Shadowbrook owners are invited to come join neighbors and learn more about our community’s financial needs, brainstorm important issues, and help identify priorities to guide future decision-making. Shadowbrook’s Financial Advisory Committee will host a forum at the library on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 6:30pm. Please save the date and plan to come. Additional details will be emailed to owners as we get closer to the date.
March 10-Gaylord Library Wine Down
The historic Gaylord Library will host its second Wine Down since the return of this popular community get-together last month, this time with a St. Patrick’s Day theme. Everyone over age 21 is cordially invited to come mix and mingle in the library rotunda on March 10, 2023 at 5:30pm. It’s a great way to connect with new people and catch up with old friends. The event is open to the public and the entry fee is $10. The Gaylord branch library is located at 47 College Street in South Hadley. Proceeds help to support the Friends of the Gaylord Library. For more information, see: https://gaylordlibrary.org/winedown.
March 30-KYT Local Candidates Night
Know Your Town (www.knowyourtown.org) will host a Candidates’ Night for those running for Town offices in the 2023 South Hadley Town Election. The event will be held at 6:30pm on Thursday, March 30 in the Community Room at the South Hadley Public Library on Canal Street. Once 2023 candidate information is available (sometime after mid-March), statements and other details will be posted on the KYT website at: https://www.knowyourtown.org/election-info/meet-the-candidates. Candidates’ Night will also be broadcast live on Channel 15.
The 2023 Town Election, as well as both Fire District elections, will be held on Tuesday, April 11 at South Hadley High School, 153 Newton Street. Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm, and all precincts vote at the same location. The last day to register to vote in the Town Election is Friday, March 31, and the deadline to apply to vote by mail is Tuesday, April 4 at 5pm. For a list of offices that will appear on the Town Election Ballot and more information about voting, see: www.southhadley.org/620/Elections.
March 12-South Hadley Chorale Concert
The South Hadley Chorale is excited to be performing their first public concert since the pandemic! The public is invited to attend the concert at 3:00pm on Sunday, March 12, 2023 at Abbey Memorial Chapel on the Mount Holyoke College campus. The program will feature:
Joseph Haydn Lord Nelson Mass
Jennifer Two Oberto, soprano; Justina Golden, alto;
Ethan Bremner, tenor, John Salvi, bass
Additional works by
Emma Lou Diemer, Gaetano Donizetti,
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Guiseppe Verdi
Alexandra Ludwig, Conductor
Also featuring
South Hadley High School Concert Choir
Directed by Beth Ayn Curtis
General Admission is $20.00; Seniors $16; Students/Children 12 and under $5.00. Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com and will also be available at the door. Pre-sale tickets are available from Chorale members or the Odyssey Bookstore in at Village Commons for $16; $12; $5. This Program is supported in part by a grant from the South Hadley Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Gaylord Library Wine Downs are Back!
The historic Gaylord Library is happy to announce the return of its popular Wine Down community get-togethers. Everyone over age 21 is cordially invited to come mix and mingle in the library rotunda on February 10, 2023 at 5:30pm. It’s a great way to connect with new people and catch up with old friends. The event is open to the public and the entry fee is $10. The Gaylord branch library is located at 47 College Street in South Hadley. Proceeds help to support the Friends of the Gaylord Library. For more information, see: https://gaylordlibrary.org/winedown.
2023 Annual Town Election
South Hadley’s Annual Town Election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 11, 2023. On Election Day, all precincts vote at South Hadley High School, 153 Newton Street (Rt. 116). Polls are open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Town Elections are non-partisan and candidates do not run with party labels. Any resident who is registered to vote in South Hadley is eligible to run for an elected position in town. To run for a Town Office, prospective candidates must first obtain nomination papers from the Town Clerk’s office and then collect signatures from local registered voters. Town-wide offices require 50 certified signatures; running for Town Meeting member requires 10 certified signatures from the candidate’s precinct (Shadowbrook is in Precinct A). Nomination papers are available until February 16 from the Town Clerk’s office and must be submitted by February 21. For a full list of positions and other Town Election details, see: https://www.southhadley.org/620/Elections.
On Saturday, February 4, 2023 from 10am to 12pm, residents are invited to come Meet, Greet, and Sign nomination papers for prospective candidates (signing is optional and doesn’t obligate you to vote for the candidate later) at the main South Hadley Public Library on Canal Street. Coffee and nibbles will be provided by the local organization, Know Your Town. For details, see: https://www.knowyourtown.org/archives/3060.
