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EDITION NORTHAMPTON

Special review committee recommended for food truck ordinance The Ordinance Review Committee has recommended the formation of a special committee to review the city’s food truck ordinance to the new City Council sometime in January

Page 4

EASTHAMPTON

Coaching collective to support ‘unconventional entrepreneur’ A new coaching collective for entrepreneurs who “think differently” is coming to the region in January, which means those interested in boosting their business ideas are urged to reach out and sign up.

Page 5

WinterFest fundraiser for Nashawannuck Pond returns Feb. 14.

The 13th annual Easthampton WinterFest kicks off at the start of the New Year and culminates in a jam-packed day of community fun throughout the city on Feb. 14.

Page 5

It’s a new year, a fresh start, and an opportunity to express our gratitude to all our advertisers, readers, and friends for their support.

We’re proud to be a part of this caring community.

Your support and trust in us mean a lot, and continuing to provide this community with great service and value is at the top of our list in 2026!

JANUARY 1-7, 2026 | HAMPSHIRE

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Toy for Joy ensures happy holiday for children The Hampshire Reminder is published weekly by Reminders Publishing, LLC. The Hampshire Reminder is available for delivery by mail for $9/month or $104/year.

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By Ron Chimelis

Special to Reminder Publishing.

As Christmas Eve came and went, hundreds of families and thousands of children prepared to enjoy Christmas because the generosity of the local community made it possible.

The 2025 Toy for Joy drive officially ended with its traditional Dec. 24 deadline. However, contributions sent in just before the deadline and received after Christmas Eve will be applied to the campaign that brings the thrill of Christmas gifts to deserving children in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties.

The contributions of thoughtful individuals, families, groups and organizations were godsends for those children. These donations went directly to making those children happy.

Those who gave should feel proud of their contribution. The deep gratitude from those who spearheaded the drive — and the families who benefited — cannot be measured.

This drive, sponsored by the Salvation Army and wrapping up its 103rd year, brings toys, games and books to children whose circumstances would otherwise leave them left out of the holiday happiness enjoyed by others.

Salvation Army Captain Stacy McNeil was in her first year at the Springfield Citadel. McNeil plans to be here for years to come.

She says she was deeply moved by the generosity of the local community, and is already formulating strategies to make next year’s 2026 drive a bountiful success.

In the final days of the campaign, a particularly poignant donation once again came from the law firm of Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy.

The Springfield firm’s generous $2,148 gift maintains its tradition of donating in memory of cherished colleague Robin Morris, who passed away well over 20 years ago.

Morris has never been forgotten. The law firm has donated well over $50,000 to Toy for Joy over the years, and their hearts remain as open as ever, with this year’s gift more than doubling last year’s contribution.

As has always been true, many of this year’s donations — including some of the largest by individuals or families — were sent anonymously and/or in memory of loved ones. In some cases, families scaled down their own personal gift giving, or chose not to do so at all, to support the children in need.

Toy for Joy was advertised and promoted in The Republican, Reminder Publishing, MassLive and El Pueblo Latino. Donations received in late December, as well as the final total for the 2025 campaign, will be published in

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MAIL THIS FORM & CHECK TO: TOY FOR JOY FUND C/O THE SALVATION ARMY • PO BOX 971 • SPRINGFIELD, MA 01101

The Republican in early January and at thereminder.com.

The Salvation Army, volunteer workers and Toy for Joy media outlets join in wishing everyone health and happiness during this Christmas and holiday season.

They look forward to the 104th campaign next year — continuing one of New England’s most enduring and proven traditions of holiday spirit and community generosity.

DWPM family we carry in our hearts from Doherty, Wallace, Pillbury and Murphy, P.C. — $2,148 • In memory of Kathleen “Mimi” O’Briend who loved Christmas and babies. From her adoring grandbabies McKenna, Casey, Grace, Hannah, Maggie, Kerry & Cillian — $1,000 • In lieu of gifts to family & friends — Merry Christmas —$1,000

Some recent donations • Lia Toyota of Northampton — $2,500 • Anonymous — $2,500 • In memory of our friend and colleague, Robin Morris, and all members of the

Received this week: $15,575 Total to date: $77,646 Still needed: $47,354 For a full list of donors, visit thereminder.com/toyfor- joy-donors.

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Valley Jazz Voices starts year with Winter Concert

By Trent Levakis

tlevakis@thereminder.com

NORTHAMPTON — Pioneer Valley’s longest-running community jazz vocal ensemble, the Valley Jazz Voices, is presenting its Winter Concert at the BOMBYX Center for Arts & Equity on Jan. 10.

The 3 p.m. program will feature selections from the Great American Songbook organized around themes of the sun, the moon, the weather and love, all arranged and sung in the group’s signature four-part jazz harmonies. Singers will be accompanied by a jazz trio led by pianist Dylan Walter, with Wes Brown on bass and Dillon Pinard on drums.

