The Library Vote: I Voted

Yes.  I voted YES for the Library, and before I get into a description of the goings-on at the Special Town Meeting, I would like to thank those who came out to vote.  As my husband likes to remind me, democracy in action is a great, invigorating thing, even when it doesn't go the way you'd like.  More than 1000 people showed up last night to debate and vote.

My condolences to the Director and Staff of the Library, the Friends, the Trustees, and all those who volunteered time and money toward the Clapp for Community Campaign -- and also to the entire town -- half of which does not even recognize the importance and worth of what they lost last night in failing to invest in the future of the town.

The meeting began with general articles about roads and budgets; they were all approved with fairly limited discussion.  The article on the library was introduced around 7:50pm by the Moderator.  Selectman Reardon presented the article and spoke for it.  It was then spoken against by the majority of the Town Finance Committee, spoken for by the minority of the Finance Committee.  The head of the Clapp for Community Campaign gave details and answers to questions that had been asked in previous weeks.  The floor was opened for the townspeople to speak.  A motion to make the vote a secret ballot was declined.  A few members of the community spoke for and against the article.  Selectman Aponte spoke against.

At about 8:40 a motion was made that further discussion end and the vote be taken.  This motion passed, and the vote was made; a 2/3 vote was required to pass.  The vote was vocal, and the Moderator declared that the Nos won, but a recount was demanded, and this time the vote was made and counted by raised ballot.  The Nos carried the win with ~480 votes; the Yeses had just over 400.  More than 100 people in the gymnasium did not vote.

Emotions were high, and there were more than a few tears at the close of the evening.  However, according to the Clapp for Community website, the campaign for an upgraded and expanded building will continue, and I can only hope that success is found.  Having a strong library is a powerful benefit to the community -- it supports education, finance, business, growth, recreation, families, individuals, adults, children, and more.  I'm saddened and sorry that more of the residents of Belchertown could not see their way to improving their town by supporting the expanded library, and I wish luck and hope to the Clapp Memorial Library as it seeks alternatives.

Library News Update

Don't forget that tomorrow night at Town Hall is an information session about the proposed library renovations.
Next Tuesday evening (no school the following day) is a Special Town Meeting for the vote on the project.  Educate yourself about the project at the forum tomorrow night and/or by visiting the Clapp for Community website.
The November newsletter from CfC related information about the combining of two Town Meeting Articles into one.  Read this to see what you'll be voting on next week.

On This Last Day of October

A few reminders for you on this Last Day of October.

Be on the lookout tonight, if you're out and about.  There will be haunts, and ghouls, and trick-or-treaters in the streets.

Dickinson Farms, Sapowsky's Farm Stand, and King Creek Farm all close this weekend.  Dickinson's will reopen in November for the holidays and King Creek will reopen in December when their next batch of grass-fed beef comes in.

Don't forget to change your clocks tonight -- we end daylight savings time and "gain" an hour!

FYI -- if you have questions about the library project, there will be a public forum on Tuesday evening in the auditorium at Town Hall at 7pm.  The special town meeting and vote will be on Nov 10 at the high school.

**Special Town Meeting**

The time has come!
November 10 is the date of the special town meeting for Clapp Memorial Library expansion project. This meeting that will help decide the future of the Clapp Library, so it is vitally important that Belchertown residents take the opportunity to participate in this meeting. The Library is a fundamental part of the Belchertown community -- its history and its future -- and this is a significant moment for both the Library and the town. The two main issues for the special town meeting are the transfer of ownership of the library to the town and the possibility of the town issuing bonds to help pay for the expansion. Come, listen, ask questions, learn about the project, and cast your vote.

Tuesday, November 10, 7:00pm
Belchertown High School
Baby-sitting available

For more information about the special town meeting or about the expansion project, visit Clapp for Community FAQs.

