Wentworth dean’s list includes Greenfield resident

BOSTON — Greenfield resident Jonathan Sarage has made the dean’s list at Wentworth Institute of Technology for the spring semester.

Greenfield Public Library accepting local authors’ zines

GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Public Library is developing a new circulating collection of zines, focusing on zines made by creators local to western Massachusetts.

Zines are do-it-yourself, independently published mini-magazines on any subject of interest to the creator, regardless of notoriety or experience. Zines have historically been used to express passion about subcultures, to share personal and funny stories, and to empower different members of the community.

The Greenfield Public Library’s zine collection will be available to the public for browsing, checking out and circulating to other libraries in August. To help people start making their own zines, Make-a-Zine Kits will be available starting Monday, Aug. 21. Patrons can also check out books about how to make their own zines or grab a copy of “The Library Zine,” an in-house zine intended to be used as a resource guide to learning more about the medium.

The library is accepting submissions for the zine collection on an ongoing basis. For more information about the kinds of materials that are accepted, visit bit.ly/3OjtjLZ.

Any creators who are interested in submitting their zine for consideration to be read and circulated throughout Central/Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing (CW MARS) libraries should fill out the form available at bit.ly/3OjtAP1.

For more information, contact Technical Services Coordinator Jesse Cole at jesse.cole@greenfield-ma.gov or 413-772-1544, ext. 5122.

Writers Readset for Aug. 9

GREENFIELD — The LAVA Center at 324 Main St. hosts a monthly series, Writers Read, on the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. Reading on Aug. 9 will be Kaia Jackson, Mishie Serrano and Moonlight Davis.

Jackson has served as a movement chaplain, offering emotional and spiritual support, and uplifting practices of embodiment and community care, with activists. They are grateful for chances to write poetry and share stories.

Serrano is a Puerto Rican poet, activist and community organizer. Determined to transform controversy into healing, Serrano has inspired conversations around incarceration, language barriers, immigration, freedom for Puerto Rico and intersectional feminism. She was awarded Holyoke Community College’s Latinx Studies Award in May.

Davis, a Philadelphia native, is a photographer, musician, performer and occasional writer. Many stories he has to share come from his life experience as an African-American man surviving segregation, racism, lack of education and personal trauma.

There is a $5 suggested donation.

Franklin County CDC to introduce new program, Racial Justice Reflective Journey

GREENFIELD — The Franklin County Community Development Center (CDC) and the Welcoming and Belonging Group of Franklin County are inviting the public to Greenfield Community College this month for an introduction to the Racial Justice Reflective Journey.

The Racial Justice Reflective Journey is an interactive program that assists employees and employers as they develop and maintain more equitable workplaces and begin talking about how race plays out in professional spaces.

“By doing this work together, we reduce the fear associated with discussing race,” Traci Talbert, the racial justice community engagement leader at the Franklin County CDC, said in a statement. “Racial justice progress begins with you. The real work is an individual reflection demonstrating our commitment to and responsibility for dismantling systemic racism.”

Talbert will demonstrate how the Racial Justice Reflective Journey works and how it can help people break down racial barriers. The event will be held Tuesday, Aug. 8, from 4 to 6 p.m. in GCC’s second-floor dining room. It will feature The Performance Project’s First Generation Ensemble, a youth theater group from Springfield.

Committee opens pre-application period for funding

GREENFIELD — The Community Preservation Committee is seeking proposals for projects requesting Community Preservation Act funding for fiscal year 2024.

One-page pre-applications, which are required for determining project eligibility, are now available on the committee’s webpage (greenfield-ma.gov/cpcfunding) and are due by Sept. 15. Applicants whose projects are deemed eligible for funding will be invited to submit a complete application by Nov. 15.

The Community Preservation Committee has roughly $300,000 to allocate toward projects submitted by individuals, community groups, nonprofits and city government that enhance affordable housing, historic preservation and outdoor recreation/open space. Each of the three project categories has $26,000 set aside, with the remaining funds in a flexible account that can be used for any of the CPA categories.

CPA funds are generated through the city’s participation in a state program that allows a 1% surcharge on property taxes to be dedicated to these priorities. That amount is then supplemented each year by state funding.

After a review of applications with public input, the Community Preservation Committee will vote to recommend projects in spring 2024. A City Council vote is required to appropriate CPA funds.

Those interested in learning more about the process or submitting an application can attend one of the committee’s meetings or contact Grant Program Assistant Christian LaPlante at 413-772-1548, ext. 4, or cpc@greenfield-ma.gov.

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