Sept. 27: Anti-apartheid community information session
TURNERS FALLS — Organizers from Apartheid-Free Western Massachusetts, who have spearheaded the effort for a Town Meeting petition article that would declare Montague to be an apartheid-free community as an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people, will have an information session at the Carnegie Public Library on Saturday, Sept. 27.
The information table, which will be set up starting at 3 p.m., will allow residents to learn about the petition article, and meet Town Meeting members and fellow community members who support the petition.
“The resolution affirms a town-wide commitment to freedom, justice and equality for the Palestinian people and all people, opposes all forms of bigotry, and pledges working to end support to Israel’s regime of apartheid, settler colonialism and military occupation,” a notice from organizer Heather Hutchinson reads.
Hutchinson confirmed the petition has received enough signatures to be placed on the meeting warrant for the Special Town Meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Light snacks will be offered. Questions about the petition article or the information session can be directed to infoapartheidfreewesternma@gmail.com.
Discovery Center to host National Public Lands Day celebration
TURNERS FALLS — The Great Falls Discovery Center at 2 Avenue A is joining the celebration of National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 27, with events from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., including educational discussions, a group lunch, crafts and music.
As part of the events lineup, attendees will hear from experts about the benefits of wild, public lands for biodiversity, climate, water and human health during a “Why Wild, Public Lands?” talk from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Speakers will discuss the natural history of New England, the current distribution of wild lands locally and the unique opportunity to rewild more of the local landscape. Then, from 2:45 to 3:15 p.m., discussion will focus on current, active campaigns for New England public wildland protection and what residents can do to help.
The program, sponsored by several state environmental advocacy organizations, is free and open to all ages.
Eviction Sealing Clinic offered Monday
TURNERS FALLS — The Brick House Community Resource Center at 24 Third St. will host Springfield No One Leaves for an Eviction Sealing Clinic on Monday, Sept. 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Attendees who speak either English or Spanish will be able to meet with a lawyer to have their past eviction(s) sealed to make it easier to find housing moving forward. To register, visit tinyurl.com/EvictionSealingClinic2025.
Contact Stacey Langknecht at slangknecht@brickhousecommunity.org or call 413-800-2496 for more information.
Inktober 2025 comes to Erving Public Library
ERVING — People are invited to participate in the Inktober 2025 drawing challenge at the Erving Public Library’s Makerspace starting Oct. 1.
Participants can follow the daily, single-word prompts to draw their own image in ink. The library will post photos of the new drawings to social media. People can share their own images, too, using #inktober and #inktober2025.
People can participate at their own pace, and the goal is to develop positive, consistent habits. The images will then be displayed in January and February 2026. The first prompt will be “Mustache” for Oct. 1.
Oct. 5 declared Farren Memorial Appreciation Day
MONTAGUE — The Selectboard has declared Sunday, Oct. 5, to be Farren Memorial Appreciation Day, and a celebration is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Our Lady of Peace Church, 90 Seventh St.
The Selectboard’s proclamation states that citizens are encouraged “to celebrate the memory and reflect on the contribution of the Farren to this community.” The Farren Memorial Hospital was opened on Montague City Road in 1900 and later became a long-term care facility until it closed in 2021.
To honor the Farren’s impact on the community, Our Lady of Peace Church, which houses the Farren Memorial Statue of Jesus, will recognize the day with a program that features a blessing from Bishop William Byrne of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, as well as remarks from the Sisters of Providence and a descendant of founder Bernard Farren. Nurses, community volunteers and staff from the Farren will also be present.
A Montague town official will read the proclamation and a member of the Historical Commission will attend to note the site’s significance.