Area Briefs: Northampton Elks to launch 21st annual Cruise Night series

Northampton Elks to launch Cruise Night season

NORTHAMPTON — With a wide variety of cars ranging from new Corvettes to vintage muscle and specialty cars, the Northampton Lodge of Elks No. 997 will launch its 21st annual Cruise Night series with a “Welcome Back Night” at 5 on Thursday, May 7, in its parking lot at 17 Spring St.

Admission is free to the public and to enthusiasts wishing to display their cars and trucks. A certificate and prizes will be awarded each week. The cruise will spotlight different car models, special themes and activities each week.

The cruises are a major fundraising function for the Lodge, with proceeds directed to its ongoing philanthropic support of local veterans programs and services, youth programs and educational scholarships.

Cruises take place through Oct. 1, weather permitting. The typical Cruise Night starts with plenty of cars and car enthusiasts then adds hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage sandwiches and French fries from various food trucks, plus cold beer and soft drinks and finally mix in plenty of oldies music provided by DJ Tom of Knight Productions.

Sunderland Library hours to change

SUNDERLAND — Sunderland Public Library will begin a new schedule starting on Friday, May 1, for the first time in nearly 25 years.

The change in open hours was spurred by the end of a Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities grant on April 30. The grant allowed the library to open for seven additional hours on Thursdays, increasing the library’s weekly open hours from 40 to 47. The Thursday hours were dedicated Sensory Friendly Hours, meaning the library environment was adapted to meet the needs of neurodivergent people and others with sensory sensitivities.

Now that the grant has ended, the library must return to a 40-hour per week schedule.

Due to the popularity of the library’s Sensory Friendly Hours, Library Director Katherine Umstot felt it was essential to maintain some, if not all of the hours. When it became clear that the library needed to return to a 40-hour per week schedule, Umstot and the library staff began counting the number of people who came into the library each hour to see when the library was the busiest.

The library also distributed a survey to see when people wanted to visit the library, how long they visited, which kinds of environments they preferred, and if any specific hours were particularly important to people.

The new library schedule includes Sensory Friendly Hours on Thursday afternoons. To make room for these hours, the library will open an hour later two days per week and close an hour earlier another two days per week.

The new hours will be Mondays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursdays from 2 to 6 p.m. for Sensory Friendly Hours; Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The library is closed on Sundays.

Northampton High Class of 1971 to reunite

NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton High School Class of 1971 will hold its 55th reunion on Friday and Saturday, June 19-20.

On Friday, attendees will gather from 5 to 9 p.m. at JJs in Florence, 99 Main St. Buy your own drinks and food.

On Saturday, from 1 to 4 p.m., will be an afternoon of wine tasting at Mineral Hills Winery, 592 Sylvester Road, which is owned by classmate Sue Rivard Godard and husband Larry. Then at 5 p.m., the reunion will gather under the canopy at the Deck. Buy your own drinks and food. Take a ticket to park. Those who leave after 8 p.m. can park for free.

For more information, contact cjhardy77@gmail.com or 508-631-0807.

Valley residents can share road safety concerns

SPRINGFIELD — Residents across the Pioneer Valley are invited to help shape a regional effort to improve roadway safety by participating in a new interactive mapping tool. As part of a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) planning process, community members can identify locations where they have experienced or observed safety concerns.

The online map allows users to drop a pin and provide comments about issues such as speeding, limited visibility, unsafe crossings, or near misses. This community-driven input helps identify safety concerns that may not be reflected in crash data alone.

To contributed to the map, visit: https://www.fhistudio-apps.com/arniev2/#/tool/pioneer-valley-safe-streets

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) is especially interested in hearing from residents across all Pioneer Valley communities. Input from rural areas and smaller town centers is critical to ensuring a comprehensive and equitable safety plan.

The feedback collected will inform strategies to reduce crashes, improve roadway design, and enhance safety for all users, including people walking, biking, driving, and using public transportation.

The Pioneer Valley Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) initiative is a regional planning effort focused on improving roadway safety and reducing serious injuries and fatalities for all users.