Council votes to maintain water, sewer rates IN THIS EDITION
EASTHAMPTON
School Committee approves levelservices budget for FY27
At its March 24 meeting, the Easthampton School Committee approved the nearly $25 million level-services fiscal year 2027 budget proposed by Superintendent Michelle Balch.
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Easthampton seeks public input to help shape future of downtown Easthampton is encouraging residents, business owners and visitors to participate in a new community survey that will help shape the future of downtown.
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NORTHAMPTON
Syrup Stampede to aid organization supporting grieving parents
The Syrup Stampede 5K race and 2K fun run/ walk returns on Sunday, April 12, to support the work of Empty Arms Bereavement Support.
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By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON — During its March 19 meeting, the Northampton City Council unanimously approved an order to maintain the same water and sewer rates from the previous year for fiscal year 2027.
The amount resident users pay is based on the size of their pipe. Most users in Northampton have a 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch pipe. For users with a 5/8-inch pipe, the water charge will stay at $47.45 for each quarter of the year, while users with a 3/4-inch pipe will see their water base charge stay at $71.25 per quarter.
For sewer rates, the quarterly base sewer charge for users with a 5/8-inch pipe and with 3/4-inch pipe will remain at $28.85 and $36.06, respectively.
The council elected to maintain these rates as the Northampton Coca-Cola bottling plant continues preparations to exit the city.
Back in 2021, the plant in the Northampton industrial park announced that it would cease operations in the city by the summer of 2023 after serving in the city since the 1950s. The plant has since delayed its departure multiple times and most recently indicated they may remain in Northampton through December, according to DPW Director Donna LaScaleia.
“Coca-Cola’s announcement in 2021 that they were going to cease operations in the city by the summer of ’23 required that we study alternative ways to replace their revenue. They were the single biggest water and sewer customer in the city, a full 25% of both the water and sewer enterprises, so this announcement was really devastating,” said
LaScaleia during the meeting’s public hearing on March 19.
This led to the implementation of new base rate fee structures in both water and sewer enterprises, which began on July 1, 2023. Since this change was made, costs have shifted to residents, with the average residential household seeing a $128 annual increase to their water bill and a $115 annual increase to the sewer bill.
LaScaleia explained that FY22 was the last year of stable operations at the Coca-Cola plant; by FY23, usage began tapering. When building the budget for FY24, LaScaleia explained that the DPW began anticipating $0 in revenue from Coca-Cola to the budget, per its announcement of departure. The goal has been to shift the lost revenue to base charges in order to remain at a
consistent revenue level.
With Coca-Cola’s revenue stream greatly diminished and highly unpredictable, LaScaleia shared that the city has found success in this effort.
“We shifted their lost revenue quite successfully ... All we were trying to do is make up for their lost revenue in the best way possible with the least terrible impact to the rest of the city,” LaScaleia said. She added, “As everyone is aware, Coca-Cola’s departure has been delayed, and since 2024, we have received about $2 million in what I’m calling unanticipated revenue. For FY26, we’ve received about $400,000 year to date. The reason I’m using the word unanticipated is because when we build the budget, we have to prove revenue to the
Department of Revenue. So, if Coca-Cola tells us that they are leaving on a certain date, we have to believe them, and if we don’t, then we continue to collect that revenue, but we cannot build a budget based on, well, ‘we don’t really think you’re going to leave.’”
Since they began budgeting $0 for Coca-Cola in FY24, the city has retained the revenue through the sewer base charges, according to LaScaleia.
With this unanticipated funding, LaScaleia highlighted various projects that have benefited from additional funding. “In January, this council approved several transfers from retained earnings into our capital
Operations Director: Curtis Panlilio
Executive Editor: Chris Maza
Managing Editors: Dennis Hackett, Ryan Feyre
Staff Writers: Sarah Heinonen, Deb Gardner, Amy Porter, Trent Levakis, Cliff Clark, Tyler Garnet, Peter Tuohy
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Classified Account Managers: Roxanne Miller-Longtin, Evan Marcyoniak, Shannon Spada
Sales Support: Carolyn Napolitan
Financial Department: Nancy Banning
Circulation Department: Nate Halla
STRM: Woo Sox, Yard Goats ready to tee up seasons
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
On the latest episode of “So That Reminds Me,” hosts Ryan Feyre and Chris Maza sat down with Hartford Yard Goats General Manager Mike Abramson while Tyler Garnet and Dennis Hackett sat down with Worcester Red Sox’s Marketing Vice President Steve Oliveira to talk about their organizations upcoming minor league baseball seasons.
Worcester Red Sox
The Worcester Red Sox, Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, opened its season on March 27 against the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park.
Oliveira said offseason renovations at Polar Park include a new patio area in the Triple Decker Garden and added covering at the Hanover Deck to better accommodate fans in changing weather.
Promotions this season include bobblehead giveaways for former WooSox players Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela, along with Clara-themed giveaways and tri-corner hats in June to mark America’s 250th anniversary. Returning favorites include Friday fireworks, Saturday postgame catch on the field and Sunday kids base running.
