Brief thoughts on some the events making news around Franklin County and the North Quabbin area:
Wednesday’s snow may not have been an unusual occurrence. The area has gotten snow in October many times before (2011 ring any bells?). But nevertheless, it causes a mess, especially when the trees haven’t lost their leaves and get weighed down by wet, heavy snow. While this storm didn’t have the same impact as that Halloween weekend storm five years ago, it did cause plenty of power outages, downing of tree limbs and accidents. It’s a reminder to all that we need to remember how to drive in slippery conditions. Pay close attention to what’s going on, leave plenty of room between you and the car in front of you and take extra time in braking so as to avoid even the smallest of accidents.
Today will be the first official Monday-morning commute along the Massachusetts Turnpike where drivers won’t have to hand a toll taker some cash. As of last Friday evening, the tolls on the turnpike changed over to an all-electronic system. Given how the state has been reminding people of the change and handing out transponders — as seen by such efforts as the E-ZPass Van making a stop in Greenfield on Saturday — we can’t imagine there are too many drivers, commuters or otherwise, who will be caught off guard. Still, it’s the end of an era on the Mass Pike. But if these changes ease the tie-ups that existed at the toll plazas, it is a move for the better. We lament, however, the loss of those jobs.
Despite the winter wonderland that we woke up to on Friday, we know that the mind-set for the weekend was firmly about Halloween. That was very evident in Turners Falls on Saturday with the annual Franklin County Pumpkinfest. Despite some tweaking this year — battery-operated lights replacing the traditional candles inside all those jack-o’-lanterns — it remains a terrific community event to help celebrate Halloween and the end of October. Kudos, once again, to all the volunteers and participants and the village of Turners Falls who made the evening glow.
The decision by Michael T. McCusker to retire as the race director for the Bridge of Flowers Road Race is understandable. He’s ready to spend more time with family and his grandchildren after 38 years of heading the race. But as the story in Friday’s Recorder pointed out, he’s planning to help with the transition as well as help to get sponsors for the race. And we know that come race time, people will still see McCusker somewhere along the course, cheering on the runners and talking to friends. Job well done, Michael, on establishing this summer classic.
You can always tell it’s election season by all of the different personal appearances the incumbents and challengers make in the region. All joking aside, residents do appreciate seeing them and having them hear about the issues that are a concern in the area. But a note to our elected officials: we’d love to see more of you. Stop by any time.