In the Bleak Midwinter

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

 Things have calmed down in our neighborhood in the new year. I hope you are all staying off the ice and staying snug to view our current winter wonderland safely. Today I share town-clerk news (please put our upcoming Special Town Meeting on your calendars), a floodplain issue, and notice of an upcoming tech workshop.

From Ellie Van Iderstine, Our Town Clerk

Hopefully everyone has settled into the New Year and are keeping warm!

Census Forms:

By now you should have received your annual census form. Please fill this out and return it! The census is one of our only ways to keep track of who our residents are. Accurate information is important it is used to create the Town’s Annual Street and Resident List, which is distributed to the schools along with police and fire departments.

Additionally, if you are a voter and you do not return your form or vote in elections within a two-year period, you will be removed from the voter list and will need to re-register to vote for any election, state or local.

Elections/ Town Meetings:

Speaking of elections, the Annual Town Election will be held on Monday, May 4, and the Annual Town Meeting will take place on the following Monday, May 11. If you are interested in running for an elected seat, please see me for nomination paperwork. We will also be holding a Special Town Meeting on Monday, February 23, at 7 p.m. to decide whether to make the Town Clerk position appointed rather than elected and to authorize the Treasurer to enter into tax-title agreements. The snow date for this meeting will be Monday, March 2.

2026 Positions Available at Annual Election:

Select Board/ZBA/BOH – 3-year term

Moderator – 1-year term

Auditor – 1-year term

Assessor – 3-year term

Hawlemont Regional School Committee – 3-year term

Mohawk Trail District K-12 Rep – 3-year Term

Help Wanted:

I am looking for poll workers for the May 4 Election, and for the Primary and State elections in the fall. Additionally, I need a registrar. This ideally would be either a Democrat or an Independent who leans more to the left. (The State requires that we have a balance between the two major parties, and we already have a couple of Republicans serving on this four-seat board.) Registrars sign off on nomination forms and election results before they are submitted to the state. It is a three-year term, and it should be held by someone who is not active on other town boards/committees to maintain neutrality. If you are interested in either of these roles, please get in touch!

I am in office Fridays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. or by appointment. Or leave a message with Tinky!

~Ellie

Dog Licensing

Along with the census forms you should have received information about licensing your dog or dogs. Please note that all dogs must be licensed by April 1. I know it can be expensive to get the necessary rabies shot, but paying the late-license fine or paying for a human to get rabies treatment (which has to happen by law if an unlicensed dog bites a person) is even more expensive.

I (Tinky) am always on the alert for reduced-price rabies clinics and will make note of them in future newsletters. I do know that Tractor Supply in Greenfield has frequent rabies opportunities. They aren’t cheap, but they are less expensive than a full visit to the veterinarian.

My own Cocoa, whom many of you have met at the Town Office, is already sporting her 2026 license (she is number 1, of course!),  and a few other dogs have already joined her in being up to date. I hope more will do so soon.

Floodplain Changes Are Coming

Hawleyites who live near bodies of water may need to know that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is in the process of re-drawing floodplain maps. The maps will be finalized late this year or in 2027. Consequently, some people who have been required to get flood insurance for their mortgages may no longer need to do so. However, it is possible that others who have NOT been required to get the insurance may have homes in floodplains on the new maps.

Here is the preliminary map FEMA has issued. I warn you that it takes a really long time to appear on the screen; it’s a large file. We have paper copies at the Town Office in case you have trouble downloading the map. And here is a letter from our county organization, the FRCOG, about the whole process.

If you think you might be about to be moved into a floodplain (we know that the maps can be hard to read), you may want to consult an attorney or talk to a professional who knows about floodplains. Unfortunately, neither FRCOG nor the town has any power over this situation.

Tech Workshop: Practical AI

Have you been wondering about Artificial Intelligence? If so, come to the free workshop on AI at the Tyler Memorial Library in Charlemont on Saturday, January 13, from 1 to 3 p.m.

 

That’s it for now. On this Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, let’s hope for peace and justice for all locally, nationally, and internationally.

Warmly,

Tinky Weisblat
Gal Friday
Town of Hawley

413-339-5518
info@townofhawley.com