The Villages of the Shadowbrook Estate Condominums

The Thursday evening Summer Concert Series presented by The South Hadley Recreation Department and the Village Commons is back! The free concerts are held at the Town Commons from 6:30 to 8:00pm on Thursdays, starting on July 1 and continuing through August 26. The Town Commons is located near the Village Commons and the Post Office, at the intersection of Routes 116 and 4. In the event of cancellation due to inclement weather, the rain date will be the following Sunday (there will be no rain date for the July 1 concert). For complete details: https://leagues.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1203478

• July 1–Jeff Gavilo and his Bad News Jazz Orchestra (big band, swing)
• July 8–The Willie’s (danceable 50s, 60s, 70s rock and roll)
• July 15–Midlife Crisis (southern rock and more)
• July 22–Livio Gravini & the Free Spirit Society (original, hi-energy rock)
• July 29–Off the Record (favorite 60s and 70s classic rock)
• August 5–Night Moves (4 decades of great rock and roll)
• August 12–Jimmy Jazz Due (classic rock, motown, country)
• August 19–3x Social (acoustic rock classics)
• August 26–Berkshire Hills Academy

Information on cancellations and other details can be found on the South Hadley Recreation Department’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/southhadleyrecreation/

Thank you to the following businesses that have provided ongoing support to the Summer Concert Series: The Village Commons, Village Eye Care, PeoplesBank, Easthampton Savings Bank, and TechFab.

Both the South Hadley Public Library (SHPL) and Gaylord Memorial Library are open for patrons. Hand sanitizer is still available and anyone entering the library who has not been vaccinated or is at risk for illness should wear a face mask. SHPL is open on its regular full schedule while Gaylord has limited hours.

South Hadley Public Library hours are Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday: 9:30am-8:00pm; Thursday-Friday: 9:30am-6:00pm; and Saturday: 9:30am-1:00pm. Gaylord Memorial Library hours are Thursday-Friday: 1:00-5:00pm. Both libraries will be closed on Friday, June 18 and Saturday, June 19 for the Juneteenth state holiday.

Upcoming activities include:

• Free Tails & Tails family program on Wednesday, June 30 at 6:30pm on Zoom, presented by Riverside Reptiles. Meet seven native Massachusetts reptiles and amphibians and learn about their lives and environments!  Register at: https://bit.ly/3c8V5Zq. Registration is limited to the first 25 families.
• Free outdoor concert at Gaylord Library on Thursday, June 17 at 6:30pm featuring Cameron Sutphin. Cameron is an Americana singer/guitar player who released his solo debut  in 2017, the Nashville recorded Heartbreak Town.  He has also appeared on the Blue Plate Special live audience radio program in Knoxville TN, and has had the privilege of performing at The Big E multiple times. Cameron performs original material and classic country and folk cover songs such as Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Neil Young, and many others.
• The 2021 Tails & Tales Summer Library Program featuring stories and programs about animals, opens June 16.  Programs will be offered for children, teens, and adults with registration beginning on the last day of school, Wednesday, June 16.  Registration will be online or at the library.  Check the library website on June 16 for registration information.
• For all upcoming SHPL and Gaylord events: South Hadley Library Event Calendar
• Previously recorded craft and author talk programs for children can be viewed at: https://vimeo.com/shpl

Click here for 2021 Town Election Results
Click here for 2021 Fire District 1 Election Results

South Hadley’s 2021 Annual Town Election is Tuesday, April 13, with in-person voting hours from 10am to 6pm (Shadowbrook is in Precinct A and Fire District 1). All precincts vote at South Hadley High School, 153 Newton Street (Rt. 116). To receive a mail-in ballot, return a completed Absentee or a no excuse Vote-By Mail application form to the secure drop box behind the Police Station by the Wednesday, April 7 at 5:00pm deadline. Download an application form at: https://www.southhadley.org/156/Clerk. Completed mail-in ballots can be returned to the same secure drop box by 6:00pm on Tuesday, April 13 (election day). Specimen ballots can be viewed at: https://southhadley.org/1088/Specimen-Ballots

For information about those seeking Town offices, candidate statements and a recent candidate forum can be viewed at: 
https://www.knowyourtown.org/election-info/meet-the-candidates  
https://vimeo.com/532400687

The Fire District 1 Election will take place on the same date and times at the District 1 Fire Station, located at 144 Newton Street.  For an Absentee ballot, call the Fire District 1 Treasurer at 413.538.9044; return completed ballots to the Fire Station by election day.

Phase 2 Covid vaccination eligibility current includes those age 55+ and PreK-12 educators/workers, and those with certain medical conditions. Everyone age 16+ will be eligible beginning on April 19 (at present, only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for ages 16-17).

In addition to the pre-registration system for mass vaccination sites, those seeking vaccine appointments may also want to try periodically checking the direct links below for sites in our area. Baystate, which is very well run, has had some openings available from time to time. The clinic at UMass Campus Center has had openings available in recent days. Northampton and Amherst are collaborating and have announced that they will release their appointments on Monday mornings at 11:00am. Baystate, Noho Senior Center, and Amherst have had both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, though a choice is not always available. Appointments can sometimes be found at CVS, Big Y, and Stop & Shop, through their systems.

