Early Voting Plus
Dear Hawley Friends and Neighbors: I have A TON of news this week. I’d love to see things calm down a little soon, but I guess being busy is better than being bored.
Early Poll Hours
Many of you have requested mail-in ballots; you should receive them soon. Meanwhile, if you wish to vote in person but can’t come in on Election Day, November 5, you have other options. The Town Office will be open for early voting on the following days:
Saturday, October 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tuesday, October 22, from noon to 4 p.m.
Saturday, October 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tuesday, October 29, from noon to 4 p.m.
Our Town Clerk
Speaking of voting, some of you may know that our Town Clerk for the past year and a half, Donna Desmarais Lemoine, resigned on Monday. Donna has been remarkably efficient and pleasant to work with. She will be missed. (So will her big bowl of candy for visitors to the Town Office. I will keep filling it a little longer, and then it will go away.) Thank you, Donna, for your hard work and your kindness.
To get us through the November election, our former Town Clerk, Pamela Shrimpton, has volunteered to return as temporary Town Clerk. The Selectmen held a special meeting last night to welcome her back. They are profoundly grateful to Pam, as am I. She may have moved to Greenfield, but she is still a Hawleyite at heart!
For the moment, if you have a question about voting or vital records, please contact me, Tinky (info@townofhawley.com; 413-339-5518, 339-4747).
And please consider being appointed to (and then running in May for) the position of Town Clerk. The coming year will be a relatively easy one in that job since at the moment we have only one election scheduled for next year, our town election (which doesn’t last all day). We’ll have the job description available shortly. And Pam and I will be happy to answer questions about the position.
A Bake Sale
As usual, the Sons & Daughters of Hawley will have baked goods for sale at the November 5 election. This time they will be joined in baking by the Charlemont-Hawley Arts Council. Lots of yummy food, two terrific causes.
Many of you are familiar with one of the staples of our Election Day bake sales, Beth Thwing’s delicious quiches. This year in order to have time to make the correct number of quiches, Beth is taking orders for them. They cost $25 and will be able to be picked up at Beth’s home (15 Pond Road). They may be ordered beginning on October 21 by emailing or calling Beth (beththwing@gmail.com, 413-339-0124).
School Sustainability Session
The hardworking people who have been studying long-term possibilities for the Hawlemont and Mohawk Trail Regional School Districts invite everyone in both districts to a special online session on Thursday, October 10. Even those of us who don’t have children care about our young people … and about our school budgets. See the flyer below for details. The flyer’s link for the meeting DOES NOT WORK; here is that link.
A Sad Event
Someone has removed presidential-campaign signs from a lawn on Pond Road. We are better than that here in Hawley! If you don’t agree with your neighbor’s politics, please agree to disagree. And if you are the person who took the signs, please return them. We each have a right to our opinion and our individual vote. Personally, I love seeing campaign signs on people’s lawns, even if I don’t support their candidates … even if I HATE their candidates! It means they are passionate about democracy.
Paul Mark Staff Office Hours
The staff of our State Senator, Paul Mark, will hold office hours on Tuesdays, October 8 and 22, from 10 a.m. to noon at Buckland Town Hall (17 State Street in Shelburne Falls). Residents of any of the 57 municipalities in the Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire District are encouraged to share ideas on current or potential state legislation, or to ask for assistance with issues involving any state agency. Appointments are not required.
Charity Scams
Hurricane Helene has devastated American communities, and we all want to help. The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office warns us to do careful research before donating to charities, however.
AND DON’T FORGET:
Bulky Waste Day
Our waste district is offering a Bulky Waste Day on Saturday, October 19, from 9 a.m. to noon. The nearest site for disposal to us is Mohawk Trail Regional School on Route 112 in Buckland. No pre-registration is required, but cash fees will apply. For more details, visit this web page or read this flyer.
Vaccinations!!
Local health officials are offering COVID and flu vaccinations this month; the closest is at Hawlemont School on Tuesday, October 22, from 3:30 to 7 p.m. For further details and other clinics go to https://frcog.org/project/vaccine-information/.
Our Halloween Party
Hawley children and adults are invited to attend (and help with!) our Halloween Party on Sunday, October 27, at 3 p.m., at the Hawley Grove (the old Boys’ Club building on East Hawley Road, opposite the Hawley Meeting House).
That’s all for now. Enjoy the last of this lovely warm weather. And savor the foliage that’s beginning to show…..
Warmly,
Tinky Weisblat
Gal Friday
Town of Hawley
