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HILLTOWN FAMILIES
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COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
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"Hilltown Families always keeps us informed as to what's going on in the valley! When boredom strikes during vacation week, we know where to go...Hilltown Families's blog or Facebook page to find out what extra special fun thing is going on!" - Angie Gregory (Northampton, MA)
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If you have any additional events, camps or classes to suggest, please feel encouraged to share on these free bulletin boards, or find out more about our enhanced publicity options.
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ENTER TO WIN
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SUMMER CAMPS & PROGRAMS IN WESTERN MA
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HILLTOWN FAMILIES SPONSORS
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HILLTOWN FAMILIES
eNEWSLETTER
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Community Service: Volunteering as a Family
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 | | Community clean up day at Greenfield Energy Park. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield) |
During the holiday season there was much discussion about community service opportunities families could participate in together. Now that spring has arrived, many parks are getting ready for the season with spring clean ups, an excellent time of the year for families to participate in community service together, while enjoying the outdoors.
This past Saturday, April 7th, Greenfield Energy Park had their spring clean up, and several families stopped by to volunteer their time and energy cleaning up the park.
This coming Saturday, April 14th, there are several more opportunities for families to participate in community service by volunteering their time to local clean up efforts.
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Families can participate together in community service at one of the many spring clean ups happening in the region. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
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Look Park in Florence is opening for the season, but the grounds need some attention! Bring your family and come to the park ready to work (BYO rake and gloves).
And just down the road, also in Florence, there will be a community work morning and tour of the new Beaver Brook/Fitzgerald Lake Greenway with the Broad Brook Coalition. Bring your family (and gloves!) and help clean up debris, fallen branches and tree limbs. There will also be a brief tour of the farm and artifacts that once occupied this area.
In Ashfield, families can join the Trustees of Reservation for a morning of trail maintenance at Chapel Brook. The Appalachian Mountain Club will be offering beginner climbing lessons too!
And in West Springfield, families can help clean up at Regan Park in the afternoon by raking grass, picking up trash, and removing debris left over from winter.
Do you know of a community service opportunity for families in Western MA? Tell us so we can share with families interested in volunteering with their kids in our community: hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
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RECENT POSTS
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- Suggested Events for April 14th-20th, 2012
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- Third Annual Sustainability Festival on the Common in Amherst
- Splash! A Day of Learning for Teens at Amherst College
- Magic Wings and ADHD
- Music Trekking: Andean Music for Spring
- 10 StoryWalks in Western MA
- A Year And Today in Paradise ❥ Comfort Spots in Northampton
- Q&A: Share Your Love for Your Local CSA
- HFVS Passover Episode with Guest DJ, Mama Doni (Radio Show/Podcast)
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BULLETIN BOARD
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  CLOTH DIAPERS: The Great Cloth Diaper Change Western Mass serves to promote the joys of cloth diapering, celebrate Earth Day, and break a World Record! Saturday. April 21st 11:30am at the Florence Community Center, 140 Pine Street, Florence, MA. Colorful cloth diapers galore! Local Eco-Conscious Vendors! Music! Door Prizes! Raffles! Come capture tons of excitement as we attempt to break the Guinness World Record™ of most number of diapers changed simultaneously. Doors Open at 11:30am. World Record Diaper Change Attempt will be at 12:30 sharp! If you don't already cloth diaper your baby EVEN BETTER! They will have diapers to borrow for the event and there will be demonstrations of various kinds of cloth diapers that are available.
 SUMMER CAMP: Adventure Camp: Four two-week sessions, June 25-August 17, 2012 The Bement School Summer Programs offer a preschool program and adventure day camp for boys and girls ages 15 months to 15 years. Adventure Camp provides a traditional day camp experience. Your child will participate in many activities to make his or her summer a memorable one. At the same time, parents can enjoy peace of mind knowing their child is in a safe and caring place. A sibling discount is available for siblings who enroll in multiple sessions. Bement School, Deerfield, 413- 475-3044. www.bement.org/summer. Optional services include: round-trip van transportation (Hadley, Northampton, Amherst), extended day supervision, enrichment programming, and bag lunches.
