June 29: ‘Dr. Rosie’s Stuffy Clinic’ coming to library
SUNDERLAND — Jennifer Welborn, author and illustrator of the picture book “Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals,” will visit the Sunderland Public Library on Monday, June 29, at 2 p.m. for an “interactive reading” of the book.
After Welborn reads the book, attendees ages 4 and up will diagnose and treat stuffed animals they bring along using free miniature veterinarian kits and diagnostic sheets.
New hours at Sunderland Public Library
SUNDERLAND — The Sunderland Public Library has scaled back its hours since the spring. It is now open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays, 2 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
After a difficult town budget year, the library was unable to secure the American Library Association’s Libraries Transforming Communities grant that previously paid for staffing during the “Sensory Friendly Hours” on Thursdays. Although the library will no longer be open seven hours on Thursday, the team has continued the Sensory Friendly Hours by cutting hours of “lesser-used times” from other days of the week.
“It wasn’t just our patrons who have sensory sensitivities who benefitted from this addition; it was our whole community,” Sunderland Public Library Director Katherine Umstot wrote of the Sensory Friendly Hours in the summer newsletter. “This grant truly transformed the library into a more welcoming and accessible space, and I like to think that it transformed our whole community for the better, too.”
South County EMS providers, Greenfield firefighters recognized for patient care
SOUTH DEERFIELD — Three South County EMS providers and five Greenfield firefighters earned the Clinical Excellence Award in May for their treatment of patients.
The five Greenfield firefighters — Patrick Crowningshield, Jesse Phelps, Gregg Diefendorf, Kevin Worden II and Matthew Gardner — earned the award for their care of a patient in December, and South County EMS providers Theresa Emerson, Matthew Hall and Ahad Yildiz were recognized for resuscitating a runner experiencing cardiac arrest at the Tree House Brewing Co.’s half marathon last fall.
Next hearing on proposed Dollar General set for June 30
SUNDERLAND — The discussion on the proposal for a 9,100-square-foot Dollar General at the corner of Route 116 and Clark Mountain Road will continue on Tuesday, June 30, at 6:30 p.m., when the Zoning Board of Appeals plans to discuss engineering firm Tighe & Bond’s peer review of the applicant’s traffic study.
During the latest hearing on June 3, residents raised concerns over the proposed store’s impact on safety along Route 116, as well as on the local economy.
“How will a store of this size affect the existing retail stores in Sunderland? The jobs added by the applicant will be more than offset by the jobs lost by existing local retailers,” resident Will Sillin said. “Instead of McDonald’s, Burger King or Domino’s, we zoned for Bridgeside [Grille], Wild Roots and Frontier Pizza — we are a town of small local retailers.”
Sillin then described the results of a survey he helped organize. At the Sunderland Town Hall during the May 2 election, as well as at the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) bus stop along Route 116 and at local businesses, Sillin and other residents asked survey participants, “Will the proposed Dollar General store serve social, economic or community needs in Sunderland?” Of the Sunderland residents surveyed, 22 answered “yes” and 234 answered “no,” according to Sillin.
Other attendees expressed concerns about the proposed store’s impact on the safety of drivers and pedestrians traveling on Route 116, an issue the ZBA hopes the peer review of the applicant’s traffic study will address.
“This area is already thronged with PVTA and school buses, delivery and personal vehicles heading both north and south,” said resident Carrie Kline.
Resident Janelle Callahan called the traffic study “insufficient,” and suggested a “multimodal study” forecasting the proposed store’s impact on pedestrian and bus traffic along with passenger vehicles.
“This is neither smart zoning, nor wise planning,” Kline said. “I ask [the ZBA] to find the strength, determination, wisdom and know-how to stand up for the protection of our town and those who find themselves on our roads, our trails and in our assortment of intriguing and satisfying locally owned businesses.”
Elm Street upgrades delayed to next spring
SOUTH DEERFIELD — The original timeline for repairs along Elm Street has shifted from this summer to spring 2027.
The plan is to reconstruct the entire roadway, stretching from the railroad crossing up to the edges of the Leo’s Table building on North Main Street and the site of the former Cumberland Farms gas station on Sugarloaf Street.
Along with repaving the roadway, the project entails replacing sidewalks on both sides of Elm Street; adding a concrete shared-use path spanning 10 feet on the north side of the street and another shared-use path on the south side of the street stretching 7.5 feet; and constructing a slightly raised crosswalk in front of the Leary Public Parking Lot.
The town also plans to renovate the crosswalks at the intersection where North Main, South Main, Elm and Sugarloaf streets meet to “improve pedestrian visibility,” and remove the crosswalk outside Ciesluk’s Market on North Main Street after local businesses relayed “it’s not a terribly safe crossing,” according to Deerfield’s Planning and Economic Development Coordinator Alexandria Galloway. For smoother stormwater drainage, repaving will slope the street.
Frontier School Committee votes down moving plaque recognizing fallen soldier
SOUTH DEERFIELD — The Frontier Regional School District School Committee voted not to move the plaque with the name of a fallen soldier from the old scoreboard to the new scoreboard during its June 11 meeting.
The plaque on the old scoreboard reads the name, “Gregory Belanger,” a former South Deerfield resident who lost his life in 2003 while serving in the U.S. Army Reserve in Iraq.
Community groups in town dedicated the previous baseball scoreboard, which remains near the school parking lot, to the fallen soldier when it was installed in 2004. According to Frontier Superintendent Darius Modestow, the scoreboard became “non-functional” shortly after its installation due to electrical issues.
Gregory Belanger’s mother, Kathleen Belanger of Deerfield, asked the School Committee to approve moving the dedication to the new scoreboard at the athletic fields behind the school during the June 11 School Committee meeting.
“I think it’s very important for the young people in the future not to forget that freedom is not free, and that one of their fellow students paid the ultimate price,” she said.
Before the School Committee’s vote, Modestow reminded the members about the district’s memorial policy, which reads, “The School Committee recognizes that the death of a student, member of the staff or prominent community member is deeply felt by the school community. As places designed primarily to support learning, school sites should not serve as the main venue for permanent memorials.”
“As much as I feel for Kathy and I appreciate Greg’s sacrifice, there are requirements of the school and any of this would be a very slippery slope,” said School Committee member Olivia Leone.
School Committee member Bill Smith disagreed with the majority of members who voted against moving the name.
“To me, it’s a no-brainer,” Smith said. “The honor already exists with the name on the scoreboard and the honor should persist with the name on the new scoreboard.”
Seven School Committee members voted against moving the dedication plaque and two voted in support of moving it.
‘Deerfield Currents’ earns accolade
DEERFIELD — The monthly digital newsletter “Deerfield Currents” earned second place in the Electronic Format Newsletters category of the Neighborhood Newsletter Competition at the 51st Annual Neighborhoods USA Conference on May 28 and May 29.
According to Neighborhoods USA’s announcement of the winners, the competition “rewards excellence in community newsletters.”
“Neighborhood and community newsletters are an effective communication tool to share news about your city, community and neighborhood,” the announcement continues. “A well-designed newsletter can spark an interest in neighborhood involvement, increase neighborhood association membership and spur volunteerism.”
Since its start in August 2024, Deerfield Currents has amassed 671 subscribers over 21 issues. Editor Pat Ryan, Designer Emily Gaylord and Town Crier Lili Dwight craft the newsletter each month with support from the citizens group Engage: Deerfield.
“I’m gratified for the Neighborhoods USA award, but most of all I’m pleased that the community has found so much positive value in Currents, which is a great antidote to social media,” Ryan said. “The encouraging comments from our neighbors have made this fun for us.”
Deerfield artist recognized for illustrating USPS stamp
DEERFIELD — Residents celebrated the release of new USPS stamps featuring designs by artist David Sibley of Deerfield at the Memorial Hall museum on Monday, June 8.
At the “Stamp Issue Celebration,” attendees checked out Sibley’s set of five stamps that hit post offices on May 14.
The series of designs titled, “Bald Eagle: Hatchling to Adult,” showcase five stages of a bald eagle’s lifespan. By illustrating these phases, Sibley hopes the stamps will “make people think about the bald eagle as a bird — not so much as the national symbol, but just as a bird that lives out in nature,” he said.
Whately Giving Garden in full bloom
WHATELY — The Whately Giving Garden kicked off the summer with seed and plant exchanges at the Transfer Station on May 30 and June 13.
Every other Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon until November, residents can pick up free seeds, starter plants and produce at the Transfer Station, 73 Christian Lane, donated by local farmers and Giving Garden volunteers
“Our aim is to encourage residents to create vegetable gardens at home, to supplement their food resources,” said Julianna Waggoner, the Selectboard member who helped spearhead the project last spring. “We also want to provide free, fresh produce for people who might need it.”
The next swap at the Transfer Station will take place on June 27 from 9 a.m. to noon.
To sign up to donate to the swaps or volunteer, email Waggoner at j.waggoner@whately.org or Community Development Administrator Caroline Gurek at communitydevelopment@whately.org.
Conway resident makes dean’s list
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Davey Mazur of Conway, a sophomore at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, earned a spot on the dean’s list for the spring semester.
To achieve dean’s list status, a full-time degree-seeking undergraduate student must take at least 12 credit hours and earn a 3.6 quality point average during the semester.
Fritz named Whately’s 2026 Dog of the Year
WHATELY — Town Clerk Amy Lavallee recognized Fritz, the town’s Dog of the Year, at the June 2 Annual Town Meeting.
In between articles, Lavallee told residents that Fritz, a poodle mix, accepted the title at the Whately Town Offices alongside his proud owner Peggy Marshall.