Here are some brief thoughts on recent happenings in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region.
Last week, the city rolled out a radical new vision for Court Square — that triangular plot at the corner of Federal Street and Bank Row otherwise known as the Greenfield Town Common. It would block off the right-hand turning lane at the intersection of Federal Street and Bank Row to traffic that used Court Square to bypass the intersection. The goal is to make way for a pedestrian plaza in the heart of the city.
This spot is already crucial to the city’s identity. Want to take the pulse of the people? Just check out the Greenfield Town Common, site of vigils, demonstrations, rallies, protests and even an encampment. This pocket park is used by the people for, among other things, getting the word out. Almost every issue of record has been publicized by adherents — young and old — standing with signs at this busy intersection. Looking back over the years, photos of activities on the common are a reminder of issues that have loomed large in the public mind. Many of these are not limited to Greenfield but reflect concerns of people throughout the county and nation.
And then, of course, there’s the farmers market on Saturday mornings, a bustling destination for gardeners and foodies, and the Free Harvest Supper at the end of the summer, drawing people together to celebrate our county’s bounty.
The goal of the reconfiguration, Community and Economic Development Direct MJ Adams said, is to design a downtown that is “more community-oriented. We’re trying to bring more people down to a lively and robust downtown.”
This summer’s trial represents a test drive of the concept before it is built out. As Mayor Roxann Wedegartner pointed out, “There’s a lot of federal money coming out, and we’re listing this as one of our top priorities for downtown Greenfield.”
We hope it proves workable for the businesses it impacts. The civic-minded heart of the people of Greenfield is big and deserves an enhanced geographical space to hold it.
In its Annual Town Meeting, Ashfield residents voted to make the position of fire chief full time, paying $65,000. To put that in perspective, the average fire chief salary in Massachusetts is $86,073 as of May 27, but the range typically falls between $81,895 and $105,916, according to salary.com.
This big leap was prompted by the impending retirement of its hard-working part-time Fire Chief Del Haskins.
West Barnstable Fire Chief Joseph V. Maruca, who reviewed the volunteer fire department at the request of Town Administrator Jennifer Morse, recommended that Ashfield get a full-time career fire chief. Marcia listed 12 aspects of the job — including strategic planning and risk management — that can be handled by a full-time chief but not a part-time one.
“In fact,” Maruca wrote in his report, “most people admire and respect Chief Haskins for having done the job in a part-time capacity for a long time, for little money, and well past the point when most people would have walked away, telling the town it was time for them to hire a full-time chief.”
That goes for all the other small towns in our region operating with a part-time fire chief.
With its recent vote, Ashfield sets the bar high for other small towns.
Orange is the latest town in our region to debate making the position of town clerk appointed rather than elected. At its recent Annual Town Meeting, attendees narrowly voted to put it to a ballot at a future election.
There is a sentimental fondness for historical precedent. Readers of a certain (make that, advanced) age can remember when certain town clerks operated out of their homes. And in the minutiae of our lives, from dog licenses to marriage licenses, town clerks figure prominently.
This is not a new issue — these pages have reported on similar debates in Buckland, Bernardston, Northfield and probably other towns — and we have already come down on the side of appointed.
What is new, however, is the heightened role of the town clerk — who administers elections — given the controversy engendered by the 2020 presidential election. Certainly, the outstanding performance of our elected town clerks would make them a shoo-in for appointment, if it came to that. But a popularity contest — which is part and parcel of elected office — is probably not the best way to choose the person who administers our elections.