Here are brief thoughts on some of the events taking place around the North Quabbin area: Wendell’s road commissioner Phil Delorey worries about a possible train derailment at Pan Am Southern’s railway crossing on Wendell Depot Road where rails are cracked and mishapened.
And maybe he’s got good reason to worry. A Pan Am Railways freight train did derail Aug. 4 in the early morning hours, although not at Wendell Depot Road, but off Farley Road.
Four cars derailed. There were no evacuations or anyone harmed or threatened, but it underscores how easily train cars filled with dangerous cargo can become a threat.
Mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus have been found in Greenfield and Bernardston, although no human or animal infections in the state have been reported.
If ticks and the diseases they can carry aren’t enough cause for concern, the potential for mosquito-borne ailments should remind us to take precautions when outdoors in summer.
The virus has been spreading across the state recently, with confirmed reports of West Nile Virus infected mosquitoes in 57 communities since June 20.
Currently, there is no recommendation to curb activities, but residents should take steps to reduce being bitten by mosquitoes — things like using effective repellents like DEET outdoors and wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks for protection, as well.
Hats off to the folks in New Salem who have organized an elaborate Labor Day running event to raise money for cash-straped Mahar Regional School.
A group of North Quabbin runners will usher in the new school year with a 24-hour fundraiser.
The Village Ultra, a series of races and circuits starting in New Salem, will be held over Labor Day weekend to raise money and awareness for Mahar, which has cut late buses, a private lawn-keeping service, an administrative assistant and two teachers, along with $34,496 from the technology budget and $173,973 from the health insurance budget.
Mahar serves more than 600 students from New Salem, Orange, Petersham and Wendell.
“Sometimes it takes a village to do good,” event organizer Carla Halpern said of the event. “This race reminds us that we can help real people on a local level: bettering our community, providing support to our neighbors and encouraging each other to do our best.”
Petersham Selectboard approved spending $3,123 for the repair of the police department’s oldest cruiser – hoping it will be an investment in safety for both the police who drive the vehicle and the town.
Police Chief Dana Cooley said the cruiser needs a new transmission and has been off the road about two weeks — leaving the department with two cruisers in use instead of three.
This is the first repair the vehicle has needed in the past eight years of its operation.
The Selectboard chose to install a refurbished transmission with a 18-month warranty rather than a cheaper part without a warranty. Seems like a smart move to get the more reliable part to keep the cruiser on the road for a while longer.
“We want the vehicle back on the road and in safe condition for the officers,” noted one Selectboard member.
The Athol Area YMCA has introduced its recreational women’s summer basketball league with four teams playing two games.
The opener marked the first time that the YMCA offered a women’s basketball league in its 156 years of service.
The league will last 10 weeks — eight weeks for the regular season and two weeks for playoff matchups.
Nice to see recreational sports opening up to women athletes.
Zachary Skinner, the Athol Area YMCA Sports & Rec director, said he hopes to continue this league in the future and make it a growing success each season.