Like all minor league teams, Worcester will have alternate identity-themed nights throughout the season. As part of the program, the Worcester Woo Sox will transform into the “Pawtucket Hot Wieners,” the “Worcester Kelley Squares,” and “The Art of the Woo,” for select games during the upcoming season.
“Some good ole minor league fun,” Oliveira said. “The type of things that you don’t necessarily see at the major league level.”
Oliveira also mentioned new offerings that guests can look out for this year, including a “Smiley” meal for kids, which he described as the WooSox’s version of a Happy Meal; a $5 beer offering 16-ounce beers; and a specialty Battle Burger, themed for the visiting team that week. For example, when the Buffalo Bisons visit Polar Park, buffalo wings will be added to the specialty burger.
Aside from the added beverage and food options, there are plenty of players that fans can look forward to this season, according to Oliveira, including infielder Mikey Romero, and pitchers Jake Bennett and
Payton Tolle.
“Our manager, Chad Tracy, was just recently talking in Spring Training saying he thinks this has the chance of being the best WooSox team that he’s been apart of the last five years, which is awesome to hear.”
Oliveira said there’s always the possibility major league players get assigned for their rehab assignments in Triple-A, and prospects are constantly sent down or called up throughout the season.
For more information on the WooSox’s upcoming schedule and offerings, readers can visit woosox.com.
Hartford Yard Goats
The Hartford Yard Goats, Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, will celebrate its 10th season at Dunkin’ Park after relocating from New Britain in 2016.
Abramson said the organization has welcomed over three million fans to the ballpark and has “sort of continuously [shattered] every record for the most number of fans in the shortest period of time.”
The ballpark has repeatedly ranked among the top Double-A venues.
Promotional nights this season include a Negro League
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celebration on June 24, honoring Hartford School Boys player Johnny “Schoolboy” Taylor, Jackie Robinson Day on April 15, and multiple Los Chivos de Hartford games celebrating Hispanic and Latino culture, including a Roberto Clemente tribute in August.
“We definitely like to tie back, when we can, to the history through our themes. Obviously, diversity, equity, inclusion, those are all really important initiatives for us here in the ballpark. We want to celebrate things that are reflective of the community that we’re in,” Abramson stated. “You need to serve everybody, so we’re honoring the history of baseball, but we also have Banana Ball coming back, which is the newest iteration, I guess, of so-called baseball. We’ll do anything to get people here.”
Opening weekend features a 10-year celebration, jersey giveaway, fireworks and appearances by Mario, Luigi and Bluey. Other themed events include a divorce party night, Halloween game, Rock Cats throwback nights, and Eras night with DJ Swiftie, a wedding vow renewal night and a Hartford Whalers alumni event.
Abramson also discussed the viral new food item that the Yard Goats will debut this season on certain nights, which is designed to resemble a friendship bracelet called the “Anti-Hero.” It is a 2-foot all beef hot dog served on an artisan Italian loaf bun, topped with 11 powdered donuts, a mustard-ketchup drizzle with sweet candied pink and blue sprinkles.
Other new food items include munchkin nachos, a frycuterie board and a cinnamon bun burger.
“We marketed ourselves as Connecticut’s largest restaurant,” Abramson said. “We are as much a restaurant as we are a sports venue. The vast majority of people come out here because it’s an entertainment option, not because they have a deep love of baseball in general.”
Abramson talked about a few prospects to look forward to this season, including catcher Cole Messina, pitchers Everett Catlett and Griffin Herring, infielder Roc Riggio and outfielders Cole Carrigg and Charlie Condon, who have a good chance of being called-up to the major league club.
“There’s probably a couple players you want to come out and see once or twice because I do think you’ll see them perform in the majors,” Abramson said. Although a good roster and wins are a plus, Abramson talked about the importance of selling entertainment to get fans in the seats, as the roster can constantly change because players are continuously called up or traded.
“Double-A is all about development. They are putting a team together that can play as a team, but they’re also hyper focused on the individuals who are figuring out what their limitations are,” the Yard Goats general manager said, “We don’t sell baseball wins and losses, we sell entertainment, but it does not hurt to have a team that is fun to watch on the field.”
For more information on the Yard Goats upcoming season, readers can visit milb. com/Hartford.
To hear the full episode, visit thereminder.com/our-podcast or search “So That Reminds Me” on your favorite podcasting platform.
Worcester Red Sox’s Marketing Vice President Steve Oliveira (left) sit down with “So That Reminds Me” hosts Dennis Hackett and Tyler Garnet.
Reminder Publishing photo by Debbie Gardner
Pet food drive to benefit Easthampton Community Center
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
EASTHAMPTON — Local groups are coming together to host a pet food drive on Saturday, April 25, to benefit the furry friends of the community.
Organized by the Friends of Easthampton Dog Park, in collaboration with The Heavy Culture Cooperative, the drive will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Heavy Culture Cooperative building at 1 Northampton St. and will specifically benefit the Easthampton Community Center.
The drive’s partners are requesting cat litter and pet food for various species. This is the second pet food drive put on for the Easthampton Community Center through this collaboration; the first took place last November.
