New Salem Cultural Council accepting grant applications
NEW SALEM — The New Salem Cultural Council is accepting grant applications for its fiscal year 2027 round of funding, with Oct. 15 serving as the deadline for submitting electronic applications.
The Massachusetts Cultural Council will sponsor an online informational session on the Local Cultural Council grant application process at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10. Details about the program, the application process and the information session can be found at massculturalcouncil.org.
The New Salem Cultural Council supports projects that align with its priorities — to fund a variety of cultural activities that serve different age groups, and that are based in New Salem or are easily accessible to its residents. Priority will be given to applicants that have made prior arrangements for a local venue and have an approved budget in place.
Grant awards typically range from $250 to $500. Sponsoring groups may include, but are not limited to, performing arts producers, local libraries, schools, Councils on Aging, social media initiatives and historic venues. For more information on the New Salem Cultural Council, contact Ami Fagin at amifagin@gmail.com.
Three events on tap for New Salem Public Library
NEW SALEM — The New Salem Public Library at 23 South Main St. has three events coming up this month.
“Basic Canva Workshop: Flyers” is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17. It will be presented by Stephanie Stoudenmire, of CodeForce.us, a technology support and digital service provider that offers hands-on tech help, website building and software assistance for older adults, families, small businesses and community organizations.
This workshop will cover the basics of using Canva to create flyers. Stoudenmire will help people start a Canva account, use the homepage, use templates, change font and color for text, add images, add logos and icons, move and resize images and text, and more. Registration is recommended.
“Let’s Talk Ticks” is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19. Join Samantha Piragis, a public health nurse with the North Quabbin Health Collaborative, to hear the most up-to-date information on ticks, tick-borne illnesses and tick bite prevention. She will also offer free Permethrin spraying for hiking/outdoor boots and shoes. Attendees should bring a spare pair of footwear to wear after the spraying.
“A Funny Program about Funny Programs: The Greatest Sitcoms of All Time,” is slated for 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24.
Award-winning author and pop culture historian Marty Gitlin will host an enlightening presentation based on his book, “The Greatest Sitcoms of All Time.” Gitlin will show snippets from the funniest shows in sitcom history, challenge participants with sitcom trivia (including theme songs), discuss his ranking criteria for 70 years of sitcoms, and talk about how they have evolved over the decades in humor, presentation and content.
Farley Road closures coming up
WENDELL — There is a tentative schedule for an upcoming closure of Farley Road at the railroad crossing so that crossing upgrades can be conducted, according to a post on the town website.
On Sunday, Sept. 6, the road will be closed so an 80-foot panel can be installed on one of the two tracks. The road will be reopened when the work is finished.
On Monday, Sept. 7, an 80-foot panel will be installed on the other track. The road will be reopened when the work is finished. Then on Tuesday, Sept. 8, final road surface work will be conducted and the road will be reopened, with the project fully completed.