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From left, Greenfield Select Board members Mike Borden, Mason Parker, and Tom Bascom and Town Administrator Aaron Patt recognize outgoing Treasurer Katherine Heck’s 17 years of service to the town at Town Meeting on March 15. -
Greenfield Fire Chief Jeff LaCourse presents Jeremy Hall of Seven Hills at Crotched Mountain with an award for community partnership with the Fire Department at Greenfield Town Meeting. -
Jesseca Timmons
After a long, cold winter, Greenfield is ready for spring.
People in town are relieved that mud season wasn’t too bad this year. As always, Jim Morris and our DPW did a fantastic job. Voters supported funding another full time position at the DPW, which has made a huge difference.
Our 2025 Town Meeting was relatively tame, considering how bad property taxes are. Many people stood up to express their concerns that they will be priced out of town.
As most people know, the ConVal budget comprises the bulk of our property tax bill. At least one member of the public noted at Town Meeting that out that of all 50 states, New Hampshire provides the least funding for public education, shunting the burden to local property owners and local school boards to figure it out. Greenfield Select Board members have repeatedly encouraged people to get in touch with state lawmakers about our increasing property tax burdens, because there is only so much the town and the local school districts can cut from the budget and still pave roads, pay police officers, maintain buildings and educate children.
Also at 2025 Town Meeting, the Select Board recognized Katherine Heck for her long service to Greenfield. Katherine served as town treasurer for 17 years, served as our School Board representative during a challenging time for the district and has chaired countless fundraisers and committees in town over the years, since her kids were in preschool through their time at ConVal. We wish Katherine the best in her new ventures!
Fire Chief Jeff LaCourse presented Seven Hills at Crotched Mountain with a community service award for its generosity in partnering with the Greenfield Fire Department, including allowing the department to practice a burn and sharing use of the communications tower. Greenfield resident Jeremy Hall, director of facilities at Seven Hills, accepted the award.
Another big change for Greenfield is the news that the Parker family is moving out of Greenfield. Mason Parker, who served on the Select Board since 2021, has been instrumental in launching a redesign of Oak Park, and he was greatly appreciated by people in town for his always-calm demeanor at Select Board and Town Meetings. We wish all 11 members of the Parker family the best of luck and hope to still see them around town.
Looking ahead to spring, many Greenfield events are returning!
The second Greenfield Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Friends of the Greenfield Meetinghouse and Stephenson Memorial Library, is at 10 a.m. May 3 at Greenfield Elementary School. The bee is open to children age 7 to 17, and spellers can register at the library. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. and the event runs until noon. This year’s event will include an adult spelling bee as well! For information, contact greenfieldnhspellingbee@gmail.com. The event is a fundraiser for the Greenfield Meetinghouse construction project. To sponsor the bee, please go to greenfieldmeetinghouse.org/donate.
There is always a lot going on at the Stephenson Memorial Library. For events, check the library’s Facebook page, sign up for the newsletter by emailing Ella at director@stephensonlibrary.org or just stop by our beautiful, historic library. New events in April include a Monadnock Quilters’ Guild “Open Sew” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 5, Making Felted Eggs and Chicks with Julie Cyr from 2 to 4 p.m. April 12 and a Silent Book Club at Mi Corazon on from 6 to 8 p.m. April 22.
The Greenfield Farmers and Crafters Market reopens for the season on May 18 and will be open every Sunday morning through Aug. 31. This year’s market will include a local flea market, and young entrepreneurs are also welcome. Also at Oak Park this summer, Gabe Garcia is organizing a frisbee club, and there will be outdoor yoga at the park every Sunday at 9 a.m. For information about the Oak Park Farmers and Crafters Market or to register, find the links at facebook.com/oakparknhmarket.
If you are doing something interesting in Greenfield and would like to be featured in The Greenfield Beat, please contact Jesseca Timmons at jtimmons@ledgertranscript.com.