NORTHAMPTON — Building Bridges Veterans Initiative will hold a drive-thru lunch for veterans at the World War II Club on Conz Street, Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m.
Veterans can pick up a free lunch and a face mask at the event.
AAA Pioneer Valley has reopened all six branch offices as of Monday, following strict social distancing procedures and CDC guidelines. Registry of Motor Vehicles services will be available by appointment only, to AAA members, who can reserve a time online up to two weeks in advance of service. AAA membership, insurance, travel and financial services will be available, either in person, by phone or through a virtual meeting. We encourage appointments for all services as there will be a strict limit on how many members can be in the offices at a given time. Appointments can be made by visiting www.AAA.com/appointments.
AAA’s 24-hour Emergency Roadside Assistance has been and continues to be available throughout the entirety of the COVID-19 shutdown.
AAA Pioneer Valley full-service branches are in Greenfield, Hadley, Springfield and West Springfield. Insurance-only services are available in Chicopee and Westfield. Office hours are now Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The required acceptance of containers for redemption will resume in a two-stage process as part of the state reopening plan.
■Enforcement of redemption requirements will resume at retailers using reverse vending machines (RVMs) on Friday.
■Enforcement of redemption requirements will resume at retailers accepting containers over-the-counter on June 19.
Bottle redemption services will need to adhere to the protocols set forth in the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development’s Guidance Regarding the Operation of Essential Services, including:
■Customers and employees wear a mask or face-covering;
■Post signage to remind customers to practice social distancing;
■Clearly mark 6-foot spacing in lines on the floor;
■Limit bottle room occupancy; and
■Disinfect machines before proceeding to empty them.
Customers are encouraged to check the operating status of redemption locations before bringing empty beverage containers for redemption and should follow store guidelines related to redemption services and standard safety precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing a mask and social distancing.
Customers visiting retailer redemption locations may be limited to redeeming no more than 120 deposit containers at a time. Customers seeking to redeem more than 120 containers are encouraged to utilize a redemption center with the capacity to manage large volumes efficiently and effectively. Customers must also ensure that all beverage containers are free of product, rinsed and not commingled with other materials. Redemption locations may not accept containers with contaminants.
MassDEP’s Bottle Bill Hotline is available at 617-556-1054 for questions and information requests.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundationrecently announced $25,000 awards to 20 nonprofits across Massachusetts to support their efforts to expand and adapt operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Included from our area; Hilltown Community Health Center, with locations in Amherst, Worthington, and Huntington; and The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Hatfield.
The grants will help provide basic needs to the vulnerable populations the grantees serve, including individuals experiencing homelessness, older adults, individuals with disabilities, low-income and immigrant families, and youth with mental health conditions.
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, in collaboration with the Franklin County Community Development Corp. and the PVGrows Investment Fund, is offering loans to aid Pioneer Valley farms that have been affected by COVID-19 through its revolving Emergency Farm Fund.
The Emergency Farm Fund offers no-interest loans up to $25,000, and the application deadline is June 22. Application information can be found at buylocalfood.org.
This is the second round of lending offered by the Emergency Farm Fund in response to COVID-19. It opened for the first time in March and has already distributed $183,000 in loans to local farms. An additional $217,000 is available to assist farms struggling to meet their immediate financial needs due to market fluctuations, closures, or other changes resulting from the pandemic.
The CISA Emergency Farm Fund was launched in 2011 in response to the damage suffered by farms in western Massachusetts due to Hurricane Irene. This is the first time in the fund’s history that CISA has opened it in response to a non weather-related crisis.
The fund is managed by CISA, and loans will be administered by both CISA and the FCCDC. The Loan Review Committee includes people with a variety of agricultural backgrounds, including farmers, CISA staff and board members, and representatives from the FCCDC, PVGrows Investment Fund, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, and Equity Trust.
The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Foundation, 130 River Drive, Hadley, has been approved for a $16,000 capital grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund.
This is the third grant the foundation has received from MCFF since it was established in 2006. The matching grant will support preservation and maintenance work not addressed through previous grants, including painting, window restoration, roofing, flashing and gutter replacement, driveway repairs, carpentry repairs and lolly column replacement.
In addition to the capital grant, MCFF’s application review panel suggested that a Systems Replacement Plan (SRP) would benefit the foundation’s overall facility planning efforts. This provides an additional $7,000 to develop a 20-year capital needs assessment for the museum and its mechanical systems.
The Porter-Phelps-Huntington House, known as Forty Acres, is an 18th-century farm on the banks of the Connecticut River that today interprets life in rural New England over three centuries. Through the words, spaces, and possessions of the women and men who lived here, the museum portrays the activities of a prosperous and productive 18th-century farmstead.