Neighborhood ALERT!

There have been some recent break-ins in the area. Please be aware and secure your cars and homes.

Leeds Pizza Party 2013

Date change!! March 2nd is the new tentative date for the Leeds Annual Pizza Party (March 9, an early proposed date, was printed in newsletter.) Please pass the new date on to your neighbors and friends. The Pizza Party has always been a fun way for Leeds folks to break the winter blues and warm spirits.

Come to the meeting on February 12 at 7:30 in the Leeds School teacher’s lounge and help us plan the party. There will be plenty of areas and opportunities to help with organizing. We will need people to locate raffle prizes, make desserts, pick up the pizzas, set-up and clean up crews, table decorations, etc. Bring your ideas and join the fun.

Proposed Zoning Changes in Bay State Village

The Leeds Civic Association and the Bay State Village Association are co-sponsoring a public forum Tuesday Jan 8, at 7PM at the Little Theater at NHS to review proposed zoning changes. The Planning Board has recommended significant reductions in frontage and lot size requirements which will allow additional housing in most neighborhoods in the city.

Senior planner Carolyn Misch will illustrate these changes using existing lots and buildings in Bay State Village and will answer questions and record comments. While examples to illustrate the changes will come primarily from Bay State Village the proposed changes will impact all neighborhoods,  and everyone is welcome to attend the forum. For more detailed information please visit the city’s website: www.northamptonma.gov/opd. Under “HOT TOPICS” click on “Proposed Residential District Changes. Look particularly at “Excerpts from The ZRC “ (Zoning Revisions Committee) and the dimensional changes to the URB (Urban Residential B). Almost all of Bay State is zoned URB. For information on the forum contact: Alex Ghiselin at: aghiselin@comcast.net.

Gazette Series about Leeds – Part 2

by Alice Manning, 1975, continued from Oct newsletter

The oldest citizens and those who had studied the history of the area told of its establishment, a fantastic, almost unbelievable tale. It seems that the hard times following the Revolutionary War left the economy in a miserable state and the treasury of the Commonwealth in an almost bankrupt condition. Unable to meet the demands for back pay for those who had served in the armed forces, and hard-pressed for a solution to the dilemma, the commonwealth fell back on the ancient custom of bestowing grants of land in lieu of wages. Many tracts of land in the western part of the state were given over at that time and many of the first settlers are said to have been the soldiers who were given these home lot grants instead of salary.

The first settler in Leeds is believed to be Calvin Clark who was born in the Justin Smith house on Elm Street in Northampton in 1770. Research has brought forth the fact that Calvin Clark was the fifth son of Deacon Elijah Clark who lived and died (1731 to 1791) in Northampton. Elijah Clark was a prominent man in town and in its military affairs. He served on many committees in connection with the revolutionary War and is listed as a lieutenant at Bennington. It is highly possible, then, that he took acreage in or nearby Leeds to compensate for money owed him.

At the age of 22, the year of his marriage, old records tell us that Calvin came into property owned by his father. Histories also tell us that in 1792 Calvin settled “about six miles west from the center of Northampton.  The house was built on the farthest direction toward Williamsburg” on what is now known as Audubon Road.Clark, and his young bride, settled into their new home near the narrow gorge on the banks of the Mill River and set the wheels in motion for the settlement of one of the most attractive little villages in New England.

To be continued …

Leeds Photo of the Month – February 2013

Leeds native, Michael Rockett, and friends play a brisk game of hockey at Dimock Pond. Read more

A Look at Leeds by Rowan Hodgson

Eight year old Rowan Hodgson created this video documentary of the Yankee Hill neighborhood as a summer video project (with a little help from Mom and Dad).

Leeds Photo of the Month – November 2012

Photo of the Nonotuck Silk Mill. Leeds HISTORY NIGHT was November 16th. The talk was led by Joel Emrick. Read more

Carving up a Storm…The Great Leeds Pumpkin Contest

A woman walked up to her stoop cradling in her arms some new purchase. She was overheard saying to her neighbor, “Look at this gourd. Doesn’t it look just like a RAT?” A boy walking home from Leeds School was overheard saying to his buddy, “This is the first year I get to carve!” The anticipation was building for the Great Leeds Pumpkin Contest which was held on the clear moonlit night of October 27th.

