After hosting three separate budget hearing sessions with each department in the city, the City Council approved the mayor’s fiscal year 2026 budget on June 26 for $276.2 million, an increase of 6.4% from FY25.
SEE PAGE 4
Shirley Arriaga works toward four-day work week for state
State Rep. Shirley Arriaga is looking to implement a four-day work week in Massachusetts that will initially take place in the form of a pilot program.
SEE PAGE 4
HOLYOKE:
Holyoke working on plans to utilize opioid settlement funds to help those in need
Members of the community, service providers and people with lived experience are invited to join the Opioid Response Management Team at the Community Needs Assessment Kick Off meeting on Tuesday, July 15. This meeting will serve as a planning session to discuss the upcoming survey work, outreach and community needs assessment.
SEE PAGE 5
Summer concerts return to Summit House
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
SOUTH HADLEY — The
Friends of the Mount Holyoke Range, a nonprofit environmental conservation organization founded in 1982, began the Summit House Sunset Concert Series in 1987, which is hosted in Skinner State Park’s historic Summit House. This year marks the series’ 38th year.
The concert series will take place on five successive Thursdays this July. The series will feature several local bands, which began on July 3 with the Hilltown Ham Hocks.
The Valley Strummers will perform on July 10, the Dixieland Stomp will perform on July 17, the Northampton Woodwind Quintet will perform on July 24 and Old Country Road will conclude the series on July 31.
Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 the day of the show. All tickets are available online at friendsofmhr.org.
Friends of Mount Holyoke Range Concert Series Organizer
Dave Meuser said the group recommends buying tickets online in advance, as the series has grown in popularity and concerts often sell out.
However, weather permitting, the Friends of Mount Holyoke Range also makes available 60 extra “Porch Tickets” on the day of the show, and the music can clearly be heard outside. Guests can bring their own folding chairs, and there’s a few benches and rocking chairs as well.
Through its partnership with Kestrel Trust, all proceeds will go toward the Friends’ ongoing mission of promoting local land conservation, raising environmental awareness and supporting the local arts and community.
The Valley Strummers concert
on July 10 will feature the revival of the Summit House’s own 1919 Mehlin & Sons vintage upright piano, newly restored by Dick Damon and played by special guest pianist Darby Wolf.
Meuser talked about the restoration process of the piano and said, “It has not been played for decades, and has sat under a ‘Please Do Not Touch’ sign for no one knows how long. To my amazement, I broke the rule and tried it out, only to find it mysteriously in near-perfect tune. There were some minor technical issues, but nothing that seemed insurmountable.”
Meuser said he reached out to Damon, who he referred to as “a walking encyclopedia of vintage piano knowledge and an avid sail-
or with his own sailboat in Narragansett Bay.” When Meuser cold-called Damon about the repair in May, he was sailing with his wife, and we had a nice long chat as he floated along. The piano is now fully restored and will make its 21st century debut on July 10, played by Wolf with The Valley Strummers.
Meuser also described being able to organize this concert series for the past decade as “one of the greatest and unexpected joys of my life.”
He stated, “When the Friends of the Mount Holyoke Range invited me to run their series after booking the traditional Irish band I played in, I was honored and thrilled. I love many genres of music and saw this as a way to show-
case the diverse local talent that calls our area home. And of course the building itself, in my view, stands unrivaled in our region as a profoundly scenic, historic gem, with remarkable acoustics. This series brings the Summit House to life in the present.”
For anyone who’s never been to the concert series or Summit House in general, Meuser said, “Summit House concert is truly an experience like no other. Arrive early, bring a picnic supper, camp out on the porch or on the picnic grounds, lose yourself in the music, and take in the sunset all the way to the horizon. For years, I’ve watched friends and families make memories here; it’s all so delightfully majestic and simple all at once.”
Aerial view of the Summit House where the Summer Concert Series takes place. Reminder Publishing submitted photo
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So That Reminds Me: Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
On the latest episode of “So
That Reminds Me” Kristen Neville, Blues to Green executive director, sat down with hosts Dennis Hackett and Lauren LeBel to talk all about the upcoming Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival that takes place on July 11 and 12.
This year marks the 12th annual Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, which Neville described as an event that “draws people from diverse cultural and socioeconomic background together for performances of jazz, blues, Afro-Caribbean, funk and global roots artists.”
Some of this year’s headliners include Endea Owens and the Cookout, El Laberinto del Coco and Merging Roots.
There is a recommended ticket donation for the indoor performances. The proceeds help support the festival and organization.
“We try to have this be as accessible as possible so people of all walks of life can attend and have access to incredible music and arts experiences, so those who have the means to make a donation helps just keep it accessible and keep it going and enable us to do it year after year,” Neville stated.
