Here are brief thoughts about recent happenings across Franklin County and the North Quabbin region.
There’s an F.M. Kuzmeskus bus that has far more potential than its obvious usefulness for transportation.
Those driving past the Gill company’s headquarters will easily be able to tell which bus that is. That’s because it’s entirely white.
But it won’t be white for long. The bus is a giant blank canvas awaiting an artist with the vision to transform it, all for the sake of promoting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County for as far as the bus shall roll.
A partnership between F.M. Kuzmeskus and Big Brothers Big Sisters birthed a competition to find a design for the bus that will somehow incorporate the nonprofit’s logo. In addition to the nonprofit getting immediate visibility through the bus’ design, the first year of operation for the new bus will be a fundraising opportunity for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Clients renting a bus can request to use the Big Brothers Big Sisters bus to donate some portion of the charter rate to the agency.
Not only is this an amazing opportunity for a local artist, but it’s a creative way to support Big Brothers Big Sisters, which connected 178 children in Franklin County with adult mentors in 2019 alone. Kudos to the innovators at F.M. Kuzmeskus for coming up with this brilliant idea.
But we hope this is only the beginning. With every white bus comes more potential, whether it’s to the benefit of Big Brothers Big Sisters or one of the area’s many other deserving nonprofits.
Now it’s up to our region’s creative minds to put their thinking caps on. Those interested in submitting a design must do so by Friday.
Not every child gets to grow up with grandparents in their lives, whether it’s due to a death in the family, distance or any of a variety of reasons. But GVNA HealthCare Inc. is ensuring that at least 15 first-graders have access to a grandparent-type figure, called a “grandbuddy.”
Through a partnership with the Discovery School at Four Corners, students in Kate Bailey’s class get to meet with seniors in GVNA’s Adult Day Health program each Thursday to play games, read books and otherwise get to know each other.
Julie Clark, GVNA’s activities director, said she loves “being able to bring a different generation into GVNA.”
“It’s worth seeing the smiles and everyone connecting,” she said.
We’re so touched by the heartwarming quality of this program. It’s a simple concept that makes a world of difference to at least 15 youngsters and 15 seniors in our community.
“I think it helps to build the community and have the kids feel like they’re giving back,” said Caissie Putnam, interim principal at the Discovery School at Four Corners. “(The program) is just kind of in its infancy, but hopefully it will be growing.”
We hope so, too.
In addition to the obvious role of protecting the public from fires, animal extraction seems to be a common part of firefighters’ job descriptions. Most recently, it was not a cat stuck in a tree, but rather a dog stuck in the icy Connecticut River.
A black Labrador Retriever named Buddy was reunited with his owners last week after being rescued by members of the Deerfield and Turners Falls fire departments and the Deerfield Police Department. The pooch had fallen into a hole in the ice approximately 20 to 25 feet from shore, and Turners Falls Fire Capt. Kyle Cogswell extracted him from the water.
It’s certainly not the first time this has happened, and it won’t be the last. We thank our local first responders for being prepared for any emergency, including those that affect another key part of our families — our pets. Your contributions do not go unnoticed.