A five-month search for a Director for the Williamsburg Council on Aging has finally come to close, with the hiring of Jennifer Hoffman.
Hoffman, 47 of Northampton, accepted the Director’s position in early September and her first day on the job was September 11.
She has a background in health care, holds a masters degree in Public Health and has over 20 years of experience in healthcare administration. She also provides volunteer services to the Northampton Survival Center, and Communities That Care in Greenfield.
“I think that she is wonderful and will do a great job,” Town Administrator Charlene Nardi said.
The director’s position was left vacant after the resignation of former director Marie Westburg, who after serving in that position for seven years, left the Williamsburg COA to become director of the Northampton Council on Aging this May.
Hoffman said that her first two weeks on the job have gone very well.
“It has been a really, really wonderful experience,” she said. “I feel very supported. I have a great team here, and the clients are fantastic.”
As we move into the colder months, Hoffman says that one of her priorities is to make sure that systems are in place to assist residents that may be elderly, disabled or otherwise shut in at home.
She noted that she has been reaching out to other town departments like Police and Fire to ensure open lines of communication.
Another important issue that she says the COA is discussing is how to help elders who need extra care in order to remain in their homes.
“We may look to the regional COA’s to see how we can work together to make that happen,” she said.
Hoffman says that she hopes to reach out to elders and find out what kind of additional programming they would like to see at the COA.
“We are really trying to have a COA that is collaborative,” Hoffman said. “Finding topics that people are really passionate about and also willing to work on.”
The COA currently serves roughly 100 people and offers a variety of services including: food and fuel assistance programs, meals on wheels, transportation services, flu shot clinics, and foot care and blood pressure screenings.
They also provide programs that include: a variety of speakers, meals, health fairs, recreational activities, workshops and classes, as well as assistive equipment loans.
For more information on the Williamsburg COA call: 268-8407
Or visit the town website at www.burgy.org.
GOSHEN — The Three Sisters Sanctuary invites the public to celebrate the Fall Equinox with an evening of live music on Saturday, Sept. 22.
Radiolaria, the sanctuary’s house band will be providing much of the musical entertainment throughout the event. The band is known for is wide range of musical styling’s encompassing jazz, rock, reggae, ragtime and tribal dance grooves.
At 5 p.m. River Notes Jen Bixby and Mark Gamble will take the stage.
This year’s special guest artist, sitarist Bob Markey, will begin his performance at sunset after the sanctuary’s fires are lit.
Markey is an accomplished musician who has been playing sitar for over 40 years. His music is based in the Hindustani musical tradition and has also been influenced by a variety of other cultural traditions from the North and South of India, as well as from Persia, Japan, Hungary and Indonesia.
Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the coming of autumn in this beautiful setting in the hilltowns.
This event will go from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Guests are asked to support the musicians with tips by the stage.
On Sunday the 23rd, from 1 to 3 p.m. join Bev Montague for an afternoon in the gardens of the sanctuary for the Third Annual Monarch Butterfly Release.
Guests will learn about the butterflies and there will be a raffle for the chance to release one of the Monarchs themselves.
The sanctuary’s famous giant dragon will be breathing fire on both days.
Admission to the sanctuary is for both events $10. If this is a hardship, please contribute what you can.
The Three Sisters Sanctuary is located at 188 Cape Street (Route 112).
PLAINFIELD — Fancy little dessert before your dinner? If so, you wont want to miss the ice cream social and book sale at the Shaw Memorial Library on Tuesday September 25th at 4 p.m.
Stop in purchase a good book for your reading entertainment and enjoy some ice cream with your friends and neighbors.
The library is located at 312 Main Street. For more information call: 634-5406
Items for this column on life in the hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at Fryan.gazette@gmail.com.