There will also be local performers, arts vendors, local food vendors and family art activities in downtown Springfield centered around Stearns Square.
The festival will also feature an indoor venue with programming at the new Hope Center for the Arts, formerly CityStage, at 150 Bridge St.
“So, we’ll have programming indoors at that center throughout the day so people can move throughout the area from Stearns Square through Tower Square Park and over to the Hope Arts Center,” Neville said.
Neville explained that the creation of this event was due to be-
ing married into a musical family from New Orleans who toured around the country and the world for many years. Neville is the wife of the late Charles Neville, who performed with his siblings as the famed R&B group, the Neville Brothers.
After returning to her native Western Massachusetts, Neville said she wanted to start an organization that uses music and the arts to bring people together and help promote positive environmental and social change.
She connected with other people in the Springfield area already working in the arts who were interested in bringing a festival back to the downtown area.
The nonprofit Blues to Green was created and was inspired by the life and music of Charles Neville.
The first Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival was hosted in 2014 and Neville said it has been going “strong” ever since.
She also talked about how the festival has grown and said the festival was hosted at Court Square through 2019 and was virtual in 2020.
When the festival took place again in-person, it was relocated to the Stearns Square area.
Over the years, the festival has evolved from one stage to two stages and now has an indoor venue as well for programming and nighttime performances.
Neville said The Hope Center for the Arts will provide different opportunities and called it a “state-of-the-art facility.”
The center installed a new sound system, a large screen behind the stage and various studio spaces for arts and video production.
“We’re trying to spotlight what that center has to offer so we have an immersive, art, tech, experience with this band coming from New Orleans so that should be pretty cool with the music and visuals and some other things that
we have brewing for that space.”
Neville also talked about how the new location benefits not only her organization but also the city. She said, “We were able to integrate the festival more with the surrounding businesses and support them by drawing visitors right to their front door.”
Blues to Green also recently started a new program called the Legacy Education Project which was inspired by Charles Neville, who died in 2018.
“The idea for this program was to bring various artists whom have performed at the festival into the public schools for residencies — which are usually three days — and they’re artists
of African and Caribbean descent who shared their life stories and lived experiences and their cultures and music and they’re sort of role models for these young people whose own families and communities reflect these artists or vice versa and be able to see themselves reflected in these artists that they can do this,” Neville explained.
For more information about the upcoming festival or about the organization, readers can visit bluestogreen.org.
To hear the full conversation, head to thereminder.com/ our-podcast or search for “So That Reminds Me” on your favorite podcasting platform.
Blues to Green Executive Director Kristen Neville (middle) joined “So That Reminds Me” hosts Lauren LeBel (left) and Dennis Hackett (right) on the latest episode.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour returns for 19th year
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
The Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour is returning for its 19th year later this month, offering another unique art experience.
On the last weekend of every July, the Hilltown 6 potters and their guest artists invite the Western Mass. community into their studios to witness ancient art in action during the Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour.
This year’s tour will be on Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The tour is free and open to the public.
Potters will welcome attendees to watch as they showcase various techniques and materials with scheduled demonstrations and participatory events throughout both days. The artists will share how they shape earth into beautiful and distinct objects.
“The tour allows our guests to see the variety of functional ceramics being made right here in this community, in the fascinating settings where potters work,” said the Hilltown 6 in a joint statement about their history available on their website. “The itinerary offers an invitation to get out into some lovely backcountry — potters tend to thrive in secret hollows and on quirky hilltops.”
One of the original Hilltown 6 members, Mark Shapiro, told Reminder Publishing the tour was born almost two decades ago after he and other potters came together to brainstorm how they could recreate a local version of a popular pottery tour they learned of in Minnesota.
“We had been guest potters on that tour,” said Shapiro. “So, we saw that, and we saw how successful the tour was in Minnesota and we were kind of like well, what are we waiting for. Let’s take control of how our pots are seen and how the process of acquiring them happens. I think what’s real-
ly significant to me about that is people get the chance to experience the work where it’s made and meet the person who made it.”
During the tour, visitors will watch as clay artists craft teapots, vases, pitchers and more from start to finish. They will also see artists throw pots on a foot-powered treadle wheel, walk inside a giant wood-burning kiln and taste fresh bread baked in a ceramic flame-proof cloche.
“It’s a very different sense of consuming something whereas when you buy something that can be made anywhere — do you know where your T-shirt is made, or who made it? So, it’s a fairly unique experience to use and acquire something that you actually go to the place where its made and you meet the person who actually made it with their own hands,” added Shapiro. “So that struck us all as a very powerful and a different model for how we could go forward in our careers and our lives.”
The Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour makes for a family-friendly weekend spent traversing the scenic hills that rise out of the Pioneer Valley and taking in all that
the hilltowns have to offer. Happening during the peak of New England’s picturesque summer, visitors will also encounter farmstands and small businesses supplying the locally grown bounty of the season, from fresh eggs to homemade preserves, to artisanal brews.
The event has only grown over the years, added Shapiro, and they continue to work entirely as a cooperative organization. As popularity has grown, so have efforts to improve on the event and add to it. One example of a successful addition to the experience is the rolling demonstrations at each studio during the tour where people can see firsthand demonstrations on a pot or theme the artist is interested in.
“It’s another way of deepening the experience. You buy a pot, end up using it a few times. You remember, ‘Oh, I know how that was made. I saw how that was made.’ That changes the experience of owning and using and so that’s been really great and I’m really happy that we’ve done that and it works really well,” said Shapiro.
This year, the Hilltown 6 is
celebrating the event’s community spirit by donating a portion of each artist’s proceeds to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Visitors to the 2025 pottery tour will not only get to experience the close-knit feel of the hilltowns and support local artists, but they will also help put food on the tables of those most in need.
Shapiro added that with the rise of food insecurity being felt in communities everywhere, raising funds in support of the Food Bank was a no brainer for the Hilltown 6.
“I feel like it’s a very positive response to the cuts that we’re seeing. We want to stand with people who are less fortunate than we are who might not have access to the kind of food security that we enjoy,” said Shapiro. “There’s also a natural thing about pots and food. We’re potters, we make pots for people to put their food on. It’s kind of natural association I think to want to support something like that because so much of our thinking is around how people eat and making that a positive cultural experience. Having a sense of abundance. So, anything we can do to support those institutions is
very timely right now.”
With the combined beauty of handcrafted art and the Western Mass. landscape, the tour has become a nationally recognized event. In past years, the event has drawn company from all corners of the state, as well as New York, Boston, Hartford, Albany and beyond.
The Hilltown 6 is a group of now eight nationally renowned potters based in the Hilltowns all within 45 minutes of Northampton. The group features Shapiro, Robbie Heidinger, Christy Knox, Maya Machin, Michael McCarthy, Hiroshi Nakayama, Constance Talbot and Sam Taylor. This year’s tour will also feature 18 guests from around the country.
For a complete demonstrations schedule, a map of studios, information on artists and more, visit hilltown6.com.
“What we do is we kind of make something from nothing. We take earth, or dirt, and we turn it into these useful and potentially beautiful things and that strikes me as a very if not noble, a certainly worthy endeavor at this moment,” said Shapiro.
Work done by some of the various artists featured in the upcoming 19th annual Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour.
Photo credit: Hilltown 6, the Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour
CHICOPEE
Chicopee approves $276.2 million FY26 budget
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
CHICOPEE — After hosting three separate budget hearing sessions with each department in the city, the City Council approved the mayor’s fiscal year 2026 budget on June 26 for $276.2 million, an increase of 6.4% from FY25.
The City Council met with each department on June 23, 24 and 26, after Mayor John Vieau submitted his recommended budget for approval on June 2.
The school budget was approved for $131.6 million, a 2.2% increase from FY25. Chapter 70 funding is set to increase by approximately $6.5 million from FY25 to a total of $100 million, and city contribution is also set to increase by $1.3 million, for a total of $36.4 million, which
represents a total contribution of $136 million.
Mayor John Vieau talked about the construction of the school budget and said, “I commend our school Superintendent Dr. Marcus Ware for his difficult task of being creative about how to still deliver top tier education to our students, while also dealing with the reality that ESSER funds are gone. Dr. Ware, myself and our mutual finance teams also recognize that the current federal administration has taken and may continue to take away funding that we have relied on in the past.”
The largest budget driver in the FY26 budget comes from the Human Resources budget with an increase of approximately $3.4 million, primarily due to rising health insurance costs.
Other significant increases in the general fund were driven by the Police Department budget with an increase of $3.3 million, largely due to technology and collective bargaining, according to Vieau.
Vieau talked about the budget drivers which he said shows his dedication to certain areas within the city.
He said, “This budget not only reflects our prioritization of public safety and education, but also our commitment to the city’s financial future. Chicopee and many other municipalities are coming off the cliff of having budgets boosted by COVID-19 related ARPA and ESSER funds. We cannot sustain the level of spending we saw in the post [COVID-19] years, and this budget is the first step in reconfigur-
ing our spending.”
