EASTHAMPTON — The city is moving along in its search for a new police chief. Four candidates, both internal and external, have advanced into the next stage of assessment.

The assessment of these candidates will take place at City Hall on April 19, and will be facilitated by Public Safety Consultants and a trained team of police chief assessors. This “Assessment Center” will be closed to the public. During this assessment, the selection committee will choose two top candidates to move on to the next round in the process.

“We are excited by the exceptional caliber of candidates in this process, which includes both internal and external applicants. The screening committee, combined with the results of the Assessment Center, will ensure we select the most qualified individual for this important leadership role,” said Emily Russo, Human Resources director, in a statement. “We are committed to advancing through the next steps and making our final selection based on a fair and thorough process.”

These top two candidates will engage in a private meet-and-greet with members of the Easthampton Police Department. This meeting also will be closed to the public.

The final stage of this process will involve interviews with the mayor, after which the mayor will make a final decision and the city’s new police chief will be announced. This decision must be affirmed by the City Council while contract negotiations begin.

According to an update posted on the city’s website, the Assessment Center is closed to the public “to ensure an objective and fair evaluation of the candidates’ leadership skills and qualifications,” and the private meet-and-greet with members of the Easthampton Police Department is closed to the public to allow finalists “the opportunity to interact directly with the department’s team.”

Community Rain Barrel Program returns

EASTHAMPTON — The city’s community rain barrel program has returned, and residents of Easthampton and surrounding communities can purchase their barrels through May 11.

Rain barrels provide a steady supply of water for gardens, houseplants and more while reducing water bills and decreasing demands on local water supplies.

These rain barrels are upcycled 60-gallon shipping drums, and come both painted and unpainted. Their prices range from $80 to $89 depending on paint selection. Each 60-gallon barrel holds enough water to cover about 100 square feet with one inch of water, and these barrels can be linked together to increase capacity.

The deadline to order a barrel is May 11 at midnight, and barrels must be picked up on May 22 at the Easthampton Highway Department at 30 Northampton St. between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.

Questions can be directed to the Planning Department at 413-529-1400 ext. 406.

Sensory garden, stargazing, gardening lecture coming to library

SOUTHAMPTON— The Edwards Public Library welcomes community members to engage in several outdoor activities this spring.

The library received a grant last year from the American Library Association to create a sensory garden for children with special needs who may have sensory processing disorders or sensory-based disabilities. The garden is beginning to take shape this spring, and is envisioned as a space for all ages, including adults with dementia or sensory impairments.

The garden will allow all patrons to move safely throughout an array of herbs, pollinators and flowers, as well as additional sensory sights and sounds that were chosen through a community survey. For example, there will be elements in remembrance of those the community has lost, such as a pug statue in memory of Sibyl Smith and a bench in memory of Shirley Joy.

As the sensory garden comes to fruition, the library is also scheduling other family friendly events, such as the “Stargazing With Your Telescope” workshop on April 24 at 4 p.m. Community members with telescopes are welcome to bring them along, but anyone without a telescope may learn to use the library’s new telescope, which will be available in the Library of Things.

NASA ambassador William Fournier will teach everyone to use their telescopes, and tell everyone what they are looking at.

On April 26 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., there will be a gardening lecture from Amy Meltzer, a steering committee member of the Mass Pollinator Network, member of Grow Native Massachusetts, and member of the Research Team and the Natural Solutions Working Group of Elders Climate Action.

Meltzer will teach participants how to manage the changes in a native plant garden, whether they have been brought on by climate change, overcrowding, or local critters planting extra seeds among the selection of plants there.

This lecture is sponsored by the Hampden Hampshire Conservation District in collaboration with the Good Earth Gardeners of Southampton. There will be time for questions and discussion following the lecture.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.