SUMMER CAMP: Adventures in Chinese: Two two-week sessions, July 16-Aug 10. Campers, ages 5-12 years, participate in activities designed to build vocabulary and confidence in speaking Mandarin Chinese. Campers will gain an understanding of Chinese art, culture and tradition. They will learn daily conversations in Mandarin including listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Bement School, Deerfield. 413-475-3044. www.bement.org/summer. Optional services include: round-trip van transportation (Hadley, Northampton, Amherst), extended day supervision, and bag lunches.
 SUMMER CAMP: Are you looking for a great summer experience for your kids? Check out our post Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA which highlights opportunities happening throughout the region. With a great variety of themes, there are many summer camp/programs your family can choose, including: farm & gardening, music, art, technology, nature, personal development, science, theater, sports, ballet, preK, college... as well as a good old fashion summer camp! Discover what's being offered near you, and find out how you can add a camp to this growing list too!
 SPONSORSHIP & ADVERTISING: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the work of Hilltown Families. See your event, camp, workshop, business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter! Find out more about our Enhanced Publicity options and how we can help with your marketing.
JOIN OUR TEAM OF CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Interested in becoming a Contributing or Guest Writer for Hilltown Families? We welcome writings that reflect the community building and educational efforts parents, teens, teachers, artists, activists and community leaders work towards and accomplish and how that affects, supports and empowers our families. All writing styles welcomed, including DIY posts, seasonal cooking, and community-based educational opportunities. Send your query to hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
CHEMISTRY: The Edwards Library in Southampton invites library patrons to begin their chemistry adventures at their library for the next few weeks. Beginning April 18th the Passport to Chemistry Adventure Program will be available to check out to families with kids ages 5-12yo for doing experiments at home. Kits may be check out for one week at a time and are available at the library until June. 413-529-9480. 30 East Street. Southampton, MA (LIBRARY PATRONS)
Jennifer Atkins writes, "The MA Sheep and Woolcraft Fair, which is held in Cummington on Memorial Day weekend every year, needs spinners for the very popular Drop-In Spinning area. We are looking for spinners willing to spend a couple of hours demonstrating their craft, and if they feel comfortable, helping people try it out. We will have some wheels available, or you can bring your own...Please contact Delia Nash if you could help out or would like more information... It is a fun way to help the fair be successful and to meet lots of interesting folks. 413-230-1458. bydelia@yahoo.com."
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| BEST BETS |
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15 Camps for Spring Vacation Week in Western MA
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Spring Vacation Week: April 16th-20th: Many students get April 16th-20th off from school, and parents will be looking for activities for their children to enjoy during the break. There are many opportunities to be found in the region, with several boutique options to choose from, including nature, art, sports, ballet, history, gymnastics, stewardship, outdoor adventures, among others. Check out our post,15 Camps for Spring Vacation Week in Western MA for some highlights of events and week long camp opportunities happening during Spring Vacation Week right here in Western MA. Some options are for the entire week, while others allow you to choose your days and have full day or half-day options. Then check out our comprehensive list of Weekly Suggested Events to see what's happening all week during Spring Break in Western MA... there are over 150 events and activities to choose from!
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| MARK YOUR CALENDARS |
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The Hilltown CDC's 6th Annual Hilltown Spring Festival will be on Saturday, May 12 at the Cummington Fairgrounds! Entertainment will include live music, workshops, artists & artisans, local food, family contra-dance, kids-made craft bazaar, Maypole, Morris Dancers, and much more!
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On Saturday, April 21st enjoy a pink-themed lunch and a performance of a musical version of the popular children's book, Pinkalicious! at Chandler's Restaurant at Yankee Candle in Deerfield, MA
And on Sunday, April 22nd, celebrate Earth Day at the Springfield Museums with live music (featuring environmentally-themed songs), free seedlings, a presentation on a birds of prey rehabilitation program, and displays from many local businesses, nonprofits, and initiatives - all Earth Day-themed!
Find out more at www.HilltownFamilies.org.
