City to clean Olive Street Parking Garage

GREENFIELD — The city will be cleaning the Olive Street Parking Garage from May 19 to May 23.

During the week, parking spaces and stairwells, as well as entire floors or the elevator, may be closed to the public, with those areas marked by caution tape. The cleaning is expected to generate dust that may present a hazard to those with a sensitivity to dust exposure, as well as settle on vehicles parked inside the garage. Other parts of the garage that are not actively being cleaned will remain open and vehicle owners will be able to exit the garage at all times.

Regular users of the garage who would like to avoid the area are encouraged to use the Chapman-Davis lot, which will have free parking for the duration of the cleaning. Other nearby on-street parking and parking lots are also available for those seeking an alternative location and can be found on the city’s parking map.

The city expects to conduct semiannual cleanings of the garage going forward. The city is also exploring improved lighting on the sidewalks exiting the garage, as well as adding parking kiosks to pay for parking, alongside the Passport app.

Next Writers Read set for May 14

GREENFIELD — The LAVA Center at 324 Main St. will present its next installment of the monthly Writers Read series, featuring Dana Salisbury, Cindy Snow and Christine Dutton, on Wednesday, May 14, at 7 p.m.

On the second Wednesday of each month, three writers read from their work, followed by a discussion facilitated by Lindy Whiton. There is a suggested donation of $1 to $5.

Dutton hails from Rochester, New York, and resides with her wife in Northampton. Her work has been published with Kota Press, Aileron, Deep Cleveland, Meat for Tea, Poems For Peace, Survival & Beyond and Identity Theory. She co-led the formation of Writing Sisters, a BIPOC and LGBTQ community of women and non-binary writers in Holyoke.

Snow works at Greenfield Community College and lives in Shelburne Falls. Her writing appears in journals, a Slate Roof chapbook and a Dutch publication honoring Maria Sibylla Merian.

Salisbury, originally a visual artist, shifted mid-career to experimental choreography. More recently, the Easthamption resident has focused her attention on writing. Her work has appeared in Nashville Review, The Ekphrastic Review, Months to Years and Meat for Tea.

MassHire highlighting positions at Nam’s Taekwondo

GREENFIELD — Representatives from the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center will be at the Greenfield Public Library on Thursday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to noon. They will be highlighting open jobs for the before- and after-school programs and summer programs for youth at Nam’s Taekwondo.

Nam’s Taekwondo partners with school districts and educational institutions, and is licensed by the state Department of Early Education and Care. Educators supervise different activities for kids, including taekwondo, meditation, homework, reading, arts and crafts, board games and team-oriented games.

For more information, visit masshirefhcareers.org or call 413-774-4361.

Just Roots to host Spring Festival and seedling sale

GREENFIELD — Just Roots will host its annual Spring Festival and seedling sale on Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 34 Glenbrook Drive, with an abundant selection of plants grown by local farms and nurseries.

Alongside the plants and seedlings, the event will feature local craft vendors, as well as food for purchase from Mohawk Shawarma Grill and Cocina Lupita.

A bonus seedling sale will run on Sunday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This event is held in the midst of Just Roots’ Spring Appeal fundraising campaign, which aims to raise $35,000 by the end of May to support the community farm and community-supported agriculture (CSA) program in 2025.

This year, Just Roots will serve up to 1,000 families in Franklin County and across Massachusetts through its CSA program, where 90% of the families served are low-income and/or experiencing food insecurity, and are connected with local food, cooking resources and on-call support.

Funds generated through Just Roots’ Spring Appeal will bridge the gap between what participating families are able to pay for a seasonal farm share and what it costs to grow fresh, local food using sustainable methods and paying employees a reasonable wage. In addition, funds raised will help Just Roots continue to make investments in its community farm infrastructure, as well as run community events and workshops.

Children’s book author visiting library

GREENFIELD — Children ages 4 to 8 are invited to meet Jessica Montalvo-Jackson, children’s book author and educator, on Saturday, May 17, at 10:30 a.m. at the Greenfield Public Library for a reading of her books “Mimi Can’t Camouflage” and “The Otter in Charge,” followed by a craft activity.

For more information, contact Ellen Lavoie at ellen.lavoie@greenfield-ma.gov or call 413-772-1544, ext. 5104.

May 19: ‘Free For All: The Public Library’ screening

GREENFIELD — Folks are invited to visit the Garden Cinemas on Monday, May 19, at 6 p.m., for a free screening of the documentary “Free For All: The Public Library.”

