Retired Ashfield Fire Chief Del Haskins arrives at his surprise retirement party held under a large tent at Edge Hill Golf Course in Ashfield. Despite almost 140 attending, Haskins had no idea the event was being held.
Retired Ashfield Fire Chief Del Haskins arrives at his surprise retirement party held under a large tent at Edge Hill Golf Course in Ashfield. Despite almost 140 attending, Haskins had no idea the event was being held. Credit: FOR THE RECORDER/ELLA ADAMS

Here are some brief thoughts on recent happenings in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region.

Mask up

It’s appears to be case of two steps forward and one cautionary step backwards, given the arrival of the Delta variant to our area.

Many of us felt the COVID-19 pandemic had eased so life could return to normal, with businesses fully reopening and large-scale events being held once again. Masks were no longer mandatory. People were taking vacations to be with family and friends again.

All of this was possible because people did the right thing by getting vaccinated and taking safety precautions.

Ah, but not so fast.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Franklin County is now considered in the “substantial risk” category for COVID-19 transmission.

Last week, Franklin County reported 23 positive COVID-19 cases, with 12 in Greenfield. The age group most impacted is people in their 20s. The biggest risk is among those who are unvaccinated although there have been cases where vaccinated people have been infected.

While about 61 percent of Franklin County residents have been fully vaccinated, keep in mind children under age 12 do not as yet have access to vaccines.

So once again, Greenfield’s Board of Health has voted to recommend that individuals — regardless of vaccination status — wear face coverings when inside public buildings and local businesses.

Yes, it’s annoying especially in this heat to wear cloth over our mouths and noses, but it’s the smart and respectful thing to do.

Surprise for a chief

It takes some doing to hold a surprise party in a small town without the honored person knowing, never mind the retired fire chief. But somehow the town of Ashfield pulled it off.

On Saturday, Aug. 7, townspeople and firefighters from around our area gave Del Haskins a good sendoff to his well-deserved retirement as chief. Haskins has served the town as a firefighter for 47 years, including 12 as its chief.

His arrival at the Edgehill Golf Course was met with a standing ovation. In all, 140 people attended.

“It makes me feel proud that people respect what the Fire Department does. This is a great town,” Haskins said. “It means a lot to me. I respect this town, and there are a lot of good people here.”

Haskins’ successor is Kyle Walker, who said the party was three months in the planning. Well done, Ashfield.

Gifts of comfort

Thanks to the Franklin County Rotary Club, children who are getting help because of abuse will find a little comfort inside 100 bags the group donated to the Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin Inc.

The center provides a safe environment for interviewing child victims of sexual or physical abuse to gather facts for both medical and legal purposes. So far this year, it has handled 60 cases.

The bags contain plush toys, personal care items, notebooks and pens, and other items children can play with during the interview process and beyond. Donations, including one from Greenfield Savings Bank, funded the project.

This is the center’s fourth year of receiving donated comfort bags, which hopefully can make a difficult situation a little easier for the children they serve.