April 29, 2022
Announcements
Recycling for Monday, May 2nd: Paper and Cardboard
Recycling for Monday, May 9th: Cans, Bottles, Plastics, Other:
Please place trash and recyclables in an easily accessible location by 7:00 AM. Contact the hauler directly at 442-8390 with questions or concerns. Please note: the trucks used are dual functioning. Trash and recyclables are collected together but placed in separate compartments within the truck. Please click here to see the 2022 calendar or you can pick them up at the Post Office, or Town Hall
QUICK LINKS
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Upcoming Meetings

Fri. April 29, 2022 - Phase 2 Bldg. Cte. Mtg. - 6:00 PM

Tues. May 3, 2022 - Board of Health Mtg. - 5:00 PM
Town Hall

Tues. May 10, 2022 - Conservation Comm. - 6:30 PM
via Zoom

Wed. May 11, 2022 - Board of Selectmen Mtg. - 6:00 PM
Hybrid

PLEASE NOTE!

Baby Town Meeting – Saturday, May 14, 2022 – 10:00 AM at Town Hall
Annual Town Meeting – Wednesday, May 18, 2022 – 7:30 PM at the Richmond School
Town Elections – Saturday, May 21, 2022 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM at Town Hall
HELP FOR THE PETS LEFT BEHIND IN UKRAINE
Animal shelters in Ukraine are receiving little financial support, struggling to buy food, supplies, medications and to pay veterinary bills.

A special free Zoom Live event on Wednesday May 4, 2022 at 5:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time, will explain the work being done in the Ukraine to rescue the animals left behind.

Join the Pet Professional Guild's exclusive Facebook Live Chat with the "Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine" campaign, organized by Dr. Marina Bayeva, supporting veterinarian, Dr. Paula Klek, and PPG's Shelter and Rescue Committee Chair, K. Holden Svirsky. You will hear updates on the use of funding, as well as about the animals benefiting from your support.

If you wish to donate please email Ms. Bayeva at mabayeva@gmail.com or call her at 312-402-3006 for details. No amount is too small and 100% of your donation goes directly to the shelters.
DUBLIN ROAD BRIDGE PROJECT - UPDATE
They will be paving the road over at the site of the recent bridge replacement on Wednesday and Thursday April 20, 21.
The road will be closed during those days, please seek alternate routes.

The Highway Department is working on Winter cleanup and beginning grading of gravel roads. Some roads are still too soft and squishy to be able to grade. We ask for your patience and understanding on this if you feel your road should have been graded first due to conditions. Pot hole repair is underway on the roads that are not yet ready to grade.

Please check out the next newsletter for details on what grading a road in Richmond actually entails.
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EXCITING NEWS FROM YOUR TOWN CLERK!
you can now order and pay for your Dog Licenses, Doing Business As Certificates and Vitals: (Birth Certificates, Death Certificates and Marriage Certificates) from the comfort of your home on the town website.
RICHMOND SCHOLARSHIPS - APPLY NOW!
May 1 is the deadline to apply for one of the Richmond scholarships, and both graduating seniors and college students at any level are eligible, providing they are year-round residents of Richmond.

One application form covers all the scholarships. Forms should be returned by mail or in person to Patricia Malnati, State Road, Richmond. They are available at Bartlett's Orchard, the post office, Town Hall and the Richmond Free Public Library.
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Richmond has Spring Fever!

Flower Power seeds and bulbs are a great way to bring beautiful blooms to your home and support our PTA.

Bulbs, seed mats, vegetables and vertical flower hanging bags are all in the catalog and shipped directly to your door.

Use this link http://RCS.fpfundraising.com to see the on-line catalog. Thank you for supporting our school PTA.
Free Well Water Testing for PFAS Through MassDEP
Massachusetts residents can apply for free water testing today!

MassDEP is offering private well owners an opportunity to receive free testing for PFAS compounds in communities where 60% or more of the consumers use private wells.

The link to apply for free sampling is https://dwp-pfas.madwpdep.org.

Richmond Consolidated School
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Now registering Preschool and Kindergarten students for the 2022-2023 school year. District policy states that children must be 5 years old as of Sept. 1, 2022, to enter Kindergarten. 

Children who are 3 years old as of Sept.1, 2022 are eligible to attend our Preschool program based on a lottery system. Parents or guardians of eligible children should call the school office at 413-698-2207 for more information. 