Directed by Jeff Olmsted and founded in 2014, Valley Jazz Voices performs swing, bebop, cool, Brazilian and pop-inspired jazz arrangements, and highlights local vocal talent and community musicianship. Based in Northampton, the group is the largest community jazz vocal ensemble in Western Mass.

“It’s a combination of mostly Great American Songbook clas-

sics,” said Olmsted. “If you’re a jazz person at all, you’re probably going to be familiar with at least half the songs we do at the concert. Then we do some other [genres] — I like to hear pop songs arranged as jazz tunes.

Folks are not expecting to hear “Light my Fire.”

The concert is a family-friendly matinee offering familiar standards presented with fresh arrangements and warm ensemble sound. Tickets are $20 in advance or at the door, and children under 12 are free.

Olmsted is now in his 10th year as director for the Valley Jazz Voices and said this upcoming Winter Show will be more of what the public has come to love and expect from the group.

He said there will also be some new arrangements throughout this year’s concert event.

“The Great American Songbook I would say is kind of always our theme. That’s the deepest well that we’re always drawing from,” Olmstead said.

“For instance, we’re starting with a song by Harold Arlin, who wrote “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Then we go into a song by the Gershwin broth-

ers,” explained Olmsted.

The concert will also feature performances of classics, like “Moonlight in Vermont” and “What is This Thing Called Love,” as well as some less familiar arrangements. Solo performances will also occur throughout the afternoon and as a closing number, Olmsted will lead a jazz reharmonization of “Auld Lang Syne.”

“As far as planning a concert, I think about variety, about wanting to change things up, basically. Every song should have a new vibe somehow or another. It’s not exactly telling a story in a concert, but it does have something in common with plotting the thing out, what happens next, what will follow this,” added Olmsted. “In this case, the songs are all so good that I know if we sing them well ,the show is going to be a hit.”

Olmsted said he was eager for the group’s first concert inside the Bombyx Center, adding the center and Director Cassandra Holden were “a real gift to the community.”

“Bombyx is the best sort of performance ready space that we’ve gone into. They’re set up

for what is not the easiest thing to amplify basically, but I’m counting on them to do the great job they always do of helping us sound as good as we can,” said Olmsted.

Olmsted added the group is performing as great as ever and hopes the public makes it out for an afternoon of music and joy.

He said the event is a reminder of how powerful music can be.

“I was reminded recently of something that Leonard Berstein said in response to the violence of the [19]60s and [19]70s. He said, as musicians, ‘This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before,’” Olmstead said. “What I particularly like about that is he says, ‘a reply to violence.’ So, in my opinion, we live in pretty dark times and we’re surrounded by violence. The way I hold it is that music is resistance. And happiness is resistance. So, this is happy-making music. That’s why I want to keep doing this.”

For tickets and more information about the show, visit bombyx.live/events/valley-jazz-voices-winter-concert/.

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HAMPSHIRE | JANUARY 1-7, 2026

Neal, Banko warn legislation will hurt area health care

By Sarah Heinonen

The legislation’s changes to Medicaid eligibility implement work requirements, which Banko said have not worked in Georgia or Arkansas, where he previously worked in hospital administration. Medicaid mostly covers low-income Americans. More than 1-in-3 Medicaid recipients are children, 10% are seniors and another 10% are people with disabilities.

“We’re not talking about people who don’t deserve it,” Banko said of the health care coverage.

The system may not be perfect he said, but “we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

Neal said politics have colored the way people see Medicaid. He said that if you ask people if they support the Affordable Care Act, they will say yes. But ask them if they support Obamacare — the nickname given to the law by Republicans when it was passed — and they will say no.

“If people think you’re taking it away from them and giving it to someone else, it’s a loser,” Neal said. He emphasized that the Affordable Care Act expands insurance coverage to more people, rather than choosing who gets coverage.

The cuts will also impact commercial insurance plans, Banko said. Under the law, hospitals are required to treat people with emergencies regardless of their ability to pay. As more uninsured people visit emergency departments for health care, the unpaid costs and financial pressures will filter into the wider insurance market.

“Emergency room visits are a bad way to get health care,” Neal said.

Neal went on to say, “Health care in our valley is not just about services.” He explained that it is also about people, including the “tens of thousands” employed in the area’s health care industry.

There are more than 1,300 doctors and providers, and nearly 13,000 employees across Bay-

sheinonen@thereminder.com

SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Health CEO Peter Banko and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal sat on either side of a low table in front of about 150 officials, health industry leaders and community organizers. The Dec. 15 panel of two, arranged by the Springfield Regional Chamber, answered questions about what fallout to expect from the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also called the OB3 Act, which was passed in July.

As part of the legislation, federal subsidies that lowered premiums on insurance plans obtained through the Affordable Care Act are set to expire. In Massachusetts, the Affordable Care Act marketplace is known as the Health Connector. Democrats pushed to extend the subsidies, and the resulting gridlock is what caused the recent government shutdown. Neal said he had not given up hope on forcing a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on whether to extend the subsidies for two years. Neal said forcing such a vote was “uphill,” but on Dec. 17, four Republicans joined with House Democrats to force the vote. As of press time, the future of the subsidies was uncertain.

