipment like a new ambulance is not cheap. The cost can easily run to a quarter million dollars. But there also comes a time when a community has to realize that it’s running an ambulance on borrowed time. We are sure the Northfield EMS has done all it can to keep its ambulance in tip-top condition, but with a 23-year-old ambulance, the service is running into more and more problems and expenses keeping the vehicle on the road reliably. We would like to think that Northfield residents see a new ambulance is in the best interests of the service and the community.
As Town Administrator Brian Noble said recently, “They (Northfield EMS) have really made them work for a long time, but the time is up.”
We agree and hope Northfield town meeting on May 2 approves getting a new ambulance.
We like the sound of a wheelchair-friendly nature trail in the works in Northfield, using a state Department of Conservation and Recreation grant. Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust received the $49,725 grant to create the first universally accessible half-mile loop trail off Route 63, giving those who use it the ability to visit a beaver pond. Plans are for the trail to open in the fall. It will be another way that all the region’s people can enjoy its natural beauty.