This letter is in response to the wonderful article by Miranda Davis, which appeared in the June 15 Greenfield Recorder and described our local history project and culminating event at the Erving Community Center.
During our months-long study of Erving’s history, we discovered that not only is it the individual stories from long ago that make a town special, but also so many people who contribute every day. Therefore, many thanks are due all over town for making our project memorable. The Erving Historical Commission opened their doors for a special visit by our students, with Eric Duffy, Brad Peters and John Rice going the extra mile, as did David Brule who shared his expertise on June 13.
Erving Town Hall employees spent time with students, introducing them to how our town actually functions and preserves its records; a special thanks to Jacquelyn Boyden, Betsy Sicard, Bryan Smith and Richard Newton. Erving resident Sara Campbell has made it her life’s work to document the extraordinary stories of ordinary people in Erving and western Mass., and we were very lucky to have her lead our students; the Massachusetts Cultural Council, to whom we also owe much thanks, was wise enough to designate her and our proposal worthy of funding. Erving Elementary teachers Lisa Nuttelman, Laura George, Ben Rubin and Stephanie Barry worked hard with Sara to plan and coordinate her sessions.
And last but certainly not least, Paula Betters of the Erving Community/Senior Center generously invited students to interview senior citizens and opened up the center for our final celebration of learning. A huge round of applause to all.
Jane Urban
Erving Elementary School librarian