Town Manager Steve Williams | | |
Welcome to the first issue of The Carriagetown Chronicle, Belchertown’s monthly email newsletter! We’re excited to launch this new way of staying in touch and I want to thank you for subscribing.
This has been a busy year so far, and the pace will keep up this month with the Town Election on Monday, May 19th and the Town Meeting on Saturday, May 31st. We chose to hold the Town Meeting on a Saturday this year in order to involve more residents, and we’re hopeful we’ll get more participation. You can find more detailed information about dates, times, and locations from the Town Clerk below.
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Over the next few issues of the newsletter, you’ll be hearing from different Town Departments as they introduce themselves and share some updates from their work. I hope this information is relevant and helpful, and that this newsletter helps readers get a better understanding of our Town Departments and their roles. It’s my honor to work with a great group of people who make Belchertown work, and I’m pleased to be able to showcase their dedication to this town in the newsletter.
Thank you again for subscribing, and thanks to everyone who has already contributed announcements to help us make The Carriagetown Chronicle a vehicle for town information!
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You’ll find announcements in two main sections: Town Updates, containing announcements from local government bodies, and Community Updates, containing announcements from local organizations and community groups. We try to put the most important and time-sensitive information toward the top of each section. This month, you’ll find in the Community section a number of early May events—several happening on Saturday, May 3rd!
To view the full newsletter, you may need to click “View entire message” (or something similar) at the bottom of the email. Alternatively, you can click “View this issue as a webpage” above.
Lastly, we wanted to flag the many hyperlinks in the newsletter that will connect you to more information on the Town website and other official sources.
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Town Clerk Updates:
Town Election and Town Meeting Information
The Town Election is being held on May 19th at the Belchertown High School Gymnasium from 8am-8pm. We will also have early in-person voting on May 7th , 8th, 9th, 12th & 13th from 9am-4pm and on May 14th from 11am-7pm at the Town Hall Auditorium. For vote-by-mail, the deadline to request a ballot by mail is 5pm on May 12th. You can request a ballot online at www.mass.gov with "vote by mail application" typed in the search bar.
Town Meeting has been moved to May 31st at the Belchertown High School Gymnasium with a start time of 8:30am. We will begin checking in voters at 7:00am. Please arrive early to allow time for check-in.
For more information see the Town Clerk’s page.
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People Updates from the Office of Human Resources
New Hires
Firefighter Dakota Barnes was recently sworn in as Belchertown’s most recent Firefighter/EMT. His service to the Town began on March 4th as Call Member and then was appointed full time on March 28, 2025.
Michael (Mike) Olivo was hired as the Building Custodian on April 22, 2025 and will be working to beautify Town Hall and Finnerty House along with the Public Works building.
| | Firefighter Dakota Barnes being sworn in by Fire Chief John Ingram. | | New building custodian Mike Olivo | | |
Years of Service
David Squires, Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Police, celebrated 30 years of service with the Town of Belchertown in April. Thank you for your dedicated service to the Town and its residents!
| | Belchertown’s 2025 Memorial Day Services | |
The Department of Veterans’ Services is pleased to share several Memorial Day events:
Please join us on Belchertown’s Town Common Monday, May 26th at 10:00am for our annual Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony.
In addition to the procession and ceremony, we will hold a Salute to the Fallen at South Cemetery at 8:30am that morning.
The community is also invited to Quabbin Park Cemetery on Sunday, May 25th at 11:00am for the annual traditional Memorial Day Ceremony.
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Planning Department Highlights: Lake Wallace Sensory Trail Phase 2 Near Completion
The Planning Department is involved with a diverse range of activities. We want to highlight the near-completion of the second phase of the Lake Wallace Sensory Trail. This phase is a loop around Foley Field with an extension to a viewing area over Lampson Brook Farm. This will have a reflection area where people can paint, photograph, and contemplate toward the view of the farm, Holyoke Range, and the Berkshires beyond, including Mount Greylock on a clear day. This is a great opportunity to enjoy the scenery and learn about the birds, amphibians, insects, reptiles, fish, and other life we share our town with in a beautiful and convenient spot. Please consider joining the Friends of Lake Wallace to learn and do more! Louise Levy is a brilliant and dynamic naturalist who can provide guidance and information. You can reach the Friends at friendsoflakewallace@gmail.com and you can also find some announcements from them below!
