“An optimist is the human personification of spring.” — Susan ...countryjournal.turley.com/cj-archives/COJ050720.pdfmakes Chester great, but Covid-19 has forced public gatherings

By Peter Spotts

The town election on Monday, May 4, besides some strong wind gusts bat-tering the outdoor poll station and chilly temperatures in the evening, ran without a hitch as Covid-19 precautions over-seen by the Board of Health ensured volunteers and the in-person voters were safe.

Town Clerk Brenda Lessard report-ed that 29 of the 179 ballots cast were done in person, some by people coming to pay their taxes and realizing it was

Town electionsafe for voters

By Peter Spotts

Saturday, May 16, would nor-mally be a day where the community comes together on Main Street, enjoy-ing a variety of festivities and cele-brating with their neighbors all that makes Chester great, but Covid-19 has forced public gatherings to not hap-pen. However, Chester On Track is not stopping its wheels.

For the first time, the event will be presented online as Virtual Chester On Track. Dave Pierce, president of The Chester Foundation, said a stream of about four hours is being edited

VIRTUAL, page 6

VOTERS, page 6

Chester on Track goes virtual

CHESTER

WILLIAMSBURG

By Peter Spotts

A more recent resident in town is utilizing his nonprofit organization to open a community garden at Healing Hearts Sanctuary to provide food for residents in need during this difficult time, and he is seeking community donations to make it a reality.

Tracy McManmon moved to town two years ago, incorporating his nonprofit last year, and has continual-ly looked for ways to build the bonds

Resident raises funds for food

By Peter Spotts

The past two months have caused much stress, anxiety, tension and other uncomfortable feelings for

many people as Covid-19 turned life upside down, but a couple Otis residents are trying to help bring some peace of mind, even if it’s across the Atlantic.

R e s i d e n t Viktoria Seavey was visiting her family in Hungary at the beginning of March and was unable to return to Otis until this week with the trav-el restrictions that were put in place. She runs her holis-tic health and well-

ness business in town and, along with Beryl Bender Birch, has partnered with the Recreation Commission to bring online meditation classes every week. Between Seavey and Birch, only Wednesday is left without a program.

“I just love bringing people trust and positivi-ty and just the light even in the most difficult times,” said Seavey. “They can turn things around just by feeling, thinking, and acting differ-ently and bringing in lively energy through meditation.”

“It’s not about pushing

away bad thoughts. It’s not about stopping thoughts,” explained Birch. “We can-not stop thought any more than we can stop sound. Our work in meditation is simply to train the mind to focus on one thing without distraction or interruption. We learn to sit and watch our thoughts - to be aware of the difference between being lost in thought and awake. As we develop concentration, our thoughts organically quiet down. In most meditation techniques you start with letting the

Finding peace of mind in stressful times

FOOD, page 9

By Peter Spotts

Hampshire Regional High School has announced it will hold two graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2020 — a pre-recorded com-mencement to air on June 5 with a graduate gathering achievement ceremony on Aug. 8.

Principal Kristin Smidy said the school consulted with local Boards of Health

for what would be permit-ted, as well as class offi-cers, advisors and a survey to gather student and family input before deciding on two ceremonies.

“I carefully reviewed what everyone was hop-ing for and weighed out all the options. At the end of the day, we settled on the two different ceremonies with two distinct purpos-es,” Smidy said. “The com-

mencement ceremony will allow the class to become HRHS graduates whi le everyone is still local in our community. Including the entire class was a strong fac-tor in this decision.”

The pre-recorded cere-mony will air on Friday June 5. Caps and gowns will be available for no contact pick-up during the week of May 18. Each student and their immediate family will have

a 10-minute timeslot during the week of May 25 to come to the High School and for-mally accept their diploma. A professional videographer will capture the students’ experiences and put togeth-er the full ceremony for release. The valedictorian, salutatorian, and class offi-cers will give their speeches and remarks. The Class of

GRADUATION, page 11

PEACE, page 11

Williamsburg held the town election on Monday, May 4, with plenty of sanitization and protection equipment for poll workers and voters. Sheila Dufresne and Rebecca Brooks were on hand to help check in the 29 voters that came to the physical polls outside the Town Offices. Photos by Peter Spotts

HRHS announces graduation plans

WORTHINGTON

Blandford ........................7Business Directory ........11Chester ...........................6Classifieds ...............14,15Cummington ...................8

Goshen ...........................8Hilltowns ........................2Huntington ......................3Middlefield ......................3Montgomery .................13

Obituary ........................13Opinion .......................4, 5Otis ...............................11Public Notice ................13Puzzle Page ..................12

Russell............................3Schools & Youth ............11Westhampton .................8Williamsburg ...................6Worthington ....................9

OTIS

PAGE 2

HAMPSHIRE REGIONAL

A TURLEY PUBLICATION ❙ www.turley.com

May 7, 2020 ❙ Vol. 42, No. 2 ❙ 75¢ www.countryjournal.turley.com

“An optimist is the human personification of spring.” — Susan J. Bissonette

Devoted to the Needs of the HilltownsCountry Journal

Becket, Blandford, Chester, Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, Otis, Plainfield, Russell, Sandisfield, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington

PRECAUTIONARY POLLS

Beryl Bender Birch

ViktoriaSeavey

page 2 Country Journal • Thursday, May 7, 2020

HILLTOWNS

Lyle Congdon follows Unkamit’s Path up Shatterack Mountain.

Best Prices in Town • Best Selection • Honest Lottery

HUNTINGTON LIQUORS21 Russell Road, Huntington (413) 667-3201

It’s still Beer - o - clock!Due to the circumstances, we will remain open but curb service only.

You may call us with your order.

Our new hours are:Closed Sunday

Mon. thru Sat. 10 am - 7 pm

Thank you for your understanding. Stay Healthy!

Formerly the Strain Family Equestrian Centerwww.vininghillequestrian.com

Community NewspaperADVERTISING

Retailers and small local businesses put the lion’s share

of their local advertising in newspapers. They know which media truly moves their products. Besides that, Google’s

research shows that half of online shoppers are morelikely to buy products they’ve

seen in the paper.

Works!SUPPORT

COMMUNITYBUSINESSES

Lyle Congdon hikes out to the furthest point on Shatterack Mountain to look down on Montgomery and the Westfield River Valley. Submitted photos

Take a hike

Kim Kelliher, Karen McTaggart, and Liz Massa look out over Russell from fish rock. Karen McTaggart, Liz Massa, and Kim Kelliher look towards Holiday Hill.

Country Journal • Thursday, May 7, 2020 page 3

E. Cechi Farms 1131 Springfield StreetFeeding Hills, Mass. � “Everything you’d grow if you had forty acres.”

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E. Cechi Farms 1131 Springfield StreetFeeding Hills, Mass. � “Everything you’d grow if you had forty acres.”

Make yourMother’s DayHANGING BASKETS | MIXED PLANTERS

ANNUALS | PERENNIALS | HERBS | VINES

VEGETABLE PLANTS | PROVEN WINNERS

HYBRID TEA ROSES | KNOCKOUT ROSES

our own asparagus

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NOTICEERRORS: Each advertis-er is requested to check their advertisement the first time it appears. This paper will not be responsible for more than one corrected in-sertion, nor will be li-able for any error in an advertisement to a greater extent than the cost of the space occu-pied by the item in the advertisement.

HUNTINGTON

HUNTINGTON — Due to the Covid-19 global crisis, the Huntington Recreation Committee has made the dif-ficult decision to cancel summer camp planned for the summer of 2020. The Recreation Committee feels it’s in every-one’s best interest and safety during this

difficult and uncertain time. The committee knows this is dis-

appointing for the campers, parents, and staff as well as the committee. Please stay tuned for activities in the future from the Huntington Recreation Committee, and stay safe and healthy.

2020 Summer camp cancelled

HUNTINGTON — In this chal-lenging time of Covid-19, The North Hall Association has made the difficult decision to cancel its 2020 Historic North Hall Arts Festival — 11 events from the weekend of May 23 and 24 through September 20 — its 11th sea-son of theatre, spoken word, music and art in the historic North Hall in Huntington, built in 1795.

The Association’s priority is always the health and safety of its art-ists, audiences, volunteers, staff and residents of Huntington. There is so much uncertainty for how long this coronavirus pandemic will continue and even if it subsides it may possi-bly resurface, therefore the Association believes cancellation is the safest course of action.

But all is not lost, several of the performers are providing links to their music or spoken word so audiences can enjoy what they do. Music is accessi-ble, some audio and some video, by several scheduled performers available

on the North Hall Association web-site Events Calendar, www.north-halhuntington.org, including tenor Antonio Abate with piano accompanist Jerome Tan performing a Concert of Song “Bringing Joy to Others,” Khalif Neville with music from his album “WISHIN,” Jerry Noble’s sharing “Songs of Hope,” a series of duets with various performers, and performances of “vintage country” by Old Country Road at different venues.

The North hall is closed to the public indefinitely. Basic mainte-nance is covered by the town budget. Expenses incurred preparing for the 2020 festival may be covered by Arts Council grants. The Association is not planning any fundraising at this time and encourages people to donate to food banks and organizations provid-ing help to those affected by Covid-19.

The Association looks forward to the time the community can come together again continue the Historic Arts North Hall Arts Festival in 2021.

2020 North Hall Arts Festival cancelled

NORWICH HILLThe First Congregational Church

of Huntington will continue to suspend physical gatherings for worship services and meetings for the time being out of our deep care and concern for each other, our neighbors and our wider community.

Though our doors may be closed, our spirits are not. We are currently meeting for worship by Zoom. If you do not receive our emails and would like to connect with our Zoom worship, please contact Pastor Carol at [email protected] to receive the infor-mation you will need to participate.

This week our reading from John 14.1-14 is both inspirational and chal-lenging as it invites us to discover peace for our troubled hearts, in the midst of

our anxiety, concern and changing times.We encourage everyone to join in

helping curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus by following the stay-at-home orders that are in place in our state for our health and wellbeing.

Please use the phone numbers and email address provided to stay in touch or to contact the pastor. You are also invited to find us on Facebook at First Congregational Church of Huntington, United Church of Christ for updates, information and spiritual encouragement.

Cancellations will be posted on Channel 22 WWLP and Channel 40 WGGB. For more information, contact 413-667-3935 or 860-798-7771 or [email protected].

MIDDLEFIELD

M I D D L E F I E L D — T h e Tow n Election has been moved to June 27 with no changes to polling hours, noon to 5 p.m., by a vote of the Board of Selectmen on April 28. The last day to register to vote is June 17, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Senior Center and 7 to 8 p.m. at the Town Hall. Voter registration applications are available online and may be filled out and delivered to the Town Clerk. Identification is required.

The Town Caucus has been moved to May 20, on schedule with the Town Election. Polling hours will be from 4 to

8 p.m. Extreme caution will be in effect. Masks are mandatory. Voters should bring their own black pen. If not, take-home pens will be provided. Positions available are as follows: Moderator, one-year term; Selectboard, three-year term and two-year term; Board of Assessors, three-year term; Cemetery Commission, three-year term; Constable, three-year term ; Finance Committee, three-year term; Library Trustee, three-year term and one-year term; Planning Board, two three-year terms; and School Committee, three-year term.