Easthampton Community Center Executive Director Robin Bialecki told Reminder Publishing the pet food drive came together because the Friends of Easthampton Dog Park and The Heavy Culture Cooperative wanted to find a way to sup-
port their community partner.
After seeing the success of the pet food drive last November, Bialecki was happy to have the center be the recipient of this effort once again.
“We have a lot of families that come in, and it’s tough enough feeding your family, and then you remember you have to get dog food. It’s hard. It’s not always inexpensive, especially if your dog is on a special diet,” said Bialecki. “We have a lot of seniors that have their comfort pets, and what happens is they’ll give them their food so that they’re eating, but then seniors aren’t getting a dinner, so we try to always make sure that we have a supply of pet food. I said yes [to the drive] because we want to make sure the animals are eating a good, healthy diet, as well as the people that we are serving.”
Friends of the Easthampton Dog Park President Joan Kurtz told Reminder Publishing it was a no-brainer for the group to help support the community center with another pet food drive because of its value to the community.
a lot of community commentary that Coca-Cola is still here, and yes, Coca-Cola is still here, but in a greatly diminished capacity.”
projects, and this gives us greater flexibility to address deferred maintenance, and it also relieves pressure on the budget I need to build for the coming year,” LaScaleia added.
The plant has worked in an increasingly diminished capacity since its announcement to leave, and now is only using 14% of the city’s water usage as of FY26, compared to 25% during the height of operations.
“Even though they remain in the city, it’s important to note that they’re not operating at anything close to previous levels,” said LaScaleia. “I think there’s
When the conversation opened to the public, one resident asked if the retained earnings could be given back to residents who have been paying more through the base rate changes, or if a fund could be established that focuses on water and sewer main breaks with this extra money. LaScaleia explained the DPW has stabilization funds within the enterprise where, in the past, they have actually transferred the excess revenue out of retained earnings into stabilization.
“Those stabilization funds are actually going back to the ratepayers this year in the sewer enterprise. We are going to trans
“We’re supporting the Easthampton Community Center. Besides giving out food to those clients that need it, a lot of them also have pets, so they need dog food, cat food, kitty litter, so we decided to support our local community center,” said Kurtz. “We’re just trying to help the community.”
A former volunteer of the center herself, Kurtz credited Bialecki for her leadership and devoted work to the community. She also highlighted The Heavy Culture Cooperative for its effort in this collaboration and for donating driveway space for pet food items to be dropped off.
“This is a phenomenal city. If there is a call, people will step up and help others,” said Kurtz. “Here’s Heavy Culture Cooperative, who does not benefit in any way, but wants to help. We live in this city, and we want to help all of our neighbors any which way we can.”
Bialecki added that they will accept various dog and cat food brands because different pets have different diets. They are also accepting birdseed, pet dish-
fer out of stabilization in order to balance the sewer enterprise budget and not raise rates this year, and that has always been part of the strategy,” said LaScaleia. “In terms of appropriating overages to specific things like water main breaks and sewer main breaks, that’s actually what the council did in January when we came to you and said we have these retained earnings, here is the value, could you please appropriate this money to water main replacement. That’s the account I use to pay for water main breaks, so that’s actually already happening, and it just happened in January.”
Ward 1 Councilor Gwen Nabad asked LaScaleia if she
es, and pet bedding for dogs, cats and pet rodents like hamsters, guinea pigs and gerbils.
For more information on the upcoming pet food drive, visit theheavyculture.coop/shows.
“It is a really big need, and that’s why we keep ourselves as
consistently keep rates where they’ve been the last few years. LaScaleia said she thinks the Coca-Cola plant’s continued operations in the city has delayed a conversation around rate increases.
“I think it’s always difficult to have a conversation around what percent are we looking at to increase usage rates. But I think Coca-Cola’s continued operation has enabled us to feel confident that we are going to be able to balance our capital needs and the operating expenses of the enterprise. It has been a surprise to us, and it is not necessarily the way we want to operate ... We have held firm and not changed anything, and again, because that’s one of our goals, stable financials and stable rates for people.”
Sciarra added that “Every
a community center, because we like to think we’re kind of the hub of making sure people get fed, and animals as well,” said Bialecki. “It’s nice to know that other groups are looking after our city, and we like to think that that’s what happens here.”
year, Director LaScaleia, [Finance] Director [Charlene] Nardi, and I have at least a couple intense conversations about this. I’m very sensitive to the fact that Coke is still here and that we are still getting revenue. I think, as Director LaScaleia has laid out, it’s not meeting the needs that we have in these enterprises. It has delayed us talking about rate increases because I know that it peeves people. They [Coca-Cola] have told me many times they’re leaving, and it’s very frustrating. As Director LaScaleia said, we have to take them at their word because we have to prove revenue to DOR.”
A full recording of this meeting and discussion can be found on the Northampton Government Video Archive YouTube channel.