Under the OB3 Act, $1 trillion was cut from the federal budget for health care programs.

For Massachusetts, that translates to a reduction of $4 million to $5 million.

Neal said the new eligibility requirements put 31,000 state residents in danger of losing their coverage completely, while hundreds of thousands more will see their premiums increase dramatically. In Neal’s district alone, there are 287,000 people on Medicare, and 106,000 of them are children. He said 21% of Massachusetts residents are uninsured, but every child in the state has coverage, if not through a private plan, then through Medicaid.

state Health’s network of four hospitals and 50 medical offices. Mercy Medical Center in Springfield employs 2,000 more, another 3,000 are employed by Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton.

From a different perspective, Neal said, Medicare is the largest employer in Western Massachusetts because so much health care is paid through the program.

Banko said nearly half of Baystate’s patients, 48%, have Medicare for insurance. Another 23% are on Medicaid.

million in revenue was reinvested back into the facilities. However, he said the OB3 Act “wipes that out.” Banko said the expenses are largely out of the company’s control. These include employee health insurance costs and supplies. He said half of the rise in supply costs are due to federal tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

Banko, who took over as CEO in 2024, remarked that he has taken heat over recent decisions, including offering buyouts for some non-patient facing personnel who decide to voluntarily separate from the company.

“I’m trying to turn a battleship in a bathtub,” he said of his efforts to maneuver the company into a healthy financial position.

Banko said people should brace themselves for changes the healthcare industry will make in response to these economic fac-

Cost of business While 71% of Baystate patients use Medicare and Medicaid, Banko said neither of these programs fully cover care expenses incurred by patients. Last year, Baystate Health “operated in the positive” for the first time in six years. Banko said the $180

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There will likely be a streamlining of services and programs and longer wait times in emergency departments as people without primary care doctors seek treatment. He acknowledged that wait times are already an issue.

Banko said many of the impacts will not hit people’s wallets until after the midterm elections in November 2026. “We’ve got time, so our community has to advocate on our behalf in Boston and Washington.” Neal said the American Hospital Association was also advocating against the end of the subsidies.

When asked what else people can do to help, Banko quipped, “Prayers are always good,” before asking the public to “support the people in our organizations” and “extend a little grace.”

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THEREMINDER.COM | WE ARE HOMETOWN NEWS

NORTHAMPTON www.TheReminder.com

Special review committee recommended for food truck ordinance

By Trent Levakis

tlevakis@thereminder.com

NORTHAMPTON — The Ordinance Review Committee will recommend that the City Council form a special committee to review the city’s food truck ordinance. The recommendation will be made sometime in January when the new council is in office.

The Ordinance Review Committee is coming off its five-year review of the city’s ordinances and will present their final report to the incoming council next month. The report will include a recommendation to establish a special committee to review the food truck ordinance following discussions from a November Ordinance Review Committee Nov. 12 meeting.

The meeting was conceived by At Large City Councilor Garrick Perry in an effort to review the city’s current ordinance on food trucks as the city moves toward a “renaissance,” according to Perry, who served as chair of the committee over the last year.

The current mobile food truck vehicles ordinance was added in 2013 and states, “No person or entity shall operate a mobile food vehicle on any street or other public property without a mobile food vehicle permit issued by the Northampton Police Department.” The ordinance also states that mobile food vehicles are not permitted to operate in the Central Business or Florence Village districts.

During that Nov. 12 committee meeting, Alan Wolf, chief of staff to Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, shared some results stemming from a Google form sent out to 44 different business owners in the city. The survey’s goal was to gauge what people felt about the current food truck ordinance and if they think any changes are necessary. Just under half of those respondents were owners or managers of local restaurants, while 18% of respondents were from a retail background.

The survey quickly captured that many were open to the discussion, but some restaurant owners were cautious in what benefits could really come from allowing more access to food trucks without hurting the brick-and-mortar businesses making up downtown.

“To the extent that they do —

and they do demonstrate some flexibility to have the conversation — they really want to make sure that whatever happens, it’s fair and that it takes into account the operational challenges of brick-and-mortar restaurants,” Wolf said at the meeting.

Wolf added that night that while there was a lot of caution in responses, there was still creative thinking on how this could be addressed or improved upon, with 60% of respondents indicating they were open to the idea of late-night access for food trucks once restaurants were closed.

The biggest concern expressed from the night was that if the city were to eventually make changes to the ordinance to allow more food trucks access throughout the city, there would need to be protection for the existing brick-andmortar restaurants.

Perry reiterated when speaking to Reminder Publishing just before the New Year that he brought the ordinance up with the specific intention of creating a space for discussion around operational hours for food trucks and where the trucks would be allowed to operate in the city. As someone with a background in the city’s entertainment, service, food and hospitality industries, Perry said downtown’s overall ecosystem is close to his heart.

Perry added that since the pandemic, he has seen firsthand how the city’s downtown has changed.