The FY26 water and sewer budgets, which are self-supporting departments funded by their own user fees, reflect an increase of $530,887 and an increase of $530,656, respectively.
Vieau also had a message to
the taxpayers about the construction of this year’s budget. He stated, “We can’t simply raise taxes to solve every problem, like some other communities might be able to. Chicopee is
Shirley Arriaga works toward four-day work week for Massachusetts
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
CHICOPEE — State Rep. Shir-
ley Arriaga is looking to implement a four-day work week in Massachusetts that will initially take place in the form of a pilot program.
The bill, currently referred to as H.2065, will establish the Massachusetts Smart Work Week Pilot Program. This program will provide businesses with guidance on implementing a four-day work week and tax incentives to encourage participation.
Bill H.2065 ensures that the pilot program will run for a minimum of two years, collecting interviews, surveys and financial data from participating businesses to determine whether or not the program is successful.
Arriaga stated why she is helping work on this bill and said, “We’re doing this because the families in Massachusetts, the families in this country, have so much on their plate. We’re
working more than we’re living, and this bill is going to address that.”
The four-day work week has been linked to positive impacts on mental health, quality of work and business operations. Several other countries have already implemented this system, such as Australia, Sweden, South Africa and Brazil. Arriaga talked about more of the benefits of a four-day work week for workers and said, “We hope to see an influx in productivity within the work environment, as it would reduce professional burnout. It also gives workers an additional day for medical appointments, caring for loved ones, attending family events, or even pursuing a second job. In turn, it creates a more well-rounded individual who is not only more productive and creative, but also less likely to experience mental and physical health issues.”
Besides benefiting the workers, the Chicopee Democrat said the businesses can benefit from
this bill because “businesses would benefit from their employees taking fewer days off for appointments, and this bill was crafted to truly serve both businesses and workers by increasing productivity across the commonwealth. Additionally, businesses will see lower operational costs, higher staff retention, reduced burnout and an overall increase in productivity. Ultimately, it would create a healthier workforce that’s more loyal and willing to stay.”
Bill H.2065 was heard by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development on June 10, with recommendations from the committee to be released on July 12.
Arriaga discussed the potential timeline with the bill and when it could be implemented if passed. She said within one year of the bill’s enactment, the executive office will begin accepting applications from employers who wish to participate.
“They’ll carefully select a diverse range of businesses, in-
cluding those owned by women, veterans and individuals with disabilities,” Arriaga said.
These businesses will enter into agreements to implement the four-day work week without reducing employees’ pay or benefits. The executive office will continuously gather data through surveys, interviews and economic analysis at the start, midpoint and end of the two-year pilot.
Employees will have the option to opt out, ensuring the process is flexible and inclusive.
If approved, this pilot program doesn’t automatically switch every business to a fourday work week, but it offers an opportunity for businesses that choose to join the pilot for at least three years.
Arriaga said businesses who choose to join the program will receive tax subsidies to ensure they don’t face increased operational costs or funding losses.
“The goal is to gather U.S.based data and demonstrate that this model truly works, rather
than relying solely on examples from other countries. It’s not mandatory for everyone, but my hope is that we’ll all eventually adopt this more modern and smart approach to our workday,” Arriaga explained.
Arriaga urges anyone who supports this bill to contact their representatives to encourage them to co-sponsor.
Arriaga concluded, “This legislation will serve as an example of what we can look forward to. It’s time to modernize our workday structures and ensure our working families have better opportunities to be present, earn a livable income, and remain healthy, sane and happy. After all, our job is to ensure everyone here has the best opportunities and tools at their disposal, and that’s exactly what this bill is aiming to provide — a more balanced approach for all.”
Readers can contact Arriaga’s office with any questions at 617722-2305 or Shirley.Arriaga@ mahouse.gov.
Lawmakers deny bid to shine light on public payroll records
By Sam Drysdale State House News Service
BOSTON — House negotia-
tors have again discarded a Senate-backed proposal to require quasi-public agencies to make their payroll data publicly available.
Senate Republican Minority
Leader Bruce Tarr has pushed for the reform for years, aimed at increasing transparency at several dozen agencies that receive taxpayer funding but operate largely out of public view.
The Senate adopted Tarr’s amendment to its fiscal year 2026 budget to require quasi-public entities to post their employees’ payroll
data on the comptroller’s website.
For the second year in a row, however, the Senate-backed proposal died quietly in conference committee negotiations with the House. “This is a tremendous missed opportunity. We should be looking for every opportunity to add transparency to this budget,” Tarr told the News Service.
About a dozen of quasi-state agencies voluntarily reported 2024 payrolls to the state comptroller’s website.