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Meet Belchertown’s First Communications Manager, Kate Nadeau
I’m excited to introduce myself as Belchertown’s first Communications Manager—a new, part-time position created in December 2024 and funded through an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant. This role marks the launch of a new department focused on strengthening how we share information with residents and making town government more accessible and transparent.
In this position, I’m working closely with the Communication Committee as they develop a strategic communication plan for Belchertown. This plan will guide how we communicate across departments and with the community, helping to ensure that important updates are easy to find, easy to understand, and delivered in a timely way.
We’re also growing our presence on social media to help keep residents in the loop. You can follow the Town of Belchertown on Facebook and Instagram for reminders about meetings, upcoming events, seasonal updates, and more. Our follower count is steadily growing, and we’d love for you to be part of that community.
One of the best ways to stay connected is by signing up for notifications on the town website. When you subscribe, you can choose exactly what you want to hear about—whether it’s specific board or committee meetings, community events, or general town news. You can even sign up for emergency communications to be alerted about time-sensitive issues like road closures, weather alerts, or public safety notices.
And if you have ideas for the town, we want to hear them! A digital suggestion box is now available on the town website. Whether you’d love to see a new coffee shop, think we need more bike paths or trees, or have a creative idea to share—this is a space for your voice to be heard.
As this new department continues to grow, I’m looking forward to building stronger connections across our community. Thank you for welcoming me into this role—I’m excited to serve the residents of Belchertown!
| | Quick Updates From Town Departments | |
Aquatic Vegetation Management
The Conservation Department reports that Lake Metacomet aquatic vegetation management is scheduled to occur in mid-May and will consist of an herbicide treatment to control non-native and nuisance aquatic vegetation. The primary goal of the aquatic vegetation management program is to control the invasive Variable milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum), which is likely to cause economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health.
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Assessors Office Software Upgrade
The Assessors Office has recently installed a new appraisal software system, AssessPro 5.5.7 by Patriot Properties/Catalis. This program is an upgrade to the previous appraisal software.
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Belchertown Police Department: Activity for April 2025
The Belchertown Police Department is pleased to share some highlights from last month:
- We began accepting orders for the 2025 Military Banner Program. The banners will be proudly displayed from Memorial Day through Veterans Day around the Town Common. The sponsorship deadline is May 12th and you can find more information in our Facebook post here.
- The Belchertown Girl Scouts generously delivered numerous boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to our department expressing their appreciation for the great work our officers do every day.
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- The Belchertown Police Department attended the Children Advocacy Center Award Ceremony at Look Park in Northampton. During the event, the Department was honored with the very prestigious Linda L. Pisano Award of Excellence. This award recognizes the Department’s unwavering commitment to providing the children of Belchertown with the safety, healing, and justice they rightfully deserve.
| | The Linda L. Pisano Award of Excellence to the Belchertown Police Department | |
Belchertown Pride Event on June 1st
Belchertown Pride will be held on Sunday June 1st from 1-5pm, including a flag raising, parade, and festival on the Town Common!
We will have over 40 vendors and food trucks with live entertainment and activities for the whole family. All are welcome!
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Belchertown's New Logo: Public Vote Opens May 15th
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Branding Belchertown survey. Your input has been essential in helping shape the town’s new identity. Based on your feedback, we’re now close to finalizing Belchertown’s first-ever official logo—an image separate from the town seal (which will continue to be used for official documents) that reflects our community’s unique attributes and values.
The Branding Belchertown Committee is excited to announce that the logo designs will be revealed this month, with a public vote beginning on May 15th. Residents can cast their votes online via the town website or in person at select physical locations. After voting has closed, the “winning” logo will be presented to the Select Board on May 19th for final approval.