Directed by filmmakers Dawn Logsdon and Lucie Faulknor, “Free for All: The Public Library” tells the story of the quiet revolutionaries who made a simple idea happen. From the pioneering women behind the “Free Library Movement” to today’s librarians who serve the public despite working in an age of closures and book bans, this documentary introduces those who created a civic institution where everything is free and the doors are open to all.

Following the screening, a panel discussion will be held. Panelists include Greenfield Public Library Director Anna Bognolo, Dickinson Memorial Library Director Misha Storm, Griswold Memorial Library Director Chelsea Jordan-Makely, Western Massachusetts Library Advocates’ Abigail Barnes, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners member Timothy Cherubini and Simmons University Dean of the School of Library and Information Science Sanda Erdelez.

Historical Society speaker series to kick off on May 21

GREENFIELD — The Historical Society of Greenfield’s speaker series will kick off on Wednesday, May 21, at 6 p.m. at the 43 Church St. museum.

The first speaker will be textile conservator Meg Baker, who will present “Quilts and Their Stories: To Cover, To Comfort, To Celebrate.” Baker is the Hatfield Historical Society’s curator and a former board member and curator of the Historical Society of Greenfield.

The rest of the speaker series will then take place in the Greenfield Public Library’s Community Room. All events in the series take place on Wednesdays at 6 p.m.

On June 18, Elyse Moore will present “Jolly Good Times in the Kitchen,” which will reference Mary P. Wells Smith’s 1875 recipes. Wells Smith was the founder of the Historical Society of Greenfield and an author of many books.

On Sept. 17, Killian Gochinski will present “Tea Houses of the Connecticut River Valley,” which will explore early 20th-century tea houses up and down the valley. Several of these tea houses, while short-lived, were vibrant community centers that contributed financial and social prosperity to their communities.

Finally, on Oct. 15, Whately Historical Society President Neal Abraham will present “60 Years of Building the Whately Historical Society,” in which he will talk about the formation of the Whately Historical Society just prior to the United States’ bicentennial celebration.

The Historical Society of Greenfield also advises residents to save the date for the annual ice cream social, to be held Saturday, July 19, from noon to 3 p.m. at 43 Church St.

GCTV to host first-ever producers mixer on May 29

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community Television (GCTV) will host its inaugural producers mixer on Thursday, May 29, at 5 p.m. at its first-floor office at 393 Main St.

The event is intended for video and film producers of all ages, skill levels and backgrounds. Attendees can expect a casual atmosphere with icebreaker activities to help spark conversation and encourage collaboration.

Participants will have the opportunity to share their skills, experiences and resources in an effort to strengthen and grow the local filmmaking community. Whether you’re a seasoned filmmaker or just starting out, the producers mixer is a chance to connect, learn and be part of building a more interconnected film community in Greenfield.

Pizza and door prizes will be provided. Attendees are welcome to drop in briefly or stay for the full evening.

Homeworks Energy reps to share sustainability info

GREENFIELD — Representatives from Homeworks Energy will be at the Greenfield Public Library on Tuesday, May 20, from 2 to 4 p.m. and Thursday, May 29, from 10 a.m. to noon to discuss making a residence more energy-efficient and sustainable.

In partnership with the Mass Save program and local advocates, Homeworks Energy aims to help local residents lower their utility bills and reduce the carbon footprint of their homes. They are not selling products; instead they will share information about Mass Save and encourage residents to schedule a no-cost home energy assessment. This assessment provides access to rebates and incentives such as 100% off air sealing, 75% to 100% off insulation and rebates on energy-efficient appliances.

Greenfield’s Clip Day, a community skate celebration, set for May 31

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community Television (GCTV) and the Greenfield Recreation Department have announced Clip Day, a community-wide celebration of skating and creativity, will be held Saturday, May 31, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Greenfield Skate Park.

Whether you’re a pro skater or just bought a board, Clip Day invites skaters of all skill levels to show off their moves in an all-wheel skate competition hosted by Theory Skate. Attendees can expect an afternoon of thrilling tricks and a chance to win prizes.

GCTV will be filming all the action, capturing the best moments and turning them into a community skate video, which will premiere during the Greenfield Recreation Department’s Movie Night in August.

The event is made possible with support from the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) Network, a project of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments.