While many of us may have lived in our city or town for some time, we often frequent only places that are familiar or routine, and it is common to drive to get where we are going.
Now, three Hilltowns are helping residents and visitors to explore their towns on foot, taking in a bit of fresh air, nature and history while improving their health through walking.
Cummington, Goshen and Huntington have all created walking maps that highlight the best routes and loops in their towns for taking a stroll or a hike.
Unique to each town, the maps provide information on where to walk, what you can see, what the terrain is like, the level of difficulty and the length of the route. They also give information on historical, cultural and ecological points of interest.
The Cummington and Goshen maps outline 12 routes, and the map for Huntington has 14. Each provides walking, safety and health tips.
Routes range from very easy to challenging. All maps can be seen and downloaded at healthyhampshire.org/news.
This Saturday, Huntington will host a Go4Life Family Fun Walk from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will begin at Stanton Hall, and all walkers, with varying speeds and abilities, are welcome to participate.
Participants will collect raffle tickets for each route or each time a route is completed. The drawing for raffle prizes will be held at the end of the walk, and you must be present to win.
David Housman & Ed Bentley will provide musical entertainment at 11 a.m.
Free food will be served at 12:30 p.m.
For more information, contact the Huntington Council On Aging office at 512-5205.
On Sunday, from 2 to 4 p.m. in Cummington, walkers are invited to enjoy cider and donuts, tour the town’s Old Parsonage and historical museum, and take a 1.8-mile loop around the village.
This event begins at the Parsonage at 38 Main Street.
Next Sunday, Oct. 27, from 2 to 4 p.m in Goshen, pick up your map, enjoy refreshments, a raffle and more. For additional information contact Joan Griswold at joan@bybhealth.com or call 268-7985.
These walking maps were created with funding from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and Healthy Hampshire as part of an effort to support people of all ages and abilities in taking advantage of an easy and accessible form of exercise.
Healthy Hampshire is focused on improving people’s health in Hampshire County and the Hilltowns by collaborating with municipal leaders, elected officials, public health departments, planners, businesses, community organizations and residents. It is part of the Mass in Motion statewide initiative through the Department of Public Health.
PLAINFIELD — Fire Chief David Alvord recently announced new promotions that he has made in the Fire Department. The promotions come on the heels of Alvord’s appointment as fire chief.
Captain Duane Meehan has been appointed assistant fire chief. Meehan is a former member of the Hatfield Fire Department, where he served for 11 years, and has been with the Plainfield department for 2½ years.
Rob Shearer has been appointed a lieutenant and assistant medical officer for the department. Shearer, 23, began his firefighting career with the Plainfield department as a junior firefighter. He is an acute care nurse practitioner at Baystate Medical Center and a certified EMT.
“These promotions give our department a solid officer group as we move forward,” Alvord said.
WORTHINGTON — Barbara Mathews will speak on “Medicine and Politics in 18th-century Worthington” at the annual meeting of the Worthington Historical Society on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m.
Her presentation will include information from the diaries of Dr. Elihu Ashley, who worked for a time in Worthington. His diaries delve into local medical practices as well as local intrigues and stirrings of the American Revolution.
The meeting is at 6 Williamsburg Road and is open to all. Admission is free.
Ideas for this column on life in the Hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at Fryan.gazette@gmail.com.