Election postponed to June 27

MIDDLEFIELD SENIOR CENTERLunch is served at the Senior Center,

169 Skyline Trail, Middlefield, each Wednesday at noon.

A $3 donation is suggested. Reservations should be made, and meal choice stated, by calling and leaving a

message at 413-623-9990 the Monday before.

The menu on Wednesday, May 13, is chef’s salad with chicken, cucumbers and tomatoes, macaroni salad, wheat din-ner roll, fruit crunch bar.

RUSSELL

RUSSELL — Town Clerk Jodie Paradis is holding early voting hours through next week for the Tuesday, May 19 special election.

Early voting hour will be from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday May 8 and May 15, and on Tuesday, May 12, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Russell voters are eligible to vote absentee in the upcoming May 19 Special Election to help reduce crowd size and maintain social dis-tancing.

To vote absentee, send a request to [email protected] to have a ballot mailed.

Early, absentee voting available

RUSSELL — The Appalachian Mountain Club has closed all its facil-ities, shelters, campsites, trips, pro-grams, and activities until July 1, which includes Noble View Outdoor Center in Russell.

At this time, volunteer-led events remain cancelled until June 4. Over the next two weeks, volunteers and staff will assess if and how to move forward at that time. We will share an update on our progress in mid-May.

AMC will continue to monitor the recommendations of the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and government entities across its region of operation. All decisions about bringing facilities back online will be made in alignment with their guidance under the expecta-tion that many services will need to be adapted to new and evolving health and safety protocols, including adjustments to lodging and food-service operations.

For more information, visit www.outdoors.org/articles/newsroom/amc-preparations-for-covid-19 or http://www.nobleviewoutdoorcenter.org.

Noble View trails closed until July 1

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High flying excitementIt’s official. UFOs do

exist. Whether they are natural phenom-

ena, unknown human technology or the work-ings of some advanced lifeforms from beyond this world are questions that remained unan-swered, but what is undeniable is that there are unknown objects – now referred to as unidentified aerial phenomena – in the skies above.

This surprising news broke early last week, when the Pentagon officially released three videos showing UAPs recorded using infrared cameras. The videos had already been released by a private company in 2017 and 2018, and the U.S. Navy had acknowl-edged them in September of 2019. But now the videos are available for all of the public to view. For a life-long observer of the nat-ural world and lover of the unexplained like myself, the news is remarkable and exciting.

As a young boy, I immersed myself in the pages of books like Jerome Clark’s “Unexplained,” essentially an encyclopedia of unexplained sightings and phenomena across the globe, as well as TV shows like “In Search Of.” If it had to deal with haunt-ings, extraterrestrial life or strange crea-tures like Bigfoot, you can be sure I likely watched intently.

Certainly, with age and the development of analytical skills, my opinions have shifted some. Eyewitness testimony is well-known for being flawed and easily manipulated, and there are some very unreliable and out-landish claims. But I do find interesting the number of similar reports made over the years regarding all phenomena, and I have always held out hope we would get answers.

Sadly, the recent news does nothing to answer the all-important question humanity has sought for millennia: Are we alone in the Universe?

Perhaps even more striking is that the announcement barely seemed to raise eye-brows or cause the type of pandemonium science fiction writers and policymakers predicted over generations. In fact, if you weren’t paying attention, you easily could have missed it. I almost did. Trumping the announcement has been news of the novel coronavirus and who will replace Tom Brady as quarterback of the New England Patriots.

It’s as though the people are saying ‘Yeah, of course there are UFOs. Tell us what we don’t know.’ To be fair, that senti-

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The team of Nicholas Chiusano, chair-man, Elizabeth Massa and Greg Harrison have really stepped up to the plate in their first year at the Chester Board of Health. Even prior to the current Covid-19 Pandemic, this team was able to get a permit to operate the Chester transfer sta-tion by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, which had not happened in 18 years. The Chester Transfer station is now in good standing with the DEP and is eligible for grant funding. In order to accomplish this task, the team had to clean up the scattered rubbish, repair fencing, and install DEP required signage. Greg Harrison was responsible for most of this on the ground action. Greg continues to monitor the Transfer station on a daily basis, to ensure that it is operating properly according to DEP guidelines. This is all done as a volunteer, as Greg chose to not take a stipend, allowing his small salary to go back to the town’s general fund.

And then the Pandemic happen. No one can imagine a worldwide pandemic occur-ring on the year you volunteer for your

town’s Board of Health. Again, the Chester BOH team showed

their love and dedication to the people of Chester, as well as neighboring Hilltowns, by acquiring N95 masks to outfit all the neighboring hilltown’s first responders, 21 towns, as well as ambulance, state troop-ers, and the Hilltowns VA nursing home in Sandisfield. Greg personally drove to had deliver most of these masks to where they were needed.

So, please keep the Chester BOH team together. Elizabeth Massa is up for reelec-tion for three-year BOH, and is on the Chester Ballot. Greg Harrison, an integral part of the BOH team, was in quarantine during the time he would have had to get signatures to be on the ballot. So please go the extra mile and write in Greg Harrison for the one-year BOH, and keep the dream team together.

Thank you,

Michele KenneyChester

Board of health has been outstanding

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pages, please let us know, so that we can set the record straight. Email information to [email protected], or call us at 413-283-8393.

Corrections will be printed in the same section where the error originally occurred.

OFF THE BEAT AND TRAIL

OPINION

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Phone: 413.283.8393 or 800.824.6548Fax: 413.283.7107 • countryjournal.turley.comDevoted to the Needs of the Hilltowns

Country Journal

Tyler Witkop

FLYING, page 5

It was four years ago that I got asparagus crowns for Mother’s Day! When I think

back I laugh on the inside thinking of just how perfect a gift it was. Some women get jewelry and I get asparagus. Good thing my hus-band knows that I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Just yes-terday we walked around the yard and remarked at the tiny spears popping up; it was honestly a very nice memory associated with a special day. In the event you are the lucky recipient of asparagus crowns this Sunday, or if you are simply in the market to install a bed of this vegetable, read on.

Once asparagus is planted it will return, season after season for many years, per-haps 20 or more. Keep this in mind when choosing the location of your asparagus patch…you may have to live with your deci-sion a long time. Some gardeners prefer to prepare a site separate from the vegeta-ble garden while others locate it within the main gardening space. Each has its pros and cons. With the later approach, the bed

can be inspected during the entire growing season, not only when the plants are productive. If you take this approach keep in mind that the ferny foliage gets quite tall by summer, so site it in the northern most row of the garden so that it won’t shade out other plants. By planting the asparagus in a sepa-rate location you can also better cater to the plants’ unique needs.

In order to thrive, asparagus plants require full sun, fertile soil,

a neutral pH, and a weed-free bed. If time allows prepare the site in the fall prior to spring planting by removing the sod from grassy areas and by making the necessary adjustments to the soil with the addition of lime and balanced organic fertilizers. A soil test will determine accurate amounts for your site.

Once asparagus crowns have been pur-chased you shouldn’t wait too long to plant them or they will dry out. At first look, the roots look like fleshy white tentacles of an

Why I think of asparagus on Mother’s Day

Roberta McQuaid

Turley PublicationsColumnist

i n t h eGaRden

GARDEN, page 5


By Deborah Daniels

What is remarkable about Amber Angelica Starbuck M.D. is that she was an ambitious,

non-conforming, entrepreneurial resi-dent of Middlefield that you probably never heard of. She was breaking barriers before people realized there was a bar-rier. Mostly she just tried to enjoy life, while working in a profession that dealt more with misery and suffering than hap-piness.

Her accomplishments were many. She grew up with two brothers in Turners Falls, MA., born in 1878. She graduated from Boston University with a medical degree in 1906. She worked at Wesson Memorial Hospital, in Springfield until 1909, as a pathologist and anes-thetist. She was also the Superintendent of Nurses for 1 year there as well. She began her own medical practice in Springfield in 1910. By 1918 she was appointed Assistant Court Probation Officer for Springfield. The judge felt she would be effective “with special attention to the physical weakness of many women and children prisoners, much crime would be overcome.” How many women and children were there in the prisons? Thus, it was that she became involved with social organizations such as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the Children’s Aid Society. She also became active in the YWCA as a speaker on health issues. She became dedicated to the social caus-es of abolishing child labor, earning a living minimum wage and promoting class and gender equality as well as racial equality. She proved herself to be an able manager and problem solver and often held leadership roles in the YWCA and other organizations. All along she continued to work in her medical prac-tice in Springfield.

Sometime in the 1920s she tried camping at Brookside Lodge, the Y’s summer camp in Chester, MA. She most likely discovered leisure activities here that helped her recognize that recreation was a strong stress buster and positive life enhancer. Her career didn’t allow much personal time. Her work helping sick and injured patients as well as peo-ple in legal and economic distress would have been pretty consuming.

She bought what came to be known as the “Big House” on Main Street in

Middlefield in 1927. She renovated this house with 200 acres of meadows and woods and turned it into a place to escape from hectic city life. By 1928 she promoted the Big House as a place to vacation. It offered swimming, hik-ing, saddle horses, tennis, six sunbathing solariums and golf. During the winter there was skiing, bobsledding, tobog-ganing, dances, card parties and a play-house for recreation as well. Wholesome food from local farms was offered and she kept a small herd of cows. Starbuck was involved with many committees and associations in Springfield that helped her to advertise the lodge. She brought tourists from Springfield to Middlefield to enjoy “good sport and rest.”

Amber Starbuck was ably assisted in this venture by Mabel Stevens, her partner. It was thought that they may have met at the YWCA. Mabel Steven, born 1889, originally a bookkeeper, was divorced and operated a jitney service that catered to women. She became Amber’s medical secretary in her Springfield practice. She continued to perform secretarial and chauffeur duties to Amber Starbuck throughout her life. It is believed they were acknowledged as a gay couple in Middlefield. However, this was not discussed nor publicly acknowl-edged in her professional life.

Mostly the Big House was a pop-ular place that brought in business. All, however, was not smooth sailing. She had one neighbor who resented her use of “troubled youth” to work at the Big House on weekends. He called them ex-convicts. There were some instanc-es of chicken theft and even one legal suit for damages by a lodger who fell in the Big House. Did people resent her success? What did they think of her life-style? She was generally well respected in both locations where she practiced medicine. She kept her private life, just that private.

Starbuck continued her general prac-tice, commuting to Springfield daily. She was discharged from her probation office position in 1948 because of “political meddling.” She believed she was fired for enquiring about when the current judge would retire and whether the posi-tion of judge was for male politicians only; she had worked as a probation officer for 30 years. Further insult was added when she was denied a pension because she was believed to be a con-

tractual employee. Newspapers asked her why she didn’t contest her dismissal. She responded that she was not familiar with the dispute process. More likely a bit of reduced workload appealed to her.

