Burning Season and More!
Dear Hawley Neighbors and Friends:
Burning season is about to start. Please familiarize yourself with the instructions below. Today I also offer a preview of fun events at Hawlemont School and a brief report on our time of remembrance for Jimmy Carter.
Open Burning Season begins January 15.
The Fire Department offers these guidelines:
Massachusetts’ Open Burning Season begins on January 15 and runs through May 1.
During this period, Hawley residents who obtain a burning permit from the fire department may burn brush on their property provided no fire is closer than 75 feet from a structure. Only brush can be burned, not grass, leaves, household trash, demolition materials or other waste. Permits are good for only the day they are issued, and all fires must be out by dark.
Permits will only be issued during safe burning conditions.
Due to state air-pollution regulations, we cannot issue permits on some otherwise safe days for burning if atmospheric conditions make smoke likely to hang low and not rise.
If there isn’t snow cover, residents burning brush should have a pail of water or charged hose if possible to help keep the fire under control. The fire must be attended until it is out. Any unattended fires reported to the fire department will be put out.
If you feel that your fire is getting out of control, call 911, and the fire department will come help get it under control.
To get a burning permit in Hawley, call either Greg Cox at 413-339-5526 or Brandon Root at 413-770-6166 on the day you want to burn. Permits cannot be issued prior to the day you want to burn.
Anyone burning without a permit can be fined by both the town and by the state.
Agricultural burning is allowed year round with a permit from the fire department, if fire conditions are safe.
HAY Workshops on the Horizon
The Hawlemont HAY program will offer workshops in February and March. To enroll in either or both, contact HAY teacher Jennifer Sinistore, jsinistore@mtrsd.org.
On Saturday, February 22, from 10 a.m. to noon, Sherry Hager of Hawlemont (and the Hager family!) will offer a JAMS AND JELLIES WORKSHOP. Join Sherry for a hands-on session and go home with some tasty jams. The workshop costs $20. Checks should be made out to Hawlemont HAY.
On Saturday, March 22, beginning at 10 a.m. native-plant expert Amy Meltzer will present BEYOND FLOWERING PLANTS: HELPING POLLINATORS THRIVE YEAR ROUND. This talk includes a brief introduction to the biodiversity crisis, explaining why providing habitat for pollinators is essential for maintaining a sustainable ecosystem. Amy will show that pollinators not only need flowering native plants as food for adults but also need specialized native plants that provide food for their young. Attendees will learn about the kinds of shelter needed year round for pollinator health and reproduction, and how to manage their landscape to provide it. Amy will also discuss the need for water and the importance of minimizing night light. She will share extensive resources on choosing and sourcing native plants and managing landscapes to support biodiversity.
In addition to the presentation, participants can sign up for a free one-hour consultation with a native-plant expert (value $200), and receive a free starter set of plants for their own yard (value $150). These will both be implemented during the growing season.
This program is sponsored by the Franklin Conservation District through a grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. See the district’s website for more information: https://franklinconservationdistrict.org/native-plants-projects/. The cost for this event is also $20, with checks made payable to Hawlemont HAY.
Play Groups at the Hawlemont Gym
At this time of year, small people are in need of safe, warm activities. Hawlemont is sponsoring fun time for children aged six or under, along with a caregiver, on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 9:30 to 11 a.m. For more information, contact Melissa Pincus at mepincus@mtrsd.org.
Jimmy Carter Remembered
A small but stalwart group of Hawleyites gathered at the Town Office on Thursday evening to talk about the late President Jimmy Carter, whose D.C. funeral had taken place earlier that day. We began with a moment of silence and ended with peanut-butter cookies. The consensus, for those who had voted for Carter and for those who had not, was that he was a human being who did his best for his neighbors, near and far, and who put his personal beliefs into practice on the national and world stages. Peggy Travers expressed a belief that he represented a now-gone generation we would do well to emulate. Greenfield Recorder reporter Madison Schofield joined the group and wrote this article; she informed those gathered that Hawley was the only local town to mark the National Day of Mourning in this way.
That’s it for now. I’m sure I’ll be back soon with more news. Until then, stay warm!
Tinky Weisblat
Gal Friday
Town of Hawley