“I watched as it really impacted our nightlife, our scene. The last time someone even really reviewed this food truck ordinance in particular was in 2013, when it was amended, and Northampton was a very different place. We had numerous venues, a vibrant nightlife. Food was available for a huge range of hours,” said Perry. “One of the reasons I brought this ordinance up was because I think times have changed.”

A full believer that more vibrancy will return down the road for the city’s downtown, Perry said these preliminary discussions around the ordinance are simply used to get the ball rolling on identifying what could work for the city as it moves forward.

“A lot of people got very nervous that when I brought forth discussing this ordinance, that we were going to immediately just open the streets up to food

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Northampton City Hall.

Reminder Publishing photo by Trent Levakis

trucks, and that was not my intent. My intent was to start the discussion,” said Perry. “There’s been a lot of talk in Northampton about communication and how we move forward on things, and I wanted this to be the first step to look at the food truck ordinance in particular, because I think that my years as a person in the service industry, I know the pressures and the hindrances that are there.”

With less active clubs open during late-night hours, Perry noted that it makes it difficult for restaurants to stay open later due to cost of labor. He added that hopefully these upcoming discussions could help identify ways to accommodate those looking for food late at night.

Perry also noted that some of the fast food managers on King Street have told him that they have seen a lot of business during late night hours, a sign that Perry said allowed him to jumpstart these food truck conversations again.

“That was really the impetus for me too, realizing that we didn’t have food, and these fast food places were benefiting.

What I want is for people to stay in the area, buy some food, maybe a drink and enjoy some more nightlife,” added Perry.

Perry said that while a lot of

this discussion around food access during late nights in the city is tied to the operational status of different venues in the city, he believes that is not the only way to bring more dining options back to the later hours.

“There’s a lot of talk about what I call the C.I.P., the Calvin, the Iron Horse and Pearl Street, and the importance of those venues. I truly believe they are important to the city, but those are venues that generate tourism,” Perry said. “Without having smaller venues, places for people to actually congregate, places for bands to grow fanbases, places for our students and workers to go and hang out after work, it makes it harder for even the Iron Horses, the Calvins to exist.”

“I want to be proactive,” Perry continued. “So I think one of the solutions and something I want to work towards is really cultivating those smaller spaces, because those are the spaces that I saw the late night food really benefiting.

I’m looking at ways to help our constituents, the citizens who live here, the employers, employees, [can] have access to things.”

Perry added he thinks students from Smith would be more inclined to come out for a late night food truck than they would for a sit down dinner at certain hours, another reason to look at how

potentially food trucks could fill that gap without competing with brick-and-mortars.

“There’s a lot of talk that all we have to do is open the Calvin and Northampton will be saved, and I do not believe that,” Perry added.

Perry said he is confident that the new council will accept the recommendation made by the Ordinance Review Committee to form a special committee to further review the ordinance on food trucks. Once the council approves the recommendation, a special committee would then be formed.

Perry said he hopes the special committee will gather more data from restaurant owners and establish more consistent communication between business owners and the public on what could work with regard to the ordinance.

Perry also hopes to see the special committee focus on city spaces and where food trucks can operate. Currently, the ordinance does not allow for a food truck to be on any city-owned property. Through these discussions, he hopes the future committee will identify potential areas that could be designated sites for food trucks.

“My goal is not to have food trucks compete or hurt existing businesses,” Perry said. “I think of it as a tool to be utilized to help fill in gaps.”

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Coaching collective to support ‘unconventional entrepreneur’

By Trent Levakis

tlevakis@thereminder.com

EASTHAMPTON — A new coaching collective for entrepreneurs who “think differently” is coming to the region in January, which means those interested in boosting their business ideas are urged to reach out and sign up.

Unconventional Entrepreneur Collective is the new integrative coaching business started by Kasey Corsello. Corsello has a career in coaching entrepreneurs about how to grow their businesses.

Corsello said Unconventional Entrepreneur Collective is for any emerging entrepreneur in Western Massachusetts, meaning any highly creative multi-passionate person who doesn’t fit the “traditional entrepreneur” mold belongs in the program, according to Corsello.

“This is the first run, and it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time now. I’ve been coaching for 10 years and am a professional certified coach through ICF [International Coaching Federation],” said Corsello.

Corsello brings a unique approach to team building as an ADHD coach and educator focused on fostering trust, strengthening connections and boosting confidence within the entrepreneurs she works with.

She and colleague Dee Dice were the initial founders of Easthampton’s Mindshift Accelerator Program, a program that has since been adopted by the Sphere Northampton, an or-

ganization focused on working with women and non-binary entrepreneurs.

The six-month program, beginning in the new year, will create a cohort of six to eight entrepreneurs that can lean on each other as they build inner capacity to handle challenges, have accountability and find liberation form the “shoulds” that never worked.

Corsello further explained that the program will start Jan. 8, and entrepreneurs will meet with her twice a month for two separate 90-minute sessions conducted virtually. Corsello said she will share tools, systems and other resources to help entrepreneurs, and help set and track individualized goals with them.

