TURNERS FALLS — Paintings from Joanne Belair will be on display at the Great Falls Discovery Center, at 2 Avenue A, through April 29.
Belair’s work focuses on the local watershed. Paintings include studies of the Connecticut River and tributaries as well as sights along the river walkways.
TURNERS FALLS — Children ages 3 to 6, accompanied by an adult, are invited to learn about watershed wildlife through a story, activities and crafts at the Great Falls Discovery Center at 2 Avenue A.
Activities will be both indoors and outdoors on Fridays, April 22, and 29, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
TURNERS FALLS — The Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center have received $16,000 as part of the $1.24 million, 29-project Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Partnerships Matching Funds Program.
The money is intended “to coordinate improvement projects for many of the commonwealth’s natural, cultural and recreational resources contained throughout the state parks system,” according to a DCR press release. The release explained that the $16,000 allocation will go toward “repairs and enhancements for educational purposes (at) the Great Falls Discovery Center.”
MONTAGUE — The Finance Committee, Capital Improvements Committee, Cable Advisory Committee and Planning Board are looking to fill vacancies in the wake of member Fred Bowman resigning.
All vacancies are for member positions except for the open Planning Board seat, which is a vacancy for an associate member, due to former associate member Matt Lord being appointed to full membership at this week’s Selectboard meeting following Bowman’s resignation.
Those interested in joining one of the committees may contact Executive Assistant Wendy Bogusz at 413-863-3200, ext. 108 or selectscty@montague-ma.gov.
MONTAGUE — The Health Department is providing free COVID-19 rapid antigen testing at the Town Hall Annex building, on the Connecticut River side.
This testing is only for those who have symptoms or have come into contact with someone who had recently tested positive for COVID-19. The testing is available on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to noon through May 10. Masks are required when entering the health care area.
The service will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Test results will be available by text or in person within 15 minutes.
MONTAGUE — The town has received $343,831 through the state’s winter road aid program, as announced by Town Administrator Steve Ellis at this week’s Selectboard meeting.
“The governor handed two different possibilities as I understand it, one being increased Chapter 90 of $100 million across the state and the other being $100 million focused on winter road aid,” Ellis explained. “The formula for winter road aid is more generous to municipalities such as Montague. We would have expected with the standard formula about $245,000 through Chapter 90, and so we’re realizing a substantial sum more.”
GILL — The Capital Improvements Planning Committee voted to recommend the Selectboard place expenditures for three town vehicles on the May 23 Annual Town Meeting warrant.
Expenses for fiscal year 2023 include a $410,000 fire responder, a $60,000 police cruiser and a $145,000 dump truck. The committee discussed potential use of American Rescue Plan Act funding to pay for the bulk of the combined $675,000 expense.
The committee elected to budget a $60,000 brush truck for the following fiscal year.