Leyden Selectboard approves solicitation policy
LEYDEN — Door-to-door salesmen and vendors will now need to seek permission from the Bernardston Police Department to knock on doors in Leyden.
The Leyden Selectboard unanimously approved a solicitation policy on Monday, requiring all solicitors to seek approval from the Bernardston Police Department in advance. Through an intermunicipal agreement, the Bernardston department handles policing services in neighboring Leyden.
The Police Department will notify the town coordinator when solicitation approvals are given so the town coordinator can then inform the Selectboard and post the information to the town website, alerting residents.
“I think that having it on the website is important so someone who is not going to call to ask a question can go to the website and see, yes this has been officially approved,” Selectboard member Katherine DiMatteo said.
Pioneer seeks input on strategic plan
NORTHFIELD — The Pioneer Valley Regional School District is starting the process of developing a five-year strategic plan and is seeking community input.
According to the Northfield town website, the school district hopes to hear from current and past families, alumni, town residents, town officials and anyone else who shares a connection to the Pioneer community. All students in grades four through 12 have been invited to take the survey as well.
The survey can be accessed at pvrsdk12.org/about/strategic-planning-process and will remain open until Friday, Sept. 19, at 5 p.m. The district will share the themes that emerge from the survey responses in October and will provide updates on the strategic planning process throughout the fall.
13th annual dog show set for Oct. 4
NORTHFIELD — The Friends of the Dickinson Memorial Library will host the 13th annual dog show on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m. in the parking lot behind the library at 115 Main St.
Those planning to enter their dog into the competition should plan to arrive at 1:30 p.m. The cost to enter is $10 for dogs with adult handlers and $5 for dogs with child handlers. The dog show has 12 categories.
Input on regionalization sought from Bernardston, Leyden residents
Bernardston and Leyden town officials are asking residents to take a brief survey to share their thoughts on how the two towns might collaborate more closely. The survey will be open until Oct. 6.
Survey input will help town officials identify services that could be shared between the two communities, understand residents’ concerns and explore the possibility of merging into a single town. With a $75,000 Efficiency & Regionalization grant, Leyden and Bernardston have been working this year with the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management to see how the two towns might further collaborate in hopes of maximizing efficiency and being most cost-effective.
Bernardston residents can access the survey at townofbernardston.org/home-page/page/bernardston-leyden-community-survey. The link for Leyden residents is available at townofleyden.com/n/11255/Bernardston-Leyden-Efficiency-and-Regionalization-Grant-Survey-Link.
For those who prefer a paper copy, printed surveys are available at the Bernardston Town Hall or the Leyden Town Offices during regular business hours. Residents are advised to contact Leyden Town Coordinator Michele Giarusso at 413-774-4111, ext. 1 or Bernardston Town Administrator Karen Kelly at 413-648-5401 for more information.