A pile of donated pet food and goods from last November’s pet food drive to benefit the
Photo credit: Joan Kurtz, Friends of Easthampton Dog Park
EASTHAMPTON
School Committee approves level-services budget for FY27
By Tina Lesniak Correspondent
EASTHAMPTON — At its March 24 meeting, the Easthampton School Committee approved the nearly $25 million level-services fiscal year 2027 budget proposed by Superintendent Michelle Balch. It represents a $2.1 million, or 9.5%, increase from the FY26 budget of $22.1 million.
Balch called the budget “both fiscally responsible and reflective of the work” the district
needs to do, noting that it represents the district’s core values, maintains the services the district prioritizes and addresses the cost increases that the district faces. Julia Saari-Franks, director of Business Services, noted that the budget is based on projections both in costs and expected aid from the state. The largest cost increase comes from an increase of $736,000 in personnel costs from contracted raises, with Saari-Franks noting that roughly 63% of the district’s personnel
are on the top three steps of the salary scale. She also explained that the Chapter 70 funds from the state are expected to remain flat at roughly $9.2 million, up only $115,000 from the current year. Special education transportation costs are expected to rise roughly 10%, and utility costs are also expected to continue to rise, according to Saari-Franks. She also explained that the budget has been up 9-10% each of the last several years since COVID-19 relief funds have run out, an issue that many
districts have faced. However, Easthampton is in much better fiscal shape than many of its surrounding districts that are facing significant cuts to staffing and programs.
Balch noted that most of the changes in the proposed budget reflect a reallocation in staffing to adjust programming. For example, the administration at Mountain View School will lose an administrator but gain a dean of students. It will also be able to add a world language teacher and a STEAM teacher by real-
locating and restructuring its teaching staff.
Saari-Franks noted that quickly and significantly rising health insurance costs are not a part of the schools’ budget, as they are part of the city budget, and that those are weighing heavily on the city. She added that Easthampton’s central office is one of the leanest ones she’s seen in her 21 years of experience.
The budget will now move to the mayor, and eventually, to the City Council.
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton is encouraging residents, business owners and visitors to participate in a new community survey that will help shape the future of downtown navigation, signage and overall visitor experience.
The survey is part of Phase II of the city’s Downtown Wayfinding Plan, an initiative supported by a Massachusetts Downtown Initiative grant, and building on earlier community branding and wayfinding efforts. Working with transportation planners from Stantec on the project, the city’s goal is to create a clear, cohesive system of signage that will improve how people move through and experience Easthampton’s downtown districts, according to the city.
“Wayfinding is about more than just signs — it’s about creating a welcoming, accessible and easy-to-navigate city for everyone,” said Mayor Salem Derby. “We want to hear from the community about what’s working, what’s not, and what improvements would make the biggest impact.”
The city is putting out this survey with the belief that community feedback is a critical component of the planning process. Responses from the survey will help identify key destinations, highlight navigation challenges, and inform the development of future wayfinding elements such
as district naming, directional signs and informational signs.
The survey is now open and can be found at tinyurl.com/ EasthamptonWayfinding2026. Community members are encouraged to share through the survey their experiences traveling through Easthampton, including how they find local businesses, parks, cultural destinations and parking. Responses will be collected through Sunday, April 12.
Easthampton Planning Director Allyson Manuel told Reminder Publishing that the city’s initial efforts from the Downtown Wayfinding Plan resulted in mostly design, and now this next phase will focus on ways to establish a cohesive system of signage to help people better navigate the downtown districts.
“They did the 2020 effort, which resulted in mostly design. It didn’t really have any plans for where signage should go and the specific details on the signs, so this next phase is taking up that part of the process. Looking at what we have for signage, and then determining how to fill the gaps and make it so that it’s easier for people to navigate throughout downtown,” said Manuel.
“Whether it’s looking for a specific store or venue, or just parking. Even public parking, I know in some cases can be challenging for people to find, so we’re hoping to address all of that and also incorporate a cohesive design, so it looks nice.”
Manuel said that the survey includes a study area that people can use as a reference.
“It goes from the Mills on Pleasant and Ferry streets, to the roundabout where Main, Pleas-
ant and Union Street meet, up Union, and then all the way down Cottage Street. So, it’s really anywhere that you would think of as downtown,” said Manuel.
“We’ve gotten feedback, partic-
ularly from out-of-town people, that it can be confusing to navigate from Cottage Street to the mills, and there are often things happening in both places at the same time, and they want to get to both but they don’t necessarily understand how to get there, so I think solving that problem is definitely a goal.”
A public presentation of the Phase II Wayfinding Plan is expected in late spring at a future date to be announced. For more information, visit easthamptonma.gov/432/Downtown-Wayfinding or contact Planning Director Manuel via email at amanuel@ easthamptonma.gov.
Syrup Stampede to aid organization supporting grieving parents
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON
— The Syrup Stampede 5K race and 2K fun run/walk returns on Sunday, April 12, to support the work of Empty Arms Bereavement Support, an organization that serves grieving individuals and families in Massachusetts and nationwide who have lost their babies.