Tarr has a bill (S 2220) on the topic as well and it received a recent hearing before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
The City Council discusses and approves the mayor’s FY26 budget during its meeting on June 26.
Photo credit: ChicopeeTV
Holyoke working to utilize opioid settlement funds
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
HOLYOKE — Members of the community, service providers and people with lived experience are invited to join the Opioid Response Management Team at the Community Needs Assessment Kick Off meeting on Tuesday, July 15 at noon, at the first floor City Hall Conference Room, 536 Dwight St.
Mayor Joshua Garcia said in a social media post that this meeting will serve as a planning session to discuss the upcoming survey work, outreach and community needs assessment.
Lunch will be provided. Readers are asked to RSVP to zoellera@holyoke.org or call 413-322-5610.
This meeting comes after Garcia approved the Opioid Fund Management Plan, developed by Holyoke’s Office for Community Development, which is a document that outlines the community engagement process, the allocation of funds process, the timeline and the financial management of the funds.
The Opioid Settlement Fund Management Plan can be found at tinyurl.com/4699trrt.
The community needs assessment, and the allocation processes will be modeled after Holyoke’s HUD Community Development Block Grant program, which emphasizes community engagement and transparency in the award of funds.
The Office for Community Development will be responsi-
ble for the allocation and fiscal management of the program and the Board of Health will be assisting with the community needs assessment.
The city of Holyoke is one of the municipalities who will be receiving legal settlements the state’s attorney general completed with pharmaceutical companies and opioid distributors who were complicit in aiding the opioid crisis.
The settlement meant that these companies would allocate funds directly to the state’s municipalities and the funds would be used to address harm done to residents, driven by the needs of each community.
Garcia stated, “Investigations conducted by the MA Attorney General’s Office brought to light
the egregious actions that these companies committed by knowingly misleading patients and doctors about the addictive nature of opioids, filling suspicious drug orders due to a lack of diversion controls, negligently dispensing opioids, and deploying deceptive marketing campaigns designed to influence providers to prescribe more opioids, to more patients, for longer periods of time.”
Over $50 billion in Opioid Settlement Funds have been awarded across the country to state and local governments because of litigation and the national settlement between the commonwealth of Massachusetts and the opioid industry.
Massachusetts decided to allocate 40% of those settlement
funds to cities in towns across the state from 2021 to 2038.
In 2024, Holyoke received nearly $427,000 in total. Holyoke is estimated to receive a total of $3.6 million through fiscal year 2039.
Holyoke is also utilizing resources available at Care: Massachusetts to ensure Holyoke’s program provides the maximum benefit to the community and is consistent with the Massachusetts State-Subdivision Agreement for the Statewide Opioid Settlement.
The 2025 Holyoke Opioid Calendar can also be found at Holyoke.org to find key dates for the community needs assessment and distribution of the opioid settlement funds over the next few months.
By Sam Drysdale State House News Service
BOSTON — The Legislature recently agreed to use nearly $500 million in surtax revenue to deliver a major boost to K-12 school funding, a move that some see as fulfilling the voter-approved mission of the tax on high earners while others warn it strays from the original promise of funding new education and transportation initiatives.
The budget that lawmakers sent to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk a week ago includes a $496 million expansion to the state’s Chapter 70 funding that provides education revenue for local school districts. The money is being drawn from revenue generated by the 4% surtax on annual income over $1 million, approved by voters in 2022 through a ballot question, also called the Fair Share Amendment.
That single line item (15962450) accounts for just more than 20% of the $2.4 billion in surtax spending lawmakers agreed to for the fiscal year 2026 budget. It represents a shift in how that revenue is being used — and it has drawn mixed reactions even among the groups that campaigned for the surtax in the first place.
“This budget was crafted with concern over what is going on at the federal level,” Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page said, referring to anticipated cuts from Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration. Though the union previously warned against using surtax
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funds to replace routine and recurring education spending, Page said this year’s context made the decision more understandable.
“But, importantly, we certainly would hope that this much to fulfill the SOA wouldn’t be a part of next year’s budget,” he said, referring to the 2019 Student Opportunity Act, which is phasing in more than $1.5 billion in additional funding for districts over seven years. “The way it’s been working, which we really approve of, is the regular budget funds the SOA investments, and we can do new investments like higher minimum aid, universal school meals, capital fund investments, through Fair Share.”
The FY26 budget increases Chapter 70 funding by $460 million over the previous year, according to the Senate Ways and Means Committee — and funds that increase with surtax dollars. In addition to supporting the fifth year of SOA implementation, the $496 million line item for so-called SOA expansion also includes a sharp increase in minimum per-pupil aid, from $104 to $150.
