Here are some brief thoughts on recent happenings in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region.
Deerfield Fire Chief Daren Melnik put out the welcome mat for young residents by launching the town’s first Junior Firefighter Program.
Melnik cited the success of neighboring Conway’s longtime program, where Conway Fire Chief Robert Baker noted that “Sixty percent of our regular firefighters were juniors at one time, so it’s been very beneficial to the department.”
Besides such practical benefits as building up the volunteer force and providing extra pairs of hands, young people bring energy and enthusiasm to the department. “They all seem to love it and do great things with it,” said Baker.
Northfield is another town with a successful junior program, with great visibility at car washes, breakfasts and suppers — back when such events were still possible.
Readers of a certain age cherish memories of being called out of school to help fight brush fires: How grown up is that?
We predict Melnik and his young recruits will discover lots to like as part of Deerfield’s new Junior Firefighter Program.
Speaking of fire departments, Warwick residents continue to upgrade their fire station, lately with the addition of triple-pane windows for the new addition, thanks to some personal donations from members of the Buildings and Energy Committee.
Steve Kurkoski explained that upgrading from double- to triple-pane windows will improve the building’s R-value by about 18 percent. So the five members are pitching in to cover the cost of the upgrade.
The town aims to develop as close to a net-zero-energy fire station as possible through this purchase and further insulating efforts during the ongoing construction. The Kurkoskis encourage residents who wish to see the finished fire station use as little energy as possible to donate to the Warwick Firemen’s Association Building Fund.
Since 2016, the new fire station and a recent addition have been a work in progress. What with fundraisers and volunteer labor by the Warwick Firemen’s Association, the wiring expertise supplied by Tech School students and private donations like those of the Buildings and Energy Committee, it seems like almost everyone in town will have had a hand in this town building by the time it’s done.
That’s a lot of pride residents can feel every time they pass by.
In any normal year, Greenfield’s Katie Haselton would have had her eyes set on a sectional championship in her senior year plus surpassing some GHS scoring records that were within her reach — in pre-COVID-19 times, that is.
Haselton, who has been playing with the Green Wave since eighth grade, had scored 1,272 points going into this season. With the abridged sports schedule, there are not enough games to fuel those goals.
But last Tuesday, Haselton clinched a friendly competition with a family friend, Ann Brissette, who held the scoring record of 1,333 points from 1990 until 2019. “When I reached 1,000 points,” Haselton said, her record was my next milestone to hit and I was super excited to catch it.”
So was Brissette, who was watching online and would have been there in person to witness it, if fans were allowed at games.
Haselton wore the No. 4 jersey, the same number Brissette wore when she played with Greenfield. “Although she isn’t blood, I consider her family,” Haselton said. “She’s been in my life ever since I was born.”
Sure, there might have been other milestones Haselton could have achieved in a full season of play, but we suspect that none of them would have pleased her and her mentor more.