Through cultivating personal connections, building a compassionate community and fostering professional collaborations, Empty Arms offers grieving parents resources and validation as they navigate the days, weeks and lifetime without their baby. The organization said it supports individuals and families who have lost their babies through miscarriage, stillbirth, early infant death or termination for medical reasons.
The seventh Syrup Stampede will take place at Look Memorial Park, and the race begins at 10 a.m. Race day bib pick-up begins at 9 a.m.
Runners and walkers can register as teams or individuals and have the option to fundraise as a team. Registration is $35 until April 2, and then the price rises to $40 in the leadup to race day. It is $50 when one registers on the day of the race.
Meanwhile, youth registration is $20 for individuals aged 11-17 and $5 for individuals aged 10 and under. All registered runners and walkers can enjoy the pancake breakfast for free, but pancake-only registration is $12 per person and $5 for kids 10 and under.
Prizes will be awarded in youth and adult categories, including the top fundraising individual. Pancakes will be available starting at 10 a.m.
Empty Arms founder and Executive Director Carol McMurrich told Reminder Publishing the event has always strived to be an exciting outdoor activity to kick off spring, adding the pancake breakfast alongside the race makes for a fun atmosphere in support of the important work of Empty Arms. She said the fundraiser brings in over half of Empty Arms’ annual budget.
“We’re trying to build community and give people a place to feel joy and feel connected, and I think we really do a good job of that at the Syrup Stampede. It’s a really cozy day. People have a good time. It’s good, sweet, sweet syrup, warm carbs and fresh air,” said McMurrich.
McMurrich lost her own baby
over 20 years ago, and the experience illustrated the lack of support options for mothers like her when experiencing this tragedy. In looking to find her own grieving process, Empty Arms was eventually born with the idea to fill the existing gaps in resources, peer support and general support for mothers in these situations.
“What we have found to be true is that our health care system and our mental health care system [are] largely unprepared to help people cope through the loss of a baby,” said McMurrich.
McMurrich explained that when anyone loses a significant loved one in their family or life, the work of grief is figuring out how that person stays with you even though they are now gone.
“You don’t just disappear that person from our life when they die, but their existence brings new meaning, and we have a different relationship with them, and that’s what the work of grief is, coming to terms with that new relationship. I think the parents forge a relationship with a baby and an expectation of what that life is going to be together, and then that is abruptly ended,” added McMurrich.
McMurrich said that Empty Arms thoroughly guides parents through the aftermath of this unthinkable tragedy.
“That relationship is already an existing relationship for
them,” said McMurrich. “We really sit in the tough stuff with people and let them experience it in a way that’s really hard for others in their life to tolerate. We let them be parents to the children that they’ve lost, which is an opportunity that they don’t have in very many places. We see a lot of really beautiful growth in the aftermath for people that are regular participants.”
McMurrich said our culture’s lack of understanding about how to best help mothers grieve through the loss of a baby is
another reason why she started Empty Arms. She said that without living through the tragedy, she too would probably not fully understand how to provide someone with the proper support, and that an event like the Syrup Stampede is an opportunity that allows for supplemental communal support to fill those gaps.
“I always say every grieving person came out of the same world that the people who are struggling to support them are still living in,” said McMurrich. “That’s one of the reasons why I
think the Syrup Stampede is such an incredibly impactful event for our community, because it is an opportunity for people in sort of circles outside of the grieving parents to show up with their support, whether they’re showing up in person to actually do the event or they’re donating to someone’s fundraiser, it’s a way that they can say, ‘I care about you, I care about what happened to you, and I understand that this is something that’s important to
Some shots from the 2025 Syrup Stampede at Look Memorial Park. This year’s race and pancake breakfast will be on Sunday, April 12.
Photo credit: Mark Kantor
See STAMPEDE on page 8
LACROSSE
Northampton boys’ lacrosse scrimmaged West Springfield in a preseason matchup as the Blue Devils prepare for the start of the regular season. The scrimmage gave the team an opportunity to evaluate their lineup and build the teams chemistry before the games begin to count. Northampton will open the season on March 27, with a road game against Chicopee Comp.
NORTHAMPTON VS WEST SPRINGFIELD
Food drive set to support four local food pantries
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON — The Three County Fair Food Drive returns on Saturday, April 11, where the public is encouraged to stop by the fair’s main office at 54 Fair St. to drop off non-perishable, non-expired food items that will contribute to four local food banks.
People can donate at least 10 non-perishable and non-expired food items in exchange for a pair of complimentary tickets to the 2026 Three County Fair, which is set for Sept. 4-7. One pair of tickets is limited to each vehicle.
The Three County Fair has collected over 2,000 pounds of food donations for local food banks each of the last several years. The Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society is the nonprofit organization that manages the Three County Fair and fairgrounds.
This year, the fair is specifically accepting donations of non-perishable, non-expired foods such as canned fruit, soup, tuna and vegetables, plus cereal, pasta, sauce and peanut butter for area food pantries that have partnered with the fair. Accord-
Stampede
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you without using any words.’ Sometimes that’s the best thing for both parties because the communication around this is difficult.”