See also this article from the Republican on MassLive: Clapp Library Meeting Booked

Going on This Week

What's going on this week? Columbus Day Weekend is generally the final hurrah of the season in Western Massachusetts -- town fairs, art & craft fairs, leaf walks, and lots of visitors to the area for leaf-peeping. And now that all the excitement is seemingly over, you may wonder "What's going on this week?"

On the calendar for the week is the Belchertown Library Book Sale -- 50,000 books for sale, with videos, comics, and more -- with most items costing only a dollar. That $1!
This weekend there is the Fall Foliage Walk starting from the Amherst Town Common.
The farmers markets in Belchertown and Amherst are both still on this week.

If you're looking for more to do, check out some of the following links:
Five College Events Calendar: http://calendar.fivecolleges.edu/FiveCol/calendrome.cgi
Pioneer Valley Entertainment Links: http://www.filbert.com/PVFS/events.htm
Valley Advocate Music Listings: http://www.valleyadvocate.com/events.cfm?uid=59

There's always a lot to do -- don't despair just because the majority of the fairs and festivals have been put away for another year. Find something fun -- and do it!

From the Sentinel...

Every once in a while, I post things of interest that I find in the Sentinel. For this week:

The Pioneer Valley Therapeutic Riding Association is continually looking for volunteers, and are currently looking for volunteers for their fall season. Horse knowledge is useful, but not necessary. Visit http://www.pvtra.com for a volunteer form. For more information and contact info, visit http://pioneervalleytra.org/. This is a great opportunity to volunteer a few hours of your time to make somebody's life a little better!

The Trustees of the Clapp Memorial Library are seeking citizens interested in serving on the Building Committee for the proposed library expansion plan. Send a letter with a brief statement identifying your expertise and interest by September 4 to:
Clapp Memorial Library
PO Box 627
Belchertown, MA 01007

You can read the full announcements in this week's paper -- at home or online.

From the Sentinal...

A couple of things caught my eye today while I was perusing the Sentinal. First of all (on page 4), the Book Camp being organized by Girl Scout Troop #20434 and run in the basement of the Clapp Memorial Library. The book camp runs on individual days in July and August for youth ages 6-12 and includes a lot of great series of books, including Harry Potter, Maximum Ride, and Alex Rider. No contact information was included in the article, but I would assume that someone at the library would have information about it (probably the Children's Librarian).

On page 14, there is an event listing for a swing dance and concert with a live 8-piece band at the Belchertown Senior Center. There will be a free swing dance lesson at 5.30 and the concert & dance will go from 6-8. It's free and the public is welcome! Sounds like a great way to get the week started.

There are so many great things listed in the local paper each week -- and now you can download the whole paper online and read it as a .pdf wherever you are! It's one way of staying in touch with the community and making sure you don't miss any of those great events taking place!

Happy Fourth of July! Hope you're enjoying this beautiful day!

Tag Sale

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the Friends of the Clapp Library Community Tag Sale.
On a related note, the Friends have raised mucho dollares for the library and will be presenting a donation on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, I took a trip to Shelburne Falls on Monday. Took a few good pictures, and I hope to stick a review up soon -- as soon as I can convince myself to sit in front of the computer long enough. I tell you, it's awfully tempting to leave the computer off all weekend; it's nice to be separated from the screen -- there's a sense of freedom that comes with turning off the computer for a whole weekend....

Clapp Library Tag Sale

The Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library are hosting a community tag sale on Saturday May 30, from 8-2. Spaces can be rented for $25.
More information can be found at the Friends' of the Clapp Memorial Library website or at the Circulation Desk at the Library. This is a great way to support the library and make a few bucks on the side for yourself after finishing up the spring cleaning.

(PS -- have you been to the library website recently? It's changed!)

Clapp Library News

There are perhaps two things of importance which I wish to mention:

1. The Spring Book Sale is on at the Clapp Memorial Library! It opened yesterday (March 30) and will continue on until Saturday (April 4). There are thousands and thousands of items for sale, and most books are about $1. Be sure to stop in and find that book you've been looking for!

