Brief thoughts on some of the events making news from around Franklin County and the North Quabbin area:
Last week’s decision by the Greenfield Board of Health to approve the establishment of a needle exchange and harm reduction program is to be recognized for what it is: a serious step in dealing with an all-too-real problem of intravenous drug abuse.
The board is to be commended for a thorough examination of what such a program means and for understanding the role this program will play in reducing health and safety concerns for not only drug users but the public at large. And the board also knows it is not a cure-all for the opioid epidemic but rather just another step in the battle.
Indications that there is an attempt to put to use a portion of the former Northfield Mount Hermon campus in Northfield is a positive sign. The oversight organization for the National Christian Foundation, the current owner, is developing a plan to turn several campus buildings into “The Moody Center,” reflecting and honoring D.L. Moody, the 19th-century evangelist who founded what is now the modern-day Northfield Mount Hermon School by first starting the Northfield Seminary for Young Ladies in 1879 and Mount Hermon School for Boys in 1881.
The center would include the Moody homestead and some other buildings that were part of the NMH two-campus school until the consolidation to the Gill campus in 2005. Since then, Northfield has seen a number of proposals drop by the wayside for creating a new use for the campus. The public will see if this latest idea gets more traction.
We know there are area residents who were a little disappointed that Massachusetts’ senior senator, Elizabeth Warren, didn’t make it as part of the Democrats’ presidential ticket, in either slot. But we think that the state’s interests are better served by having her in the U.S. Senate, where she is an important and progressive voice. Had she left the Senate, her replacement would have been chosen by our Republican governor.
This Friday is the deadline for registering to vote for the Sept. 8 state primary. Obviously, the decision to vote in a primary is a personal one, but we encourage people to register now and become involved in the process that culminates in the Nov. 8 general election, even though the deadline for registering for that election is Oct. 19.
A tip of the hat to all the volunteers who made a couple of recent athletic events run smoothly. This includes the Greenfield triathlon and Saturday’s Bridge of Flowers race in Shelburne Falls. Without people willing to help, these events would not be the annual success stories that they are.