The Town’s two fire/water districts also hold annual elections. Shadowbrook is in District 1, and that election will also be on April 11 at the high school (Fire/Water District elections are in a separate room). For information about running for District 1 positions, see: https://www.shdistrict1.org/home/news/nomination-papers-available-january-30-2023.
Know Your Town Holiday Social–CANCELED
CANCELLATION NOTICE: As the forecast indicates 3-5 inches of snow in the evening is possible, a decision has been made to cancel the KYT Holiday Social planned for Thursday, December 15, 2022. KYT wishes everyone a happy holiday season and thanks you for your understanding.
…………………………………………..
Know Your Town (KYT) will host a Holiday/Seasonal Social on Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 6:00pm. The event will be held the Community Room at the South Hadley Main Public Library, 2 Canal Street in South Hadley. Musical entertainment will be provided by the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School and all are welcome to come mix and mingle with KYT member, friends, and South Hadley neighbors.
If you are able to do so, bring one or more non-perishable food items for our local food pantry. Please be sure to check dates, as expired food cannot be used by the pantry. Your RSVP to Martha Terry at mterry@knowyourtown.org is appreciated to help us plan. We look forward to seeing you! For more information about Know Your Town, visit: www.knowyourtown.org.
South Hadley Housing Production Plan Launch
Do you want to help shape housing in our community? Does someone you know face challenges with housing in South Hadley? Do you want housing that can serve all our needs? The Town of South Hadley asks for your help to plan for a better housing future. We need your help to craft a “Housing Production Plan” that will set the course for residential development and housing policy.
This fall there are two opportunities to get involved:
Come to a Community Forum on the town’s housing goals and the future housing development from 7 to 9pm on Monday December 12, 2022, at the South Hadley Public Library, 2 Canal Street, South Hadley.
Take the survey on housing in South Hadley, which offers everyone a chance to weigh in, even if they can’t attend the forum. To participate in the survey go to: links.shhousingplan.org/survey.
To stay informed, visit www.shhousingplan.org. You can also sign up for email updates at links.shhousingplan.org/email. Questions? Contact Anne Capra, Director of Planning and Conservation at acapra@southhadleyma.gov or (413) 538-5030 x6128.
Santa’s Land 2022 at Buttery Brook Park
Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the elves enjoyed their online visits with kids in 2020 and 2021, but everyone is looking forward to being back at the Park for in-person visits at this year’s Santa’s Land. Lights and decorations have been going up for the event, which is organized by the South Hadley Recreation Department and the Friends of Buttery Brook Park. Santa’s Land will be open Thursdays through Sundays from 5:30 to 7:30pm on December 8-11 and December 15-17, 2022. Photos with Santa to take home are available for $5 each, and parents are also welcome to take their own pictures. Young visitors can also enjoy cookies and cocoa. There is no admission charge, but donations in support of the Park are always appreciated.
While there is no mask requirement, families who prefer to use them should feel free to do so. With three different viruses in circulation this winter (Flu, RSV, and Covid), for the well-being of all visitors please consider putting off your visit if anyone has symptoms of a cold or respiratory illness. Thank you for your cooperation.
Buttery Brook Park is located at 123 Willimansett Street (Route 33), South Hadley, MA 01075
Living with Coyotes
Many residents at Shadowbrook have noted the abundant wildlife with whom we share our community. In addition to foxes, bunnies, and hawks, animals such as bears, fisher cats, and coyotes have been seen on our grounds and in the adjacent woodlands.
A recent article in the Boston Sunday Globe notes that the coyote population in Massachusetts has been increasing since their appearance here in the 1950s.
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife biologist Dave Wattles, who was interviewed for the article, noted that “Eastern coyotes resemble medium-sized dogs, but have longer, denser fur and pointed, erect ears, according to MassWildlife. They have long, bushy tails and grizzled gray fur, but color can vary. Females typically weigh 33-40 pounds, males 34-47 pounds. Some weigh over 50 pounds,” and they are “a mix of coyote, wolf, and dog DNA — 65-80 percent western coyote, 10-25 percent wolf, and 8-15 percent domestic dog.”
Wattles said that coyotes regularly take pets in Massachusetts and that it’s almost a daily occurrence in the Bay State, and that attacks on pets increase in winter months. “January, February, and March is coyote breeding season,” and coyotes “may see large dogs as competitors.” There have also been occasional attacks on people–30 people have been bitten by coyotes in Massachusetts since 1998, and Wattles advises never to feed coyotes or any wildlife.
For more information, see these resources:
MA Fisheries and Wildlife–Eastern Coyotes Fact Sheet
Boston Globe–Learn to live with coyotes because they’re here to stay