Given this weather, doesn’t the thought of fast-forwarding into the middle of April or even May sound appealing?
Well, yes and no. Sure, maybe we won’t have mid-winter temperatures come mid-April, but I’d miss a few things that I love about this time of year.
For one, it’s getting to be prime seed-starting season. If you love this spring activity as much as I do, the Reading Public Library is here to help! They just launched a free Seed Library, which is housed in the drawers that used to hold the now-obsolete card catalog. Feel free to visit and pick out some seeds You don’t need to return what you borrow. There are no due dates for the seeds you check out. Take the seeds home, along with at least one seed-return envelope, and plant the seeds either indoors or directly into your garden when the time is right.
Later, at harvest time, if you decide to save some seeds, you can use the seed-return envelope. The library, not surprisingly, has information on how to harvest the seeds. The library sees this as a way for everyone to enjoy the gardening experience. Call 484-5588 if you have questions.
If I time traveled into April, I would miss the free Community Sing-Along, which will be happening at the library on Friday, March 30, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. (Editor’s Note: Lately, the library’s been a happening place!)
According to Tony Pikramenos, the librarian, there will be an hour of sing-along and a half hour of visiting with neighbors, though I suspect it will last longer. The library will provide refreshments. Tony says we’ll be singing from the Rise Up Singing songbooks. The library has some, but if you have a copy, please bring it with you. If you play an instrument, feel free to bring it to accompany the singing—and to drown me out. There will be a facilitator to help guide the group. Everyone’s welcome, even those who just prefer to listen. Again, 484-5588 is the number to call for more information.
By time traveling, I’d also miss the Reading Bunny Hop, which happens at 10am on March 31 at Bartley Field, with an alternate location, in case the field is too snowy, too muddy, or it is raining, at the Reading Elementary School.
The Reading Recreation Commission, which is sponsoring the event, will be stuffing the plastic eggs that our young, intrepid explorers will be hunting for, on Tuesday, March 27, at 6pm at Town Hall. It’s a quick job when there are lots of hands, so if you can lend yours, please come by and help out!
I’d be okay if I missed the deadline for getting a dog license because I don’t have one. If you have a furry canine companion—or several—you need to license your pet by April 1 to avoid a late fee. To obtain the license, you must have a copy of your dog’s current rabies vaccination certificate. The fee is $13 for male and female dogs that have all the parts and capabilities of making other dogs, or $9 for dogs that have been spayed or neutered. If you license your dog after April 1, add $2 for and $4 respectively to the fee.
Dogs that are under six months old don’t need to be licensed by April 1. However, when the pup does turn six months old, you must license it within one month.
Even without altering the time continuum, Adam Ameele and I have been having a hard time trying to connect. Since his election as a school director to the WCMUUD (I’m taking a break from spelling it out), serving alongside Tim Bishop, I’ve wanted to introduce him to the town through these pages. Usually, I like to do these mini-profiles for people who have recently moved to Reading. I decided to do one on Adam because though I’ve often heard his name, I’ve never met him.
Adam and his wife Kristen are both psychologists. They moved to Reading from Boston two weeks before Tropical Storm Irene and got an early feel for the benefits of small-town living when fellow residents they hadn’t officially met came to their aid after they experienced flooding from the storm. That was one more thing to like about the town in which they chose to live. That it felt like a sustainable place and they had easy access to outdoor recreation were other pluses.
Since they moved here, they’ve had two children Ethan, who is in kindergarten, and Naomi, who is now two and a half.
One of the things Adam and Kristen like about the experience their son is having at Reading Elementary School is that Ethan has become part of a larger family. At first, they thought it was a little odd that sixth graders had interaction with the kids in pre-K, but they realized that the contact and the bonds were similar to a caring relationship between older and younger siblings.
Adam is excited about the learning more about the unified district. He is also happy to be able to represent the concerns for all residents of Reading to the MUUD and to bring back and share what he has learned. He’s trying to figure out the best way to do that. When he does, I will be happy to share it here.
Happy Spring everyone! We made it here without time traveling. Now, if only spring weather would join us!
Happy birthday to Kim Allen and Hayley Thomas (March 23).