In past budgets, similar increases to Chapter 70 were paid for through general state revenues. The shift this year raised red flags for those who view the surtax as a way to go above and beyond standard funding obligations.
“Voters overwhelmingly approved the Fair Share Amendment to enable new investments in public education and trans-
not a wealthy city. We’re a hardworking community that has to make every dollar count. That’s why I’m proud that with these city and school budgets, we have taken meaningful steps and have produced a responsible budget to protect the taxpayers while supporting essential services. For Chicopee to continue to grow and thrive, we must focus on long-term sustainability-and this decision is grounded in that principle. We need to make choices that benefit our community not just today, but well into the future.”
portation — not to plug existing budget gaps,” said Bahar Akman Imboden, director of the Hildreth Institute, a research center focused on equity in higher education. She said she was “disappointed” to see nearly $500 million “being used to backfill” K-12 spending.
Imboden warned that reallocating surtax revenue to cover existing commitments could undermine recent progress in spending surtax dollars on higher education, which has included making community colleges free and financial aid expansions.
Those initiatives are continued in this budget, but she warned, “without corresponding investments in campus capacity, student supports, and infrastructure, the gains we’ve made in encouraging more Massachusetts students to pursue higher education will falter.”
About 11% of the surtax revenue in the FY26 budget is allocated to higher education, according to the Hildreth Institute — a roughly $5 million decrease from the previous year. On average, higher education line items saw a 0.5% increase in the FY26 budget, the institute noted. In previous years, surtax funds have been used to launch major new programs like universal free school meals, fare-free Regional Transit Authorities and free community college for all Massachusetts residents. Those are continued in the FY26 budget. Groups who backed the surtax saw those programs as examples of using the money for “supplementing, not supplanting” existing spending on education and transporta-
VALLEY BLUE SOX VS DANBURY WESTERNERS
BASEBALL
REMINDER SPORTS PHOTOS TAKEN BY DEREK WESLEY
The Valley Blue Sox hosted the Danbury Westerners on June 30 at Makenzie Stadium. The Blue Sox’s bullpen was struggling throughout the game giving up 6 runs in the second inning. The game ended with the Blue Sox coming up short 4-13.
Kai Cunningham makes an off balance throw to first base.
Nicholas Spaventa makes contact for an RBI.
Michael Elko makes a run after putting the ball in play.
Mike Lucarelli puts the bat on the ball.
Michael Elko camps under the fly ball.
Wyatt Hunt makes a run for first base.
Riley WWilliams delivers the pitch off the mound.
Jack Niedringhaus comes in relief for the Blue Sox.
Jack Levine delivers the pitch off the mound.
Judi LeBel Continuing A Family And Community Legacy
Big E’s Supermarket co-owner Judi LeBel continues to run the Easthampton business founded by her father in the 1970s.
Big E’s has served the greater Easthampton community since 1977 when LeBel’s father Ed Corbeil founded the location. LeBel said she remembers learning many valuable life lessons from her father, both in the house and in the supermarket, as she often saw firsthand his work in the community.
LeBel said while her dad ran a local business, being a grocer offered many overlaps in making bonds with the community and being an active leader within it. Not only was the operations of running a business a valuable education for LeBel, being a community partner and connecting with the public served showed community connection people are not always aware of.
“We’re very close to the people. Easthampton is great,” said LeBel.
Through the examples set by her father, LeBel learned what it means to not only be a business partner in the community, but also how to grow ties and relationships within. Since the business was turned over to her and now retired co-owner Michael Superson, LeBel said she has remembered these lessons and has maintained Big E’s role in being a community partner through and through.
Whether it is the straight operations of the grocery store or experience of what is required to also be present in your communtiy, LeBel said her father helped shaped her approach in it all.
“We try and support as much as we can whether it’s little league, sports, community events, churches, schools,” LeBel said.
Running the store just naturally leads to more face-to-face interaction and relationship building with customers, LeBel added, and said over time those connections only strengthen.
“I think being independent to a smaller store lets you cater more to customers, know who they are at a personal level and really try to fill that niche. Even with employees it’s not this strict rigor. We’re like a family,” LeBel said of the family business atmosphere.
Prior to getting in the family business, LeBel’s passion was teaching. She was a first grade teacher for a handful of years prior to her father purchasing another grocery store location in Westfield and looking to her if she would be interested in helping.
“I had to make a decision, go teach my little first graders or come help dad. So, I came to help dad,” LeBel shared. “It wasn’t easy because I loved teaching, but it was to help the family and get the front end going [at the new location] so I felt a responsibility.”
