Orange firefighter/EMT Ryan Hendrickson, middle, recently graduated from the Massachusetts Fire Academy after four months of training on nights and weekends, according to a Facebook post from the Orange Fire Department. At left is Fire Chief James Young and at right is Capt. James Hopkins.
Orange firefighter/EMT Ryan Hendrickson, middle, recently graduated from the Massachusetts Fire Academy after four months of training on nights and weekends, according to a Facebook post from the Orange Fire Department. At left is Fire Chief James Young and at right is Capt. James Hopkins. Credit: COURTESY PHOTO/ORANGE FIRE DEPARTMENT

Orange Community Band will try again to open summer season

ORANGE — The Orange Community Band will try again on June 28 to open its summer season, having canceled its June 21 concert due to inclement weather.

The theme will be “rock ’n’ roll/American songbook.” The concert, set to start on the bandstand in Butterfield Park at 7 p.m., is sponsored by Dotty Verheyen and Miffy Sirois to honor the tradition of band concerts in Orange.

Following the theme of American songwriters and rock ’n’ roll, this concert will include “The Hustle” by Van McCoy, “Salute to Bob Hope” arranged by Warren Barker, “Chicago” arranged by Victor Lopez and “Taylor Swift Duo” arranged by Michael Story.

The band will try to fit the “Ladies Night” concert that had been scheduled for June 21 into the season at a later date.

Other themes this season will include “Patriotic Night” sponsored by Orange American Legion Post 172 on July 5, “Children’s Night” on July 12, “Featuring …” on July 19, and “Heroes and Villains” on July 26, sponsored by Witty’s Funeral Home. The band will also perform a “Back to School” concert on Aug. 30.

Orange firefighter/EMT graduates from academy

ORANGE — Orange firefighter/EMT Ryan Hendrickson recently has graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy after four months of training on nights and weekends, according to a Facebook post from the Orange Fire Department.

The June 25 post states Hendrickson has become an EMT, graduated from the fire academy and enrolled in paramedic school (which he will start in the fall) in the 16 months since he joined the Orange Fire Department.

“He is an incredible asset to our department,” the post reads.

Comerford to visit Orange Town Hall for bill talk

ORANGE — State Sen. Jo Comerford has scheduled a visit to the Ruth B. Smith Auditorium in Orange Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 8, to talk about a bill she filed related to the Quabbin watershed and regional equity.

Comerford, a Northamton Democrat, and state Rep. Aaron Saunders, D-Belchertown, filed a bill to foster greater regional equity and provide for reasonable payments to Quabbin watershed communities for local municipal needs. She will also answer any questions community members have on July 8.

The bill aims to add two western Massachusetts seats to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, establish a community trust fund for Quabbin watershed communities that would be funded by an additional fee on water leaving the Quabbin Reservoir, adjust and expand the current payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) formula and mandate a regional watershed study to determine access to potable water. More information on the bill is available at tinyurl.com/QuabbinBill.