Meanwhile, the Big House became successful. She also ran the Golden Glow supper club in 1954 which later became the Wayside Lodge. There was dancing and ping pong as well as din-ners served daily, from 6 to 8 p.m., and Sunday lunch, 1 to 3 p.m. She eventu-ally moved to Middlefield and became involved in the local Planning Board. She had donated land for a public play-ground in 1945 and another plot of land to the Middlefield Conservation Committee. She kept up a lively social scene for the surrounding area, hosting card parties and helping the local chari-ties and Grange. She kept up her profes-sional associations with many medical societies, alumni associations and the Zonta Club, a female equivalent to the Lion’s Club — Amelia Earhart was a member of this exclusive club — and the Springfield League of Women Voters. She maintained her professional pres-ence in both Springfield and Middlefield. She was the school physician for many of the local hilltowns. She became the highest taxpayer in Middlefield. She retired as a General Practitioner at the age of 85 years, having seen some fam-ilies through four generations of health.

There was a hint that she boarded stu-dents from Smith College that were unexpectedly expecting. She certainly would have been qualified, like the doc-tor in John Irving’s The Cider House Rules, to terminate pregnancies, but there is no documentation about this. She would have witnessed the medical milestones of antibiotics coming into use in 1928 and Margaret Sanger’s opening the first birth control clinic in 1921, the forerunner to Planned Parenthood. She also would have witnessed the passing of Federal Minimum Wage Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as well as wom-en’s right to vote with the passing of the 19th Amendment in 1920. She would have witnessed the Federal Child Labor Law of 1938 ensuring that a work site must be safe for children to work at and not jeopardize their health and wellbeing or their educational opportunities. She also would have seen the effects of the Polio and German Measles epidemics. She lived through the devastation of two World Wars on her patient’s families. She saw enough of misery and suffering to appreciate when times were good. And maybe that was the best medicine of all, finding ways to laugh at the Big House.

Go take a walk in the woods.

Do you have a memory or historical curiosity from the Hilltowns that you’d like to share with your neighbors? Send your story and photos to [email protected].

Healing Powers

HILLTOWN HISTORY

Amber Angelica Starbuck’s partner Mabel Stevens, pictured ice skating with her brother, ran The Big House with Starbuck.

Amber Angelica Starbuck ran the Big House in Middlefield and was known for her work in the medical field and vacation getaway spot in town. Photos courtesy of Ben Alwin, Sexual Minorities Archives, Holyoke, MA

ment is correct, as regardless of origin, the objects in the video are unknown in origin and flying in the sky, record-ed and observed by military pilots.

CNN reports the Pentagon previ-ously studied recordings of encoun-ters with unknown objects as part of a classified program that was launched at the request of former Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada. The program, which started in 2007, ended in 2012, after an assessment determined there were higher priorities that needed funding.

Hopefully the videos lead to a renewed interest in space and the natural world. Giving me hope, any-way, is that people aren’t running in fear from what can’t be explained and that leans toward the heart of sci-entific discovery and exploration in general. Without fear, we can increase understanding of life anywhere in the Universe and make new technological breakthroughs. That is truly out of this world.

Tyler Witkop is the editor of the Chicopee Regis ter and The Wilbraham-Hampden Times.

FLYING from page 4

OPINION

octopus radiating out from its head! If planting ASAP is unlikely store them in moist sphagnum moss until you are able to get them in the ground. New advice recommends planting the crowns in trenches 8 to 10 inches deep. It is helpful to incorporate additional lime and bone meal thoroughly into the bot-tom of the planting furrow. Set plants on small mounds of soil 12 to 18 inches apart in the row and cover with 2 inches of soil. As the spears poke through this first layer of soil and begin to fern out, gradually fill in the trench with a mixture of soil and finished compost. It should take six weeks for the furrow to be com-pletely filled in. Water regularly and topdress with fertilizer in August of the first year and every spring thereafter. A thick application of compost at this time will also enhance fertility, while liming annually will help keep the pH neutral.

New studies indicate that spears can be harvested for a week long period the year after planting. Simply cut with a sharp knife at the soil surface. The following year expand your harvest to four weeks; by year three a full harvest season of eight weeks is possible. After

harvest let the foliage grow, once winter killed it can be cut back and removed from the garden site in case it harbors insect eggs. Good hygiene and hand picking will reduce populations of the asparagus beetle and other culprits of the asparagus patch.

My husband lovingly broke his back helping me clear the sod and remove the stones, shall I say boulders, from the area destined to be the aspara-gus patch. Maybe by Sunday the spears will be tall enough to harvest, that would be neat, indeed. And what about this year’s gift? Well along the same theme I have a project up my sleeve. A new picket fence perhaps!

Here’s wishing everyone out there a Happy Mother’s Day!

Roberta McQuaid graduated from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts. For the last 28 years, she has held the position of staff horticulturalist at Old Sturbridge Village. She enjoys growing food as well as flowers. Have a question for her? Email it to [email protected] with “Gardening Question” in the subject line.

GARDEN from page 4

CastlesBy Fred Caron

I built a castle of wordsAnd there I lived in youth.

My castle was as sandThat crumbled in watery truth.

I had a dream one day timeAnd awoke the self same might.

I found my room quite emptyBut did not search for light.

PoetryCorner••

•


CHESTER

CHESTER — The Town Clerk would like to remind residents the Town Elections have been postponed until June 13.

This change was necessary because the Governor’s declared stay-at-home advisory coincided with the original date of May 2. All voters are encour-aged to vote by mail beforehand to ensure public safety. Ballots are now available.

Each voter must request their own ballot in writing, individually. Requests can be made using the application for early voting, or simply in writing on plain paper. Requests must be legible and include the voter’s printed name, address, and telephone number, and the voter’s signature. Requests are not con-sidered valid unless signed. All voters in a household can return their requests in one envelope if that is more conve-nient.

Voters can return their applications by either dropping them in the black locked mailbox outside the town hall, no postage required, or by mailing them to Town Clerk, 15 Middlefield Road, Chester, MA 01011. Once the Town Clerk receives an application, she will

mail the voter a ballot.The ballot this year is uncontested.

All candidates are running for three-year terms. Candidates running for re-elec-tion are as follows: John Baldasaro, Board of Selectmen; Elizabeth Massa, Board of Health; Teresa Donovan and Maryann Pease, Library Trustees; Duane C. Pease, Electric Light Commissioner. Additionally, the follow-ing offices are also on the ballot: three seats on the Board of Assessors for one, two, and three-year terms respectively; one seat on the Board of Health for a one-year term.

Anyone planning to run as a write-in candidate should notify the Town Clerk.

All ballots must be returned by noon on Friday, June 12. This is a strict deadline. Postmarks do not count. Ballots must be in the clerk’s office by this deadline.

On Election Day the polls will be still be open from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. for those who still want to vote in person.

If a resident is not sure if they are registered to vote, check online at sec.state.ma.us or call the Town Clerk at 413-354-6603.

Election rescheduled for June 13

together and will include a variety of musical performances, videos from local groups, and live segments from the train station in between acts.

“It should be pretty decent. We’ll do little live bits in between and see where it goes,” Pierce said. “I think it might open up the door for broadcasting a lot of things from the station in the future.”

Musical acts include The Oakes Family, The Pitoniak Brothers, The Electric Trains, Mark Franklin, and Tommy Filliault, interspersed with local-ly made videos from car clubs, drone rides, highlights of local hiking trails like the Keystone Arches, Huntington Dance Center performing on a Keystone Arch, Chester Theatre Company, the State Police, life on the circus train, and clips from the documentary “Railroad to the Moon” about building the Western Railroad through Chester and over the Berkshires. Highlights of Chester On

Tracks’ past are sure to bring a smile; take a look at some of the most inter-esting artifacts in the Chester Station Museum, and tour the wooden caboose glamping facility, among other surprises.

Pierce said the idea originated from Mike McCormick of iptimelapse.com. McCormick installed a webcam at the train station a few months ago so people could watch a 24/7 feed of the trains passing through.

“That’s been doing very well, very popular. People as far as Norway are looking at i t ,” Pierce said . “[McCormick] said we could do it [Chester On Track] virtually. He’s the guy, he’s the brains. He suggested it and it lit a light in my head right away.”

Pierce said plans snowballed quick-ly as he reached out to the usual partic-ipants in the annual event and submis-sions have exceeded the amount that Peter White of Hinsdale, who’s handling

the editing of the footage, can get done in time for the event. Pierce is working with Jeff Alson, who lives in Arizona, to put the documentary footage togeth-er. He said it was important to keep the event on its original date as postponing to the fall will put it with all the other events being delayed and now is the time people could use a distraction.

“Everyone’s talking about doing stuff in the fall. By the time fall gets here you’ll have all the fairs, festival, graduations, sports. This is when people need it,” he said.

People will be able to send com-ments and questions during the event, encouraging an interactive experience. The 2020 Chester On Track t-shirts will be for sale online, and the Chester On Track Special Postal Cancellation will be the default cancellation at the Chester Post Office till noon on that date. Both designs honor 3,000 of the

first American immigrants who built the precedent-shattering railroad through Chester in 1840. Pierce added they will try to promote the businesses in town where they can.

“We’ve thought about it and as stuff comes along, we’ll be talking up the town and the great restaurants and the-atre we’ve got,” he said. “We’re definite-ly about promoting whatever Chester has got to offer, which is actually quite bit.”

The stream will start in the morning on Monday, May 16, between 9 and 10 a.m. Pierce estimates it will be about four hours long. It’ll be available to watch on the Chester Railway Station Facebook page and at www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFMTHJOFylA. The YouTube link also has the 24/7 railway station feed. For more information, visit the Facebook page or www.chesterrail-waystation.net.

VIRTUAL from page 1

WILLIAMSBURG

voting day. Not all of the early and absen-tee ballots were returned, but 138 were counted with another 12 that Lessard could not count because the signatures were not returned.

“Overall, it went well. It was differ-ent, very different. I wished it was a hair bit warmer in the evening hours,” Lessard said. “We did have that mishap with the wind, but once we took the sides off it

was fine… I think Covid-19 did keep the count down somewhat, although it’s an average town election.”

There were no contested races on the ballot. There was one vacant position for the Recreation Commission and res-ident Coni Gilman received seven write-in votes. Lessard the position is hers if she comes in and submits the necessary paperwork.

Polls were open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., per state regulation. Lessard had cones marking six-foot intervals for vot-ers to wait in line, if needed. All volun-teers helping out were wearing masks and gloves. Each poll station had cleaning

materials and was sanitized after a voter went through. Poll workers took shelter in their cars for some heat during the last couple hours as temperatures dropped. Overall, Lessard said the safety precau-tions seem to have gone over well with those who voted in-person.

“People were overall pretty happy with the hand sanitizer, about wearing masks, the way we had it so they could keep socially distant. I didn’t hear any complaints,” she said.

Board of Health Donna Gibson said the board spent about three weeks plan-ning the poll precautions for voters. She said that there was no way the election

we be able to be held in the Town office’s second floor auditorium, as the staircase and narrow hallways would make social distancing incredibly difficult.

