September Is Just Around the Corner!
Back to School
Hawlemont and Mohawk Trail Regional Schools will begin classes on Wednesday, August 27. In my opinion, school should never start before Labor Day … but at least the first few days of the school calendar are relatively light, with afternoons off for playing outside … and a back-to-school potluck at Hawlemont on Wednesday, September 3.
The big news this summer was that the Hawlemont Community Gardens were launched and are growing beautifully. (The Friends of the Library even got in on the act with a festive plot!) At the End-of-the-Year Celebration of Learning, a plaque was installed by the greenhouse recognizing Erwin Reynolds for his dedication to making the school’s HAY program a reality. Now the school has been cleaned and readied for the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
Public Health News
Lisa White (above), one of our public-health nurses, stopped in to visit the Selectmen last week and remind them of the services available to Hawleyites. First, she shared some information about ticks and tick-borne diseases. That may be downloaded here.
Next, she explained that she and fellow RN Meg Ryan serve Hawley as Public Health Nurses through the Town’s membership in the Cooperative Public Health Service (CPHS) of Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG). They offer drop-in hours at community sites. The closest to us is at the Charlemont Federated Church on the fourth Wednesday of the month between 10 a.m. and noon and at the same location at the Good Neighbors Food Distribution on the third Tuesday of the month between 4 and 5:30 p.m.
Lisa and Meg also work directly with Boards of Health like ours to monitor the occurrence of infectious illness throughout the 15 Town CPHS region, assist health promotion activities, offer flu and COVID vaccines, provide community education about Alzheimer’s/dementia and other chronic illnesses, and support communities to become more age-friendly (ensuring that services are welcoming and available to people of all ages and abilities).
Their work also involves collaboration and connection with other community agencies, therefore being able to assist residents to connect with services they need. To learn more about CPHS nursing services, please see https://frcog.org/project/public-health-nursing-program/ or call Meg or Lisa at FRCOG CPHS: (413) 774-3167.
This month the team is particularly interested in remind us about MOSQUITOs. Although only a small percentage of mosquitoes carry disease, the best way to prevent illness is to prevent mosquito bites. Take these steps to avoid bites.
Use insect repellents when outdoors. Repellents that contain DEET, permethrin (for clothing, not skin) or picaridin work against mosquitoes. Oil of lemon eucalyptus can provide as much protection against mosquitoes as low concentrations of DEET, but should not be used. Always read and follow the label’s instructions carefully.
• Schedule outdoor activities to avoid the hours from dusk to dawn and wear long sleeves.
• Repair damaged window and door screens. (Many hardware stores offer this service.)
• Remove standing water from plant pots, tire swings, kiddie pools, etc. This can disrupt mosquito breeding so you can eliminate future mosquitoes—and their bites!
Hazardous Waste Collection Day in September
Our Solid Waste Management District will be holding its annual household hazardous waste collection on Saturday, September 20, at Greenfield Community College. Pre-registration is required by Wednesday, September 10.
To find out how to register and learn what you can get rid of there, see this flyer.
A GoFundMe Campaign
As many Hawleyites know, 12-year-old Avery Atkins had a serious bicycle accident a little over a week ago. It left her with injuries that will require (among other things!) plastic surgery and oral surgery. Averi is smart, caring (she has pet sat for my own Cocoa and Ruby, who adore her), and full of community spirit.
My part-time neighbor Kathryn Gillan set up a GoFundMe campaign to help the Atkins family with their substantial bills. If you can contribute (it doesn’t have to be a huge amount), please consider doing so. The link is here.
One Last Summer Concert
Mohawk Trail Concerts will offer a free thank-you concert to music lovers and supporters on Sunday, August 31, at 3 p.m. at the Charlemont Federated Church. Board members Mark Fraser, Masako Yanagita, Estela Olevskky, Jerry Noble, and Tinky Weisblat will perform musical numbers with the theme “Early Autumn.” After the concert, MTC’s board members will offer light refreshments in the church social room and (weather permitting) on the lawn. All are welcome.
Consumer Tip: Government and Business Imposters
The District Attorney’s Office asks everyone in the area to be on the alert for scams. See the information below.
That’s all I have for this week. I’m sure more news is on the way….
Warmly,
Tinky Weisblat
Gal Friday
Town of Hawley