“The biggest thing in the context in which I coach people is there’s nothing wrong with you.

It’s more about understanding your optimal operation. What works, what doesn’t work.

There’s so much information out there on what we should or shouldn’t be doing. Stop focusing on the should. It’s helping people to embrace their full selves. That is that journey and transformation, and the by-product of that is business growth,” explained Corsello.

Corsello said her own life experience is what led her to get into coaching entrepreneurs.

“Coaching is very different than therapy or mentoring. It is a non-directive approach. That means the client has the answers.

As a coach, it really is about co-creating with the client. The

client is the holder of all their own wisdom, and so as a coach, we ask thought-provoking questions that really elicit their own transformation and change,” explained Corsello.

She explained that this helps build a collaborative creative process where clients create sustainable transformation through the experience.

“It allows for perspective.

It allows for some relatability or an understanding of someone,” she added.

As someone with ADHD, Corsello also wanted this venture into coaching to attract neurodivergent adults who are looking for support in finding the answer to their entrepreneurial goals and vision. She added she feels like she can bring her own experiences to this new effort to coach others.

“I think my transformation in working with a coach was really about understanding myself as a whole person, and then kind of embracing that person,” said Corsello. “The understanding [of myself], the self-awareness and self-acceptance. There isn’t anything wrong with me really,; it’s just that I don’t fit in this standard model and I need other kinds of support, or I need to be unconventional, if you will, in how I approach things.”

Corsello added she is taking this next step as a coach for entrepreneurs because she knows the very real challenge of balancing family life with business life.

“I’ve got two businesses and two kids that have had their

Kasey Corsello, founder of Unconventional Entrepreneur Collective, is looking to further her work coaching entrepreneurs.

Photo credit: Kasey Corsello

own challenges with learning and ADHD. In fact, my whole family has it. So, life can be organized chaos at time,” she explained. “Those things compete for my attention, and there are business sacrifices I make, which is why it has taken me so long to start this group coaching program. My kids are older now, so I have more space to create and focus on it.”

Corsello hopes to bring this mindset and approach to the “unconventional” entrepreneur, but reiterated any entrepreneur looking for a new approach for their ideas or business are welcome to join the collective.

“I say unconventional — I think we’re all living in a time that’s incredibly intense. It’s chaotic. There’s so much uncertainty and there’s uncertainty anyway in life. And it’s part of being an entrepreneur, that you’re in uncertainty,” added

Corsello. “There’s ways to support businesses, and in order to really face all of these things, that can be very dis-regulating.”

Looking ahead to the first run through the new collective, Corsello said she hopes to continue to be a support and guide for entrepreneurs looking to break through in the region.

“What is an incredible benefit is the deep connections that people create, and to see what transformation is available in such a short time when people are connected this way is so powerful,” said Corsello. “It’s a real catalyst for growth. So my hope is that it really just creates deep meaningful connection with other entrepreneurs, which then will facilitate business growth, personal growth [and] learning.”

To learn more about the collective, visit kaseycorsello. com or email her at kaseycorsello@gmail.com.

WinterFest fundraiser for Nashawannuck Pond returns Feb. 14

By Trent Levakis

tlevakis@thereminder.com

EASTHAMPTON — The 13th annual Easthampton WinterFest kicks off at the start of the New Year and culminates in a jampacked day of community fun throughout the city on Feb. 14.

WinterFest is the biggest fundraiser for the Friends of Nashawannuck Pond nonprofit each year. The organization hosts the event alongside the Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee, and proceeds support the ongoing health of the pond.

“I think like most events that are offered annually, it has become a tradition and people look forward to it,” Friends of Nashawannuck Pond Treasurer Beth Tiffany told Reminder Publishing. “Mid-winter after all the holidays are over, people are ready to get out and do something, inside or outside. The events are so varied from entertainment for kids, which can also be very entertaining to adults, like the magician and puppeteer and live animals. Then there is the horse drawn wagon rides, food truck, historical ice harvesting and Polar Plunge. There is something for everyone.”

The funds raised through

WinterFest sponsorship, merchandise sales, donations and other fundraisers have paid for annual herbicide treatment for invasive Eurasian Milfoil. The money also supports other ongoing projects, like monitoring and treating invasive species, and barley straw deployment to deter cyanobacteria.

Tiffany explained that these efforts maintain the pond and preserve it from its once “swampy” status decades ago.

The herbicide treatment controls invasives, and the many native plants that — if left unchecked — would lead to pond deterioration.

These fundraising efforts will continue for future maintenance and rebuilding of the stabilization wall at the pond. Construction on that is planned to begin in the spring. Tiffany said the mission of the Friends of Nashawannuck Pond is financially supporting the maintenance required.

The Steering Committee’s mission, meanwhile, is evaluating the maintenance of the pond and advising the city on what should be done to preserve it.

WinterFest events will kick off on Jan. 2 with the online portion of festivities. Starting that day will be the Nashawannuck

Pond photo contest, the snowflake making contest, pond trivia and the Mt. Tom ice cream flavor contest.