“Brenda’s been researching what’s allowable,” Gibson said. “We can’t put the voting machine outside. We needed to fig-ure out a way to let people vote [outside].”

Gibson said that the experience on May 4 will be good practice for future situations that require an operation to set up outside a public building, whether it be the parking lot at the Town Offices, Anne T. Dunphy School, or another pub-lic facility.

“It’ good practice, if and when a vac-cine comes, to setting up an emergency dispensary site,” she said.

Lessard said she’s unsure what will happen for the November election as it will be too cold to host it outside. The state primary in September could be held outside, if necessary.

“I have been asked if we could switch up to the school. The whole pur-pose of that was we were going to move it here because the school was in lockdown until renovations were complete. That’s still a possibility,” Lessard explained. “I’m hoping the state will figure a vote by mail system. It was a lot of work on my end prior to the election mailing out the ballots. If we have to mail out the ballots, I’ll have to hire help to get the ballots ready.”

VOTERS from page 1

Board of Health Chairman Donna Gibson was on hand to supervise that polls were kept clean and proper Covid-19 prevention procedures were followed during the election on May 4. Photos by Peter Spotts Each poll station was equipped with cleaning materials and cleaned after each use.

CHESTER — The Chester High Alumni Association announced the cancellation of what would have been their 117th annual reunion in June. Walter Boomsma, Association President, announced the board was unanimous in both making the decision and regretting it was necessary. “In a sense, it was an easy and hard decision to make. Most of our potential attendees are in the ‘at risk’ population, and there’s uncertainty where we will stand by the end of June, the usual reunion time,” Boomsma said. “We are compelled to make the best decision even though it’s not the happiest.”

In place of the usual invitation, the group will announce the cancellation directly to members with a printed and mailed newsletter that will provide some of the information usually shared during the reunion. The association plans to mail the newsletter in late May.

High school seniors who reside in

Chester can visit the association’s web-site, chesterhigh.wordpress.com, for information regarding available scholar-ships. The deadline for scholarship appli-cations is June 1.

Officers of the Association include Vice President and Secretary Robert Goewey, and Treasurer George A. More. Board Members include Judith Olson of West Hatfield, Brenda Budreau of Huntington, Jackie Conklin and Edith Whitaker of Westfield, Jack Young of Hinsdale and Tino Cardarelli, Diane DeMoss, and Janice Brown, all of Chester. Association membership is open to anyone associated with the former Chester High School, including Chester Residents who graduated from Gateway after Chester High School closed in the late 1960s.

The next reunion will celebrate the 118th anniversary of Chester High on June 26, 2021.

2020 Chester High reunion cancelled

C H E S T E R — T h e F i r s t Congregational Church of Chester is meeting this Sunday for its 9:15 a.m. service. The scripture for the week is

Psalm 31 and John 14:1-14. People will meet in the parking lot, remaining in their cars. The service will be broadcast on the radio. All are welcome.

Church to hold sermon in the parking lot


BLANDFORD

B L A N D F O R D — C e m e t e r y Commissioner TJ Cousineau said that Bruce Cooper of Cooper Excavating and Trucking of Blandford did all the prepa-ratory work for the site of the new cem-etery building on North Blandford Road.

The building was constructed for housing cemetery equipment and con-struction costs were covered with the use

of the cemetery’s trust funds.Also, on the space is the Animal

Control Officer’s animal holding pen where roaming dogs can be housed over-night until owners have been located.

“Cooper did all the driveway work,” said Cousineau, which in turn enabled the installation of the broadband equip-ment, the generator and the Hut.

Local businessman instrumental in constructing cemetery building

BLANDFORD — The Porter Memorial Library has thousands of audio and e-books available while its doors are closed, even for residents without a library card.

“It is easy and free,” said Director Nicole Daviau.

Using a smart phone, tablet, or computer, the instructions are not dif-ficult. If using a computer, go to libb-yapp.com and follow these instructions. If using a smart phone or tablet, down-load the Libby app for iOS or Android and open it up. When asked if you have a library card, click Yes, then click “I’ll Search for a Library.”

On the next page, type in CW MARS and select CW MARS from the list. CW MARS is the network for Porter Memorial Library, and most

other libraries in the area. Click Enter Library Account Details.

On the next page, enter the CW MARS library card number, without spaces or dashes, and click Next. Enter the CW MARS My Account password. Click Sign In, then Next and someone can now search the CW MARS Digital Catalog.

If anyone cannot remember their password, send an email to [email protected] and include name and phone number, or call the library at 413-848-2853 and leave a voicemail. The library will respond within a day.

For those who do not have a library card for any CW MARS library, includ-ing the Westfield Athenaeum, it is still possible to access these resources, according to Daviau.

Sign up for an Instant Digital Card. Instant Digital Cards are for patrons who cannot get to the library right away. It most cases, they are a tempo-rary measure for accessing OverDrive.

Click to get a free one instantly using your mobile number. The site will be for a mobile number. This is required for access.

A one-time code will be sent via text message to ensure only someone in possession of the mobile device can use the number to register. Using their name and mobile number, OverDrive will then look up the person’s address using a third-party service. A date of birth may also be required in some instances.

“I t is important to note that OverDrive does not store birth dates,”

said Daviau.If the address associated with your

mobile number matches a zip code in your library’s service area, OverDrive will provide you access to the CW MARS digital collection.

When the library reopens, visit the local library and turn the Instant Digital Card into a full library card. This will give you access to additional local e-content and physical materials.

“Please, do not hesitate to reach out,” said Daviau.

She and the staff, in conjunction with the Board of Health, are hard at work getting the library ready to reopen and very excited to see patrons again.

More information regarding the reopening timeline and policies will be coming soon.

Digital library cards available during Covid-19

By Mary Kronholm

BLANDFORD — The Board of Selectmen met Monday evening and organized themselves at respectful six-foot appropriate social distance from one another, and all wore masks. Portents of things to be.

In conjunction with the Covid-19 update by Board of Health member Jennifer Girard, selectmen voted to change the time of the local town elec-tion at the request of the town clerk from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This was done in anticipation of the state-wide push for mail-in ballots for local elections. Residents will be remind-ed via a postcard mailing.

An application for a ballot is on the town’s website.

Girard told the board that letters ask-ing for protocols for an eventual reopen-ing have been sent to the Blandford Country Club, the Porter Memorial Library, the Hilltown Mobile Market, and Laurel Ridge campground as well

as town offices. She is also working with the town clerk’s office on safe election procedures.

All entities must provide a detailed written response for the Board of Health on what steps will be taken to secure the safety of patrons, visitors, etc.

Acting on a complaint about lack of masks at the Transfer Station, Girard told the board that everyone working there now wears a mask, and anyone making a trip to the transfer station must also wear a mask if they roll down their window or get out of their vehicle.

Chairman Cara Letendre asked Girard, “In your opinion, do you think this is something that might be put off again?”

Girard responded, “I think it may be put off again. There’ll be a lot of push-back if they do push beyond May 18, but it’s [cases] are still rising, it hasn’t leveled out yet.”

The board was not in favor of insti-tuting a fine for not wearing a mask.

Chief of Police Dan Ilnicky dis-

cussed the town’s emergency dispatch services and a transition from Berkshire Control to Northampton. Right now, the Fire Department is the only emer-gency service that does not go through Northampton and Chief Ilnicky said we “want to try to have one control center for all emergencies.”

Fire Chief Ed Harvey contributed by telephone and said that he was “Ok with the changeover,” and added, “We may have better coverage…as long as 911 calls are answered by a professional.” Chief Harvey also asked for training for the new system.

Reviewing the departmental expens-es, the town received two invoices for vocational school transportation. The transportation issue was discussed at a recent school committee meeting, according to Letendre, and the question posed was, “What do we need to do to help them (the transportation provider) remain solvent?”

“There should be a reduction in the bill,” she said. She has requested a copy

of the vocational transportation contract to review.

She said, “I don’t want companies to go under when we’ll need their services in a couple of months.” Both McVey and Ackley were opposed to “paying for ser-vices not rendered.”

In other business, the board directed Town Administrator Joshua A. Garcia to speak with Norther Tree Services about debris remaining on the Town Commons areas. Appointments will be made Monday, May 11.

McVey asked about new business regarding bulk mailing. Garcia said “That was my bad, I thought we were paying for a bulk mailing,” and not the annual renewal for the town’s permit.

Letendre asked about the town pur-chasing signs for the graduating seniors. McVey said this was not an appropriate use of town funds and offered to con-tribute. In an interview later, Girard said she would ask businesses to support this

Selectmen vote on town election hours

BLANDFORD — With social distancing in mind a small group of members trained on Saturday with the Fire Department’s new ATV rescue trailer.

The trailer was purchased with a combination of funding from the Berkshire Trai l Riders and the Volunteer Fire Assistance Program. The trailer and ATV are kept at the ready in a cargo trailer that was pur-chased via an Emergency Management grant. The ATV was transferred to the Fire Department from the Police

Department late in 2019. It will be relettered in the near future.

The rescue trailer allows fire res-cue personnel to access remote areas to bring medical care and equipment and to transport the ill or injured to an area more accessible to an ambulance. The firefighters are also arranging and module that can be added to the trailer for wildland firefighting.

W i t h o u t t h i s e q u i p m e n t , Blandford had to carry patients out or call mutual aid when an outdoor emer-gency occurred in the past.

Firefighters train on new rescue trailer

Karen McTaggart takes a couple furry friends down Old Martin Phelps Road. Submitted photos

WALKING THE DOGS

The Fire Department has a new rescue trailer to aid in aiding these in remote access areas who need medical care. Submitted photo

ELECTION, page 8


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WESTHAMPTON — Jeff and Judy LaBonte of Westhampton and Todd and Andrea Barron of Southampton announce the wedding of their children Sam LaBonte and Lindsay Barron of Southampton. Lindsay and Sam were married Aug. 30, 2019 at 4:30 p.m. in the after-noon on a beautiful sunny day. The ceremony was performed by Heather (Dragon) Cummings, cousin of the groom. A reception was immediate-ly following the ceremony at Valley View Farm in Williamsburg.

The bride is a 2008 graduate of Northampton High School and 2012 graduate of UMass with a bachelor’s

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BLANDFORD

BLANDFORD — The Board of Health is working with diligently with Blandford’s recreational busi-nesses, including the Porter Memorial Library, Town Clerk’s office and Town officials to put healthy social-izing in place as we approach May 18 and a potential reopening.

“We all anxiously want to visit friends and family that we have not seen in several months,” said Board of Health member Jennifer Girard. “As we all look forward to this, we all have to keep in mind we need to take it slow and with caution.”

As May 18 nears, according to Girard, there will be more specific details in what socializing will look

like and how we move forward.As o f Wednesday, May 6 ,

Governor Charles Baker ordered that all persons are required to wear masks or loth face coverings at all times when inside grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retail stores. All persons are also required to wear masks or cloth face coverings when providing or using the services of any taxi car, livery, ride sharing or similar service or any means of mass public transit. Or while within an enclosed or semi enclosed transit stop or wait-ing area.