This new branding will serve numerous applications, including awareness for town government and community events, enhancing navigability, welcoming visitors, and attracting businesses. This project, a cornerstone of Belchertown’s Local Rapid Recovery Plan and Community Plan under the guidance of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), is fully funded by grant money—no local tax dollars are being used.
We invite everyone to participate in this exciting next step as we continue to honor our past, celebrate our present, and shape our future together. Learn more about the project and join us at our upcoming virtual meetings to remain involved in this landmark community initiative.
| | | | Greetings and Information from the Senior Center | | |
Hello! My name is Jessica Langlois. I am the Executive Director of the Belchertown Council on Aging (BCOA), better known as the Senior Center.
The Senior Center is open Mondays 8-3:30 pm and Tuesdays through Fridays 8-4:30 pm. We offer a variety of programs and activities including exercise classes, card games, and wellness workshops.
The Nutrition Program prepares homemade meals for community dining attendees and for those on the Home Delivered Meals program, which are delivered daily Monday - Friday.
Rides to medical appointments, for errands within town, or to spend time here at the Center, are available to Belchertown residents 60+ by scheduling with the Transportation Program Coordinator.
The Social Services Department has two SHINE counselors ready to assist with benefits applications or insurance questions.
The BCOA monthly newsletter is the best place to read about all that the Center has to offer and can be found by visiting the Town’s new website at www.belchertown.org or by stopping in the Center and picking up a copy. We’re always happy to give a tour! William Butler Yeats said it best, “There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t met yet.”
Hope to see you soon!
| | | | Summer Programs and Activities from Beach, Parks and Recreation | | |
The Belchertown Beach, Parks and Recreation Department is gearing up for the summer time. Our Summer Brochure will be out by May 1st in addition to registrations for all summer programs starting the same day. Sign up as space is limited for some of the programs and activities.
Check out our swimming programs throughout the spring and summer time which include swim lessons, family swim, and our swim team programs.
Our Town Beach located on Town Beach Road in Belchertown will be opening in June on weekends until school gets out for summer time when we will shift our schedule to seven days a week (weather depending).
Looking for birthday party rentals or information of renting a space? Check out our website at www.belchertownrec.com for more information and rates throughout the year and the spaces we have available.
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Public Health Nurse Events and Trainings from the Quabbin Health District
Public Health Nurse Health and Wellness Clinics happen every month at the following locations/times:
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Clapp Memorial Library: 3rd Friday of every month from 2pm to 3:30pm (next one on May 16th).
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Belchertown Senior Center: 4th Monday of every month from 10am to 11:30am (next one on May 26th).
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Pine Valley Plantation Community Room at the Manor House: 4th Thursday of every month from 1pm to 3pm (next one May 22nd). 1-2pm is a health presentation from the public health nurse or community resource guests, and then we provide blood pressure and blood sugar checks, community resource connection, health and wellness education, harm reduction services, etc.
The QHD also offers several Public Health Nurse Trainings:
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Free Narcan (naloxone) trainings for either groups or individuals, with a free naloxone kit provided to attendees. Our next free Community Narcan & Overdose Prevention Training will be on Tuesday, May 20 starting at 3pm at the Belchertown Town Hall Auditorium (click the event image below to open a pdf with more details).
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American Red Cross CPR/First Aid/AED with Choking Saver trainings: these do have a cost - $45.00 plus the Red Cross fee (typically between $75 - $90 total, lower than many private companies where it can cost $120 or more).
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Stop the Bleed - $10 per person (covers supplies).
You can find more information about these trainings here: https://quabbinhealthdistrict.com/public-health-initiatives/
We will also be hosting a blood drive in Pelham in early June: interested donors can visit the Pelham Public Library on June 2nd between 10:30am-1:30pm (click the event image below to open a pdf with more details).
| | Narcan training event on May 20th (click to open pdf with more details) | |  | Blood drive on June 2nd (click to open pdf with more details) | | |
ViewFinder: Belchertown Nature Photography
Workshops and Photo Contest
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Workshops
Creative Nature Photography: Saturday, May 3 from 9am-12pm (meet at Belchertown Recreation Department, 66 State Street). For Teens & Adults; led by Mark Lindhult, with field excursions to practice skills along the Lake Wallace Sensory Trail.
