Here are some brief thoughts on recent happenings in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region.
Back in the old days — i.e., pre-COVID-19 days — visiting the library meant browsing through the new books and DVDs. You probably didn’t go looking for a certain title; rather, you went to see what caught your eye. In this way, readers discovered new authors or new titles by favorite authors, plus a DVD for a popcorn evening. It was an exercise in serendipity — that happy coincidence of need and reward.
Sunderland Public Library Director Katherine Hand wanted to bring that pleasure back for her patrons. “We felt we were meeting most needs,” Hand said. “But what we’re not meeting is the ability to browse our books.” So she directed some grant money toward the purchase of a tent and planned two Saturdays during which patrons could come by and browse a curated selection of materials. “We can’t do it every day … but we’re really excited about being able to offer it in a small way,” she said. “Browsing is what a library is all about,” agreed Jane Howard, who works part-time at the Sunderland library.
County librarians and their hardworking staffs have gone all out in making recommendations, bagging books for curbside pickup, sponsoring Zoom programs and hosting outdoor events, especially for children. Bringing back browsing is the next logical step, whether under a tent or inside, by appointment. Count them all among our pantheon of pandemic heroes.
Across the county, many churches have reluctantly cancelled their traditional holiday bazaars, where success is measured by crowd size. Social distancing just doesn’t cut it when it comes to generating the happy mayhem that these events are known for.
That’s why it is both bold and brave for Greenfield’s Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew, as reported in Saturday’s paper, to envision an online catalog of crafts and food in lieu of their traditional Mistletoe Mart. What’s not to like? After all, we love to shop online, and here’s a way to buy handmade gifts and support the church despite these pandemic times. Also, the event is not weather-dependent. Let it snow, sleet or rain, an online store is always convenient.
Their catalog will be online for five days, from Nov. 9 to 16, with scheduled drive-thru pick-ups to follow. We suspect lots of eyes will be on this new endeavor as other churches contemplate the future of their own holiday fairs.
The reopening of the Greenfield office of the Registry of Motor Vehicles on Oct. 13 is the result of our local legislators working for us. As state Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland, said, this is an example of getting results when the region advocates for itself at the state level. Kudos to our legislative team: In addition to Blais, that includes Mayor Roxann Wedegartner, Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), Sen. Anne M. Gobi (D-Spencer), Sen. Adam Hinds (D-Pittsfield), Rep. Susannah Whipps (unenrolled, Athol) and Rep. Paul W. Mark (D-Peru). Make no mistake, without them making a fuss in Boston, you and I would be driving to Pittsfield or Springfield till kingdom come for our motor vehicle business.
But they’re not done yet: Their next goal is persuading the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to designate specific hours for people ages 75 and older, or to allow then to renew their driver’s licenses online, seeing as they are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Comerford and three other state senators recently sent a letter to Jamey Tesler, the state RMV registrar, to ask for concessions for elderly drivers.
That’s something the whole commonwealth can get behind.