Voting, Halloween, School Committee News, and Cider Days
Dear Hawley Neighbors and Friends:
Happy almost Halloween! Please read on for voting information, our call for a new school-committee member, and more….
Get Ready to Vote!
We have had excellent turnout for Early Voting so far. If you’d like to add to those numbers, you still have two more chances to show up at the Town Office and vote before Election Day: tomorrow (Saturday, October 26) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and this coming Tuesday (October 29) from noon to 4 p.m.
If you requested an absentee/early ballot and have not yet received it, please call the Town Office (413-339-5518) or email me, Tinky, at info@townofhawley.com. We appear to have lost a few requests in the changeover from our former Town Clerk to our interim one. There is still time to get you a ballot if you get in touch quickly, however.
If you wish to vote in person on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Town Office will not be conducting regular business that day so you won’t be able to pay your taxes or purchase dump supplies, however. I, Tinky, will hold special office hours on Monday, November 4, from noon to 4 p.m. (and by appointment) to take care of those needs.
Don’t forget the Bake Sale on Election Day, which will raise funds for the Sons & Daughters of Hawley and our local Arts Council.
Speaking of the Bake Sale, if you want one of Beth Thwing’s gourmet quiches, you will have to contact Beth herself … and go pick up your quiche when it is ready. They cost $30 and are ideal for this cooling weather. Beth may be reached at beththwing@gmail.com or 413-339-0124.
Cider Days Return
Cider Days will return to Hawley next weekend, Saturday November 2 and Sunday November 3, from 11 to 4. Join Peter Mitchell of Headwater Cider, who will host multiple cideries (all giving out tastes of their wares) as well as other businesses, including a couple from Hawley: Meadowsweet Farm and Billings Brook Farm. Writer/chanteuse Tinky Weisblat will be on hand on Saturday signing cookbooks (you know you need one!) and giving out nibbles. For a full schedule of Cider Days activities, click here.
A Brief Broadband Update
Yesterday a van labeled Spectrum pulled up at the Town Office. The driver, John Decker, informed me that he is Hawley’s contact from that company. As some of you know, the State awarded Spectrum/Charter Communications a contract to bring broadband to Hawley. We never actually received official word of this, but John confirmed it.
John said he had been driving around to get a sense of Hawley’s geography. In the coming months, he will apply for permits to lay poles. He hopes we will be fully operational two years from now, in 2026. I think that might be a little optimistic, but I am happy to see that progress is being made. Our agreement letter to the state specified that whoever received this contract was required to offer high-speed internet to every address in town, including previously hard-to serve places. My fingers are crossed for all of us!
Last Call for the Halloween Party
For some reason today’s newspaper gave the wrong phone number for questions about the Halloween Party on Sunday (at the Hawley Grove, starting at 3 p.m.). If you haven’t yet told me that your children are coming and plan to come, please call the Town Office (413-339-5518) or email me at info@townofhawley.com. Or just show up! We’re bound to have a few extra treats. There will be games, music, refreshments, and perhaps a not-so-scary ghost story. Costumes are strongly encouraged.
Two Districts/Eight Towns Report
Those of you who missed the recent public listening session about the School Sustainability Study have another chance to find out what is currently being considered. Read this document for more details, including a link to the session, which will take place on Thursday, November 14, at 6:30 p.m. You may also attend in person at Mohawk Trail Regional School.
School Committee Member Needed
Speaking of Mohawk Trail Regional School, longtime school-committee member Scott Purinton recently submitted his resignation. In his decades on the committee, Scott has represented Hawley with intelligence and diligence. According to his colleagues on the committee, he is perhaps more familiar with the school district’s finances than any other member.
The Selectmen reluctantly accepted Scott’s resignation Tuesday night and praised his work over the years.
We are now looking for a replacement. That person should be willing to go to a lot of meetings and read a lot of material. Most of all, that person should care about education. Scott’s shoes will be hard to fill, but we ask you to consider trying. If you have questions about this volunteer position, please let me (Tinky) know, and I’ll refer you to the right person to answer them.
Meanwhile, thank you, Scott!
A Survey for Elders and Caregivers
You may be among the more than half of Hawley’s residents who are over 60. If so, please take the time to fill out this online survey to help the State figure out how to help elders and/or their caregivers.
Crafting at the Library
The crafty Mary Ann Adams will be back helping residents of Hawley and Charlemont make Thanksgiving centerpieces on Saturday, November 23, at 12:30 p.m. The last crafting session had to turn people away. Please sign up for this one by calling 413-339-4335, extension 1, or emailing charlemont.hawley.library@gmail.com.
That’s it for now. Watch out for ghosts this coming week….
Warmly,
Tinky Weisblat
Gal Friday
Town of Hawley
