An alumni group of the Harvard Krokodiloes (including Whately resident George Colt) will give a free concert of a cappella music, including songs by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Harold Arlen. Come see what a Krokodiloe is! Hear the Kroks sing "Over the Rainbow," "Loch Lomond," and much more!

Event Date: Saturday, October 21, 7:00 p.m

Address: Whately Town Hall, 194 Chestnut Plain Road

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Fall 2023 “Clean Sweep” Bulky Waste Recycling Day

Franklin County Solid Waste Management District is holding the Fall 2023 “Clean Sweep” Bulky Waste Recycling Day on Saturday, October 21 from 9 a.m. to noon. The three drop-off sites are: Mohawk Trail Regional School at 26 Ashfield Rd. (Route 112 South); Northfield Highway Garage at 49 Caldwell Rd; and Whately Transfer Station at 73 Christian Lane. 

Residents from any of the District’s 21 member towns may bring bulky items such as tires, appliances, scrap metal, furniture, carpeting, construction debris, computers, televisions, propane gas tanks, and other large items. Materials will be recycled whenever possible.

There are charges for most items. Disposal fees, cash only, will be collected during check-in at each site. A complete list of prices for the most common items is at: franklincountywastedistrict.org. The price list will also be provided to participating town halls and transfer stations. Residents and businesses do not need to pre-register for the collecton.

Mattresses and box springs will not be accepted at this event. There are 6 regional mattress recycling locations across Franklin County. These sites are open various hours year-round. See this webpage for locations, pricing and hours: franklincountywastedistrict.org/mattress-recycling. If you are unsure if your mattress and box spring can be recycled, call the District office at 413-772-2438.

Electronics are accepted at the event, but residents are also encouraged to recycle computer equipment and televisions at their town’s transfer station, or at Greenfield Transfer Station. Staples stores accept computer equipment (no TVs) free of charge: call store for details.

Clean, dry textiles and books will be accepted for free reuse or recycling. Textiles must be contained inside a sturdy plastic bag. Textiles are now banned from the trash in Massachusetts. Textile recycling accepts 95% of all textiles and shoes, including clothing or linens that are torn, stained, with missing buttons or broken zippers. Damaged textiles can be sold to manufacturers that make insulation or shop rags. Acceptable items include CLEAN & DRY clothing, shoes, and accessories; plus curtains, sheets, towels and stuffed animals in any condition (except moldy or wet). Books can be in any condition (except moldy or wet) and can be hardcover or paperback. No encyclopedias.

Bulky Rigid Plastics will be collected separately for a special recycling program; $5 per load of acceptable items. This special recycling program only accepts these items: 5-gallon pails, plastic lawn furniture, plastic trash barrels, recycling bins, laundry baskets, storage totes, and milk crates. Bulky rigid plastic items must be empty.

Consider reuse: before sending items for disposal or recycling, see if someone else can use them. Various charities and non-profits accept donations of working electronics, including local Salvation Army and Goodwill stores. Always call ahead to ask if they can accept your item. Or, offer items for reuse on a local “Buy Nothing” Facebook group, Freecycle group, or local town groups such as NextDoor.

For more information, see franklincountywastedistrict.org, or contact the District office at info@franklincountywastedistrict.org or 413-772-2438. MA Relay for the hearing impaired: 711 or 1-800-439-2370 (TTY/TDD). The District is an equal opportunity provider.

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Here's a chance to hear classical music in Whately's historic West Whately Chapel. Watermelon Wednesdays is run by Paul Newlin and his wife Claudia who volunteer their time.  All ticket proceeds go to the artist or the benefit fund for Ukrainian musicians.

A Watermelon Wednesdays concert on Saturday!, September 30, 7.30pm at the West Whately Chapel.  Tix and info at https://www.watermelonwednesdays.com/upcomin

Solomiya Ivakhiv is the 2022 recipient of the Merited Artist of Ukraine, the highest honor awarded to artists in her home country. She is also the recipient of international honors and prizes, including the Serhiy Prokofiev and Yaroslav Kocian International Competitions, 2019 Curtis Institute of Music Alumni Award, 2016 New Scholar Award from the University of Connecticut School of Fine Arts and the Fritz Kreisler and Charles Miller Award from the Curtis Institute of Music.

Ms. Ivakhiv graduated with honors from Curtis Institute of Music, where she was concertmaster of both the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, and studied with Joseph Silverstein, Pamela Frank and the late Rafael Druian. Ms. Ivakhiv received her Master of Music degree from M. Lysenko Music Academy in Lviv, Ukraine, studying with Oresta Kohut, and holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University, where she studied with Pamela Frank and Philip Setzer.

Upcoming Show:  Sam Reider and the Human Hands, Friday, 7pm, Oct. 13, West Whately Chapel.

Donations to aid Ukrainian musicians may be made at: https://www.lisabatiashvili-foundation.org/support-ukraine 

For more info, contact Paul Newlin at paulnewlin@comcast.net

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Attention Whately Seniors.

Lockboxes can provide first responders with easy access to your home in the case of an emergency. If you are a senior citizen, or have a senior family member that lives in Whately and would like to have a lockbox installed on your home free of charge, please contact the police station 413-665-0430

(This service is available to senior citizens residing in the town of Whately)

South County Senior Center 

Click here for the South County Senior Center Newsletter