Library Building Forum

I probably should have come up with a catchy title for this blog post, but catchy isn't coming to me this evening, so I'll have to settle for practical.

The library is looking ahead to the future!  A forum to discuss building plans is coming to a Town Hall near you -- the Hadley Town Hall is hosting a library planning and building design forum on Monday, September 28, at 7pm, sponsored by the library trustees and the library design committee.  This is an opportunity for residents ask questions, voice opinions, and hear the pros and cons of various site options for a new library.

The voice of the community is a necessary part of the library building project -- add your voice to the others' and let it be heard!

Circulation is increasing, patronage is increasing, general usage is increasing -- and town population is increasing! -- but the library has not been able to increase in proportion.  For more information about the building program and why it's important, read (or skim) the Goodwin Memorial Library Building Program.  In it you will find community comparisons, space usage, collection information, public input from surveys and forums, and more!  (It's a large file, so it might take a minute or two to load into your browser.)

Click on the picture below for a few of the important statistics.

Bread and Sand

Madley Hadley takes a field trip!

Earlier this summer I was given a hand-me-down magazine, a Rodale's Organic Life.  It was the July/August edition, and therefore included a few activities around the nation that focus on organic living and gardening and baking and such things.  In it I found an event that piqued my interest nigh unto excitement -- a bread fair and a kneading conference, scheduled for August, and as close by as Maine!  It was now only mid-July.  Mr. Madley had been encouraging me to make a day to visit the beach (he knows how much I love the ocean), but I had been waffling and hesitating, but when I realized I could combine a visit to the beach with a visit to the artisan bread fair (I couldn't afford the kneading conference this year, but hope to in the future!), it was decided.  I would visit the coast and then make my way to Maine.

I visited on of my favourite North Shore beaches, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island.  It is a delight and not only features a lovely beach, but also walking trails, swamp marshes, observation towers, and plenty of bird-watching.

At the end of a day at the beach, I dined at Bob Lobster (try it, if you're there -- it's a great "fish shack"), and then hit the road to Maine.

The following morning was the Maine Artisan Bread Fair, held at the Skowhegan State Fairgrounds, and if you like bread, this is the place for you.  There were bread vendors and pie vendors and cookie vendors.  There were artist booths and handmade goods and demonstrations and bags of flours.  There was music and food and even a little something for the kids!  Oh, and lest I forget, there were even some delightful gluten-free breads and cookies and johnny cakes.  Everything at the fair had to be Maine-made, and even much of the grain was Maine grown (this fair is sponsored by the Maine Grain Alliance).

 I purchased a loaf of their MaineGrain Rye, which was wonderful, and a pretzel for the trip home, which was yummy.

 With so many books, how does one decide?!

 

Lovely concrete decorative tiles from Forma 550.  I got myself a chicken, but I happily would have purchased many more...

 Oats Any Time.  Gluten free.  Delicious.

 If these beautiful pastas had been gluten-free, I might have splurged for a rainbow mix of them....

A couple more vendors.

 

These handmade spoons and forks (and magic wands!) were lovely.  I ended up with a small butter spreader.

Oh yeah, this was definitely a winning table for me!  Beautiful presentation, delicious bread, local grains, mostly sourdoughs.

Thrashing and sifting the grains -- I wish I had one of these nifty machines!

So, the bread fair was fun and full of marvelous things.  Being a bit out of the way, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't make the 4.5 hour trek just to visit it again, but if I were to add on the kneading conference, I'm sure I could convince myself -- especially if I went with a friend.  Also, I hear there are many other wonderful things to do in the area, and I passed at least one blueberry farm and a few antique stores and such that would make wonderful additions to a trip. 

Now all I want to do is bake bread, and learn how to make even more delicious varieties!

If you are interested in local grains (which is one of the main thrusts of Maine Grain Alliance), there is hope if you live in or around the Valley.  If you are a regular reader of my blog, you may remember that a few years ago I got involved with a local grain share.  It is still up and running, featuring even more grains than before.  You can find it at Pioneer Valley Heritage Grains (localgrain.org).  They feature beans and corns and wheats and other delicious grains.  They have now made the share customizable, which is a great boon for those of use who have gluten-free folks in our homes.  (That was not the case when I bought into the share, and I am still working through the wheat I bought then!)

It's August, and there's still time to get to the beach.  Unfortunately, you will have to wait until next summer to make the Artisan Bread Fair, but in the meantime, save your pennies so you can also go to all the classes at the Kneading Conference.  And maybe buy into the grain share so you can practice your baking skills on fresh, local grains!

Mount Warner Reservation Opening Celebration

Some pictures from the Opening Celebration yesterday morning for the Mount Warner Reservation.  The Trustees of Reservations now holds stewardship over the property and has recently put in a new trail system.
There was quite a turnout for the opening, and both John Scibak and Stan Rosenberg were there, as well as the trustees (a shout-out to Josh who coordinated it all) and volunteers who have helped put the reservation together and get it ready for opening day.

After the speakers, everyone went on a hike, and at the top (The Overlook, owned by the Carrs as part of their apple orchard), there was sweet cider and apples and a representation by Carr's Ciderhouse, with samples of their hard ciders, apple vinegar, and super-delicious apple syrup. I was very happy to be able to bring home a bottle of apple syrup and expect that I will be purchasing many more bottles in the future.

It was a great opening -- kudos to all those who helped put it together!

If you like to hike, if you enjoy nature, if you want to mountain bike or do some trail walking with your dog or cross country ski, the new trails on Mount Warner are perfect for it all!  And there's now a new parking lot with a bike rack available, so you don't have to pull off onto the side of the road to enjoy it.

Mount Warner Explodes!

Before I get into the meat of this post, I will admit that I used a sensational headline to grab your attention.  Mont Warner isn't exploding with lava or ash rock or little chocolate and marshmallow candies.  Rather, it's exploding with excitement and new activity.

The preserved area of Mount Warner consists of 2000 contiguous acres of land held by multiple conservation groups and individuals.  The Massachusetts Trustees of Reservations has stewardship of the Mount Warner Reservation, 159 acres dedicated for "passive recreation" (i.e. hiking, walking, skiing, mountain biking, etcetera -- no motorized vehicles or hunting).  A public meeting at the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum last night gave interested residents the opportunity to share information and exchange ideas.

 

The Trustees shared their goals to "Protect, Steward, Excite"; to protect the numerous historic and natural resources on Mount Warner, including 5 stone/brick-lined artesian wells, vernal pools, Lou's rock, native birds and plants, and beautiful vistas (for a Mount Warner resource inventory created by students at UMass, visit this link); to steward the land by building new sustainable trails, marking & mapping them (there's a new 2-mile trail nearly completed!), creating a parking lot,  and managing invasives; to excite by partnering with local colleges, vineyards, orchards, farms, conservation groups, naturalists, and community and creating programs.

It was a great meeting with lots of ideas shared and discussed -- and it was a great way to meet neighbours and other outdoor enthusiasts!

Want to get involved in protecting, improving, and enjoying the Mount Warner area?  Come to the Opening Celebration and talk to Josh, the reservation superintendent, who may be forming a property committee; join the Friends of Lake Warner and participate in their activities (water chestnut pull at 9:00 on August 4, bring a canoe or kayak if you have one); or, just get out into the hills -- you can hike, bike, bird-watch, rock-climb, cross-country ski, and more!  Whenever you go, please remember to USE, ENJOY, RESPECT.



As previously stated, the meeting was held at the PPH Museum, which hosts small shows of various artists (I believe there were three artists represented last night).  The colourful the work of Jane Thurber was a great backdrop for the meeting.

The New Year Arrived, the Last Year Gone

I have been feeling a bit guilty about not writing for so long, but with a new child in the house and the starting up again of school, I just couldn't force myself to sit at the computer and blog.  But now it's a new year, and at the very least I should recap a little of the last few months.

Scenes from the Kitchen Garden's ChiliFest:

My own harvest pictures (isn't that corn amazing?!)

All Hallow's:

And a few lovely autumnal scenes, graciously provided by Mr Madley:

I just love where we live -- isn't it a beautiful place?!

I feel I must make mention of the devastating fire that took out a plaza on Rt 9.  There has been much media coverage, and I hope you have taken the opportunity to donate to a relief fund.

And so the new year begins.  I have great plans for the garden and have already begun mapping it and looking through the seed catalog (hulless oats, hard soup beans, flour corn included in the anticipated plantings).  I plan on purchasing and raising a few chickens this spring, but in the meantime need to construct their coop.  I'm sure there will be plenty of information and pictures forthcoming on both of those pursuits.

Enjoy the snow that may be on the way, and keep yourselves warms in the upcoming arctic temps.
Happy New Year!