These events started during the pandemic when a regular gathering for WinterFest could not happen, and they are now popular additions to the festival.

“These events take time, we want to give people enough time to take these photos, submit photos,” said Amy Marsters, president of the Friends of Nashawannuck Pond and a member of the pond’s Steering Committee. “It keeps people involved.”

“It builds momentum,” added Tiffany.

There are approximately 30 activities and events scheduled between Jan. 2 and Feb. 14, with most activities free to attend due to business sponsorships. All are family friendly, and donations are always gladly accepted.

The Historical Ice Harvest on Nashawannuck Pond featuring historian Dennis Picard will be a headlinging event on Feb. 14, weather permitting. Participants will try their hands at using a pond saw to “harvest” blocks of ice as they learn more about Easthampton’s important role in the area’s ice industry.

Other outdoor activities hap-

Some of the happenings at a past years’ WinterFest events.

Photo credit: Friends of Nashawannuck Pond

pening on Feb. 14 include a nature walk at Arcadia, Clay Hill Farm draft horse wagon rides and a community fire by the pond. The Easthampton Fire Department will also host its third annual Polar Plunge.

“It’s gone through so many

iterations over the years depending on whatever’s going on, whether its COVID ... or after COVID, where it’s like,’what do we keep, how do we start over again in person,’” explained See WINTERFEST on page 8

TheReminder.com Every week we will provide you with a complete listings of deaths from the preceding week from throughout Greater Springfield. We are doing this as a convenience to our readers in case you miss an obit in the daily paper. We hope you find this useful and that you will refer to it weekly.

EASTHAMPTON Mae L. Sulzycki Anthony J. Szumowski LEEDS Donald W. Rivette

NORTHAMPTON John F. Bouthillette Mary “Pat” Early William Dean Mutch George L. Trusz Michael R. Verrilli

SOUTH HADLEY Jean Braley (Borowski) David W. Komorowski Thomas J. McNiff SOUTHAMPTON Paul Champagne

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EASTHAMPTON VS ST. BERNARD’S HS

BOYS HOCKEY

Goalie Lewin Coady makes a great save in the first period.

#21 Parker Christy passes the puck to his teammate in the middle of the ice.

On Saturday, Dec. 20, St. Bernard’s Central Catholic High School Saints defeated Easthampton Eagles in boys’ varsity hockey with a score of 7-1.

#5 Brody Donovan takes the puck down behind the net.

Defenseman #21 Parker Christy backhands the puck out from the back of his net.

#7 Wyatt Hunter skates down the ice to beat the defenseman to the puck. #19 Owen Belden shoots the puck down the ice.

Head Coach Tim Pfau talks to his team during a timeout.

REMINDER SPORTS PHOTOS TAKEN BY SAM BLAKE

Goalie #1 Lewin Coady takes the puck and jumps on it for a save.

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#24 Braydan Fennessy gets ready to take the face off.

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HAMPSHIRE | JANUARY 1-7, 2026

#5 Brody Donovan stick taps Goalie #1 after he made a good save.

#7 Wyatt Hunter passes the puck to his teammate.

#8 Jimmy Bresnahan skates down the ice and shoots the puck on net.

#27 Wes Thompson skates up the ice to his own zone.

#11 Angelo Torchia shoots the puck around the boards.

JANUARY 1-7, 2026 | HAMPSHIRE

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DINING ENTERTAINMENT www.TheReminder.com

Arts in the Area: Saturday Sounds Series kicks off Jan. 10 The Westfield Athenaeum, with support from the Westfield Cultural Council, will present the Saturday Sounds Concert Series beginning with a performance by Sarah the Fiddler on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 3 p.m.

The concert will be held offsite at the First Congregational Church of Westfield, 18 Broad St., directly across from the Athenaeum on the rotary/Elm Street side. Admission is free, but advance registration is required to reserve a seat. Registration is available through the Athenaeum’s website or online at westath.libcal.com/event/15073178.

Sarah the Fiddler performs Irish, bluegrass, old-time and swing fiddle music. The church sanctuary is fully accessible, and all are welcome.

Additional concerts in the Saturday Sounds Concert Series include: • Jeff Snow, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at 2 p.m.

• Stephan Page, Saturday, March 7, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.

• David Rogers, Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 1 p.m.

Heartbeat Theater presents “Proof” Newly founded Heartbeat

WinterFest Continued from page 5

Marsters. “Polar Plunge a couple years ago has really taken on a life of its own and that’s really because of the Fire Department.

It’s their event.”

WinterFest’s culminating day of events will also include indoor activities at CitySpace, including an Art in Motion dance demonstration, Ed Popielarczyk’s magic show, puppeteering from Tom Knight, as well as a Meet and Greet Gino event with Easthamp-

Theater will present its inaugural production, “Proof,” by David Auburn, opening Jan. 16 in The Blue Room at CitySpace in Easthampton.

Directed by Jason RoseLangston, the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama is set in the early 2000s and centers on the family of a recently deceased mathematical genius, examining grief, legacy and questions of truth through shifting moments between past and present.

