Library hosting info session on AmeriCorps GREENFIELD — Lani Ortiz of Dial Self/Help will be at the Greenfield Public Library on Monday, Aug. 14, from 2 to 4 p.m. to offer information and answer questions about the AmeriCorps Program.
Members serve full-time for 10 months, supporting youth of western Massachusetts at partnering schools and agencies. During their service, members gain practical experience, receive weekly personal and professional development training, participate in monthly goal-setting meetings and foster connections with the community. Members are compensated and receive a $6,895 Education Award upon completion of the program.
Since 1977, the Dial/Self AmeriCorps Program has provided a wide array of services that foster youth empowerment and community service. More than 40,000 youths have been served by the agency.
Rep. Blais holding office hours GREENFIELD — State Rep. Natalie Blais will hold office hours for constituents of her 1st Franklin District at the Greenfield Senior Center, 35 Pleasant St., on Monday, Aug. 14, from 1 to 3 p.m.
These are drop-in hours; no appointment is necessary. Or, residents can contact Corinne Coryat at corinne.coryat@mahouse.gov or 413-362-9453 to schedule an appointment outside of this session.
LAVA Center to host Third Tuesday Greenfield WordGREENFIELD — The Third Tuesday Greenfield Word, a literary series organized by Paul Richmond and Human Error Publishing, will be held at The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., on Aug. 15. Doors open at 7 p.m., open mic starts at 7:30 and featured authors start at 8:30.
LAVA Center launches new play reading seriesGREENFIELD — The LAVA Center at 324 Main St. has launched an “Off the Shelf” play reading series that will continue on Saturdays at 1 p.m. through Sept. 2.
The plays encompass a range of international, professional plays from the 1960s through the 1990s, and will be read by local actors. There is a $5 to $10 suggested donation for each performance to help The LAVA Center cover royalty and production costs.
The series began on Saturday, Aug. 12, with a reading of “The Memorandum” by Václav Havel. The remaining schedule is as follows:
■Saturday, Aug. 19, 1 p.m. — “True West” by Sam Shepard. “True West,” a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1983, is about the sibling rivalry between two estranged brothers who have reconnected. It is also an exploration of how we live and succeed (or don’t) in a demanding, dehumanizing society.
■Saturday, Aug. 26, 1 p.m. — “Spinning into Butter” by Rebecca Gilman. “Spinning into Butter” is Gilman’s best-known play, and was named one of the best plays of 1999 by Time. A searing, comic expose of political correctness at a small Vermont college, the play provokes conversations about racism in America.
■Saturday, Sept. 2, 1 p.m. — “Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay!” by Dario Fo. A slapstick comedy that delivers laughs and serious commentary on the wealth gap, this 1974 play features housewives who are caught up in the action when women of their city protesting high grocery prices take what they want from the store shelves. In their efforts to hide their transgressions, they convince their husbands that the groceries being hidden under their clothes are pregnancies.
Aug. 20: Children’s book launchGREENFIELD — author Patricia Williams and illustrator Tom Swetland will host a launch of their new children’s book, “Fur & Feathers Together: A Tale of Highland Woods,” at The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., on Sunday, Aug. 20, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Williams, an herbalist and retired union representative, will read. Swetland, the retired owner and operator of Federal Street Books, will display original illustrations. Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing. Light refreshments will be served.
“Fur & Feathers Together: A Tale of Highland Woods” follows the story of courageous woodland creatures who unite to stop the pollution of their water supply. They are aided by uppity pet dogs, a loud-mouthed macaw and a flirty red hen. The author and illustrator were inspired by their years of walking dogs in Greenfield’s Highland Woods.
The book will be available at Greenfield book stores — Imaginary Bookshop, Federal Street Books and World Eye Bookshop — and at the Greenfield Public Library.
Public health nurse speaking on tick-borne illnesses GREENFIELD — Public Health Nurse Megan Tudryn will inform the public about tick-borne illnesses during a 30-minute talk at the Greenfield Senior Center on Friday, Aug. 25, at 10 a.m.
Call 413-772-1517, ext. 0 or stop by the center’s front desk to register for the talk.
Attorney to speak on estate planning GREENFIELD — Attorney Gina M. Barry will share estate planning basics during a talk at the Greenfield Senior Center on Tuesday, Aug. 29, from 2 to 3 p.m.
Barry, a shareholder with the regional law firm Bacon Wilson P.C, will discuss various documents, including wills, trusts and durable powers of attorney. There will be time for questions following the program.
Barry’s talk, which is sponsored by the Massachusetts Bar Association, is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Call 413-772-1517, ext. 0 or stop by the Senior Center’s front desk to register.
Greenfield student makes St. Lawrence dean’s list
GREENFIELD — Paige Bernier of Greenfield was named to the dean’s list for the spring semester at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Bernier, who is the daughter of Kerry Larabee and the late Marc Bernier, is a communications major and a member of the Class of 2026.