Empty Arms has started programs in small community hospitals, where volunteers support families at the time of their baby’s death by guiding them through
ing to the food drive organizers, the Northampton Survival Center, Easthampton Community Center, the Helping Hands Cupboard Food Pantry at BUCC in Belchertown and the Westhampton Congregational United Church of Christ are the local food pantries benefiting from the drive this year.
“The Three County Fair understands that our neighbors deserve food security no matter the time of year,” said Three County Fair Executive Director Taylor Haas. “We are honored to stock pantries at local food banks in our community with the help of our Fair network.”
Donations can be dropped off at the fair’s main office on April 11 between the hours of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The fair requests that donations be compiled in disposable bags or boxes for volunteers to easily accept them from vehicles.
Haas told Reminder Publishing that while the food drive was born in 2020 during the pandemic to support the community through times of uncertainty, it has remained an annual spring effort to augment the ongoing fight against food insecurity.
“Obviously, our food drive
the difficult process that follows. She said that today, Empty Arms programming is available in all hospitals in the Connecticut River Valley and in various support groups across the state.
Empty Arms’ goal is to help as many families going through this experience as possible. She said that she has heard from Boston-area hospitals that they lack the proper resources to assist a grieving mother, another reason she hopes Empty Arms’ work can continue to spread to other
is in the spring, so I think a lot of people typically think food drives around the holidays, but we recognized food insecurity as not just a seasonal need in our community,” said Haas. “We felt that doing this in the spring was just a good way to give back and support our neighbors.”
Northampton Survival Center Development Director Danielle Brown told Reminder Publishing it’s always nice when one beloved local group is helping another.
“The Fair’s longtime support of the center means that when people think about the fair, they also think about helping the community,” said Brown.
The food collected from the drive will help offset the center’s food budget. With a food budget of $300,000, the center can leverage its partnership with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and other agencies to distribute food valued at over $1.5 million to low-income residents of Hampshire County throughout the year.
“Food drives bring in a variety of ingredients that our families really appreciate. We always have staples like pasta and peanut butter, but what’s peanut
hospitals across the state and throughout New England.
“What we’ve created here is basically the most streamlined bereavement referral process and immediate support to grief care here in Western Mass. than anyone else in New England, really,” said McMurrich. “A therapist is a really important tool for somebody navigating a crisis like this, but many will say that peer support is more helpful because instead of just your therapist telling you, ‘don’t worry, this is
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
Norman Carrier
Joan L. Fydenkevez
Genevieve “Jean” Newman
FLORENCE
Walter J. Kolodzinski Jr.
HATFIELD
Theresa Brodeur
John McClellan
HAYDENVILLE
Nancy Grant (Palmer)
NORTHAMPTON
Dr. Barbara Hatch Cavalieri
Ph.D.
Joan Molitoris
Lynn Ellen Tomasetti
Cecilia Ann Vera
SOUTH HADLEY
Emery F. Filarsky Jr.
Thomas Norman Hazen
Kendall M. Johnson-Smith
John P. “Jack” Leonard
SOUTHAMPTON
James V. Bourdon
WESTHAMPTON
Michele A. Witowski
WILLIAMSBURG
Mary Louise Dragon (Osgood)
butter without jelly? Jelly is a perfect food drive donation. The same goes for sauces, spices and condiments, the things that make homemade food taste great,” added Brown.
Haas said that the food drive has seen growth year-to-year since it started in 2020, mainly because the issue of food insecurity is still present on the minds of so many.
“I think, generally, food security is always an issue. We’re just in strange times and have been since the pandemic, and just being able to support the community in that way has not changed. But I do think year-over-year, we are growing a little bit each year.
We have returning faces, a lot of our fair family and members participate in the food drive,” said Haas. “It’s been fairly consistent [turnout, donation totals], but we hope to continue to increase that because the food insecurity needs in our community are not decreasing.”
Located in Northampton and incorporated in 1818, the Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society promotes agriculture, agricultural education, agricultural science and sustainability for the region through ex-
normal,’ you’re actually seeing that it’s normal in other people, which is what really calms the spirit. It’s really cool to me that Western Mass. is setting the standard of care for the state.”
Last year, Empty Arms served over 60 families at the bedside, and while the number may not jump out, McMurrich said it’s still over 60 families who would have been without the resource if not for the organization. They also now have 15 different monthly support groups, with each focused on a different aspect of pregnancy loss.
McMurrich said the growth of Empty Arms since she began the work has been “astonishing,” and as a former kindergarten teacher, it is a surprise to see where life took her as the leader of this nonprofit. She hopes the
hibitions, displays, competitions and demonstrations.
The fair has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the oldest ongoing fair in continuous operation in the U.S., with the first Three County Fair taking place on Oct. 14 and 15, 1818, and every year since, without interruption.
For more information on this year’s upcoming food drive and fair, visit 3countyfair.com.
