Catamount Hill Association offering guided hike

COLRAIN — The Catamount Hill Association is sponsoring a guided hike on Catamount Hill, weather permitting, on Saturday, April 27. Participants should meet at 10 a.m. at the corner of Route 112 and Charlemont Road in Colrain.

This walk begins on Stacy Road, walking uphill, passing brooks, vernal pools and McLeod Pond. Then, attendees will walk along the Adna Bass trail, visiting the Bass and Dwight home sites and Sam Brown’s mill site. Trees have recently fallen across this trail, but it is passable.

Participants should dress according to the weather, and bring water and lunch. They are also advised to use unscented insect repellent and bring extra socks. Friendly dogs are welcome.

The walk will be limited to 12 participants. To register, call Muriel at 413-624-3311.

CPR, first aid classes on tap

BUCKLAND — A CPR class will be held on Thursday, May 2, and a first aid class will follow on Thursday, May 9, with both starting at 5 p.m. at Mohawk Trail Regional School.

Participants will leave each class, taught by the Institute for Wild Med, with a nationally recognized certification. The classes will be discounted at rates of $20 per class or $30 for both classes thanks to a grant secured by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments’ Cooperative Public Health Service on behalf of local boards of health.

For more information and to register, visit instituteforwildmed.com/FRCOG-Courses-2024.

May 15: ‘Fun with Alice: Songs of Remembrance’

CHARLEMONT — Jerry Noble and Tinky Weisblat will present “Fun with Alice: Songs of Remembrance” on Wednesday, May 15, at 10:30 a.m. at the Charlemont Federated Church.

The concert, held in honor of late composer Alice Parker, is free to attend. It is sponsored by the Charlemont-Hawley Senior Center and the Charlemont-Hawley Arts Council.

Buckland gets $28K for wastewater system upgrades

BUCKLAND — The Healey-Driscoll administration has awarded $575,546 in grants, including $28,000 to Buckland, to 12 regional or municipal wastewater utilities or systems across the state.

The grants will help local communities meet requirements to notify the public of sewage discharges and overflows to protect public health. There are more than 240 Massachusetts municipalities subject to the current regulations that took effect on July 6, 2022. The projects were selected by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).

“The implementation of this important notification rule has helped to raise awareness of sewage discharges into local waterways, helping to protect public health and focusing a light on the critical need for upgraded sewer infrastructure,” MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple said in a statement. “These grants will help communities improve their public notification efforts with increased sewer system monitoring, more inclusive signage near CSO locations and timely website postings of discharge events.”

With its $28,000, Buckland will purchase and install a new chart reader to increase reliability of wastewater flow measurement, and purchase and install of a closed-circuit television system, software and alarm panel to alert staff of potential high-flow activity, according to MassDEP.