Brief thoughts on some of the events making news from around Franklin County and the North Quabbin area:
Erving has some exciting plans in store for the land that once was home to the Usher mill. The town is moving forward to turn the former paper mill into a riverside park, with a picnic pavilion, playground and possibly a community garden. But the most intriguing component is the plan to build a band shell for outdoor concerts. While we wouldn’t expect these concerts to be huge affairs, this kind of entertainment would attract not only residents but also visitors. And once this work is completed, the town plans to turn its attention to finding a new use for the remaining building.
One of the attributes of the high schools in the area is their willingness to get involved in projects that benefit their communities. One of the latest examples came out of Greenfield High School where students were involved in a clothing drive, one coming out of Project 351, a group that was established by former Gov. Deval Patrick. The idea here was to bring students from each of the 351 cities and towns in the state together, with an eye toward performing public service work. And besides helping their individual communities, this project also helps students develop leadership skills. In this particular case, the students gathered roughly 20 bags of clothing that went to Cradles to Crayons, a Boston nonprofit that then distributes items to needy or homeless youth around the state. Such efforts are good to see.
A tip of the hat to all those involved in the spring parade in Turners Falls. It’s such events that welcome everyone to get involved and help provide everyone, from participants to those simply watching, with a chance to have some fun and to welcome spring.
We’re about to head full swing into town meeting season for many of the county’s communities. These are the annual meetings where grass-roots democracy is front and center as residents decide the fate of town spending on services, programs and projects. We would like to think that residents in their individual towns want to be involved and, therefore, willing to take the time to lend their voice to the process.