Elderly residents of Nash Hill push for elevator funding

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

Elderly residents of Nash Hill Place are seeking support from around town in an effort to get a new elevator.

Resident Rae Smith said tenants recently formed a committee to gather signatures from local residents in support of the installation.

"There has never been an elevator in the building before, so those of us who live on the second floor and have difficulty with stairs are very anxious to have one put in," said Smith, who lives on the second floor.

She said members of the committee have spoken with officials at the Hilltown Community Development Corp. about potential funding options and have already enlisted an architect to help plan the project. A detailed plan for the elevator has since been posted in the hallway where Smith hopes the elevator will be installed. Anyone interested in supporting the cause can find petitions posted at the Meekins Library, Council on Aging's office in Haydenville, Nash Hill Place, Florence Savings Bank and the Post Office for the rest of the month.

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Meekins features father-son art exhibit

A reception will be held this weekend at the Meekins Library for an exhibit titled "Light & Motion" created by Haydenville resident Robert E. Grant and his son Andrew of South Deerfield.

"I have been doing watercolors for a while and have showed my work at a number of local venues, but this is the first time my son and I have done something together," said Grant.

Both artists create their works by observing landscapes, Grant said, and capturing images that illustrate nature's beauty.

According to Andrew Grant's Web site, his gestural photography involves gesturing with the digital camera while snapping a picture and repeating the process to tease out the "essence of the subject and the moment." He sees gestural photography "as a tool to manipulate the colors, textures and lines of a scene ... like painting with pixels."

The exhibit runs through February in the library's Hawks-Hayden Community Room; the reception is Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

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Masons to hold pancake breakfast

The Hampshire Lodge of Masons will hold a pancake breakfast at the Masonic Temple on Main Street Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon A seat at the breakfast costs $7, with proceeds to benefit local charities. Another breakfast is scheduled for Feb. 22.

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Hilltown holds admissions lottery

Because the school has more applicants than it can accept, the Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School will hold its annual admissions lottery Tuesday. Applicants must have an address in Massachusetts, and must get an application to the school by Monday in order to be included in the lottery Tuesday. Amy Aaron, the school's administrative coordinator, said the drawing will be conducted by someone who does not work at the school that morning.

"We will then send out letters and call the parents of the students later in the week," said Aaron. She said most applicants are from Franklin and Hampshire counties. For more information, call 268-3421.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.