GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community Science Workshop (GCSW) is open for regular activities Tuesday through Saturday, during which staff is calling “Summer Tinker Time Hours” this year.
The workshop, located at 45 El Camino Real, also operates as a cooling station for those needing to escape the heat on days with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees. A second cooling station is operated out of Patriot Park in Greenfield.
GCSW Director Jose Sanchez said in regular summers, the workshop could see 30 to 40 children coming in to build projects, play with science exhibits and tinker with tools. This year, however, he said only about 15 to 20 children currently stop by throughout any given day.
With the cooling station outside, Sanchez said an estimated 30 residents are using it on hot days, based on the case of water bottles at the beginning and end of the day.
The city’s cooling station was originally located at the Greenfield Civic Center, but was moved to the Science Workshop for a more central location and to have an area open to the public, since City Hall had been closed to the public earlier in the pandemic.
Sanchez said the cooling station at the Science Workshop sees residents come by who are leaving work or doing chores all day long. Anyone can simply stop by and get water and stand in the shaded canopy area outside the workshop.
“We keep our door open in case anyone has any questions or wants to come inside the building and just spend some time in the shade,” Sanchez said.
For youth wanting to take part in the summer tinkering hours, Sanchez explained that the staff is vaccinated, wears masks and makes sure to have windows and doors open for ventilation.
“It’s busy, but not as busy as we’re used to, especially for the summer,” he said about the lower attendance. “We’re hoping those numbers will continue to go back up as people find out that we’re open and they feel more confident they can go out and do stuff safely.”
Sanchez said the cooling station would be set up at the workshop every time Greenfield enters a hot day with temperatures above 90 degrees. With such weather typical in the region through September, he added they plan to run the cooling station every day it is needed.
