The Connecticut Valley Mineral Club a nonprofit organization that supports science education, is sponsoring an upcoming event in which one of our residents will be participating as a vendor. The Western Mass Mineral, Jewelry, and Fossil Show will be held on March 26 and 27, 2022 at the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Drive (Rt 33), Chicopee. Saturday hours are 9:30am to 5:00pm, and Sunday hours are 9:30am to 3:30pm. Admission is $5 for adults, children 12 and under are free. Free parking, exhibits, rock identification, and door prizes are available.
KYT Candidates’ Night and Upcoming Programs
A Candidates’ Night forum for those running for Town offices in the April 12, 2022 Town Election will be hosted by Know Your Town (KYT), a local nonpartisan organization. The event is now scheduled for Wednesday, April 6, 2022 from 6:00 to 8:00pm in the Community Room at the South Hadley Public Library on Canal Street (please note date change from April 7). It is anticipated that candidate bios and photos will be available on the KYT website (www.knowyourtown.org) before the election to help voters get to know those who are running for office in our community.
Upcoming KYT spring programs include:
April 21, 2022 (6:00 to 8:00pm, Thursday)
Film Screening and Discussion: ‘The Biggest Little Farm’
This event is free and open to the public and will be held (pending any health protocols) in the Community Room at South Hadley Public Library on Canal Street.
April 6, 2022 (6:00 to 8:00pm, Wednesday)
KYT Candidates Night
Candidates running for local offices in South Hadley’s annual Town Election on Tuesday, April 12, 2022.
This event is free and open to the public and will be held (pending any health protocols) in the Community Room at South Hadley Public Library on Canal Street.
March 31, 2022 (7:00pm, Thursday)
Conservation and Planning in South Hadley
A virtual forum with Rebekah Cornell, South Hadley Conservation Administrator and Planner
This free online event will be open to members and friends. Please email Martha Terry to RSVP and receive the meeting link.
2022 South Hadley Annual Town Election
The Town Election will be held on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. All precincts vote at South Hadley High School, 153 Newton Street, South Hadley. Shadowbrook is in Precinct A and Fire District 1. For election and candidate info (as available), see: https://www.southhadley.org/620/Elections and https://www.knowyourtown.org/election-info.
Shadowbrook Neighbors Online Social
Save the date! Plan to join Shadowbrook neighbors on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 4:00pm via Zoom for a casual conversation to catch up and meeting those who are new to our community. Please see our Winter 2022 newsletter email, which owners should be receiving soon. Hopefully, conditions will continue to improve so we can meet again in-person next time, either indoors or outside.!
Odyssey Book Store Author Events
Upcoming online and live author programs sponsored by the Odyssey include:
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 7:00pm via Zoom
Maureen B. Jones
Maud & Addie! (middle grades novel)
Info and Registration: https://www.odysseybks.com/event/maureen-b-jones
Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 7:00pm via Zoom
Marie Rutkoski
Real Easy
Info and Registration: https://www.odysseybks.com/event/marie-rutkoski
Thursday, January 20, 2022 at 7:00pm in-person at the Odyssey
Marie Rutkoski
Before the Flood: Destruction, Community, and Survival in the Drowned Towns of the Quabbin
Info and Registration: https://www.odysseybks.com/event/elisabeth-rosenberg
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 at 7:00pm in-person at the Odyssey
Daniel Bullen
Daniel Shays’s Honorable Rebellion: An American Story
Info and Registration: https://www.odysseybks.com/event/daniel-bullen
Friday, January 28, 2022 at 7:00pm via Zoom
Adrea Theodore (author) and Erin K. Robinson (illustrator)
A History of Me! (picture book)
Info and Registration: https://www.odysseybks.com/event/adrea-theodore-and-erin-k-robinson
The Odyssey, an independent book store at the Village Commons in South Hadley, is open for in-person browsing. Books can also be ordered online for contact-free pickup. The store also hosts several book groups, including ‘Crime Club,’ ‘Open Fiction,’ and the ‘Active Citizens Book Group.’ For more information, including store hours and additional events, visit: https://www.odysseybks.com/.
Fisher Cat Spotted at Shadowbrook
Management received notice this morning, January 14, of a fisher cat’s presence in the wooded area near the curved lower connector road in the Hill section. We ask that you take caution in this general area and throughout the community, and keep a close eye on your pets during any outdoor activities. It is especially important to secure garbage and remove bird feeders that may attract the small mammals that fishers prey upon. More information about fishers, which are members of the weasel family, can be found at: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/learn-about-fishers.
Bag the Community Food Drive POSTPONED
Due to the significant increase of COVID infections in our community, the annual Bag the Community Food Drive scheduled for this weekend on January 15 is postponed. The South Hadley High School Student Council will host a replacement community activity when the current health risks are eliminated.