The cast includes William Spademan as Robert, a professor of mathematics; Kimberly Gaughan as his daughter and caretaker, Catherine; Anne Zager as Catherine’s sister, Claire; and Shelton Windham as Hal, a former student of Robert’s.

Performance times are Jan. 16, 17, 23 and 24 at 7:30 p.m., and Jan. 18 and 25 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are available at heartbeattheater.org.

Majestic to stage ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ The Majestic Theater in West Springfield will present “The Hound of the Baskervilles” from Jan. 8 through Feb. 15. Written by Stephen Canny and John Nicholson, the play is a parody adapton Police Department Lt. Andrew Beaulie and K-9 Handler and author Ellen Field.

At the Easthampton Library Annex, there will be a performance from Family Jungle Entertainment. The Easthampton Library will have a note-making event and snowflake making station for the contest. Valley Art Supplies, the Council on Aging and New City Brewery are hosting events that will soon be finalized.

Abandoned Building Brewery is hosting the 1 Man Party trivia and DJ on Feb. 7, a night of

tation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mystery.

The production follows Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they investigate the death of Sir Charles Baskerville, believed to be connected to a supernatural hound. The cast features three actors performing multiple roles.

The cast includes Jack Grigoli, Jay Sefton and Abuzar Farrukh, with understudies Tom Dahl and Gabriel CiFuentes.

Gina Kaufmann directs. The design team includes Dawn McKay (costumes), Dan Rist (lighting), Dana Weintraub (scenic) and Ryan Hickey (sound). Hope Rose Kelly is stage manager.

Tickets range from $35 to $38 and may be purchased at the box office, by phone at 413-7477797, or online at majestictheater.com/hound-of-the-baskervilles. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Doors and the theater café open one hour before each performance.

Student art exhibition at Pearl Street Library Enfield High School seniors Julia Mauri and Aaliyah Greaves are featured in a dual art exBingo on Feb. 12, the WinterFest chili tasting on Feb. 13 and WinterFest After Dark with live music on Feb. 14.

“Each year it feels like we get more and more people involved and even to this day, we’re having people email us and say, ‘hey can we be a part of this too,’ and we’re like, ‘sure,’” said Marsters.

“That’s what we want, we want the whole community involved.”

Tiffany added that the business community has been very supportive through sponsorships and hosting events. She said sponsorship opportunities are still avail-

Sarah the Fiddler Reminder Publishing submitted photo

hibition at the Pearl Street Library in Enfield.

The exhibition is presented through a partnership between the Pearl Street Library and the Enfield Public Schools Visual Arts Department, with support from the Enfield Culture and Arts Commission. The students’ work will be on display from Jan. 13

through Feb. 9.

An artist reception, sponsored by the Friends of the Enfield Library, will be held Thursday, Jan. 15, from 5:30-7 p.m. at the library. All programs at the Enfield Public Library are free and open to the public. More information is available at enfieldpubliclibrary.org.

able for those interested. For more details on sponsorship opportunities, visit nashawannuckpond.org/sponsors.html.

Gift certificates or in-kind donations are used in part for prizes and for the many contests. The Friends and Steering Committee are still accepting volunteers. For more information on this year’s WinterFest, visit nashawannuckpond.org/winterfest.html.

Tiffany and Marsters said they are eagerly anticipating another

year of WinterFest and hope for another great turnout across the several weeks of events, all in support of Easthampton’s Nashawannuck Pond.

“February can be a pretty dreary month. The holidays are over. So it’s a nice time of year to be able to celebrate winter and the pond, but its also a time to try and make business for restaurants, stores, to get people out and doing things. Education, celebration,” said Marsters.

Some of the happenings at a past years’ WinterFest events.

Photo credit: Friends of Nashawannuck Pond

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INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE Docket No. HS21P0107EA Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Hampshire Division Estate of: Robert Earl Starr Also Known As: Date of Death: 02/14/2020 To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner Lynn M. Starr of Southampton MA Lynn M. Starr of Southampton MA has been informally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve without surety on the bond.

The estate is being administered under informal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but interested parties are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration. Interested parties are entitled to petition the Court to institute formal proceedings and to obtain orders terminating or restricting the powers of Personal Representatives appointed under informal procedure.

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LEGAL NOTICES INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE Docket No. HS25P0773EA Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Hampshire Division Estate of: Amy Jo Sullivan Date of Death: October 17, 2025 To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner Patricia C. Campbell of Hatfield, MA A Will has been admitted to informal probate.

Patricia C. Campbell of Hatfield, MA has been informally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve without surety on the bond.

The estate is being administered under informal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but interested parties are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration. Interested parties are entitled to petition the Court to institute formal proceedings and to obtain orders terminating or restricting the powers of Personal Representatives appointed under informal procedure.

A copy of the Petition and Will, if any, can be obtained from the Petitioner.