Preschool and Kindergarten screenings and orientation will be held at a later date: information will follow.
 
If you suspect your child may have special needs and is three years old or older, please call the Special Education Director, Mary Shook, at 413-698-4001. to schedule an evaluation.
A MESSAGE FROM YOUR FIRE CHIEF
Please be sure to come to Town Hall and pick up the house number sign you ordered through Chief Traver once he has called to advise you that the sign is ready. Signs are $20.00 and may be paid for in cash or a check made payable to Scott Kimple.
MESSAGES FROM YOUR BOARD OF HEALTH
There is a new app available on your I-Phone that can alert you immediately to your possible exposure to the COVID viruses. Go to "Settings" scroll down to "Emergency SOS," exposure notification should appear under that heading. Follow the prompts to register.

As you may be aware, the Biden Administration is offering free rapid tests to all residents in the United States. The pre-order period for the at-home COVID-19 tests via www.covidtests.gov has begun. Every household in the U.S. is eligible to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are completely free and will usually ship in 7-12 days.
Please visit www.covidtests.gov to submit an order and learn more

COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSOCIATION
Weekly Blood Pressure Clinic Schedule:
Every Wednesday from 9:00-10:00 AM at the Town Offices, 21 State Line Road, West Stockbridge.
 
Every Thursday from 9:00-10:00 AM at the Richmond Congregational Church, State Road, Richmond.
Info: Emilie Jarrett RN, 413-232-0122 or

Changes in Public Health Nursing Services for Residents of Richmond and West Stockbridge

As of July 1, 2022, the Towns of Richmond and West Stockbridge will contract with the Berkshire Public Health Alliance for public health nursing services following the retirement of long-time public health nurse Emilie Jarrett, RN., BSN, and the closing of the Community Health Association of Richmond and West Stockbridge.

The Alliance has extensive experience with providing public health nursing services to many municipalities in the county, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two experienced public health nurses, Nancy Slattery, RN, and Leslie Drager, RN, provide most of the public health nursing services to contracted communities, although the Alliance may hire back-up nurses as needed during flu clinic season or during COVID-19 surges.

In addition to the mandated infectious disease investigation and follow-up, the Alliance will provide flu vaccination clinics and wellness activities such as blood pressure clinics, educational events and/or falls prevention classes. More details are coming soon on specific offerings.

Starting in July, you can reach the Alliance Administrative Coordinator, Lydia Shulman, at Alliance@berkshireplanning.org or 413-442-1521, x60 with any general questions. Or, you can reach out to Nancy (nslattery@berkshireplanning.org) or Leslie (ldrager@berkshireplanning.org) directly.

We look forward to working with Richmond and West Stockbridge!
Laura Kittross, Director of the Berkshire Public Health Alliance

UPDATE ON COVID-19 Information
COVID-19 Tests at no Cost.
People with Medicare can now get up to eight tests per calendar month from participating pharmacies and health care providers for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

This is all part of an overall strategy to ramp up access to easy-to-use, at-home tests free of charge. The Biden-Harris Administration required state Medicaid programs, insurers and group health plans to make tests free for millions of Americans. Today’s step further expands health insurance coverage of free over-the-counter tests to Medicare beneficiaries, including our nation’s elderly and people with disabilities.



People with Medicare can get additional information by contacting 1-800-MEDICARE and going to: https://www.medicare.gov/medicare-coronavirus
Click Here for COVID-19 Information and Helpful links
Pediatric Vaccination:
The CDC and FDA have approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. For additional information visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-vaccinations-for-children-ages-5-11

Registration will be through the on-line COLOR registration system. The link to register for all Berkshire County clinics is: https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/berkshire.
All information about clinic schedules, eligibility, and registration will also be posted publicly on: www.GetVaccinatedBerkshires.org.
Families may register for any of the county clinics; families are not restricted to a specific school clinic. Second shot clinics will be held three weeks after the first. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, as there may not be enough vaccine at a given clinic for walk-ins.
All children must be accompanied by an adult to receive their vaccine. If they are not accompanied by their parent or legal guardian, the parent or guardian must have pre-registered and signed the consent on-line. On-site registration will not be permitted without a parent or guardian present. Your child will be expected to stay for a 15-minute observation period following their vaccination. Although children may experience milder side-effects such as fever, fatigue, headaches, chills, diarrhea, muscle and joint pain, severe side effects are rare. See the attached fact sheet for more information. Please have your child wear a short-sleeved shirt and prepare them for the vaccination and waiting period.

