PILOT agreement with FirstLight on tap for Gill Special Town Meeting
GILL — Residents will be asked to vote on whether to authorize the Selectboard and Board of Assessors to enter a 10-year payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement with FirstLight Hydro Generating Co. during the Monday, Oct. 6 Special Town Meeting.
The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at Gill Town Hall.
Both the Gill Selectboard and Finance Committee recommended the article by majority votes during a Sept. 17 joint meeting with the Board of Assessors.
This agreement comes off the coattails of a similar PILOT agreement between Montague and FirstLight. Gill and Montague were part of litigation in the state Appellate Tax Board contesting the valuations of FirstLight’s property in fiscal years 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Though Gill will need to return $68,790 to FirstLight for overpayments made in FY22, FY23 and FY24, FirstLight has agreed to pay $172,998 to the town in FY26. That sum will increase by 0.75% annually for the 10 years of the agreement.
FirstLight is the largest taxpayer in the town of Gill, Board of Assessors member Pam Lester noted on Monday. Lester urged residents to attend the Special Town Meeting.
Montague to begin negotiations with preferred police chief candidate
MONTAGUE — Greenfield Police Lt. Jason Haskins has been chosen as the preferred candidate to be the next police chief in Montague.
The Montague Selectboard voted unanimously on Monday to begin contract negotiations with Haskins for the position after members held private interviews with Haskins and the other finalist, David Kachajian, chief of police in Brandon, Vermont.
After these private, hour-long interviews, the Selectboard convened in open session to share their thoughts and recommend their preferred candidate. Haskins’ connection to Turners Falls and his previous service as a police chief in Franklin County — specifically in Colrain from 2009 to 2016 — made him stand out, Selectboard members said.
“He has a connection to the town,” Selectboard Chair Matt Lord said about the value of Haskins’ local roots. “You can have all the accomplishments possible and you can’t just conjure that.”
Members of the Police Chief Search Committee also expressed their appreciation for Haskins. Member Doug Brown said he thinks the Selectboard “will be pleased” with the Police Department under Haskins’ leadership.
Haskins has been with the Greenfield department since 2007. He earned his associate’s degree in criminal justice from Holyoke Community College in 2015 and his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2019.
Pending successful negotiations, Haskins would fill the vacancy left following the pending departure of Montague Police Chief Christopher Williams, who plans to retire in December after 36 years of service to the department and seven years as chief.
First Friday programming enters spooky season
TURNERS FALLS — The first Great Ghouls Night Market will kick off spooky season in Montague on Friday, Oct. 3, as part of the monthly downtown First Friday programming at 147 Second St., the Nova Motorcycles parking lot.
Businesses will be open late on Friday, and a market with vintage vendors, craft makers, handmade goods, food and music will be held from 5 to 9 p.m.
Starting at 6 p.m., spooky puppets, created during a three-week papier-mâché workshop at The Brick House Community Resource Center, will join Skeleton Trolls from the Montague Shakespeare Festival for a parade down Avenue A from Peskeompskut Park to the Great Ghouls Night Market.
At 6:45 p.m., the musical “How the Moth Fell in Love with the Light” will be performed by the Bug Museum Puppets, followed at 7:15 p.m. by the premiere of the 20-minute original work “Paper Crown” by the Montague Shakespeare Festival players.
Animal blessing coming to Our Lady of Peace Church
TURNERS FALLS — The Our Lady of Peace Church, at 90 Seventh St., will offer blessings to pets starting at 10 a.m. at the church’s Peace Garden.
People are welcome to bring their pets for a blessing to celebrate the human and animal connection. The event will also celebrate the patron saint of animals, St. Francis of Assisi. This event is free and refreshments will be served.
Bank to host conversation on mental health, suicide
TURNERS FALLS — The Greenfield Savings Bank branch at 282 Avenue A is hosting a community conversation program, “Mental Health and Suicide: Understanding Myths and Decreasing Fear,” on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
This group discussion will be led by licensed mental health counselor Karen Carreira, who is also the board chair of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Massachusetts Chapter and co-chair of the Pioneer Valley Coalition for Suicide Prevention.
The focus will be on sharing information to debunk myths on suicide, and guests will be equipped with information on how to help foster discussion for those in need.
For more information, email Robin Neipp at robin.neipp@vhrcare.org.
Cool Rides Car Show returns to Franklin Tech
TURNERS FALLS — The Franklin County Technical School will host its 13th annual Cool Rides Car Show on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the school, 82 Industrial Blvd.
Guests can see a variety of cars, trucks and motorcycles, and the show is open to all. Students of the Advanced Manufacturing Program will be giving out plaques, made by Advanced Manufacturing students, for the Top 25 rides, as well as a trophy for the People’s Choice Best in Show ride. The trophy was made by students in the Welding & Metal Fabrication Program.
Students in the Culinary Arts Program will be serving hot dogs, hamburgers and soft drinks. Students from the Pre-Employment Program will sell homemade tote bags made out of donated animal feed bags, with proceeds benefiting the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Regional Dog Shelter.
This event is free, but donations are accepted.
National Pierogi Day celebration returns for second year
TURNERS FALLS — Our Lady of Czestochowa Church at 84 K St. is bringing back its pierogi sale on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in celebration of National Pierogi Day.
The sale will include a new, sweet cheese pierogi, along with the sauerkraut and cheese and potato pierogi flavors. They come frozen in to-go packages for $10. There will also be a $15 Polish Plate featuring a sweet cheese pierogi, kielbasa, honey nugget carrots, beets with horseradish, coleslaw, rye bread and a Polish pickle.
Additionally, there will be a bake sale of traditional Polish baked goods, including paczki, a Polish doughnut, and chrusciki pastries.