After the career change, LeBel was back with her father gaining the firsthand work and life experience that she would need when eventually taking over operations in 1997 and now alone for the past several years.
A core staple of the Easthampton community as a grocer and community leader, LeBel added she is thankful to be surrounded by the community she is in and to feel the connection she has with them through the services provided by Big E’s.
“It’s a great partnership. We would not be here without them so we try to do the best we can for them,” said LeBel of the Easthampton community. In celebration of Independent Retailer Month, Reminder Publishing is highlighting independent business owners in the Pioneer Valley who have made a positive impact and contributions to the community. For more, visit thereminder.com.
in the face of economic uncertainty, tighter general revenues, and a difficult fiscal year for most school districts around the state.
tion through general revenue.
In the first budget cycle after the surtax passed, the MTA issued an analysis praising the Legislature’s approach.
“Importantly, Senate Ways and Means, the House and the governor use Fair Share Amendment revenue in the FY24 budget only for new programs and expenditures,” the union wrote. “Regular annual increases for state programs, including a $595 million increase for Chapter 70 and more than $62 million for Special Education Circuit Breaker, are funded out of general state revenue — not Fair Share revenue.”
This year’s decision breaks from that precedent. But a policy analyst from a think tank that backed the surtax campaign says the change was likely necessary
“There are more new things you could do if you weren’t using so much of it for Chapter 70, so it’s hard to see in isolation. It’s complicated,” said Colin Jones, deputy policy director at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center.
“But this year when we hear talk about things like the impact of the trade war, tariffs, the economy and the federal budget, they’re building flexibility with this maneuver to increase Fair Share to cover basically all of the Chapter 70 increase this year,” he said. “That frees up general funds to do other stuff. And flexibility in this environment is pretty good.”
The Raise Up Massachusetts coalition, which led the ballot campaign to pass the surtax, also defended the Legisla-
ture’s approach.
“The Constitution doesn’t allow specific appropriations in a ballot measure, so it gives the Legislature the ability to spend the money on the priorities that they choose, and we expect that those priorities may shift and evolve as time goes on,” said Andrew Farnitano, a spokesperson for the coalition.
Farnitano pointed to the strength of surtax revenue collections as a sign the funding stream can be relied upon for major investments.
“The intention of the amendment was to give the state the resources to make these decisions and have these conversations through the budget process, where we have the resources that are necessary,” he said.
When asked about concerns over the volatility of surtax revenues — which depend on high-income earners — Farnitano responded, “The evidence so far is showing that Fair Share revenues are very strong and can be counted upon.”
Indeed, the Department of Revenue reported in May that it had collected nearly $2.6 billion from the surtax between July 1, 2024 and April 30, 2025 — exceeding the total for all of FY24 with two months of FY25 still to be counted. Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew Gorzkowicz has said total FY25 surtax collections could approach $3 billion.
Meanwhile, general tax collections have plateaued.
From the House floor, House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz made the case for moving Chapter 70 obligations into the surtax category.
“This shift will further limit any potential exposure with general fund revenue while holding to our commitment to fully fund the fifth year of the Student Opportunity Act,” he said. “This reduction in overall spending will better prepare the commonwealth for potential economic turmoil in the months ahead.”
Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues’ office also cited the unexpectedly high surtax receipts as a factor in the decision to expand its use.
“In light of higher than initially estimated Fair Share collections, we felt comfortable increasing the conference amount to allow for transformative investments in education and transportation,” said Rodrigues’ spokesperson Sean Fitzgerald.
Still, critics worry about setting a precedent that allows baseline education costs to be paid for with what was pitched to voters as a tool for innovation.
“While we understand [FY26] presents fiscal challenges, Massachusetts has one of the strongest rainy day funds in the country; reserves that exist precisely to help us sustain progress during hard times,” Imboden said. “Now is the moment to honor the will of the voters and ensure that Fair Share dollars are used to move us forward, not simply to hold the line.”
CHICOPEE
Dolores R. Arcott
Lorraine A. Champagne
John J. Czerapowicz
Wayne R. Myslinski
HOLYOKE
Robert F. Boardway Jr.
Fredrick G. Cooper
James Joseph Gaunt
Henry G. Seidel
Patricia C. Welch
LONGMEADOW
Frieda Ramaswamy
Ahmad Saremi
SOUTH HADLEY
Dawn Berard
Margaret M. Breault
SPRINGFIELD
Marilou Chenaille (McConville)
Jennifer E. Fitzpatrick
Carole Jean Jonaitis
Louis Kerlinsky
Phyllis Morin
Dorothy F. Sowa
WILBRAHAM
Judith Morrison
Mary Corinne Stark
Myron F. Stone
DINING ENTERTAINMENT
Summer offers myriad events in music, arts more
After their sold-out May 31 show “Dissecting the Beatles” at the Academy of Music, Bombyx resident company Young@Heart will take over the Sanctuary at Look Park on Tuesday, July 22, at 7 p.m., performing songs by artists ranging from Blur to The Beatles, and from Mavis Staples to Marianne Faithfull, taking you on a magical tour of some of their best music. All performers in Young@Heart range in age from 75 to 102.
