There has been an upgrade of the playground equipment at the Town Offices (a.k.a. the Alford School House). The Library Trustees have had the swing set painted, added a tree house and a slide for the enjoyment and use of the children. When you visit the Susan Smith Anderson Children’s Library in the Town Hall across the street, your children could use the playground then as well. (The Library is open Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.) This update to the playground equipment was accomplished through accumulated donations to the Library, no taxpayer funds were expended. Please stop by to check it out!

Spring is here and our annual children’s program is coming up! Each year we present a program selected by Librarian, Lois Milligan, and designed for the interests and enjoyment of our children (although past programs have also been thoroughly enjoyed by adults.)

This year we have scheduled an encore performance of “Wildlife Education with Bernie,” with wildlife expert, Bernadette Hoffman, who will inform and share live animals with a focus on species native to our area. (The baby bear cub was especially popular last year.) Although we are not, as yet, sure which animals she will bring this year, we are sure the audience will enjoy themselves. The program will be on Saturday, April 30, at 10:00 AM, at the Town Hall. It is free for all ages and we hope to see many of you there. Funding was provided through a grant from the Alford-Egremont Cultural Council.

In addition, our Librarian has applied for and been awarded a $2100 grant from the Rena Durkin Fund through the Friends of the Massachusetts Regional Library System. Alford’s Library Trustees met in January and decided to use the funds to begin building a collection of books on tape.

Also at the January meeting, the Trustees voted to approve a plan to update the playground equipment across from the Children’s Library at the Town Hall. The plan includes having the swing frame painted and purchase of new swings. It is hoped that once that has been completed, we will be able to add another piece of equipment, possibly including a slide. Over recent years, the Library has received donations intended to benefit our children, and we feel that we now have accumulated enough to accomplish this plan. The swing set had fallen into disrepair and we felt this would be an appropriate use of the donations. Beginning of the project now only awaits warmer weather.

As reported in the Selectmen’s notes, Alford residents now have access to the Mason Library in Great Barrington. Thank you to Great Barrington library officials, our Selectmen, and Town Counsel, Lucy Prashker for helping to arrange this.

Finally, a reminder that the Library has admission passes to the Clark Museum in Williamstown, the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, and The Mount in Lenox available for sign out to Alford residents. They can be borrowed and used for free admission for 2 adults . Children under 18 are also included in the free admission. The passes can be signed out during Library hours (between 10 – 12 AM on Saturdays) or by contacting Lois Milligan, Librarian. When done, they can be returned for use by others.

Karen Ketchen, Trustee