2. Also, there has been a reduction in the cost of the renovation and expansion project -- a reduction of $1.3 million! This is great news, and news that I hope will encourage the town to continue moving forward on this project.

March Visitor Budget Itinerary

What to do when you have a houseguest for 2 days in the middle of March? Try the following:
Friday:

• Pick up from airport/bus station/train station
• Take pseudo-scenic route home, passing through the Quabbin for pictures, history, and sightings of deer
• Get home, unpack, shower, grab a snack, catch up
  
• Visit the Clapp Library to pick up movies and (hopefully) museum passes; look at the beautiful building and make introductions to the library
• Stop off at Rannsaka for a bit of local shopping
• Head over to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art; see the great exhibits, learn about the building of the museum, and definitely visit the gift shop
• Go next door to Atkins Farms to pick up dinner makings and a pie
• Run up to Trader Joe's and Target in Hadley to run those errands you didn't get to run during the week and to get the things your houseguest couldn't take on the plane
• Come back home because everyone is exhausted; fix dinner; watch a movie; eat pie.

Saturday:

• Sleep in; get up and watch the birds; eat breakfast
• Make a quick trip to Rannsaka with cash to purchase what there wasn't enough cash to purchase the day before
• Wheel on up to Amherst, where there are plenty of parking places
• Visit the Amherst College Museum of Natural History (which is free) to see skeletons of long-extinct animals, locally-discovered dinosaur prints, and a sparkling mineral collection
• Meander around Amherst; grab a tasty lunch at The Black Sheep and relax
• Walk by a few shops on your way to the car
• Drive to Northampton and Smith College, where the Spring Bulb and Flower Show is on display at the Lyman Conservatory -- make sure you don't miss it
• Explore the college some, finally wending your way to Rt 9 where there are plenty of shops to visit on a sunny Saturday afternoon
• Finally make your way to Amanouz Cafe for tasty baklava; stick around for an early dinner, if you wish
• If you didn't eat Mediterranean at Amanouz, eat BiBimBop at the Korean Restaurnt on Rt 9 in Hadley
• On the way back home, take one more quick pass at Atkins to buy some of their killer cider donuts for an easy Sunday morning breakfast
• Take a short drive around the Holyoke Mountains to show off a bit more of that March beauty that's around
• Back at home, download all the pictures you've taken all day long, eat more pie, and watch a movie before crashing in bed.

There are a few things I would have liked to include in all our travelings around, and we might have been able to if not for extenuating circumstances. If you can, get ice cream at Bart's Homemade Cafe, have breakfast at either Kristina's or Roadhouse, take a hike around the Quabbin, take a little more time to visit some of the shops in Amherst (like the bookstore and the scandinavian store), stop off at Nash's, and maybe even catch a film at one of the local independent theatres. There is plenty to do, and two days is just enough time to get a taste of some of the great things the Valley has to offer. I'm looking forward to planning more quick itinerary's for the spring and summer when the weather warms and the options drastically increase.

So there you have it -- two days of fun in the Belchertown sun for pretty much anyone. If you add another day, there's time to see the Berkshires, visit Springfield or Brattleboro, trek around the Holyokes..., but I won't get into those possibilities now.

My sister came in this weekend (Friday morning to Sunday morning), and we had a great time following that itinerary from above. It was a super short visit, but loads of fun.
My camera was off in Utah somewhere, so pictures will come later (she took some fantastic pictures, and I need to get linked to them so I can sort through them and pick some winners) -- be looking for them!

The Big Day

Valentine's Day breaks upon us tomorrow, chilly but sunny. If you're dashing about last minute, here are a few hints for local quick stops:

Flowers:
Donahue's Flowers -- 3 Stadler Street
Baskets of Flowers -- 60 Sargent Street
Stop 'n Shop -- 40 George Hannum Street
others in the area

Cards:
Stop 'n Shop
others in the area

Chocolates:
Atkins Farms
Baskets of Flowers --
others in the area

Jewelry:
Carriage House Limited -- 115 N. Main Street

Other Stuff:
Massage
Restaurants
General Gifts
Books with recipes & ideas & etc (at the library)

Enjoy the day! (And feel free to tip in any other suggestions you may have.)