For this performance, Y@H will be joined by Norma Dream, a band fronted by Norma Jean Haynes, the daughter of the late Chris Haynes, Y@H’s longtime accordion player.
Tickets to the July 22 Young@ Heart show can be purchased at tinyurl.com/24bex55k. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 dayof. Discounted Card to Culture and student rates are available.
Art of Brewing Festival
The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge recently announced the return of its Art of Brewing Festival for the seventh consecutive year on Saturday, Aug. 16, from 1-4 p.m., at the museum’s 36-acre campus.
The event will feature an exciting lineup of breweries, cideries, distilleries, wineries and coffee purveyors from across the Northeast. Attendees, 21 and older, will receive 10 tasting tickets to sample a wide array of beverages — from crisp ciders to bold stouts — along with a free commemorative beer glass while supplies last. Tickets are $45 for non-members and $30 for museum members. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/358yp3s9.
52 Sumner adds shows
In addition to the dynamic performances already announced for this summer, two brand new shows have been added to the August lineup at 52 Sumner, Springfield’s live performance venue from Springfield Performing Arts Ventures, Inc. located at 52 Sumner Ave.
The new shows are:
• “It’s the Wildest,” a musical tribute to Louis Prima and Keely Smith, on Friday, Aug. 8. Celebrate the high-energy, swingin’ sounds of in this spirited musical tribute. “It’s the Wildest” recreates the charisma, chemistry and musical genius of the famed duo with timeless songs and an unforgettable performance.
• Blood Brothers: Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia, a bluesrock performance with special guests Peter Newland of FAT and Scott Murawski of Max Creek on Friday, Aug. 15. For tickets and showtimes, visit the Event Listing page on the 52 Sumner website. Follow 52 Sumner on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and announcements.
QAA Summer Exhibit
The Quabbin Art Association’s summer exhibit is now on dis-
Top row, from left to right: Peter Newland, seen here in this undated photo, will join Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia as a special guest during their August performance at 52 Sumner. Norman Rockwell Museum will host its Art of Brewing Festival on Saturday, Aug. 16. At right, Beda Polanco, 83, from Florence (on the left) and Graciela Cabrera, 82, from Easthampton (on the right) practice a duet during a past Young@Heart rehearsal at LightHouse Holyoke.
play at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment at Hampshire College, 845 West St., Amherst. The exhibit will be on display through Aug. 28.
Writers Reading Writers Reading, a new author series, debuts on Thursday, July 10, at 7 p.m., presented by UMass Downtown in partnership with the Amherst Business Improve-
ment
Aboard for Fun at Look Park!
p y Park, the Mini Course, enjoy the views Pedal Boa much
Look Park is a oneof-a-kind destination packed with activities the whole family will love Ride the beloved Look Park Train, splash around in the Water Spray Park, explore the Mini Golf Course, or enjoy the scenic views from the Pedal Boats. Plus so much more!
District. Curated by poet Nathan McClain, this free event will feature readings from McClain and fellow writers Jen Ja-
baily-Blackburn, Matt Donovan, and Rebecca Hart Olander.
Eric B. LaChapelle and Paula LaChapelle to Harrison Valerio, 15 Gilmore St.
Frederick Golba to Nikita D. Salagornik, Shepherd Street
Lynn A. Sorel, Lynn A. Riley and Donald Sorel to Kevin T. Craven, 123 Watson St.
M&G Renovations LLC, to Katherine A. Robertson, 85-87 Charles St.
Mary Consolata Mudachi to Lee Sandro Zayas and Maria Virgen Vazquez Gomez, 819 McKinstry Ave.
Mary T. Hill to Kyle LaPlante, 33-35 Dallaire Ave.
Michael J. Catanzaro Jr., to Stephen Hinnebusch and Elizabeth Hinnebusch, 25 Lafond Drive
Richard A. Parker to Maria Pastore, 62 Polaski Ave.
Tracy L. Duncan, Tracy L. Allen and Kristopher J. Allen to Yun Liu, 91 Telegraph Ave.
HOLYOKE
Andrew P. Cole to Jackson Findlay and Alyssa Findlay, 33 Dillon Ave.
