Sheffield Historical Society's New Exhibit

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Explore the region's boundaries of time and place from the 18th century through the 20th century in the exhibition "MAPPING OUR WAY INTO THE FUTURE." The display features maps large and small created by children, to surveyors, to professional mapmakers. Cartography, the art of mapmaking, has been around for centuries. The information one can glean from a map is more than just how to go from point A to point B, however. All sorts of information lies hidden in a map, waiting for you to ferret it out. Maps tell the story of individuals and of the development of their farms, homes, and businesses. How we protect those homes, for example, can be seen in a Civil Defense map from the 1940s. Surveying equipment, on loan from the collection of Henry Granger, is included in the exhibition. Other details, such as the expansion and contraction of a town, also lie within the boundaries of a map; "working the chains" was a yearly activity required of the town selectmen in the 19th century. Learn about this process and much more by visiting the exhibit, which is now on view in the Sheffield Historical Society's Old Stone Store through July 10. The Old Stone Store is located on the green in the center of Sheffield, (Route 7). Hours are Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tours of the 1774 Dan Raymond House are available Thursday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., (fee). The Mark Dewey Research Center is open Monday and Friday from 1:30 to 4 pm. and by appointment. For further information on Society programs, contact the Sheffield Historical Society, 159-161 Main Street, P.O. Box 747, Sheffield, MA 01257, (413) 229-2694 or email us at shs@sheffieldhistory.org.
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Lanesborough Fifth-Graders Win Snowplow Name Contest

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — One of the snowplows for Highway District 1 has a new name: "The Blizzard Boss."
 
The name comes from teacher Gina Wagner's fifth-grade class at Lanesborough Elementary School. 
 
The state Department of Transportation announced the winners of the fourth annual "Name A Snowplow" contest on Monday. 
 
The department received entries from public elementary and middle school classrooms across the commonwealth to name the 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service during the 2025/2026 winter season. 
 
The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during winter operations. 
 
"Thank you to all of the students who participated. Your creativity allows us to highlight to all, the importance of the work performed by our workforce," said  interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng.  
 
"Our workforce takes pride as they clear snow and ice, keeping our roads safe during adverse weather events for all that need to travel. ?To our contest winners and participants, know that you have added some fun to the serious take of operating plows. ?I'm proud of the skill and dedication from our crews and thank the public of the shared responsibility to slow down, give plows space and put safety first every time there is a winter weather event."
 
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