Punk rock icon Henry Rollins coming to Shea Theater

TURNERS FALLS — Punk rock star Henry Rollins will perform at the Shea Theater Arts Center, 71 Avenue A, at 8 p.m. on Sunday.

“In describing Henry Rollins, the tendency is to try to squeeze as many labels as possible into a single sentence,” the event posting reads. “‘Rollins is many things,’ says The Washington Post, ‘diatribist, confessor, provocateur, humorist, even motivational speaker. … His is an enthusiastic and engaging chatter.’ Entertainment Weekly’s list includes ‘Punk rock icon. Spoken word poet. Actor. Author. DJ.’”

Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at rb.gy/qj6jb.

Historian to discuss tool manufacturing history at Discovery Center

TURNERS FALLS — Historian Tom Goldscheider will host a talk on Franklin County precision steel tool manufacturing and the history of the industry’s trade unions from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30, in the Great Falls Discovery Center’s Great Hall.

“Workers organized with a democratic trade union that was targeted in a national political campaign aimed against it,” Goldscheider summarized. “This led to a peaceful confrontation in Greenfield and surrounding towns that surprised onlookers near and far.”

Those with stories related to the industry are invited to share memories at the event or contact Goldscheider at tom.goldscheider@gmail.com.

Habitat for Humanity hosting meeting on First Street housing development

TURNERS FALLS — Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity will convene a community meeting to discuss the upcoming development of affordable housing on First Street. The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 30, at 10 a.m. in the Town Hall annex.

According to a proposal presented to and endorsed by the Montague Planning Board in February, Habitat for Humanity’s plan involves building “six all-electric, energy-efficient, detached single-family homes that would be sold to first-time home buyers with low incomes.” The project will be funded by MassHousing’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

The targeted land on First Street is municipally owned and one of two parcels within the area’s “Subdistrict B,” with the other under private ownership. The 0.65-acre lot, along with the former Railroad Salvage site at 11 and 15 Power St., was zoned as a “Smart Growth Overlay District” during last year’s Annual Town Meeting to encourage affordable housing. Such zoning changes encourage the development of residential or mixed-use buildings, of which at least 20% would need to be considered “affordable.”

Town administrator reports ‘substantial movement’ in Farren environmental assessment

MONTAGUE — Town Administrator Steve Ellis told the Selectboard that there has been “substantial movement” in the Phase II environmental assessment being conducted at the site of the former Farren Care Center on Montague City Road. Results will become available soon, he said.

The former long-term care facility, which closed in April 2021, received a demolition recommendation in November of that year, with parent company Trinity Health of New England getting the go-ahead to proceed on Dec. 6, 2022 when the Historical Commission opted not to invoke the town’s demolition delay bylaw. Once demolition is complete, the plot of land will be loamed, seeded and given to the town. Either the Selectboard or the Montague Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (MEDIC) — a semi-public town organization that can buy and sell property — could take possession.

Assistant Town Administrator Walter Ramsey previously noted that the town must also see through an “environmental due diligence” process, regardless of which specific entity takes ownership of the property. This includes the Phase II environmental site assessment to affirm soil health.