The year ahead for Montague and Gill, which share a school district, is looking to be one of significant change for both towns.
In Montague, the retirement of longtime Town Administrator Frank Abbondanzio in December means his replacement, Steven Ellis, a longtime resident of the town, will be at the helm of the town government. Ellis said he plans to spend time getting to know the workings of town government, but several ongoing projects stand out at the start of the year.
For Ellis, one of the priorities is to learn more about the town’s scope of operations and what the town government should be prioritizing. He said the work has been engaging and exciting so far. Ellis said Montague has undergone a lot of changes as a community, and it’s now a place where young families and others can live relatively low cost, but with great opportunities in the community.
He said that part of his job going forward is communicating that message to Franklin County and western Massachusetts.
The town is also pursuing an application to get Millers Falls on the National Historic Register. Turners Falls and Montague Center are already on the register. It doesn’t add any restrictions to the town, but allows for more grant opportunities.
In Turners Falls, the town-owned Strathmore building and the St. Anne’s Church, where the town owns the rectory, are both reuse projects the town is in the early stages of planning. The former Strathmore paper mill has the potential to become a part of a longer-term canal district, something Ellis plans to explore this year.
They are also looking at the redevelopment of Rutter’s Park in Lake Pleasant. The town heard the initial presentation for the park in December and is exploring the possible renovation of the park space, which would require finding money.
Montague Police Chief Chip Dodge said the department is in the process of setting up a citizen police academy for residents. He said it’s part of ongoing efforts to create a relationship with the community that may not interact with the police often.
“It is very important to me that we let the community know how we can help them and find out if there are ways to improve the services we provide,” he said.
In Gill, the town is continuing with the design and implementation of a water treatment system at Gill Elementary School. Town Administrator Ray Purington said they expect to have it installed by July 31.
He said the town is also continuing to advocate for more security measures, like cameras, on the French King Bridge, to help prevent suicides and coordinate emergency response. Gill’s website will also be getting a major update in 2017.
The towns also share the Gill-Montague Regional School district, which also includes some students from Erving. The School Committee is currently in the planning phase of renovating the Sheffield Elementary music stage. The committee saw plans for the project in December.
And in 2017, the district will decide to keep or change its Turners Falls High School “Indians” mascot — which so far has proved to be an emotionally charged controversial topic for many residents of the towns.
Reach Miranda Davis at
413-772-0261, ext. 280
or mdavis@recorder.com.