Intro to Nature Photography for Kids at the School Gardens: Saturday, May 3 from 4-5:30pm (meet at the Swift River Elementary pavilion, 57 State Street). For ages 5&up; led by Holly Field, with field excursions to practice skills at the school gardens and the McPherson Sensory Garden.
The Art of Smartphone Photography: Nature and Landscape: Saturday, May 10 from 9am-12pm (located at the Les and Terry Campbell Quabbin Visitor Center, 100 Winsor Dam Road). For Teens & Adults, led by Linda Repasky, learn how to elevate your smartphone photos from meh to stunning!
Contest
A juried all-ages photo contest for Town residents will run from April 18 through May 30th. Contestants will be juried alongside their peers in youth, teen, and adult age groups, and between wildlife, landscape, and “small frame” (up close and personal) categories. Support will be offered through the library for any adults or youth seeking help completing the online submission process.
Link to submit here: https://form.jotform.com/250616471746056
Dates for Library staffed submission support:
Saturday, May 24, 10am-12pm
Tuesday, May 27, 5:30-6:30pm
Wednesday, May 28, 5:30-6:30pm
Exhibition
The winning photographs will be exhibited at the Library throughout the month of July and announced publicly in June, and viewable on the Library website. The exhibition opening on Tuesday, July 1 from 6-7pm will include an awards ceremony to acknowledge the creative achievements of our local photographers in capturing the beauty and natural diversity of Belchertown.
Partners
The program is a partnership between the Clapp Memorial Library and Belchertown Creative Economy Committee, with support from several community arts, photography, conservation, and youth organizations. Funding was provided in part by a grant from the Belchertown Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council.
| | Friends of Lake Wallace: x4 Early May Events | | |
Critter Sampling at Lake Wallace*
Friday May 2nd, 3:30-4:30pm, at the picnic tables at the far side of Foley Field
Practice respectful exploration and learn to identify the diversity of life in fresh water ... with an emphasis on the critters that eat mosquitoes.
Dress for the weather and the ground. If you use bug spray, please wash your hands before you arrive ... it's poisonous to aquatic life. Children grade 6 and under must be accompanied and assisted by an adult.
*We need several adults to run this event. If you can help, please reach out to Louise Levy at friendsoflakewallace@gmail.com asap
... immediately followed at the same location by
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Fairy Seats & Future Sculpture: Creative Play at Lake Wallace
Friday, May 2, 4:30-5:30pm, at the picnic tables at the far side of Foley Field
Use STEAM/STEM-inspired thinking to design and build tiny fairy-sized seats!
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Adopt-a-Trail and Friends of Lake Wallace Membership Drive
Saturday May 3rd, 10-11:30am
Come say hi (and bring a friend or two!) at the parking lot by the Skate Park (past the Police Station, Senior Center, and Rec Department)
Join our all-volunteer Friends group, “adopt” a section of the Trail (between posts that are not marked), and/or just stop by for a chat. What comes next for the Friends of Lake Wallace? How can we build a more robust Friends group? Who can help with monitoring and communications and promoting events on and fundraising for the Trail? The grand opening of the Trail will be sometime this summer (stay tuned!).
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Calling interested Lake Wallace Sensory Trail pet-walkers!