Quaboag Valley

The Quaboag Valley Tourism Site serves a number of towns in the region, including our own: Belchertown. Instead of heading north and west, however, as this blog generally does, the Quaboag Valley site takes us east and south to towns like W. Brookfield, Brimfield, Wales, and Monson. It lists Things to Do (Outdoor Recreation, Arts & Museums, Historical Sites, and more), Food and Spirits (Restaurants, Pubs, and more), Accomodations, Visitor Resources, and the Brimfield Antique Shows. It also keeps a calendar of local events.

The Quaboag Chamber of Commerce shares the site and has a searchable listing of member businesses, as well as community profiles and elected officials.

These pages are a wonderful resource for getting to know Quaboag Valley area and for taking advantage of all its resources.

Watching the Inauguration

If you'd like to take part in the festivities for the inauguration of our new president on Tuesday, there are a number of places in the Valley where you will be able to view it. Check out the following links for more information.

Northampton Academy of Music Theatre
Northampton Senior Center
UMass Amherst, Cape Cod Lounge
Elmer's Country Store (Ashfield)
MassMutual Center, Springfield
Greenfield Public Library
Amherst College, Keefe Campus Center Theater (students only?)
Hampshire College, Main Lecture Hall
Amherst Cinema (? -- one article did mention the cinema showing the inauguration, but you'll probably need to call for details -- I couldn't find it posted on their site)

For more information on inaugural activities, see these two articles:
MassLive
Recorder

For information on how to watch the inauguration online, see this CNN article.
NPR is also going to be covering it.

(The inauguration done in legos can be found here.)

Eric Carle Picture Book Museum

If you enjoy museums and if you have ever in your life enjoyed looking at pictures in books, and especially if you have a fondness for picture books and children's literature, you should absolutely take a few hours to visit The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. My second visit was made not too long ago and I had the pleasure of going on a weekday afternoon when visitors were mostly adults and a few young children, not yet of school age. The exhibitions in three galleries were delightful and full of beautiful art, and yet not so crowded or plentiful to be overwhelming. What I saw were antique illustrations from Wind in the Willows, the Wizard of Oz books, and other familiars and unfamiliars by a large variety of artists. And from now through March 8, the main exhibit is entitled "Over Rainbows and Down Rabbit Holes: the Art of Children's Books." (I can't wait to see it!)

The museum does not only house and display exhibits, however. Also available is a library of picture books, occasional theatrical and musical performances, storytimes, movies, author/illustrator meet-and-greets, classes for professionals. There's also a make-and-take art studio for kids, a cafe, and a jam-packed gift shop of wonderful things (keep that in mind for future birthdays and holidays). If you're lucky, you might even see Eric Carle while you're there! And be sure to check out the decorative tiles in the bathrooms.

The entry fee is reasonable for a museum ($7/adults, $5/youth), but if you are running on a tight budget, check with your local library to see if it carries free passes to the museum. I know Belchertown's Clapp Memorial Library does, as do many others.

The Eric Carle Museum is fresh, clean, and child-friendly, and a very good place to visit regularly (the exhibits change a few times a year). The entire musuem can easily be toured in the space of a short afternoon, with plenty of time to grab a snack or peruse the gift shop. Be sure to take a little time to admire the spectacular view (especially if you visit in the autumn) -- the museum is set into the rolling hills of the area and is surrounded by trees and sky and mountains, and it is part of the local Museums 10.

Eric Carle Museum: 125 West Bay Road, Amherst; 413.658.1100
(Close to Atkins Market and Hampshire College)

Question 4

Congratulations, Belchertown! After passing Question #4 on yesterday's ballot, you're one step closer to a beautiful, expanded, and renovated library!

Flurries

Ladies and gentlemen -- it is true -- today we had snow. And from the looks of those clouds, we may have more. Just small little flecks of icy snow that melted into a tiny drop of water upon contact with any surface, but nevertheless, snow did indeed fall from the sky.

