FREE June 25, 2021 Vol. 52, No. 8 INDEX Viewpoints 4 TOWN South Hadley 6 Sports 10 Reminder Higher Educatiom 13 Classifieds 14 A TURLEY PUBLICATION ❙ www.turley.com Serving the town of South Hadley www.townreminder.turley.com Public Notices 15 Chamber bounces back SOUTH HADLEY, 3 Treating Old Glory to retirement PLACES, 5 A missed sign spoils a surprise, but hearts connect just the same Chamber photos submitted by South Hadley & Granby ‘Businessevents resumeAfter 5’ Chamber of Commerce. Local business By Dalton Zbierski “Business After 5” programming, getting back to where they need to members interacted Staff Writer a series of monthly outreach events be,” said Michelle Theroux, Cham- with community designed to connect member busi- ber President. members during SOUTH HADLEY, GRANBY – nesses with the community. On May 12, “Business After a South Hadley & After being dealt repeated blows by “We had gone just over 15 5” resumed at the Yarde Tavern, a Granby Chamber of the COVID-19 pandemic, the South months from our last in-person restaurant located in South Hadley Commerce event Hadley & Granby Chamber of event to the one we were able to at 3 Hadley St. On June 22, the ini- held at the Hanger in South Hadley on Commerce is bouncing back strong. hold last month. It’s exciting, it’s GRANBY, 7 The Chamber has resumed its refreshing and it’s a sign of things Please see CHAMBER, page 8 June 22. Finger licking picking Selectboard Animals to be summer reading theme interviews Tails and Tales program begins volunteers By Cara McCarthy Staff Writer Rejects dangerous SOUTH HADLEY -- The dog hearing South Hadley Public Library will continue to keep children By Cara McCarthy engaged in learning through the Staff Writer summer months with their sum- mer reading program. SOUTH HADLEY – The This year’s theme is “Tails South Hadley Selectboard con- and Tales.” According to Meg SPORTS, 10 ducted their tri-annual interviews Clancy, the youth services li- for spots on town boards, and brarian, the library will be of- Karl Oliveira declined a request for a danger- fering many tail-themed events ous dog hearing at their June 22 throughout the summer for chil- remembered as Tri- meeting. dren, teens and even adults. County rivals clash The Selectboard interviewed Not only will children be Kathy Davis for a position on the reading stories about these Conservation Commission. tailed-creatures, according to Davis said she has been in- Clancy, they will even be able to terested in the environment since meet some thanks to Animal Ad- she was a little kid. She said by ventures on July 29. applying to join the commission, While animals are subject “I feel like I am just following to change, Animal Adventures through on something that I’ve will bring a variety of animals Courtesy photo always been heavily engaged in. to show the children including a Here, children take part in making bottle cap art at South Hadley Public Library last summer. This year’s summer reading program Please see VOLUNTEERS, page 7 Please see LIBRARY, page 13 theme will be Tails and Tales, with a focus on animals. Page 2 TOWN Reminder June 25, 2021 Children’s Task Force reports students feel safer Summer Series Alcohol use drops among tor Susan Cook provided an update for the Between all three age groups surveyed, Drug & Alcohol Coalition after conducting all results were either drastically less or will start on eighth-graders and compiling results from surveys taken relatively similar to the previous survey. by eighth, 10th, and 12th-grade students. The Coalition also held the survey pri- July 7 By Cara McCarthy The Drug & Alcohol Coalition or to spring break because it “can be one Staff Writer The Drug & Alcohol Coalition was of those times that we don’t trust that their SOUTH HADLEY – The annual formed in 2005 and received a five-year 30-day past use might be altered because Children’s Summer Series returns to SOUTH HADLEY -- The South Had- Drug Free Community school grant in of that event.” Buttery Brook Park for 2021 on three ley School Committee held their first 2013 and again in 2019, which provides The survey also found that females re- Wednesday mornings in July. There in-person meeting since the COVID-19 the coalition with $125,000 a year. She ported worsening mental health and stress is a $5 suggested donation per family pandemic last Thursday, June 17, and re- asked the School Committee to consider throughout the pandemic than males. per concert to help support the South ceived updates from the Racial Justice Talk that the grant runs out in three years, and Cook also reported that a large contrib- Hadley Family Center. Force and the Drug & Alcohol Coalition. they will not be able to apply for