Elks donate
to vets food pantry

NORTHAMPTON — Northampton Lodge of Elks No. 997 will donate $4,000 to the Veterans Food Pantry at the VA Central Western Massachusetts Health Care Center at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Northampton Elks Lodge, 17 Spring St., Florence.

Lodge No. 997 Exalted Ruler Lou Gingras, board Chair Wendy Mazza, and Elks veterans representative Jim Butcher will present the grant check to Brian Ryan, who oversees the Veterans Food Pantry.

“This grant is from the Elks Beacon Program,” Gingras said. “One in five veterans suffers from food insecurity. Support for veterans is the No. 1 priority of the Elks and we are asking local veterans and the general public to join us in supporting the Veterans Food Pantry at the VA facility in Leeds.”

“The VA greatly appreciates this grant from the Northampton Elks, which will help our Food Pantry combat food insecurity in the veteran community,” Ryan stated. “It is just the latest example of the Elks’ significant ongoing support for local veterans.”

The Veterans Food Pantry, supported entirely by donations, distributes food each Wednesday to over 400 area veterans and their families from its facility in Building 7 at the VA Central Western MA Health Care Center in Leeds. Persons can donate either nonperishable food or money to the Veterans Food Pantry each Wednesday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Information: VA Voluntary Services, 413 582-3033.

Plainfield caucus

PLAINFIELD — Voters are asked to meet at the Town Hall on Wednesday, March 20, for the annual election caucus.

A quorum of 15 voters is necessary. Nominations will be accepted for the following offices, with incumbents:

■Board of Assessors, Claude Dupont.

■Board of Health, vacant, David Crowell not seeking reelection).

■Board of Selectmen, (vacant, Hilary Weeks not seeking reelection).

■Library trustees, Sandra Morann.

■Moderator, Brian Hawthorne.

■School Committee, no term is up.

■Tree warden, Robert Mellstrom.

■Constable, no term is up.

All offices are for three-year terms except moderator and tree warden, which are one-year terms.

East Branch Trail hike

CHESTERFIELD — Western Mass Hilltown Hikers will gather to walk the East Branch Trail to Bakers Dam in in Chesterfield Gorge, March 23 at 10 a.m.

This hike, approximately 6 miles to the dam and back, is considered moderate because of its length. There is an option of a shorter turn-around point. Parking is at the Gorge parking area.

Built in 1848 by Lemuel Baker, a sawmill was erected at mile marker 3 on the East Branch Trail in Chesterfield. After 21 years of use, both the dam and mill were destroyed by floodwaters in 1869 and were never rebuilt.

The mill used an undershot waterwheel to produce its power. Remains of the dam can be seen in metal pins on the rocks at the water’s edge.

Hikers are asked to register per car at https://westernmasshilltownhikers.ticketleap.com. Maps and bottled water are provided. Hike is rain or shine. Friendly dogs are welcome.

Suggested donation is $10; hike is volunteer-led. More details are online.

Questions: westernmasshilltownhikers@aol.com or call/text 413-302-0312.

Employee appreciation breakfast

HOLYOKE — The city will host its third annual Employee Appreciation Breakfast Friday at City Hall.

The event is an opportunity for city officials to thank employees and recognize individuals for their years of service.

Mayor Joshua A. Garcia said that when he was first elected, the city was losing valuable employees who felt unappreciated, underpaid, and stressed by heavy workloads.

“Other communities were poaching our employees because they were good employees! So, we listened, and we made changes,” Garcia said in a statement.

Pay for non-union employees who had not seen appropriate raises in years was brought into line with what other communities were paying. With the support of the City Council, the vacation ordinance and personal days were updated for the first time in 50 years.

Union salaries similarly were adjusted to an appropriate level, and employee benefits were addressed.

March 18, the official Holyoke Employee Appreciation Day, is the date in 2020 when City Hall was closed and employees transitioned to working from home due to the start of the pandemic. The employee breakfast is held to mark “that unprecedented pivot and also reflect on our appreciation for employees who go above and beyond for our residents no matter the circumstances,” Garcia stated.

HCC hosting health careers open house March 20

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College will host an open house at its Center for Health Education & Simulation on Wednesday, March 20, for anyone interested in exploring educational programs and careers in healthcare, animal care, human services, education, or culinary arts.

Visitors to the Health Careers Open House are welcome to tour HCC’s health education facility at 404 Jarvis Ave. from 4 to 6 p.m. and talk to representatives from the college’s programs in nursing, radiologic technology, veterinary and animal science, medical assisting, public health, certified nursing assistant, medical billing and coding, human services, and culinary arts.

The event is free and open to the public.