Saturday May 3rd, 6pm
Meet at ArcPoint Brewery parking lot to chat about starting a "Pets Around Lake Wallace" (PALW, pronounced "paw") group. The Trail, especially the new sections of the Trail around Foley Field, need dedicated members of the Belchertown outdoor pets community to elevate the culture of pet walking. You could be one of the first members of this group, with others who love the Trail!
| | | Acres of Clams Documentary Screening on May 3rd | | On Saturday, May 3 at 2:30pm, the Clapp Memorial Library will host a screening of the documentary, Acres of Clams. Eric Wolfe’s Acres of Clams is a feature-length video history of the Clamshell Alliance’s direct-action campaign against the Seabrook nuclear plant in the 1970s. Acres of Clams combines archival film footage and music with the personal remembrances of the activists themselves to reveal how disciplined nonviolence can have an out-sized impact on the world – when people take action together. The screening will be immediately followed by a Q&A/discussion of the film with Cliff McCarthy and Sharon Tracy of the Clamshell Alliance. | | Event poster for screening on May 3rd (click to open pdf) | |
Spring Cleaning for a Cause
It’s that time of year again, when you are cleaning out those closets please consider donating your gently used items to The Class of 2028!
The Class of 2028 is collecting:
All Types of Clothes and Outerwear
Shoes, Sneakers, and Boots,
Handbags, Belts, Backpacks
Sleeping Bags and Toys
These items will be recycled through Pay It Forward Recycling and the Class of 2028 will receive a monetary donation for every pound of items donated.
APRIL 17th through MAY 17th, items can be delivered to Belchertown High School and placed in the box in the main lobby or delivered to Ms. Swiatlowski in Room 329.
There will also be two community drop off events, where you can bring your donations to the Belchertown Common. Please see dates and times listed below:
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DONATION DROP OFF EVENT 1
Date: Saturday, May 10th
Time: 10AM-12PM
Location: Belchertown Common
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DONATION DROP OFF EVENT 2
Date: Saturday, May 17th
Time: 10AM-12PM
Location: Belchertown Common
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Opening Day at the Stone House Museum, May 10th
The Belchertown Historical Association is holding its Opening Day activities at the Stone House Museum on Saturday, May 10th from 9am-2pm. Visitors will be able to tour the house free of charge while viewing the grounds of this beautiful historic home. The 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War will be the theme of our special exhibits for the next two years, featuring maps, books, portraits, and household items from the late 1700’s.
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In addition to tours of the Stone House, Opening Day will also feature the Old Bag Sale, a Plant Sale, and a Tag Sale.
OLD BAGS: We are looking for donations of gently used pocketbooks, backpacks, and tote bags. Old bags can be dropped off at these locations: the Belchertown Senior Center, Clapp Library, Town Hall lobby, Pine Valley Plantation Mail Room, Bell & Hudson Insurance, Easthampton Savings Bank, Swift River Gift Shop, Tina Marie’s Hair & Boutique, Eclipz Salon, Ransaka Gift Shop, Dynamic Do’s Salon, Looks to Kill Salon, Station Five Salon. Bins have also been placed at the Granby Senior Center and Granby Library.
PLANTS: We need your donations of plants to help fill our tables for the plant sale! We would love to have your spare bulbs, perennials, vegetable plants, shrubs, and trees. You can bring them to the Stone House a day or two before the sale and leave them next to the schoolhouse. Any questions about digging or drop off, please reach out to Sally Shattuck at sallyshattuck54@gmail.com.
TAG SALE: We are offering a few 10 X 10 tent spaces to those who would like to hold a “mini” tag sale of treasures you collected over the years but are no longer using. Please contact Denise Smith at dsmith39@charter.net.
We look forward to seeing you on Opening Day!
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Belchertown Farmers and Artisans Market: Back on the Common in June!
The Belchertown Farmers and Artisans Market will be opening their 2025 season on the Common on Sunday, June 8th! Market hours are 10am to 2pm — this year's market is going to be the best one ever!
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First Issue Forward: Help Us Get the Word Out!
If you signed up for The Carriagetown Chronicle in the last month, please help us by forwarding this email to 2 people you know who might want to subscribe. New subscribers can sign up at our town webpage: www.belchertown.org/newsletter. Thanks for reading and getting the word out!
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Get In Touch
Questions or comments? We'd love to hear any feedback or suggestions as we kick this newsletter off. Please write to us at newsletter@belchertown.org!
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