Unfortunately, the needs of our neighbors cannot be postponed. To help now, please consider a donation to to the food pantry. Checks made out to “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” can be mailed to:
Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Pantry
30 Carew Street, South Hadley MA 01075
For more information on how, when, and what to donate, visit: https://www.nhnfoodpantry.org. Thank you for your patience and generosity during these challenging times.
COVID News: South Hadley Mask Mandate, PCR Testing
A temporary mask mandate was enacted starting Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021 in all non-residential indoor spaces in South Hadley in which the public is invited to enter. This applies to all persons ages 2 and older, regardless of vaccination status. The South Hadley Board of Health voted December 21, 2021 to implement these measures. Violations are subjected to penalties. Please see the full order, here, for details and specifications.
The COVID-19 testing offered by Curative on Saturdays outside South Hadley Town Hall last fall has relocated to a larger, drive-through site in Holyoke this winter. The new drive-through site is located at the old Sears parking lot (near Macy’s) at the Holyoke Mall at 50 Holyoke Street. No-cost PCR testing is offered by appointment seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To book an appointment, visit https://cur.tv/holyoke. For more information about the testing: https://www.holyokemall.com/covid-testing-at-holyoke-mall/.
POSTPONED–MLK Weekend Bag the Community Food Drive
Please help your neighbors in South Hadley by filling up a bag (or bags) with nonperishable food items to drop off at the high school. Students will unload your vehicle–no contact necessary!
- Saturday, January 15, 2022 (Postponed due to Covid)
11:30am to 3:00pm
South Hadley High School Parking Lot
153 Newton Street, South Hadley
Five major groupings are particularly needed. Please be sure to check expiration dates.
- Tomato products
- Canned protein
- Soup
- Health / personal care items
- Hot or cold cereal
Monetary donations are especially helpful as they require less labor and can be used to obtain what is most needed. Checks made out to “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” can be brought to the high school, or mailed to:
Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Pantry
30 Carew Street, South Hadley MA 01075
Thank you for helping to ensure that every family in South Hadley has access to good foods, every day. Your generosity makes all the difference. Question or concerns? Call 413.538.5063.
South Hadley Library
Our Library offers activities for children, teens and adults. Upcoming adult programs at the main South Hadley Library and the Gaylord Library branch include:
Introduction to Using Libby: E-Materials at Your Fingertips
Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 6:30pm
South Hadley Public Library, Community Room
Curious about eBooks or maybe you received a new device over the holidays? Join us in the Community Room to learn how to use the Libby app to access eBooks, eMagazines, and eVideos. You can also use Libby to connect with streaming programs Craftsy, the Great Courses, iNDIEFLIX, and Quello. Make sure to bring your smart device! Register by clicking here.
Documentary Society: The Children Who Built Victorian Britain
Discussion on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at 6:30pm
South Hadley Public Library, Community Room OR via Zoom
With our Documentary Society, participants watch the online documentary on their own schedule from home and then either come in or via Zoom discuss their thoughts of the documentary. Think of it as a book club, but with documentaries…. The catalyst to Britain’s Industrial Revolution was the slave labor of orphans and destitute children. In this shocking and moving account of their exploitation and eventual emancipation, Professor Jane Humphries uses the actual words of these child workers (recorded in diaries, interviews and letters) to let them tell their own story. She also uses groundbreaking animation to bring to life a world where 12-year-olds went to war at Trafalgar and six-year-olds worked the fields as human scarecrows. These children’s stories were similar in our local mills. Watch it by clicking here and then email our Adult Services Librarian at dsmelcer@cwmars.org for the Zoom link or join us in person at 6:30pm to talk in the Community Room.
Color Me Calm: Adult & Teen Coloring Group
Monday, February 7, 2022 from 4:00–6:00pm
South Hadley Public Library, Community Room
Color Me Calm is a laid-back coloring group for ages 13 & up. Join us in the Community Meeting Room for an afternoon of coloring your cares away! Coloring pages and utensils will be provided, or BYOCB (Bring Your Own Coloring Book).
Monthly Spice Club: Gingerbread!
Saturday, January 8. 2022 at 11:00am
Gaylord Library Branch OR via Zoom
Join our new cooking club! We have partnered with Southern New England Spice Company, a local organization who will be providing us with a spice/seasoning sample to try each month. Registered participants will receive a sample to cook with at home and then we will gather together to share our thoughts, cooking tips, & recipes. This will be a hybrid style meeting, which means you can join us in person at Gaylord or virtually via Zoom. Our seasoning this month is Gingerbread Spice! Sign up now and pick up your seasoning packet.
Take+Make Kits for Teens/Adults: Choose from 8 different projects
Available at Gaylord Library Branch
Are you looking for a simple craft project? Our upcycled take and make craft kits are now available anytime! Choose from eight different DIY kits, like Winter Whimsical Birds or Book Page Heart Garland. Each kit is made from discarded book and/or magazine pages. The supplies needed to complete each project vary, but most are basic supplies like a glue stick, stapler, tape, and scissors. Kits are available for pickup during our regular hours Thursday-Saturday. Check out photos of the projects available and sign up here.