• Baystate Health-Holyoke, near Holyoke Mall (no health card photo required to date)
  https://workwell.apps.baystatehealth.org/guest/covid-vaccine/register?r=mafirstresp210121
• UMass Campus Center (appointments have recently become available on Fridays at 4pm)
  https://www.umass.edu/coronavirus/vaccine
• Northampton Senior Center (PrepMod registration may require health card photo)
  https://www.northamptonma.gov/2219/COVID-19-Vaccination-Clinics
  
• Amherst-Bangs Center (Information and assistance: 413-259-2425)
  https://www.amherstcovid19.org/vaccine
• Eastfield Mall-Springfield—PRE-REGISTRATION SYSTEM
  Appointments for the state’s 7 mass vaccination sites (more sites to be added in April), including the one at Eastfield Mall in Springfield, are available through the state’s pre-egistration system (new appointments drop on Thursdays). Those who sign up for preregistration will receive weekly updates and will be notified about available appointments at mass vaccination locations; once notified, you’ll have 24 hours to accept and book the appointment. You can opt out at any time if you find an appointment elsewhere.

The state’s main vaccine locator website is: https://vaxfinder.mass.gov
Two other useful vaccine locator sites have been created by volunteer groups:
https://www.macovidvaccines.com | https://vaccinatema.com
Sign up for Dr. B, a standby list/notification system for for extra doses:
https://hidrb.com/
Text and email notification system created by volunteers:
https://www.covidvaccinetexts.com/ | https://macovidvaxhelp.com/
Pioneer Valley Vax (@ValleyVax) monitors and posts local availability on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ValleyVax
Those without internet or having difficulty with preregistration can call the State Resource Line at 2-1-1 for assistance.

State senator Jo Comerford, has compiled additional information about vaccinations in western MA on her website at: https://senatorjocomerford.org/constituent-guide-to-covid-19/#Vaccine

Massachusetts COVID Vaccination Help:
A Step-by-Step Guide for Securing Your Appointment
https://macovidvaxhelp.com/resources?locale=en

To help eligible people seeking to book their own appointments, a volunteer group organizer has created a resource page showing how-to steps to research, prepare to book, search for, and secure an appointment (see the link above). A story published in the Boston Globe on 3/2/21 describes a volunteer group of mostly young women who have banded together to help those eligible for vaccination land appointments. Frustration with the process has been particularly keen especially among older residents who find the system difficult to navigate, but even those with technical expertise have been stymied by the process.

The South Hadley Annual Town Election is normally held on the second Tuesday in April each year, to elect Town Meeting members for each precinct (Shadowbrook is in Precinct A) and candidates for Town offices. The 2021 Town Election is Tuesday, April 13, 2021 from 10am to 6pm. Please note that in-person voting hours have changed this year. All precincts vote at South Hadley High School, 153 Newton Street, South Hadley. View specimen ballots at: https://southhadley.org/1088/Specimen-Ballots

• Applications for Absentee and Vote-by-Mail mail-in ballots for the 2021 Town Election may be downloaded at the link below.
• The deadline is 5:00pm on Wednesday, April 7 to submit completed applications to the Town Clerk for a mail-in ballot.
• The deadline to return completed mail-in ballots is 6:00pm on Tuesday, April 13.
• Completed applications and ballots may be submitted to the secure drop box behind Town Hall by the police station or mailed to the Town Clerk at South Hadley Town Hall-Rm M11, 116 Main Street, South Hadley, MA 01075 (if mailing, be sure to allow sufficient time for delivery by the deadlines).
• For more information and mail-in ballot application forms: https://www.southhadley.org/620/Elections

Please note that 2021 Fire District Elections will not be held at the high school in conjunction with the Town Election as has been the practice in recent years. The districts will hold separate elections at their respective fire stations from 10am to 6pm. Shadowbrook is in Fire District 1, which will hold its election at 144 Newton Street (413-538-9044). Absentee ballots for these separate elections may be obtained by calling the Fire District Treasurer.

There will be NO CURBSIDE PICKUP of Christmas trees this season, but residents can bring trees to the South Hadley transfer station as follows:

• January 8-9 and January 15-16, 2021 from 8:00am to 3:00pm
• NO RESERVATION is needed for tree disposal and there is no charge.
• A transfer station permit sticker is NOT required to dispose of your tree during this time.
• The South Hadley transfer station is located at 10 Industrial Drive.
• For details: https://www.southhadley.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=504

Trees must have all tinsel, ornaments, and metal removed and not be wrapped in plastic bags. Please do not bring wreaths, as they contain metal.

An additional spring curbside yard waste collection is being added in March/April (dates TBD), and residents may dispose of trees at this time provided the tree is less than 40 pounds and cut to 4 feet or less (and have items removed as outlined above).

The compost area and transfer station are regularly open Tuesday to Saturday from 8:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00 to 3:00pm for South Hadley residents with a valid 2021 permit sticker and reservation. Prepayment is required for disposal of green bags, recycling, and larger items at the transfer station. For more information: https://www.southhadley.org/240/Public-Works.