The Board of Health asks that these guidelines are followed for everyone’s safety.

Covid-19 update from Board of Health

effort. The town clerk told the board that

the question on the exit must be sent to the clerk for the ballot in writing. Email changeover has lost all contacts for the clerk’s office, and requested a copy of the annual town meeting war-

rant, even if in draft form. Regarding the highway depart-

ment update, the question was asked if the new pre-storm road treatment had been successful this winter, but Garcia explained that it had not been purchased because of contract issues.

ELECTION from page 7

CUMMINGTON

CUMMINGTON — The Friday Night Café continues its second week of “Lo-Fi” performances by its per-formers.

T h i s w e e k ’s p e r f o r m a n c e includes two numbers. The first is Brendan Leowolf ’s autobiograph-ical “BB’s Diner.” These days, playing guitar is the most effective way Brendan has found to calm his 2-month-old son. This song grew from that.

The second is the Café theme song “One Part Luck.”

Friday Night Café adopted a “Lo-Fi” approach as many performers have gone the route of live streaming their performances, or making vid-eos. Those efforts present an array of technology challenges including slow hilltown internet, lack of gear, lack of knowledge or experience with gear, and watching on screens.

People are also just tired of looking at screens. Recently in a sort of “eure-ka” moment, Friday Night Café real-ized how to move forward — a Lo-Fi approach.

Café performers are invited to make simple, audio recordings of themselves performing songs or poems they would like the cafe audi-ence to hear right now. These are not polished, high quality recordings. They are simply an extended, musi-cal or poetic hand, reaching out to let people know that the café is still here, and the café team feels music can help build community. Depending on the flow, one or a few recordings will be sent out on Fridays.

Once again, this is brought to the community by the friendly folks at the Village Church who believe that music can be a powerful force for building community.

“Lo-Fi” music distribution continues

GOSHEN

GOSHEN — Town Clerk Kristen Estelle reminds residents that dog licenses expired on March 31, 2019. To obtain a 2020 dog license, please mail the following: a completed dog license form – found on the town clerk page of the Goshen website, www.goshen-ma.us – current rabies certifi-cate indicating that the dog is spayed or neutered, if that’s the case; check made payable to the Town of Goshen,

$5 per spayed or neutered dog, $10 per intact dog; and a stamped, self-ad-dressed envelope, two stamps for mul-tiple licenses. The town may already have a current rabies certificate on file for your dog; feel free to call or email before mailing everything in. The Clerk can be reached at 413-268-8236, ext. 107 or [email protected]. The late fee of $25 per dog goes into effect June 1st, 2020.

Dog licenses available, late fees start June 1


WORTHINGTON

WORTHINGTON — In response to the State of Emergency and con-cerns about Covid-19 and its impli-cations for election administration, Governor Charles Baker signed a law authorizing the Board of Selectmen to vote to postpone the local election which was originally scheduled for May 2.

At its meeting on March 31, the Worthington Board of Selectmen voted to postpone both the election and the annual Town Meeting. At its meeting on April 28, the selectboard voted to hold the election on June 27. The date

for annual Town Meeting has not been chosen.

The law requires the town to post public notice of the postponed elec-tion and rescheduled election date on its website and to broadly publicize the postponement and rescheduling. Worthington is posting this notice on the website and at the Town Hall and will provide additional notice through the CivicReady notification system and issue a press release to local media out-lets. The Post Office bulletin board will not be used due to space restrictions and social distancing requirements.

The law establishes a new voter registration deadline as the 10th day before the rescheduled election. The last day to register to vote June 17.

The law authorizes the town to reuse election materials. The town will be using the official and absentee bal-lots created for the May 2 election.

All voters are encouraged to vote by mail. Space is tight at Town Hall and in-person voting may need to be limited to one voter at a time.

In light of widespread practice of social distancing, the law provides for two alternatives to voting in person.

First, the law allows any person taking precautions related to Covid-19 to vote by absentee ballot. Second, the law provides for early voting by mail.

These ballots are identical and will be mailed to residents. They must be returned by mail or via the lock box on the Town Hall ramp. Ballots must be received by election day to be counted

An application for either will be mailed to residents along with the bal-lot. To request a ballot, leave a mas-sage with name, voting address and mailing address at 413-238-5577, ext. 110 or [email protected].

Clerk announces town election plans for June 27

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of the community he lives in. His most recent endeavor, a community garden to grow a variety of vegetables to be donat-ed to the Worthington Food Pantry and help those who have struggled with a loss of income, jobs, and other hardships during Covid-19 shutdowns.

“I’ve been sort of in the last year just looking at how I can really bring more of the public onto the sanctuary and looking at how we build commu-nity,” McManmon said. “I have all of this space, this land, all I need is to raise some money; we can grow our own food and provide to individuals in need and families in need.”

McManmon plans to grow toma-toes, squash, zucchini, peppers, eggplant, peas, kale, spinach. A GoFundMe has been set up to help raise the money need-ed to build the fence, gate, materials, soil, and plants. In a community effort, his neighbor Jackson from Mansfield Farm is donating his tractor and time to plow the space where the garden will be. McManmon has also partnered with Medicine Buddha Gardens Berkshires to get medicinal plant donations for the garden and Eric’s Great Gardens out of New York for some plant donations. McManmon hopes that as Covid-19 dis-perses, the garden can become an annual place for the community to hang out, meet, and maybe host a community meal.

“I’m really trying to utilize a lot of different financial streams and dona-tions,” McManmon said. “I am all about living and working through my heart. that’s why I developed the sanctuary. I really wanted to create a space people could come and ort of unwind and con-nect and build community herein the hill-towns.”

The Pittsfield native has been a ther-apist for more than three decades, primar-ily working with those struggling with anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. He’s hopeful that the community garden will be another way to help bring some relief to those struggling in the communi-

ty he loves being a part of.“I really want to emphasize with all

of this strain, challenge, and hardship that we’re in, the human potential is still extremely significant and together we can make a difference and together we can really lift and build community,” he said. “What better way than through food? I’m excited to do this.”

He added, “There’s no other place I would rather live. I absolutely adore Worthington. I love the people, I love the environment, and this is a place where everyone greets each other; they wave at you, it’s a very friendly town.”

McManmon said harvest times depend on the plant, but estimates it will take about 90 days to get the first crop ready to harvest once planting is under-way. For more information about the project or to donate, visit www.gofund-me.com/f/yuy3u-community-garden. For more information about McManmon’s nonprofit, visit the Healing Hearts Sanctuary Facebook page.

FOOD from page 1

Healing Hearts Sanctuary at 241 West St. is raising funds to build a community garden to grow food for the Worthington Food Pantry. Submitted photos by Tracy McManmon

The green field that, hopefully, will become a garden for the community this summer.

Tracy McManmon, founder of Healing Hearts Sanctuary, is looking for ways to give back to the town he loves during a difficult time.


THE NEWS YOU COME HOME TO

15 Weekly NewspapersServing 50 Local Communities

2 0 1 0 A D V E R T I S I N G R A T E S www.turley.comTurley Editorial Coverage Policies

CALENDAR

This section is intended to promote “free” events or ones that directly affect a volunteer-driven organization that benefits the entire community. Paid events that are not deemed fund-raisers or benefits do not qualify. Non-charitable events that charge the pub-lic for profit are not allowed as we consider that paid advertising. Deadlines vary with each individual newspaper, look inside for your deadline. We usually print one week in advance of an event, and the listings should be brief, with only time, date, location, brief activity explanation, and contact info. The best thing to do is emu-late a calendar listing you like that already appeared in the paper. Each editor directly manages and edits all of the calendar entries. Artwork or photos to compliment your calendar listings are always welcomed.

EDUCATION

We try to be inside our public schools on a weekly basis, both in terms of sports coverage and classroom features. Our education and sports sections run 52 weeks per year. We feel school cover-age is probably the single largest reflection of the communities we serve, so this paper is committed to having a strong presence there. We devote more staff and space to these sections than any other editorial realm. We do print free courtesy stories, briefs and photos submitted by teachers, sports teams and students, as we cannot possibly be at every event. If you have a photo you want to run, please include a photo caption identifying those in the image from left to right and a description of the event. Please call or e-mail the editor directly with your school event coverage requests at least three days in advance. If we can’t attend, you are always encouraged to send in your own write-up and photos.

NEWS & FEATURES As a paper of record, we attempt to cover all general news, personality profiles, and community features that we know about. This includes all selectmen and school committee meetings as well as spot planning board, board of health, finance, and other town meetings determined by the issue’s relevance to our readers. There are the annual major community event features that we should always cover, but we are more than open to suggestions of other features to celebrate the fabric of our communities and their many interesting occupants. Our loyal advertisers provide funding for this paid staff coverage.

BUSINESS

Turley Publications is liberal with regard to its business cover-age polices, but we do have some standards folks need to under-stand. First, local businesses and merchants are just as much institutions in our towns as the library and schools. Without them, there are no towns. We will feature coverage of local businesses that are new, have a major expansion, moving, closing, under new management or ownership, celebrating a milestone anniversary, or have been thrust into the news realm. Merchants can request that coverage through the editor, or for our existing advertising clients, through their ad representatives.

OPINION

We love letters to the editor and guest columns. It is what the soul of this newspaper is all about. However, we don’t print what we can’t prove. All letters and columns must be signed and con-firmed by us prior to publication. If you are alleging things that we cannot prove, we will consider that a news tip and look into it. We always encourage readers to celebrate their communities versus just slamming them. We also pen a weekly “editorial.” Some read-ers confuse editorials with being objective “news.” Our unsigned editorials are opinions formed after doing the research, or com-

piled through our reporters’ stories and other means. We then write opinions, which do take a definitive side on issues. Editorials are not meant to be balanced to both sides like our news stories should. They are intended to opine around the facts and take a position. That’s the whole point of the “opinion” page.

PEOPLE/MILESTONE NEWS

As a free service for our readers, we will print all births, wed-dings, engagements, milestone anniversaries, major birthdays, military achievements, honors and awards. We have a “people news” form available for you to submit these listings. This material is provided to us by our readers and local institutions and we do not charge to print this content.

SPORTS

Our sports editor and his reporters and photographers cover select varsity school games weekly as well as youth and adult sports leagues. Our team tries to be fair and spread the coverage around to all the teams, but as playoffs approach, teams making the playoffs take more precedence. We have tried hard this year to expand our coverage of youth sports, but we need coaches and players to send in their photos and write-ups.

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SCHOOLS & YOUTH

2020 will officially be HRHS gradu-ates after the graduation airs on June 5. Information on how to view the graduation will be available closer to the date.

“This will need to be done over four days with our videographer and photographer,” Smidy said. “We are going to go in order of how diplomas would typically be called to make it easier for the videographer to piece the ceremony together, with a little time left on the last day for families who couldn’t make their original time.”

The ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 8, will be an achievement ceremony for the Class of 2020. The graduates will gather in the auditorium to open their time capsules together, view the slideshow, sign yearbooks, and dress in their caps and gowns during the ceremony. Then, they will proceed to Dorunda field with their families for the Achievement Ceremony where students will individually be recog-nized for earning their diplomas. Class officers will give a final farewell. However, details are still being final-ized and guidance from the Board of Health and the state will determine if the event happens.

“The achievement ceremony will permit the new graduates to celebrate together with their families, which is why this is planned for later in the summer,” Smidy explained. “The sur-vey data indicated that many students and families felt it was important for the whole community to be together, which isn’t possible at this time. There is still a chance that the achievement ceremony may need to be canceled due to the health crisis, but we are all crossing our fingers that it can all happen.”

To further make the achievement ceremony a special occasion, the school is allowing students to decorate their caps and gowns for the first time in two decades. Guidelines for what is, or isn’t allowed, and conditions will be available in the next couple of weeks. Furthermore, the class offi-cers have decided to use class funds to pay for all seniors’ caps and gowns. Families that have already payed will be receiving a refund.

“The plain caps have been a tra-dition long before I became an admin-istrator at HRHS nine years ago. The ceremony is hosted by the school, and the school community valued the opportunity for the class to be seen as one unit,” Smidy explained. “The night of graduation is about celebrat-ing the entire class for the last time. Students have wanted to decorate their caps for a while, but the draw for that class unity always dissuaded the staff as a whole from feeling like it was appropriate. This year, we wanted to give our seniors an opportunity for that individualism a bit more, since they are in such a unique position.”

When making its decision, the administrators considered that grad-uates must have had a formal com-mencement ceremony in June in order to be official graduates before they leave for military, college, or the workforce. However, the school also wanted to have an event where the class could physically be together and felt the combination of the two events can make a unique situation something special for the Class of 2020.

The Class of 2021 has decided to schedule the junior prom for Thursday, Aug. 6, at the Log Cabin. Information about ticket sales and expectations will be available in the coming weeks.

GRADUATION from page 1

OTIS

attention rest on the breath…then watch what is arising, watch the thoughts, without getting hooked into them.”

Birch is the Director at The Hard & The Soft Yoga Institute. A practitioner of “power yoga,” Birch said her form of relief focuses on helping someone clear their mind and allow them to take action, when strong negative feelings may be leaving them in a state of inac-tion, by learning to be mindful.

“Mindfulness basically means learning to be in relationship with what is and accepting what is in this moment; that doesn’t mean you lie down let the world run over you,” Birch explained. “Rather there is an acceptance and an opening to “what is”. That makes it possible to then take action to move in whatever direction you feel is right. The Buddhists call it right action. And right action comes out of “practice.” In yoga, the word “practice” means making an effort to be here, making an effort to be present, making an effort to be steady and not give in to runaway fears and thoughts.”

Birch’s interest and yoga and medi-tation goes all the way back to when she was a child. She was interested in the metaphysical, looking up at the stars and questioning who people are and what the point of things are. She entertained an interest in yoga in the 1970s, but got serious once she moved to New York in 1980 and worked at an athletic practice, where she also got more into meditation. She’s written four books, with more than 300,000 copies sold.

“That’s when I got serious about connecting the physical practice and the mental practice; the methodology took you from tangible growth levels of awareness to increasing levels,” she said.

For Seavey, her approach to med-itation is based in science and phys-

ics. Using guided meditation, Seavey helps relieve nervous systems running in overdrive during the Covid-19 pandemic through vibrations and frequencies. She said by getting people out of a “fight or flight” mode, they can think clearly and be themselves.

Seavey accomplishes this by manip-ulating the vibrations and energetic field generated by fear and stress. When she, or others, are meditating, she creates the image of a peaceful place in the mind.

“When people that join me imagine themselves sitting in a beautiful room filled with white light, what I teach peo-ple is that is unconditional love and pro-tection,” she explained. “They immedi-ately start to feel safe.”

The Berkshires are a perfect home to practice meditation. Seavey met her husband, Adam, while on a personal healing journey and they learned medi-tation together at the Life Force Center in West Hartford, CT. They moved to Otis 10 years ago and have loved every day since.

“The Berkshires are a beautiful place to be in. We visited many plac-es in the United States and there’s no other place that I’d rather be than the Berkshires,” she said. “I love the envi-ronment, the people…It’s just a magical place to me.”

Seavey hosts her daily inspirations on Tuesday and Thursday morning at 9 a.m. on the Recreation noticeotis Facebook page. Birch hosts her medi-tation program from 8 to 8:30 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays on noticeotis as well. She hosts additional classes from 7 to 7:30 a.m. on her own Facebook page, Beryl Bender Birch.

For more information about Birch’s work, visit www.power-yoga.com/. For more information about Seavey, visit viktoriaseavey.com/.

PEACE from page 1


CLUES ACROSS 1. Expression of sorrow or pity 5. Not bad11. NYC Mayor14. Essays15. Walk lightly18. Those who utilize19. Actress Judd21. One-time

community of nations

23. Norwegian river24. Unconscious states28. Make muddy29. Unit of volume30. Consciousnesses32. Envision33. When you aim to

get there35. Electronic data

processing36. Passports are some39. Snakelike fish41. Military flyers (abbr.)42. Popular computers44. Ecological stage46. Wings47. Used in combination49. Laid back52. Princess’s headgear56. Musical composition58. Famed Falls60. Reiterations62. Eras63. Track event

CLUES DOWN 1. Defensive nuclear

weapon (abbr.) 2. Instead 3. Gifts for the poor

4. A type of gin 5. Torments 6. One point south of

due east 7. Actor Pacino 8. Feline 9. Chinese dynasty10. Short cries for help12. Straits can

sometimes be this13. Further16. Variety shows17. Supernatural20. A university in

Connecticut22. Atomic #2725. Of I26. We all have one27. Religious guilds29. This can sting31. Sunscreen rating

34. Brew36. Religious leader37. Indigo bush38. Burn with a hot

liquid40. Jr.’s father43. Ray-finned fish

genus45. Morning48. Straight line passing

from side to side (abbr.)

50. S-shaped line51. Small bunch of hay53. Ripened54. Crater on Mars55. Humanities57. Of the ears58. To the __ degree59. Wood61. Cools your home

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ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20Confusion may come into the equation this week, Aries. In an effort to make sense of the situation, you seek the advice of others. Don’t try to be in control; relax and let it run its course.

TAURUS Apr 21/May 21You are on call for the next several days, Tau-rus. You are ready to spring into action. Just use a little caution when choosing which projects to take on.

GEMINI May 22/Jun 21It may be challenging to get to the heart of the matter between friends, Gemini. As hard as you try, solving this will take time. Be patient and consider any and all in-formation.

CANCER Jun 22/Jul 22Cancer, enjoy a week in which you indulge in some of your favorite pastimes that have been on the back burner for awhile. Now is the per-fect time to have a little fun and let loose.

LEO Jul 23/Aug 23You may be concerned with some people in your immediate circle, Leo. If you suspect something is amiss, team up with a spiritual leader or another helper.

VIRGOAug 24/Sept 22Virgo, this week is full of action and you may not be able to settle in to re-lax until later in the week. Take a step back and find some time to relax when a break arrives.

LIBRASept 23/Oct 23You probably will have to roll with the punches at least one or two days this week, Libra. Don’t take things too seriously, even when the rumor mill is in full force.

SCORPIO Oct 24/Nov 22Make sure your head is entirely in the game be-fore you jump into action, Scorpio. Part of the prob-lem is trying to juggle too many things at once and getting distracted. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23/Dec 21Sagittarius, the more information that comes your way this week, the more confusing things may seem. You can ask someone to help filter ex-traneous messages first.

CAPRICORNDec 22/Jan 20Capricorn, your fantasy world may mesh with your real world activities this week. You may ex-perience some difficulty figuring out what is real and what isn’t, but enjoy.

AQUARIUS Jan 21/Feb 18Aquarius, things may not feel like they are in place lately. You may be tempt-ed to turn off your brain and retreat into a fantasy land. Don’t avoid the sit-uation.

PISCES Feb 19/Mar 20You may embrace phys-ical vitality this week, and go with that, Pisces. Maybe switch up your workout to incorporate something new.


Westhampton ConservationCommissionNOTICE OF

PUBLIC MEETINGNotice is hear-by given,

in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 131, Sect. 40, Wetlands Protection Act, t ha t t he Wes thampton Conservation Commission will hold a public meeting on May 20, 2020 beginning

at 7:30 p.m. in the meeting room of the Westhampton Town Hall, 1 South Road, Westhampton, MA at which it will consider a Request for Determination of Applicability (RDA) submitted by David and Audrey Antosz, for the update of the current septic system at 89 Stage Road, Westhampton, MA.5/07/2020

Turley Publications offers two types of obituaries.

One is a free, brief Death Notice listing the name of deceased, date of death and funeral date and place.

The other is a Paid Obituary, costing $100, which allows families to publish extended death notice information of their own choice and may include a photograph. Death Notices & Paid Obituaries should be submitted through a funeral home to: [email protected].

Exceptions will be made only when the familyprovides a death certificate and must be pre-paid.

Obituary PolicyCountry Journal

Dunlevy, Barbara L. (Jarvis)Celebration of life scheduled for May 30

Due to current Covid-19Event postponed until further notice

DEATH NOTICES

HOW TO SUBMIT PUBLIC NOTICESAll legal notices to be published in the

Country Journal should be sent directly to [email protected]. Jamie Joslyn processes all legals for this newspaper and can answer all of your questions regarding these notices. Please indicate the newspapers and publication date(s) for the notice(s) in the subject line of your email. For questions regarding coverage area, procedures or cost, please call Jamie directly at 413-283-8393.

Please check the accuracy of your legal notice prior to submission (i.e., date, time, spelling). Also, be sure the requested publication date coincides with the purpose of the notice, or as the law demands. Thank you.

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MONTGOMERY

MONTGOMERY — The Board of Selectmen has set the town’s annual election date to be Tuesday, May 19. This coincides with the date established by the state for the special legislative election ordered to fill the vacant Senatorial seat formally held by Westfield Mayor Donald Humason Jr.

The Board of Selectmen’s decision to combine the town’s annual election with the commonwealth’s special legislative election was made with the intent to minimize the number of times the towns voters will be required to have potential exposure to the Covid-19 virus through public contact.

“The Selectmen identified the strong level of participation from our towns elderly during voting events and worked to address concerns associated with protecting our most vulnerable population,” said Chairman Michael Morrissey. “The town is tak-

ing additional steps to ensure the voting site will be cleaned prior to opening and maintained safe during the polling hours of operation to protect the voters and the poll workers.”

The Board of Selectmen also set the date for the Montgomery’s annual Town Meeting, Monday June 15, at 7 p.m.

