Two Happy Feet walks planned

NORTHFIELD — The Happy Feet walking group has two walks planned this month.

On Monday, Jan. 8, at 10 a.m., walkers will meet at the Turners Falls canalside access road leading to Cabot Station. The walk is flat and great for all ability levels.

On Monday, Jan. 22, at 11:30 a.m., walkers can meet at the Northfield Senior Center to walk along Main Street as long as the sidewalks are cleared.

Dogs on leashes are welcome. In the event of severe weather, the walks will be canceled. Call the Senior Center at 413-498-2901, ext. 114 to check the status.

Jan. 16: Men’s breakfast social

NORTHFIELD — The Northfield Senior Center will host a men’s breakfast social on Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

There is a suggested $5 donation to help cover costs. Attendees are asked to RSVP with the Senior Center at 413-498-2901, ext. 114 by Jan. 11.

Wii bowling held at Senior Center

NORTHFIELD — The Northfield Senior Center will host bowling using the Nintendo Wii and large-screen TV on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Farley String Band to perform ahead of Evening Cafe

BERNARDSTON — The Farley String Band will perform at the Bernardston Senior Center on Monday, Jan. 22, at 3:30 p.m., with the Evening Cafe to follow at 4:30.

Dinner will include Mediterranean chicken, orzo and vegetables. To reserve dinner by Jan. 11, call Clare at 413-648-5319. A $3 donation is requested.

Senior Center launches monthly Memory Cafe

NORTHFIELD — The Northfield Senior Center has started a monthly Memory Cafe to provide support and socialization for adults and their caregivers from any town who are dealing with memory-related issues. The program will be offered on the fourth Wednesday of each month, with the next installment being on Wednesday, Jan. 24, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

This month, musical entertainment will be provided by Piper the Pied Harpist. A light lunch will be included.

RSVP by Jan. 17 by calling the Senior Center at 413-498-2901, ext. 114.

YMCA talk to cover healthy lifestyles

BERNARDSTON — Franklin County’s YMCA will present a talk at the Bernardston Senior Center on Thursday, Jan. 25, at noon to provide tips for how to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle in 2024, and for years to follow.

The talk will go over what types of foods to focus on more consistently, and how to create a balance of health and wellness.

Bird Club talk focusing on woodpeckers

NORTHFIELD — The Northfield Bird Club welcomes speakers Dana and Bob Fox for a talk on woodpeckers at Dickinson Memorial Library on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m.

Art class to discuss color wheel

NORTHFIELD — Retired art teacher Ginny Rockwood will lead a class on using the color wheel as a tool to make color choices at the Northfield Senior Center on Tuesday, Jan. 30, from 10 a.m. to noon.

The fee is $6 and the class will be capped at 10 participants. Those sign up are advised to bring a smock or apron. RSVP with the Senior Center at 413-498-2901, ext. 114 by Jan. 23.

Committee seeks names to update veterans memorial

BERNARDSTON — In an effort to update the veterans memorial in Cushman Park, the Veterans Memorial Committee is seeking names of any veteran who enlisted from Bernardston after 2000.

If this applies to you, send or drop off a copy of your DD214 discharge paperwork to Bernardston Town Hall, Attn: Marvin Shedd, 38 Church St., Bernardston, MA 01337. Alternatively, email digital copies to bos@townofbernardston.org. There is no deadline.

$3M grant assists financial aid at Thomas Aquinas College

NORTHFIELD — Thanks to Maureen Rawlinson and Cheryl Robinson, trustees of the Fritz B. Burns Foundation, Thomas Aquinas College President Paul O’Reilly was presented with a $3 million check to support student financial aid at the college’s two campuses in Northfield and Santa Paula, California.

“We were delighted to welcome Maureen and Cheryl to campus and thrilled by their happy news,” O’Reilly said in a statement. “The Fritz B. Burns Foundation has been steadfast in its support of the college for more than 50 years. This latest grant is but the most recent example in a long history of tremendous generosity.”

Since the late Fritz B. Burns signed his first check to Thomas Aquinas College in 1971, its founding year in California, the foundation that carries on his legacy has consistently made ever-greater grants in support of the college and its students.

“Fritz Burns was involved in the founding of Thomas Aquinas College, so it is very special to us,” Rawlinson said in a statement. “He admired the college and the kind of education it stands for: classical, traditional, concerned for the whole person, mind, body and spirit.”

Over the years, the Fritz B. Burns Foundation has provided funding for the St. Junipero Serra residence hall, the Albertus Magnus Science Hall, the St. Thomas faculty and administration building, and Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel, as well as, more recently, funding for the St. Gladys classroom building, the St. Cecilia Lecture and Concert Hall, and the Pope St. John Paul II Athletic Center on the California campus.

“We’re always confident that when we make a gift to TAC, they’re going to complete the project, going to do it at the best possible cost and get it done in a reasonable time,” Rawlinson’s husband, Rex, who serves as president of the Fritz B. Burns Foundation, said in a statement. “It’s going to be beautiful and it’s going to contribute to the mission of the college. When you set foot on one of the campuses, you just feel like you’re at a place where you should be studying and contemplating eternal things.”

Two years ago, the foundation established the Fritz B. Burns Endowed Scholarship, which provides funding for the college’s nationally recognized financial aid program. With this $3 million grant, the scholarship fund now exceeds $6.5 million. It is the college’s single largest named endowment.

“Having contributed so extensively toward the building of the college, the Fritz B. Burns Foundation is now also going above and beyond to make attendance at the college possible for our students,” O’Reilly said. “We are profoundly grateful for the friendship that Mr. Burns established all those years ago, and for the faithful, generous support of his foundation and its officers ever since.”

Nomination papers available

LEYDEN — While a town caucus will be held later this spring at an undetermined date, Town Clerk Paul McLatchy III advises that anyone seeking to run for office in Leyden can also opt to take out nomination papers. Twenty signatures are needed for your name to be on the ballot.

The following positions will be on the ballot: Board of Assessors, three-year term; Board of Health, three-year term; constable, three-year term; library trustee, three-year term; library trustee, one-year term; Planning Board, five-year term; Planning Board, three-year term; moderator, one-year term; Selectboard, three-year term; and tree warden, one-year term.

Nomination papers need to be returned to the Town Clerk’s Office by April 16. The election will take place on Tuesday, June 4.

With questions, contact McLatchy at townclerk@townofleyden.com. McLatchy’s office hours at the Town Offices are on Wednesdays from 5 to 8 p.m.

Dog licenses available in Leyden

LEYDEN — Dog licenses are now available for 2024 from the Town Clerk’s Office. Licenses from 2023 will expire on March 31.

Dog licenses are $5 for neutered/spayed dogs and $10 for those who have not been neutered or spayed.

Town Clerk Paul McLatchy III advises that all dogs over 6 months old must be licensed in Massachusetts. For a dog to be issued a license, a valid rabies vaccination must be on record with the town.