“I think for us as the Three County Fair, we’re centered on community and tradition and just supporting goodwill and a fun spirit on our fairgrounds. Being able to contribute through the food drive is just one way we can give back and support our community. It’s just really incredible to see how something as simple as a canned good can turn into thousands of meals in our community. That’s very special, and I think, bottom line, we’re about community and just being able to contribute in this way, it’s very important to our society,” added Haas. “We’re just honored to be able to support local food banks and people in our community at a time when people may not necessarily be thinking about food insecurity.”
Empty Arms support network continues to see growth and impact in helping mothers grieve through these experiences. “I get people multiple times a year who say to me, ‘this saved my life, I really mean that,’ and they’ll say it like that. Like ‘I really mean that, I don’t think I would’ve survived without this resource,’” said McMurrich. “I almost have a hard time digesting it because I’m like, ‘I didn’t really do anything.’ I just showed up with my own story and said, ‘hey guys, gather round, let’s do this together.’”
For more information on the work of Empty Arms or the Syrup Stampede, visit emptyarmsbereavement.org. To sign up for the fundraiser or learn more, visit syrupstampede.com.
DINING ENTERTAINMENT
Provision’s Picks: Light white wines from Muscadet
As winter wears on and spring seems closer than ever, I like to put aside the robust reds that we tend to favor during the cold months and start exploring warm weather wines ahead of the season’s change. It’s not so much a change of necessity, it’s still quite chilly here in Massachusetts, but rather a sort of optimistic look towards spring and summer just around the corner. Perhaps there is also a degree of palate fatigue from enjoying so much rich food and drink during the winter months. So let us look at something markedly different from the winter’s hearty reds and turn our attention to one of the most refreshing of light white wines: Muscadet.
Muscadet is the westernmost edge of the Loire, surrounding the city of Nantes near the Atlantic coast. The region works with only one grape, Melon de Bour-
HOLYOKE — Wistariahurst Museum has announced that on April 21, it will exhibit, reveal and demonstrate the secret language of the Victorian hand fan. The event will feature an exhibit of beautifully crafted fans and a live demonstration of how “fan
gogne, and specializes in the dry, white and sea food friendly wine that bears the region’s name. This is not to be confused with the similar-sounding Muscat grape that is grown all over the world to produce fruity, floral wines, often of substantial sweetness. Muscadet is a fairly neutral grape with more notes of minerality than of fruit as a result of the local soil’s richness of calcium and potassium. These wines are often richly textured and long lived as a result of a practice known as “lees aging” wherein the wine is rested or aged on the yeast sediment left over from fermentation to create a richer mouthfeel and more savory aromas. Lees aging may last as little as a few months but in top cuvees can go on for as long as five years. The region has historically produced oceans of simple, high acid white wine meant to be paired with seafood,
language” was used to communicate without speaking a word. Although hand fans were a “must-have” fashion accessory for women of the time, they also marked the beginning of women’s determination to free themselves from the oppression of the
however, the tide is turning in Muscadet, and today you can find a number of excellent producers making superb, thirst quenching wines of both enjoyment and terroir. Check out some of our favorites below:
Claude Branger Le Fils des Gras Moutons Muscadet Sevre et Maine ($16.99): Claude Branger and his son Sebastian are meticulous farmers focused on working entirely by hand, lowering yields to improve quality and organic farming (the estate has been certified organic by the EU since 2019). Le Fils des Gras Mouton is produced from a single vineyard containing the familly’s younger vines grown on shallow granitic soil, and the wine spends six to seven months on the lees before bottling. Notes of citrus peel, salt and crushed sea shells. An outstanding value! Jo landron Amphibolite
patriarchy and the overzealous eyes of chaperones during the Victorian era.
Attendees will learn how the simple hand fan helped energize women to pursue greater independence… walking without a male escort, riding a bicycle, re-
Muscadet Sevre et Maines ($23.99): The Landron family have proven to be true stars of the region, a reputation they have surely earned through their meticulous yet minimal intervention winemaking and comittment to biodynamic viticulture. In fact, Jo Landron was an early pioneer of natural farming in the largely conventional region, converting to organic in 1999 and biodynamics in 2011. Amphibolite is a blend of multiple parcels of 35to 40-year-old vines grown on the regions green amphibolite soils, and the wine spends six months on the lees. Slightly riper and more textured than many other entry level Muscadets with notes of citrus, apple and minerality.
Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Mise Precoce ($22.99): Widely regarded as one of the top domaines in the region, Pepiere’s wines are not to be missed. Led
designing fashion and demanding control of their everyday lives.
A live demonstration of fan language will be held during the opening reception by historic performer Kandie Carle. What began as a simple cooling device evolved to a symbol of status and
by the Olivier family, the estate was one of the first to focus on single vineyard expressions back in the 80s, fighting an uphill battle for recognition in a region better known for bulk production. This focus on terroir led them to acquire some of the best vineyard sites in what are now the formally recognized cru zones of the region. As a result of this investment in terroir, they are able to source 50% of the fruit for their entry level Muscadet from the higher-tier cru sites with the remainder coming from good vineyards in the greater Muscadet-Sevre-et-Maine appellation. The Muscadet Mise Precoce is a special early bottling produced only in certain vintages to showcase a lighter and more acid driven style of Muscadet. Linear and very bright with savory notes of sea breeze, lemon and crushed rock.
wealth, then became an instrument of change to human relationships and social codes. Fans are a tangible record of art, history, and the ongoing connection among cultures. The event is on April 21 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Holyoke Pride to host screening of acclaimed documentary April 16
HOLYOKE — The Holyoke Pride Committee is presenting a special screening of the acclaimed documentary “1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture,” followed by a live Q&A with the film’s composer, multi-platinum artist and LGBTQIA+ advocate Mary Lambert. The event will take place on April 16, 7 p.m. at the Holyoke Senior Center.