(January 1) INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE Docket No. HS21P0107EA Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Hampshire Division Estate of: Robert Earl Starr Also Known As: Date of Death: 02/14/2020 To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner Lynn M. Starr of Southampton MA Lynn M. Starr of Southampton MA has been informally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve without surety on the bond.

The estate is being administered under informal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but interested parties are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and exfacebook.com/ReminderPublishing penses of administration. Interested parties are entitled to petition the Court to institute formal proceedings and to obtain orders terminating or restricting the powers of Personal Representatives appointed under informal procedure.

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AMHERST

Heather Irene Kovaci and Klajd Kovaci to Thomas M. Caprarella and Emily L. Ashley, 551 West St. Steven M. Waskiewicz, Sandra M. Gillis and Michael A. Waskiewicz to ARPC LLC, 141 Tracy Circle Michele Miller to Yao Chen and Yiji He, 958 East Pleasant St.

BELCHERTOWN

Nick Toroni and Angelique F. Toroni to Ana Sandman and Michael Palumbo, 8 Basket St. $250,000 $540,000 NORTHAMPTON $281,321 Martin Cahillane to Shihyun Kim and Jung Gyu Lee, 80 Damon Road $196,000 $652,500 Traci L. Borowski to Tasha A. Rimany, 8 Tara Circle $352,300 Sovereign Builders Inc., to Anne Paradis and MaryJane Canavan, 32 Nagle Court and 152-154 South Main St. $1,100,000 Nasreen Azam, Sarah Hanif and Hafsah Hanif to Dena Novak and David Novak, 36 Landy Ave. $705,000 $763,000 $575,000 $455,000 Gregory J. Chiara and Ann W. Chiara to V. Heather Peters, 5 Prospect Court

Richard C. Royce Jr., and Ann V. Royce to Paul Anthony Jubinville, 25 Sycamore Circle Patricia Proulx to Christine M. Wallin, 111 Daniel Shays Highway Scott Swistak and Scot Swistak to Joel J. Harder, 105 Railroad St. $234,570 PELHAM George L. Trusz and Judy E. Trusz to David S. Triffletti and Kelsey A. Triffletti, 32 Sherwood Drive $460,000 FI Properties LLC, to Nicholas Azadnia, 121 Amherst Road MWC Homes LLC, to Gilda Horgan, 460 Federal St. $470,000 Khalid Elkalai and Kathleen Traphagen to Peter J. Kierkla, Sabin Street and Cordner Road $290,000 SOUTH HADLEY Aldryth S. Bedner to Nicole Marie Miller, 31 Farmhouse Road $300,000 Fitzgerald Home Solutions LLC, to Diane M. Batch, Life Estate and Emily R. Graves-Harrison, 50 Pine St. Paul D. Tierney and Lisa A. Tierney to Paul D. Tierney, trustee, Lisa A. Tiereny, trustee, and Tierney Family Trust, 15 Chestnut Dr. $100 Dino Marinello to Shane L. Kouflie and Elizabeth G. Kouflie, Edgewater Lane Christopher Desorcy and Jodi Desorcy to James F. Bachand Jr., 8 Summit St. EASTHAMPTON John Mark Fiegenbaum to Nicole Amrani, 12 College View Heights Roxanne C. Mariani-Prall and Sarah D. Prall to Donald J. Carter and Dora Reyes, 34 Briggs St. $660,000 Rebecca Rhodes, Integra Sinclair, Deborah Simpson and Ryan Hall to Rebecca Rhodes, 12 Clark Lane $100 WARE Eduardo R. Nunez and Kelly Benabou to Lei Xing and Run Jian, 26 Colonial Ave. $465,000 Tallage Brooks LLC, to Mountain Stream LLC, Crescent Street Dianne L. King, Dianne T. Tanguay and Keith King to Russ Fuller and Julia Fuller, 12 Pine Hill Road $725,000 Jason L. Sterndale and April E. Sterndale to Jane A. Sterndale, 184 Osborne Road Tractor Supply Co Northeast LLC, to ExchangeRight Essential Income 7 DSt. 256 West St. GRANBY Legacy Land Co LLC, to Ingrid Delvalle and Miguel Delvalle, Gilbertville Road Christina Deangelo and Gary Deangelo to Dakota P. Richards, Burnett Street $15,000 Daniel J. Neffinger to Christopher B. Muldrew and Jennifer M. Muldrew, 14 Woodland Heights Donna G. Kmelius to Robert C. Gould and Aimee C. Gould, 18 Smith Ave. $273,000 Suzanne M. Harper to Emma Harper and Jeffrey Ryan Anderson, 133 Greenwich Road

HATFIELD

WESTHAMPTON

Victoria M. Blunt, trustee, and Terry & Victoria Blunt Family Trust to Jill Griffin and Kimberly Lucey, 166 Rocks Rd. $559,900 Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., to Justin Edward Tomsovic, 6 Nichols Road

$555,000 $535,000 $350,000 $120,000 $82,000 $40,000 $100 $6,657,741 $70,000 $387,000 $400,000 $131,601

JANUARY 1-7, 2026 | HAMPSHIRE

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