a third uting factor to drug use among minors is The first concert will feature Tom School Committee Member Jennifer time due to federal rules. billboards promoting different dispensa- Knight on Wednesday, July 7, at 10 Matos provided an update on the Racial The Coalition has conducted a survey ries. “We’re up against a lot of billboards a.m. He will use handmade puppets, Justice Task Force and spoke about criti- every two years since 2007, according to on the Mass Pike,” Cook said. “We’re up funny stories and catchy songs, with cal race theory and pride curriculum. Ma- Heather Warner from the Collaborative for against classy looking stores.” audience participation. tos said they are not teaching critical race Educational Services. Cook added she had a conversation The concert on Wednesday, July theory because that curriculum is meant for According to Cook, alcohol use in with former Sen. John Kerry who told her 14 at 10 a.m. will feature Roger graduate students. eighth-graders has dropped more than 50% “We are going to do something about that Tincknell. He is a two-time Parents’ She added the fifth grade covers civil in the last 10 years in South Hadley, while (the billboards.)” Choice Award-winning recording art- rights movements, including current move- marijuana use among eighth-graders in- She also wanted to emphasize safety ist performing original, traditional, ments such as the LGBTQ+ movement. creased in the county. when it comes to marijuana because “there contemporary songs in a variety of She said implementation of LGBTQ+ Cook also reported a drastic drop in is no regulation right now on these levels styles. in the curriculum corresponds “to all stu- minors using E-cigarettes since before (THC content in edibles and dabs).” In the Nick of Time will perform dents reporting they feel safer in school, the pandemic. She said this could be due The Drug & Alcohol Coalition also on Wednesday, July 21, at 10 a.m. An regardless of sexual orientation or gender to a drop in popularity and the legislation tossed around the idea of conducting a sur- eclectic mix of folk, rock, funk, and identity.” passed in recent years banning flavors and vey of parents about underage drug use and hip-hop is provided by the energetic Drug & Alcohol Coalition Coordina- menthol. safety from their perspective. husband-and-wife duo, Nick Deysh- er and Tracey Freitag, with Top-10 Album of the Year honors from USA Today and Parents Magazine. Nominations sought for Healthcare Heroes Class of 2021 The 2021 Children’s Summer Se- ries is organized by the South Had- SPRINGFIELD – In the spring of individuals and groups to honor. That ministration; ley Family Center in collaboration 2017, the Healthcare News and its sister theory has certainly been validated. But • Emerging Leader; with the South Hadley Recreation publication, BusinessWest, created a new there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of • Community Health; Department, and is supported in part and exciting recognition program called heroes whose stories we still need to tell. • Innovation in Health/Wellness; by grants from the South Hadley Cul- Healthcare Heroes. The nomination deadline for the class • Collaboration in Health/Wellness; tural Council and the Massachusetts It was launched with the theory that of 2021 has been extended to Friday, July and Cultural Council. there are heroes working all across this 8. Everyone is encouraged to get involved • Lifetime Achievement. The park is located at 123 Willi- region’s wide, deep, and all-important and help recognize someone they consid- The Healthcare Heroes event is pre- mansett St., also known as Route 33. healthcare sector, and that there was no er to be a hero in the community called sented by Elms College. Nominations can shortage of fascinating stories to tell and Western Mass. in one (or more) of these be submitted at businesswest.com/health- seven categories: care-heroes/nominations. • Patient/Resident/Client Care Provider; For more information, call 413-781- • Health/Wellness Administrator/Ad- 8600. I’ve got my bank at NOTICE ERRORS: Each advertiser is my fingertips and my requested to check their ad- vertisement the first time it appears. This paper will not future in my hands. be responsible for more than one corrected insertion, nor will be liable for any error in an advertisement to a greater extent than the cost of the space occupied by the item in the advertisement. Have Something to Share? Send your stories and photos to [email protected] EARLY DEADLINES In observance of the 4th of July, Tomorrow is already on its way, and our job is to help you make there will be an the most of it. 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