SHELBURNE FALLS — The Shelburne Historical Society is hosting a family crafts day on Sunday, July 15, at its headquarters in the former Arms Academy from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Come watch and learn about old-fashioned hand crafts such as weaving, spinning, quilting, embroidery and more. All ages welcome. Refreshments will be served. The museum is located at the Corner of Church and Maple streets.
BUCKLAND — A bicycle rental business will be set up weekends and possibly other days for the next month in the paved alleyway off State Street, between the Town Hall and Buckland Pizza.
The Buckland Selectboard gave Phillip S. Billitz 30 days’ permission to put Bunnie’s Bike Rental business on town property on a trial basis. Billitz told the board he wants to rent between 10 to 12 bikes on weekends and other good bike-riding days. He hopes the business will give families another activity to do when they come to town. He has bikes available for children and adults. Billitz told the board he has set up his rental stand weekends at two sites off Bridge Street but the rental business didn’t take off in those locations.
Although the State Street site is highly visible, the Selectboard members expressed concerns about traffic at that location.
“This is not a good place to start children off on a bicycle,” warned Chairwoman Dena Willmore. “This is a terrible, terrible intersection.”
Billitz said he would direct his customers to walk their bikes across State Street if they were headed to the flatter terrain on the Shelburne side of the river. Billitz is to return to a Selectboard meeting on Aug. 7, when he and the board will review how well things worked out at that site.
BUCKLAND — Faced with letters of interest from three people seeking appointment to one Planning Board seat, the Selectboard selected Gabriel Colwell-Lafleur of School Street. Colwell-Lafleur replaces incumbent Tom Heinig, who also sent a letter of interest and has served on the Planning Board for at least 10 years.
Planning Board Chairman John Gould recommended reappointing Heinig whom he described as “dedicated, reliable and responsible.” But Selectboard Chair Dena Willmore remarked that Heinig is already serving on another town board, the Conservation Commission. “My inclination — because Tom sits on another committee — is to bring new people in. I think it’s healthy for the town,” she said. “It’s nothing against Tom, but it’s more about bringing fresh energy into our committee.”
A third applicant, Kathleen Lytle, was not selected because she is also serving on another town board. Willmore said she would explain to Heinig why he wasn’t re-appointed and that the board would send him a letter thanking him for his years of service.
After the meeting, Gould said this was the first time in his 20 years he had ever seen the Selectboard not re-appoint a qualified incumbent, or one who had been recommended by the Planning Board.