“This date is a change from the third Monday in May, as outlined in Montgomery’s bylaws governing annual town meetings,” Morrissey said. “The Board of Selectmen utilized the authorization from the recent Municipal Governance Legislation enacted by Gov. Baker during the public health emergency to make the change. The Board of Selectmen are working closely with the town clerk Judith Murphy make sure voters are aware of the changes and are developing plans to send out reminders in the mail as the dates get closer.”

Selectmen set election for Tuesday, May 19

REGION

As weather warms and people head outside for fresh air and exercise while remaining physically dis-tant, the Connecticut River Conservancy urges people to use caution when swimming, boating, or fishing in rivers.

In addition to rivers being swollen from spring rain and snowmelt, there’s an added concern about E. coli bacteria and coronavirus exposure from untreated sewage in rivers. Luckily, there’s one easy thing to keep in mind that is an indicator of river cleanliness — the weather. Specifically, if it has rained recently.

Typical wastewater treatments involving chlo-rine or ultraviolet light are effective in killing E. coli bacteria and are expected to be highly effective in killing Covid-19. Therefore, Greenfield-based CRC is primarily concerned about untreated sewage dis-charges into local rivers, which has always been a concern, even before the current state of emergency. Rain flushes all sorts of pollutants into Massachusetts rivers and can overwhelm towns’ aging stormwater infrastructure, causing sewage and polluted stormwa-ter runoff to flow directly into the river.

“Many years of Connecticut River E. coli bacteria testing data tell us that it’s a good idea to stay out of rivers for 24 to 48 hours after a heavy rain, because bacteria levels could be high,” said Andrew Fisk, CRC’s executive director. The presence of bacteria is an indication that other germs that could make some-one sick — like coronavirus — may also be present.

“While Covid-19 is a new threat, our recommen-dation to avoid rivers after heavy rain remains the same,” says Fisk.

Research is still underway to determine if Covid-19 remains infectious in freshwater or after passing through wastewater treatment facilities. Information available from the federal Centers for Disease Control, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Water Research Foundation indicates that the like-lihood of catching Covid-19 from treated or untreated sewage is thought to be low. However, the CDC has noted that the SARS virus, also a type of coronavirus, was detected in untreated sewage for 14 days.

River users are encouraged to visit the “Is It Clean?” website at www.ctriver.org/isitclean to find bacteria test results, an indicator of overall river

cleanliness, for nearly 200 river access and recreation sites in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The site is also available in Spanish at www.ctriver.org/estalimpio. Water samples are col-lected from late May through early October. Current plans are for testing to resume as usual this year.

Each summer, CRC and more than 20 partner organizations deploy volunteers to collect water sam-ples from popular boat launches and swimming holes. Samples are typically collected at each site weekly or biweekly, tested for E. coli, and test results are posted online 24 hours later. Water sample results are color-coded and added to a map, so users can easily see where the river is clean. Results are a snapshot of river conditions at the moment the sample was taken, but give river users information they can use to make informed decisions.

The website provides bacteria data for the Connecticut River and more than 20 tributaries, including the Chicopee River and Westfield River. Bacteria test results for 2019 showed nearly all sites sampled by CRC had dry-weather average bacteria levels below the limits considered safe for swimming and boating.

“Thanks to decades of investments and public opinion committed to investing in clean water, our rivers are certainly much cleaner than they used to be,” said Fisk. “But it’s smart for river users to think about recent weather and check online resources like the ‘Is It Clean? / ¿Está limpio?’ website so they know when our rivers are clean enough for swimming or boating.”

Many cities and towns along our rivers are mak-ing significant investments to separate the outdated combined sewer overflows into separate sewer and stormwater systems that can better handle all the water. Pollution from parking lots, farms, dog parks and more also contribute to the problem. Federal stormwater regulations require densely developed towns and cities to take measures to reduce pollution from street and parking lot runoff. These investments have made a tremendous difference in improving the health of our rivers and protecting river users.

To learn more about CRC, or to join the effort and help protect local rivers, visit www.ctriver.org.

Be wary of river germs after rainfall this spring

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DO YOU HAVE chronic knee or back pain? If you have insurance, you may qualify for the perfect brace at little to no cost. Get yours today! Call 1-800-217-0504

INVENTORS- FREE INFOR-MATION PACKAGE Have your product idea developed affordably by the Research & Development pros and presented to manufacturers. Call 855-380-5976 for a free idea starter guide. Submit your idea for a free con-sultation.

LIFE ALERT. 24/7. One press of a button sends help FAST! Medical, Fire, Burglar. Even if you can’t reach a phone! FREE brochure. CALL 800-457-1917

MOBILEHELP, AMERICA’S PRE-MIER MOBILE MEDICAL ALERT SYSTEM. Whether you’re Home or Away. For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Bro-chure! Call Today! 1-844-892-1017

OXYGEN-ANYTIME. ANY-WHERE. No tanks to refill. No deliv-eries. Only 2.8 pounds! FAA approved! FREE info kit: Call 1-855-917-4693

PROMOTE YOUR PRODUCT, ser-vice or business to 1.7 million house-holds throughout New England. Reach 4 million potential readers quickly and inexpensively with great results. Use the Buy New England Classified Ad Network by calling (413)283-8393, [email protected]. Do they work? You are reading one of our ads now!! Visit our website to see where your ads run communitypapersne.com

STAY IN YOUR HOME longer with an American Standard Walk-In Bath-tub. Receive up to $1,500 off, including a free toilet, and a lifetime warranty on the tub and installation! Call us at 1-866-945-3783.

STOP STRUGGLING ON THE STAIRS. Give your life a lift with an ACORN STAIRLIFT! Call now for $250. OFF your stairlift purchase and FREE DVD & brochure! 1-844-325-8610

OLD CARPENTER TOOLS want-ed. Planes, chisels, axes, etc. Also hunting, fishing gear. Old advertis-ing, cast iron cookware. Call Ken (413)433-2195.

**A CALL WE HAUL**Dumpsters available on site

Call for delivery (413)531-1936

[email protected]

A DUMP TRUCK clearing out attics, cellars, garages, barns, whole house clean-outs, scrap metal. Free esti-mates. 413-374-5377

CHAIR SEAT WEAVING & refinish-ing - cane, fiber rush & splint - Class-room instructor, 20+ years experience. Call Walt at (413)289-6670 for esti-mate.

MULCH - SINCE YOU’RE stuck at home, you might as well mulch! All nat-ural forest blend mulch, no dyes add-ed. Save $25 with mention of this ad (3 yard minimum). Truck load of log length firewood and cord wood also available, give us a call today! Lashway Lumber (413)268-7685 or send an e-mail to [email protected].

WE RENOVATE, SELL & PUR-CHASE (any condition) horse drawn vehicles such as sleighs, carriages, surreys, wagons, dr’s buggies, drive-able or lawn ornaments. Some fur-niture and other restoration services available. Reasonable prices. Quality workmanship. Call (413)213-0373 for estimate and information.

DEMERS & SONSBELCHERTOWN, MA

CHILD SERVICES*NEW STATE LAW. Anyone adver-tising caring of children must list a li-cense number to do so if they offer this service in their own home.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

ACOMASONRY, HEATING &

AIR CONDITIONINGAll types of masonry work.

Chimney repair, tile work, stucco,stone, brick, block, concrete,

flat work, pavers, retaining walls.Heating & Air Conditioning

Service & InstallationFurnaces, Sheet Metal

Power WashingLicensed & Insured

Commercial & ResidentialFree Estimates

Competitive RatesCall Adam Ouimette

413-374-7779

DELREO HOME IMPROVEMENT for all your exterior home improve-ment needs. ROOFING, SIDING, WINDOWS, DOORS, DECKS & GUT-TERS. Extensive references available, Fully Licensed & Insured in MA. & CT. Call GARY DELCAMP @ 413-569-3733

MASONRY

STOP WET BASEMENTS

ABC MASONRY & BASEMENT WATERPROOFING

All brick, block, stone, concrete. Hatch-way doors, basement windows, chim-neys rebuilt & repaired, foundations repaired, basement waterproofing sys-tems, sump pumps. BBB+ rating. Free estimates. Lic #14790. Call (413)569-1611, (413)374-5377

LANDSCAPINGT & S LANDSCAPING Highest quality, lowest price. Serving the Pio-neer Valley. Weekly, bi-weekly mow-ing, Spring, Fall and Gutter clean-ups. (413)330-3917

CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! All Makes/ Models 2000-2019! Any Con-dition, Running or Not. Top $$$ Paid! Free Towing! We’re Nationwide! Call Now: 1-888-513-1505.

HORSESHORSEBACK RIDING LES-SONS offered year round at our state of the art facility. beginner to ad-vanced. Ages 4 years to adult. Board-ing, sales and Leasing also available. Convenient location at Orion Farm in South Hadley (413)532-9753 www.orionfarm.net

KATIE’S COUNTRY STORE Look-ing for seasonal and year round posi-tions. Apply in person @ 1922 E. Otis Rd., East Otis 413-269-4211.

PERSONAL CARE ASSISTANT needed to work with elderly wheelchair bound woman in Worthington. Meal prep, shared housekeeping and some personal care. Monday and/or Friday. 413-238-5816.

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FOR RENT

ALL REAL ESTATE advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” We will not know-ingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

VACATION RENTALS

WARM WEATHER IS Year Round In Aruba. The water is safe, and the dining is fantastic. Walk out to the beach. 3-Bedroom weeks available. Sleeps 8. Email: [email protected] for more information.

WANTED TO RENT

NEED SMALL HOUSE to rent in Worthington or Cummington, MA. Need occupancy by July 1, 2020, call 413-478-0178.

REAL ESTATE

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status (number of children and or pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, or any intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertising in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain about discrimination call The Department of Housing and Urban Development “ HUD” toll-free at 1-800-669-9777. For the N.E. area, call HUD at 617-565-5308. The toll free number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

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BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Transportat ion is reporting that the rate of fatalities on Massachusetts roadways doubled in April. Although 50 percent less traffic was recorded on major highways, 28 individuals died in crashes, compared with the month of April 2019, when there were 27 deaths on roadways in the state. The high fatality rate last month, underscores the importance of not exceeding the posted speed limit, wear-ing a seat belt, driving sober and obeying the hands-free law.

“Our traffic and safety engineers continuously monitor roadways across the commonwealth and have identi-fied a dangerous trend that has led to the doubling of the vehicular fatali-ty rate in Massachusetts for the month of April,”said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver.“During the pandem-ic, everyone in the commonwealth has sacrificed and used disciplined actions to keep themselves, their loved ones and our community safe. We ask that all res-

idents use this same dedication to safety and reduce their speeds when driving.”

“Reduced traffic volume is no excuse for excessive speed,” said Jeff Larason, director of highway safety for the Executive Office of Safety and Security. “We’re reminding everyone to drive responsibly, wear a seat belt, and watch the road for cyclists and pedestri-ans.”

Motor vehicle deaths occurred state-wide in April, including three deaths in a 24-hour-period on April 18 and April 19: in Richmond, on Route 41 southbound, in Hopkinton, on I-495 southbound, and in Seekonk, on I-195 eastbound. The most recent road fatality reported to MassDOT was on Saturday, May 2, occurring in Andover on I-93 near exit 42.