The new venue at Upland and Chestnut was ideal for the large gathering of Leeds folk who really know how to get into the spirit of Halloween. Cheering kids followed their pumpkins down the hill to see if theirs crossed the finish line first. Neighbors young and old criss-crossed the roadside pumpkin gallery to take in the creativity on display by our community and vote for their favorites. They saw four pumpkins transformed into a punk rock band, a space alien, a discoteque, a Las Vegas Elvis Presley, a gorilla face, a Good Night Moon Mouse House that offered a view through the window to a fully furnished room with a happy mouse family munching on
gummy bears and enjoying the glow of a working fireplace! One pumpkin was turned into a gorgeous full lipped lady with an autumn leaf hairdo, another an upside down pig face, five carved pumpkins stacked became a totem pole while eight in a row spelled out “Frankenstorm.” Pumpkin party revellers enjoyed homemade soups, baked potatoes with the fixins’ and other treats while listening to Shawn Gundersen’s line up of spooky tunes and comic banter.

Jim Montgomery of Grove Avenue won first prize for his delightful mousehouse and went home with the coveted rosemary apple pie baked by Ananda Lennox. The adorable trick-or-treating ghost with glowing eyes and mouth, and carrying a tiny pumpkin filled with candy corn was made by Anna Rosen and won first prize in the youth contest. Each and every pumpkin carved, decorated and displayed was ooohed and ahhhed over…including the RAT!

Thanks to the many helping hands and pumpkin carvers for making this event so fun!

A complete list of pumpkin winners and photographs can be viewed here.

Photo galleries of this event can be found here.

2012 Pumpkin Contest

A big moon-sized “thank you” to all the Leeds Pumpkin Carvers and families that made this event…well, a spectacular event! Without you, your efforts, and participation the night of October 27th would have been just another quiet evening on the corner of Upland and Chestnut. Instead, because Leeds people know how to give it up for a good party, we had over 50 pumpkin entries, yummy food, music, a crackling fire pit and of course as the the grand finale… Jim’s “famous blazing creation!”

And did I mention prizes?
Drum Roll…..And the winners are…

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Youth Pumpkin Carving Winners

1st Place Youth – TRICK OR TREATING GHOST by Anna Rosen
2nd Place Youth – BIG WHISKERED CAT by Ryan Cheevers
3rd Place Youth – FRANKENPUMPKIN by Leah Ansaldo

All youth winners received special treats and a $10 gift certificate to A2Z donated by Amy and Tom Quinn.
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Adult Pumpkin Carving Winners

1st Place Adult – GOODNIGHT MOON MOUSE HOUSE created by Jim Montgomery,
the lucky winner of the home made rosemary apple pie baked by Ananda Lennox.

2nd Place Adult – ELVIS THE PUMPKING by Justin O’Connor who won a bag of Northern
Spy apples, fancy Sam Smith Cider, and an apple cookbook donated by Heidi Stevens.

3rd Place Adult – DISCO PUMPKIN by Heidi Stevens, won the hefty 50 pound bag of farm
fresh potatoes with the creepy skeleton hand reaching out donated by Penny Geis.
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Pumpkin Roll

2012 Winner Owen Miller
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Candy Corn Guessing Jar

A tie between Ben O’Connor and Alex Rosen.
Random name grab (donated by Amy Quinn) gave the booty to Alex Rosen.
Nice math guys!
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Carver’s Participation Prize Drawing

A $25 gift certificate to Look Restaurant donated by Julie Akeret
Winner – Rowan Hodgson.
UPDATE:  Owen took his dad and brother out next morning for breakfast. Owen had buttermilk pancakes, side of sausage and hot chocolate. And oh… the pancakes had whipped cream on them. He sure is glad he carved in 2012!

THANK YOU to all the volunteers that worked their special magic contributing in one way or another:
Julie Akeret, Alice Baedecker, Sue Carbin, Stephy Choe, Pamela Cobb, Joel Emrick, Mary Lee Emrick, Penny Geis, Shawn Gunderson, Leslie Skantz-Hodgson, Ruth Ever Hale, Ananda Lennox, Jim Mias, Jean Miller, Jim Montgomery, Justin O’Connor, David Rondina, Brenda and Jim Ryan, Trisha Reidy, Kyle Schaller, Heidi Stevens, Amy Quinn and Tom Quinn.