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CALL FOR KID CRAFTERS FOR THE HILLTOWN SPRING FESTIVAL
KIDS-MADE CRAFT BAZAAR
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 | | The Hilltown CDC's 6th Annual Hilltown Spring Festival will be on Saturday, May 12 at the Cummington Fairgrounds! 2,000 people are expected at the Hilltown Spring Festival this year and entertainment will include musical performances and workshops, exhibits by artists and craftspeople, displays by local businesses, food from local vendors, a family contra-dance, kids-made craft bazaar, children's activities and much more. |
The Hilltown CDC's 6th Annual Hilltown Spring Festival is on Saturday, May 12th
at the Cummington Fairgrounds. This will be the 3rd year the Kids-Made Craft Bazaar happens at the festival, spearheaded by Hilltown Families founder, Sienna Wildfield in 2010.
Children up to the age of 12 are invited to sell and bartered their hand-made crafts and arts... and each year it's a huge success! The Kids-Made Craft Bazaar allows children to participate directly in the Festival, rewards them for their creativity, and gives them some real-world experience showing and selling their work.
Kids ages 12 and younger are invited to participate! The Kids-Made Crafts Bazaar will be located in a central covered area on the fairground, and all crafts and art must be hand-made predominantly by children. Children will participate directly in the Festival as vendors, allowing for hands-on experience in showing and selling their crafts. Participants must be pre-registered and be able to bring their own tables (card table size) and chairs. The fee for child artists and crafters is $5. Registration forms must be filled out and returned with registration fee to the Hilltown CDC:
Only a certain number of children can be accommodated, so register early. One adult free pass will be provided for each exhibitor. If there are questions, call Seth Isman at 413-296-4536 x12 or email sethi@hilltowncdc.org.
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HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW: Spring Episode with Guest DJ, Charity Kahn.
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Next week the Pop Ups guest DJ the Hilltown Family Variety Show!
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HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW: This week we are rebroadcasting our Spring Episode from last year with guest DJ, Charity Kahn.
Families have several ways to tune in to the Hilltown Family Variety Show:
Streaming Audio: Surf on over to ValleyFreeRadio.org on Saturday (9-10am) & Sunday (7-8am) mornings and listen to us live via streaming audio.
On Your FM Dial: Tune in to WXOJ 103.3FM if you live near Northampton, MA.
Podcast: Listen to the most recent episodes of the Hilltown Family Variety Show anytime you wish! Click here to see our current select of episodes, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast too!
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HILLTOWN FAMILIES: A TRAVELING PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT
| | "Hilltown Families: A Traveling Photography Exhibit of Life and Landscape in Western MA" will In at Treehouse in Pittsfield in June, the Cummington Community House in July, Westhampton Library in August, and River Valley Market Co-op in Northampton in November.
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SPONSORSHIP & ADVERTISING
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 Serving Western Massachusetts since 2005, Hilltown Families supports development and enhancement of our local economy and community! Local businesses, individuals, schools and non-profits are invited to Sponsor and Advertise with Hilltown Families. Let us help get the word out about your class, event, camp, workshop, fundraiser, business or announcement. Deliver your message to thousands of families living throughout Western Massachusetts while supporting the work of Hilltown Families. Email hilltownfamilies@gmail.com for more information, or click here. |
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Hilltown Families' Blog was voted as Best Local Blog in the Valley Advocate Best of the Valley Readers' Poll for 2011!
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Hilltown Families is an online grassroots communication network serving thousands of families living in the four counties of Western MA. Through a dynamic web site, social networking, listserv, radio show/podcast, online bulletin boards, and collaborations with civic and nonprofit groups, Hilltown Families connects people and organizations in the widespread communities of Western MA. With your support, we help area residents to share ideas, organize activities, support their children's education and increase participation in community life. We welcome your participation and feedback at anytime.
Warm regards, |
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TICKET GIVEAWAY
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CactusHead Puppets present "The Emperor's New Clothes" during April Vacation week at the The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art ... and Hilltown Families has a family 4-pack of tickets and museum passes to giveaway!
To enter to win, hit "reply" to this email with "CactusHead" in the subject line and your name/town in the email. From everyone who enters to win by 12noon on Sunday we will randomly draw one lucky entry to receive a pair of tickets!
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