S. Hadley community meeting about new school
SOUTH HADLEY — The South Hadley Elementary School Building Committee will host a tour of Mosier Elementary School and a community meeting on Thursday, Dec. 11, to learn more about the project and process of building a new school.
The tour starts at 5:15 p.m., followed by the community meeting at 6 p.m. Input and questions during the meeting will inform the Preliminary Design Program (PDP) document that will be sent to the Massachusetts School Building Authority at the end of the year. The document will explain South Hadley’s educational space needs, Mosier’s current condition and possible design options.
MSBA accepted South Hadley and 18 other districts into its grant program in 2023. The program helps fund new construction or renovations of a school that has passed its useful life. Over the past two years, the Building Committee has recruited SKANSKA as the owner’s project manger, gathered data on student and school staff needs and hired Mount Vernon Group Architects to design the building.
Residents can also tune into the meeting on Zoom at bit.ly/3KJHMDn. The passcode is 691717.
Hadley, Williamsburg to hold info. session for hazard mitigation plan
The towns of Hadley and Williamsburg this week will hold information sessions for their respective Hazard Mitigation Plans. At these meetings, residents, businesses, and surrounding community members are invited to learn about and provide input each town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.
The Hadley meeting will take place on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 2 p.m., at the Hadley Senior Center, 46 Middle St.
The Williamsburg meeting will be held during the Select Board meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 3 p.m., at Williamsburg Town Hall, 141 Main St.
The purpose of the Hazard Mitigation Plan is to assess each town’s natural hazard risks and provide an action plan to reduce the town’s vulnerabilities. The plan is being completed by the towns with assistance from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) and is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Upon completion, the plans will be submitted to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and FEMA for review and approval. A FEMA-approved HMP makes the community eligible for federal and state mitigation grant funding.
Each meeting will include a discussion of natural hazards and climate impacts in the respective communities, an overview of the plan and of the planning process. Municipal officials and PVPC staff will be available to answer questions and respond to comments about the plan and planning process.
For more information about this event, contact PVPC’s Mimi Kaplan at mkaplan@pvpc.org or 413-781-6045.
Rep. Domb to hold office hours
AMHERST — Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst, will hold three community office hours this month on the following dates:
- Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 12:30 p.m., at the Amherst Survival Center, 138 Sunderland Road.
- Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 4 p.m., at the Granby Free Public Library, 297 East State St.
- Friday, Dec. 19, at 4 p.m., at the Amherst Town Hall, first floor, 4 Boltwood Ave.
This is an opportunity for constituents of the Third Hampshire District to speak to the representative and her team and to share concerns and thoughts on state legislation, and to seek assistance. There is no need to schedule an appointment, constituents can stop by anytime during the hour to speak to Domb or a member of her staff.
If you are unable to attend at these times or if you have a time sensitive matter, Domb’s office can be reached via email at mindy.domb@mahouse.gov or via phone at 413-335-1362 or 617-722-2060. Please include your name, address, and contact information when contacting the office.
Holyoke City Hall to host Hanukkah
HOLYOKE — A Hanukkah celebration organized by Congregation Sons of Zion in collaboration with Congregation Rodphey Sholom will be held at Holyoke City Hall, 536 Dwight St., on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited.
This 10th annual celebration at City Hall will include the lighting of the Menorah, speakers, songs, and refreshments. There will be dreidels, gelt, and a reading corner for children.
For 2025, Hanukkah begins at sundown on Dec. 14 and lasts for eight nights. The holiday ends at sundown on Dec. 22. The first day of Hanukkah takes place each year on the 25th of the month of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, which corresponds to November-December in the Gregorian calendar. The Hebrew calendar is based on the lunar cycle, which means the dates of the holiday change yearly.