And other notes:
Write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days or less! National Novel Writing Month is only days away -- November 1 is the official start date, so if you've been procrastinating that novel, now's the time to get it started. Register, check the rules, and find local NaNoWriMo writers clubs at the NaNoWriMo website. It's great fun!

One of the trains that runs through Belchertown is moving agonizingly slow today. I'm not sure what the problem is, but it's been on the track by my house for about an hour now, moving at a speed I've only seen in turtles.

I went to the library today (surprise, surprise) and picked up a good pile of books and movies. I was kidding with the librarian that I've decided to single-handedly increase the library circulation exponentially -- so she looked up how many items I've checked out since I got my library card on Sept 8 (less than 2 months ago) -- and the total was 60 items -- wow! How many have you checked out?

Just a few more days until it's time to vote. Want to see a sample ballot? Belchertown Town Hall has them online. Check here. Also, for other voter information, visit http:://www.votinginfo.info.

And there it is -- more snow -- you can even see it just by looking out the window. Congratulations -- first snowfall of the season!

Book Sale: Final Note

Tomorrow, Saturday, is the last day of the Clapp Memorial Library Friends Book Sale. I finally made it in to the sale this morning, and it is quite amazing. If you're worried that at this late date the books are too picked over to make a visit worthwhile, you have nothing to worry about. There are still loads and loads of fabulous books to choose from -- some strikingly old and some like new. Classics, biographies, sports, mysteries, dictionaries, science fiction, children's books, magazines, recipe books, westerns, and more line shelf after shelf after shelf in multiple rooms -- it's just like a used bookstore -- and perfect for picking up that reading you've been putting off or gifts for those birthdays you have coming up. Don't miss it! Plus, to top it all off, tomorrow is 1/2 price day.
My picks of the day? Foundation Trilogy by Asimov and Dune by Herbert.

Book Sale

The Clapp Memorial Library Book Sale opened to the public today. I have it on good report that it's well organized and has lots and lots of books. Don't miss this opportunity to pick up some great books you can keep and to support the library!

Clapp Library Reopens!

I had quite a happy surprise today when I went to the library to return some movies and books -- and the whole library was open and ready for business! Since moving to town in August, I have known nothing of the library building but the basement Children's Room. Services in the basement were impressive when compared to the size of the room, but being a librarian and hungry to browse a larger collection of reading and viewing materials, I was definitely looking forward to the reopening of the main parts of the library.
Apparently, yesterday was the grand reopening.
And I was absolutely not disappointed today when I visited.

Inside, the library is a very special place -- stained glass windows, built-in bookshelves, a balcony, dark wood decoration, hanging light fixtures, and set-in windows. A beautiful building, designed to encourage the arts and learning.
This is not your typical library.

(However, it is small inside and very very crowded. Though the state has funded a grant to expand the renovate the library, that money needs to be augmented by a large chunk of funds from the town and from private donations. You can read all about it here. )

I walked around the rooms in awe, beginning with the children's sections and moving over to adult fiction and reference, passing teen books, movies, music CDs, and magazines along the way. I even picked up 2 graphic novels (Bone and Batman), a teen novel, and a movie as passed through those sections -- and had to hold myself back from selecting more -- library browsing can be a dangerous habit to get into (though I highly encourage it).

I have met three of the librarians at the Clapp Library, and they have been very helpful and friendly (which I sense is a Belchertown theme). One of them has even read an article or two on this blog. I have also had the pleasure of meeting the library bulldog (perhaps the director's dog?).

The Belchertown library is a great community library, and I'm glad it has reopened. Be sure to stop in soon to pick up an audiobook, a movie, a book, a magazine, or to use the internet, do homework, study, or just discover something new. People have raved to me about the Clapp Memorial Library, and I am starting to understand why.

Tune in soon when the Friends of the Library run their BIG annual book sale! Coming Oct 13-18.