The commonwealth has several ini-tiatives which seek to improve road safe-ty, including:

• The Massachusetts Strategic Highway Safety Plan, crafted by a diverse cross section of government

agencies, advocates, and other stakehold-ers which contains specific strategies, direct actions and legislative proposals to get Massachusetts closer towards zero deaths and to an interim goal of a 12 per-cent drop in five-year average fatalities and a 21 percent drop in five-year aver-age serious injuries.

• T h e 2 0 1 9 M a s s a c h u s e t t s Pedestrian Transportation Plan and 2019 Massachusetts Bicycle Transportation Plan seek to eliminate fatalities and seri-ous injuries for pedestrians, individuals using a wheelchair, cane or other assisted mobility device, and those riding bicy-cles while increasing the number of trips taken.

• MassDOT’s public education pro-gram, “Scan the Street for Wheels and Feet,” underscores the need for greater awareness on the road, citing statistics including, “1 in 4 deaths in motor vehicle crashes involve people walking or bicy-cling.”

MassDOT has been pleased to work collaboratively on this public safety ini-

tiative with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston Vision Zero, WalkBoston, MassBike, and the Safe Roads Alliance.

In addition, in January 2019, the Baker-Polito Administration filed sev-eral proposed safety bills, including the hands-free law which became law in February 2020, with fines for violations taking effect April 1.

For more information on state initia-tives, please visit www.mass.gov/high-way-safety, www.mass.gov/service-de-tails/pedestrian-plan and www.mass.gov/service-details/bicycle-plan.

REGION

Fatalities double despite less traffic

WASHINGTON, D.C. – What hap-pened? Six years ago, the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed an impressive improve-ment in knowledge about American history, among elementary and mid-dle-school students, but now, the 2018 tests, released last week, reveal that the apparent gain has slid to 1994 levels.

The Nation’s Report Card, as the assessment is known, shows that eighth graders’ awareness of key data crashed; between 2014 and 2018 their scores fell four points, from 267 to 263, out of a maximum 500.

“Considering the fact that 2014’s report seemed to offer hope, and the trajectory was rising, the four-point decrease was a surprise,” according to education advocate, David Bruce Smith.

Coincidentally, too many chil-dren, typically in grades 4 through 12, are essentially illiterate; enough to be a cause for alarm; it might be part of the reason for the decline. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education says “19 per-cent of high school graduates are func-tionally illiterate, which means they can’t read well enough to manage daily living and perform tasks required.”

“There seems to be a correlation between historical proficiency, and an over-the-top illiteracy rate. You absorb history mostly by reading, but if you have been lost in the system, it’s nearly impossible to learn the essentials about the past or the present.”

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued a statement after NAEP’s results were announced. As she put it:

“America’s antiquated approach to edu-cation is creating a generation of future leaders who will not have a foundational understanding of what makes this coun-try exceptional. We cannot continue to excuse this problem away. Instead, we need to fundamentally rethink education in America. It is the only way our stu-dents will be able to lead our nation and the world.

“The results are stark and inexcus-able. A quarter or more of America’s eighth-graders are what NAEP defines as ‘below basic’ in U.S. history, civics and geography. In the real world, this means students don’t know what the Lincoln-Douglas debates were about, nor can they discuss the significance of the Bill of Rights or point out basic locations on a map. And only 15 percent of them have a

reasonable knowledge of U.S. history. All Americans should take a moment to think about the concerning implications for the future of our country,” DeVos said.

Smith is co-founder of the Grateful American Book Prize, with the late Dr. Bruce Cole, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It was created to restore enthusiasm about American history, for kids and adults.

“Our goal has been to entice stu-dents to learn about the events and peo-ple who have shaped the nation; the best way, outside of a really competent teacher, is to energize authors to think up--captivating fiction and non-fiction--that appeal to adolescents, and stimu-lates commitments from publishers,” said Smith.

Assessment shows history deficit in nation’s classrooms looms large


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By Peter Spotts

The town announced its first confirmed case of Covid-19 on Wednesday, April 1, but town officials are optimistic with the measures that have been taken and the work the com-munity has done over the past few dif-ficult weeks.

Receiving daily updates from the Board of Health, information from the Department of Public Health, and calls with Rep. Natalie Blais’ office, the Board of Selectmen is maintain-ing daily opportunities to get the latest information and guidance on handling the Covid-19 situation.

Town works to combat Covid-19

By Peter Spotts

Calling all stuffed furry friends in the Gateway Hilltowns, attendance is requested at this weekend’s Huntington Safari Hunt and Hilltown Bear Hunt.

From 9 a.m. on Friday April 10, through 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 12, Huntington families are encouraged to put stuffed animals in their yard or window and then drive around the com-munity to see how many they can find. Huntington’s Fawn Busby said she was inspired by “bear hunts” that other towns have been doing during this time of shelter-in-place.

HUNT, page 2

COMBAT, page 7

Safari, Bear Hunt start Friday

HILLTOWNS

CHESTER

By Shelby Macri

Te a c h e r s f r o m L i t t l ev i l l e Elementary School, Gateway Middle School, and Gateway High School are getting creative and technology savvy, adapting their courses into remote learn-ing for students, now extended through at least May 4.

Teachers share remote learning

By Peter Spotts

Food providers find themselves facing unusual times. Grocery stores have seen the shelves be hit hard day after day as people stock-pile supplies to leave their homes as little as possible and restaurants face declines with only take-out business allowed by the state.

Outlook Farm Barn & Eatery in Westhampton has seen the highs and lows of both. Owners Brad and Erin

Morse have been kept on their toes keeping shipments of meat coming in, acquiring produce, stocking shelves, and enacting safety measures to help make shoppers feel safer for their grocery busi-ness.

“It’s been going very well here. We’re selling food and that’s what everybody is buying right now,” Brad Morse said. “They also like the locals more and people in

Restaurants, groceries adjust to Covid-19

TEACHERS, page 8

By Peter Spotts

As schools navigate through three weeks of remote learning, with at least another month remaining, Hampshire Regional Middle and High School have taken strides to make sure all stu-dents can access the work with or without internet access and raise community spirits.

While the Class of 2020 is spending the spring of senior year in isolation, Principal Kristin Smidy and her staff wanted to find a way to bring some senior year cheer to the soon-to-be graduates. The school donat-ed money to deliver lawn signs for the seniors, while maintaining social distanc-ing, bringing some positivity to the tough situation.

“That was met with such enthusiasm from the staff, I raised over $500 more than what the signs cost so we were able to donate money to organizations that are pro-viding food for kids,” Smidy said. “When we delivered the signs to the seniors, they all came out on their lawns and we’re really excited.”

Smidy also said that one way or another, the senior

class will get a graduation ceremony. Whether that hap-pens in the summer, or next fall, the event will be post-poned if necessary, not can-celled.

“Depend ing on the Governor’s recommendations and requirements around meetings and gatherings, we’re looking at summer,

CHEER, page 9

ADJUST, page 2

Outlook Farm in Westhampton has seen the highs and lows of coronavirus business impacts as the grocery business flourishes while restaurant take-out sales have dropped significantly.

Photo by Peter Spotts

School brings senior year cheer

SCHOOLS & YOUTH

Blandford ....................6, 7Business Directory ........11Chester ...........................7Classifieds ...............14,15Cummington .................10

Hilltowns ....................2, 3Huntington ......................3Middlefield ....................13Montgomery .................13Obituary ........................13

Opinion .......................4, 5Public Notices ...............12Puzzle Page ..................13Schools & Youth ..........8, 9Westhampton ...............10

HILLTOWNS

PAGE 9

SCHOOLS & YOUTH

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Devoted to the Needs of the HilltownsCountry Journal

Becket, Blandford, Chester, Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, Otis, Plainfield, Russell, Sandisfield, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington

A self-serve community food bank sits on the lawn outside the Westhampton Congregational United Church of Christ in the center of town. Community members are encouraged to donate items they can, after sanitizing items with a disinfectant, and take what they need. Items taken from the food bank should also be wiped down upon returning home and then washing hands for 20 seconds afterwards. Food bank attendees are reminded to maintain a six-foot separation with other food bank attendees. Photo by Peter Spotts

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WALKING THE DOGS

Karen McTaggart’s dog Angie takes a moment to give the camera a pose on Old Martin Phelps Road. Submitted photo

Fire investigations, arson lawsSta te F i re Marshal Pe ter J .

Ostroskey announced that National Arson Awareness Week i s May 3-9, 2020. This year’s theme, First Responders: Fire Investigations, Arson Laws and You!, highlights the crucial role that firefighters can play in a suc-cessful fire investigation. Firefighters are not just first responders to the fire, but to the fire investigation as well.

Firefighters are the eyes and ears of the professionals who investigate fires. As with any structure, the foundation is the most important part and firefighters lay the foundation for the scene exam-ination. What they saw when they first responded to the fire, what suppression tactics they used, and what they observed after the fire, can all be useful clues for fire investigators. It is important for fire-fighters to understand that overhaul can affect the forensic fire scene examina-tion. Delaying overhaul whenever possi-ble until the fire investigators arrive on scene is helpful.

Firefighters can learn more about their important role in fire investigation at the U.S. Fire Administration’s Arson Awareness Week webpage. The public can find information on how to prevent arson in their neighborhood by going to the Department of Fire Service’s Arson Awareness Week webpage.

Team concept of fire investigation Massachusetts has been using the

team concept of fire investigation since the early 1980s. Specially trained State Police officers, assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, work col-laboratively with local fire and police department investigators, and when appropriate, agents from the federal

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This has increased the knowledge and awareness of frontline firefighters so they may be more keenly aware of what to look for and how their tactics can affect the fire investigation. Fire and police train together at both the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and the National Fire Academy using the National Fire Protection Association Standard 921 for fire investigation. This training prepares them for the teamwork of a fire investigation.

Accelerant detection caninesThe State Police Fire and Explosion

Investigation Section, assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, has sev-eral teams of trained accelerant detec-tion canines and handlers. These working dogs have noses that are over a hundred times more sensitive than the human sense of smell and are trained to detect all types of ignitable liquids that could be used to start or spread a fire. The dogs are trained using a “food reward” meth-od. They are hand fed small amounts of food many times a day after detecting ignitable liquids during training or at a fire scene. The dogs and their handlers work or train every day and never get a day off.

Statistics In 2018, 551 arson fires were report-

ed to the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System, accounting for 2 percent of total fires. The 134 structure arsons, 78 motor vehicle arsons, and 339 outside and other arsons caused four civilian deaths (accounting for 9 percent of civilian fire deaths), one fire service death, 13 civilian injuries and 43 fire ser-vice injuries. The estimated property loss from arson was $5.5 million.

National Arson Awareness Week runs through May 9

Documents

“An optimist is the human personification of spring.” — Susan ...countryjournal.turley.com/cj-archives/COJ050720.pdfmakes Chester great, but Covid-19 has forced public gatherings