RICHMOND LIBRARY
LIBRARY HOURS:

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 – 7:00
Saturdays 9:00 – 2:00

Don’t forget that WIFI is available in the Library parking lot.    
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THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE LIBRARY
Hotspots at the Richmond Library
Ever wish you could take the Internet with you? Borrow a library Hotspot! Please call the library for details. The Hotspots are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act grant and administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.
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HOW TO SIGN UP FOR WOWBRARY
If you would like to read an online magazine, just go to https://cwmars.overdrive.com/collection/184768 . You will need to sign in using your library card number. If you don’t know the number, please call the library.
 
The Boston Public Library has a lot to offer and you qualify because you live in Massachusetts! Interested, click here, https://www.bpl.org/online-resources/

You can sign up for a Boston Public Library eCard here: https://www.bpl.org/ecard/
Ancestry Library Edition
The Richmond Library is once again offering patrons access to Ancestry.com. Starting January 1st, patrons will only be able to access Ancestry in the library, using a library computer to search their family history. 
The Richmond Free Public Library
Offers museum passes for local museums on a first come, first served basis. Patrons may not reserve the passes. (The only exception to this rule is during the Hancock Shaker Village Baby Animal Days.) 

The passes admit 2-4 people per pass for free or discounted admittance. They are due back the next open library day by 9:30 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays and by 9:00 AM on Saturdays. 

Pass letters are given out for specific days and aren't reusable. Currently we have passes or letters for the following museums: Arrowhead, The Berkshire Botanical Garden, The Berkshire Museum, Chesterwood, The Clark, Hancock Shaker Village, Mass MoCA, The Mount and the Norman Rockwell Museum and The Trustees sites including Naumkeag and the Mission House and a pass to the Bidwell House Museum and to the Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio.
Please call the library for more information.  
Kristin Smith, Director, Richmond Free Public Library
2821 State Road, Richmond, MA 01254
PH. (413) 553-7795
South Berkshire Kids is excited to announce
…Hello Berkshire Baby!!
South Berkshire Kids has created a free baby literacy bag filled with board books and resources for parents of babies who were born in the past year. The literacy bags are available at the Richmond Library. Please call the library to pick up a bag for your little one!
Donate to Help Build our New Town Building 
with a New Home for the Library!
Help us continue to grow the amount we will contribute to the new home for our Richmond Library!
 
Gifts are tax deductible. Checks to fulfill promises should be submitted by October. New contributions are welcome and needed! Your checks should be made out to Friends of the Richmond Library and please mark your check — Building Fund send it to:
Richmond Free Public Library
2821 State Road 
Richmond, MA 01254
Attn: Friends of the Library
(413)553-7795
Living In Richmond









Police Department - Firearms Permits
During the Chief's absence from November 10, 2021 through April 15, 2022, all applications for firearms permits will be processed by Tracy Dunn.

Call Tracy at 413-884-2820 for an appointment. Your completed application and a check or money order,
payable to the Town of Richmond, are due at your appointment.

Chief Bullett will still be available at this time if you have any questions. He can be reached at 413-822-5971 or 413-698-2691.

Download application here.
NOTICE FROM THE FIRE CHIEF

Massachusetts General Law requires that all homes have 911 signs with the correct street address number posted at the end of the driveway and on the building. Call Fire Chief Steve Traver at 413-329-7153 to arrange for a sign. Signs cost $20.00 each.
Council on Aging - Transportation Program
We're back in business - Call if you need a ride
If you need a ride, please call (413) 553-7793. Give us a week's notice, tell us when and where you need to go, and we will provide you with that service. Click HERE for rate schedule and policies.

EXERCISE CLASSES - SCHEDULE

Monday - Yoga - 3:15 - 4:30 PM at the Church
Wednesday - Tai Chi - 3:15 - 4:15 PM at the Church
Thursday - Weights - 11:15 - 12:15 PM at Town Hall
Friday - Line Dance - 3:15 - 4:15 PM - at Town Hall

Call Christine at 413-243-2497 or email her at rfaber9@msn.com to sign up.
Useful Links
Please make sure you are registered for code red

Click the link to the left to be taken through the step-by-step process of creating an account.

If you don't have access to a computer call the Town hall and we will help.