Here are brief thoughts on some of the events taking place around Franklin County and the North Quabbin area.
Six years after an improvement plan was finalized for Turners Falls, town officials and community members are now setting their sights on revitalizing Millers Falls, with the Selectboard having officially endorsed the “Millers on the Move” plan.
The plan is based on what residents would like to see, with 71 survey responses indicating what they perceive as being the village’s strengths and weaknesses. Based on those strengths and weaknesses, goals include everything from installing benches, establishing a community center facility and launching a farmers market, to starting a community garden, creating a small playground downtown and repairing potholes.
Looking around Franklin County, it feels easy to see that all of our towns have strengths and weaknesses. There are highlights that attract visitors to our area in the first place, and room for improvement that could make them stay longer. The glass is never simply half-full or half-empty.
As such, we’re inspired to see Montague’s planners recognizing that there’s always room for growth, and setting their sights on Millers Falls. Plus, they’ve taken their cues from some of the people who know the village best: its residents. Given the community involvement in this process, we’re encouraged that the “Millers on the Move” plan will be a success.
One of the topics that has been in the news frequently as of late is our local highway departments, and for a variety of reasons.
In Buckland, for example, construction of a new highway garage and adjacent pole barn, where equipment will be stored, is slated to wrap up by the end of he month, though site work, including updating the drainage plan, will continue in the spring.
Meanwhile, in Conway, voters at the ballot box opted overwhelmingly last week to take on debt to construct a new highway maintenance building next to Conway Grammar School. Residents voted 161 to 32 three days after agreeing at a Special Town Meeting to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds $988,000 for the building. In addition, they also opted to transfer $50,000 from free cash to the general fund and $433,243.51 from the highway garage stabilization account to the general fund to partially finance the facility.
We’re glad to see that residents are supporting our local highway department workers in getting them the facilities they need to do their jobs well. They work long hours, including early mornings and late nights, at this time of year to ensure we can commute to work and home again safely, and they deserve our support. Thank you for your commitment to our towns.
Thirteen-year-old Northfield resident Caledonia McKeon is putting her creativity to use for the benefit of others.
The Bement School student opted to create greeting cards depicting three Northfield landmarks — Dickinson Memorial Library, Mim’s Market and the Northfield Creamie — that she is selling to raise money for the Northfield Food Pantry.
“I guess I just really like helping people, and I have a lot of good things in my life,” Caledonia said simply.
We’re inspired by both Caledonia’s ingenuity and her generosity. It’s indeed the season of giving, and we’re touched that even some of the youngest members of our community are finding a way to take part.