MONTAGUE — Dry firewood is available for Montague residents who may be in need of heating assistance.
The Montague Community Wood Bank can distribute wood in half-cord allotments, with potential to give more as needs and supplies may determine, according to information from the town’s Tree Advisory Committee.
Interested parties should contact the Gill-Montague Council on Aging at 413-863-9357 or coa@montague-ma.gov.
Firewood is recycled from town tree removals, with help from the Tree Advisory Committee. Volunteers are always welcome to help split and stack wood. To volunteer, contact committee Chair David Detmold at 413-863-9296.
MONTAGUE — Thirteen seniors at Turners Falls High School are eligible for waived tuition for up to eight semesters at a Massachusetts state college or university, having qualified for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship for high performance on their Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests.
The students are Cameron Bradley, Jakob Burnett, Josy Hunter, Joseph Kochan, Korey Martineau, Chantelle Monaghan, Alyson Murphy, Dabney Rollins, Emily Sisson, Brody Trott, Allison Wheeler, Lindsay Whiteman and Mackenna Whiteman.
The scholarship is administered by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. According to information from Principal Joanne Menard, to qualify for the scholarship students must score in the “advanced” level in at least one of three high school MCAS tests in English, math or science in 10th grade; then score “proficient” or higher on the MCAS tests in the next two high school years; and have combined scores across the three MCAS tests in the top 25 percent of students in their district.
MONTAGUE — Dog licenses are now available at the Town Clerk’s Office. All dogs ages 6 months or older must be licensed every year.
The charge is $5 for a dog that is spayed or neutered, or $10 for one that is not. After May 28, a late fee of $20 is added. Proof is required of a rabies vaccination and of spaying or neutering.
License renewals may be done online at montague-ma.gov, but only if the dog’s vaccination from last year has not yet expired.
Town Meeting
date set
MONTAGUE — A winter Town Meeting is set for March 5, at 6:30 p.m at Turners Falls High School. The Selectboard scheduled the meeting and opened the warrant at its meeting on Jan. 13.
Regarding potential articles, Town Administrator Steve Ellis has mentioned the possibility of creating a fund to handle new revenues from marijuana taxes, and changes to the town’s personnel bylaws.
A preliminary warrant will be discussed at the Selectboard meeting on Jan. 27, according to town Executive Assistant Wendy Bogusz. The warrant will be finalized Feb. 10. The deadline to submit articles is Jan. 30, by 10 a.m.
Presidential
primary absentee ballots available
MONTAGUE — Absentee ballots for the March 3 presidential primary are available at the Town Clerk’s Office.
The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is March 2. Completed ballots must be returned to the Town Clerk’s Office by the time polls close on March 3, at 8 p.m., either by mail or hand delivery.
The last day to register to vote or to change party affiliation is Wednesday, Feb. 12. The Town Clerk’s Office will have extended hours that day, from 8:30 a.m to 8 p.m.
MONTAGUE — Town census forms are out, and the Town Clerk’s Office is asking that as many people respond as possible.
The collected information is used to protect voter rights and veterans’ bonuses, to help the Council on Aging with service projects, and to help the public schools with enrollment information and projections, among other uses, according to information from the Town Clerk’s Office. Any registered voter who does not respond to the census must by law be moved to the “Inactive Voter” list, and risks being removed from voter registration lists.
Forms were sent out on Jan. 17. If you did not get one, you can download it from montague-ma.gov, or call the Town Clerk’s Office at 413-863-3200, ext. 203. Mail completed forms to the Town Clerk’s Office at 1 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376.
Free family safety program Saturday
TURNERS FALLS — A free program on family safety with the Montague Police Department is set for Saturday at Greenfield Savings Bank, 282 Avenue A, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
The program was organized in response to a recent Amber Alert in Hampden County, and will focus mainly on minimizing dangers for children in everyday situations, like walking to school or being home alone, said Linda Ackerman, manager of the Turners Falls branch.
Montague Police Sgt. Lee Laster, who is leading the program, was unavailable this week to discuss it.
Parents are encouraged to bring their children to the presentation, Ackerman said. Light refreshments will be provided.
TURNERS FALLS — Nomination papers for the April 28 Turners Falls Fire District elections are available at the district’s office at 226 Millers Falls Road through March 9.
Available offices are moderator, treasurer, district clerk, prudential committee and water commissioner, all of them with three-year terms.
A potential candidate must collect at least 30 signatures from registered voters of the Turners Falls Fire District, and must return the nomination papers to the district office by March 11.