The film explores how the word “homosexual” was first introduced into the Revised Standard Version of the Bible in 1946 — a translation decision that helped shape decades of misunderstanding, stigma and harm toward LGBTQIA+ people. Through the work of researchers, historians and faith leaders, the film traces the origins of this mistranslation and its lasting cultural impact.
The screening is part of Holyoke Pride’s ongoing commitment to fostering inclusive, commu-
nity-centered programming that encourages dialogue, education and connection across diverse audiences.
Following the screening, attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with the film’s composer, Lambert during a live Q&A, offering deeper insight into the film’s themes of faith, identity and resilience.
“Bad theology has been used as a justification for discriminating against queer people for generations”, said Lambert, “and the religious trauma for so many of us in the queer community is incredibly painful. I loved composing this music. It was life-changing from the beginning — just learning about this documentary that actually found concrete evidence for what so many of us already knew — that God’s love is universal and is not restricted to straight people, and anything that contradicts that truth is the work of human error and bigotry. Can’t
wait to share it with you all!”
The event also serves as a fundraiser supporting Holyoke Pride’s year-round programming, which continues to grow in scope and impact each year. Tickets are available on a sliding scale with a $25 minimum.
Senior and student tickets are available at a reduced cost. Get tickets at holyokepride.org/1946.
Expert calls retreat from GLP-1 drugs ‘bordering unethical’
By Ella Adams State House News Service
BOSTON
— The health of state employees and MassHealth members “is on the line,” clinicians and patients warned on March 24, due to diminishing coverage for GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.
The cries come against a backdrop of surging health care costs in Massachusetts tied to the popularity of GLP-1 drugs, and concerns from insurers about the rising costs of premiums as a result.
A chronic disease management specialist and president of the New England Obesity Society, Dr. Giovanna Leddy says obesity has been recognized as a chronic disease by the American Medical Association since 2013.
“Without treatment, it is a chronic and relapsing chronic disease that leads to substantial morbidity and mortality,” Leddy said at a briefing. GLP-1s not only show meaningful weight loss long term, but marked improvements in weight-related metabolic conditions, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease, she explained at the discussion about obesity management treatment.
“Just like any other chronic disease — diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, rheumatoid arthritis — treatment with medication is intended for long-term use,” Leddy said. “We would never consider withdrawing effective treatment for any of these other chronic diseases. Discontinuing obesity medication for patients with demonstrated benefit is bordering unethical.”
For GLP-1 users like Michael Donnelly-Boylen, who was able to get off of antidepressants and blood pressure medication and stave off longer-term medical care as a result of using GLP1s for weight management, the drugs are a “lifeline.” He said since the age of eight, everything he had tried to address his weight had failed.
“Two years ago, I was prepared to die,” Donnelly-Boylen said at the briefing. “I had reached almost 400 pounds. I couldn’t walk two blocks without being in excruciating pain. I started getting all the documents together so that my spouse would be okay when I wasn’t here anymore.”
The Health Policy Commission found last year that GLP-1 prescriptions grew from 3,000 per 100,000 commercial members in 2018, to 22,000 per 100,000 in 2023. Demand for the drugs, which were initially designed to treat type 2 diabetes, increased since the Food and Drug Administration approved Wegovy for weight loss in 2021.
“The diabetes versions of GLP-1s are well-covered by most plans. So why is it that obesity medications are stigmatized and not covered for the exact same molecule? It’s not covered for obesity, but it’s covered for diabetes,” physician assistant Joe Zucchi said.
“We have patients who, sadly, are hoping their panel comes back from their lab work and shows that they have diabetes so that they can get coverage for medication,” Zucchi added.
The Alliance for Patient Ac-
cess, the American Diabetes Association and the Obesity Action Coalition hosted the discussion and said that one in four adults in Massachusetts live with obesity. Each year, untreated obesity drains $11.8 billion from the state’s economy and adds $757 million to state health care spending, according to the groups. They are urging the state to “treat obesity like the chronic disease is it,” and suggested that the state adopt utilization management strategies and clinical guidelines to maintain coverage and manage costs. They also suggested it “leverage” federal opportunities like opting into the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ “BALANCE Model,” which aims to improve access to some GLP-1s.
The advocates did not outline legislative ideas, though Reps. Rob Consalvo and Thomas Stanley attended the panel discussion, both sharing that they use GLP-1 drugs and asking clinicians questions about treatment.
Beginning April 1, people participating in Group Insurance Commission open enrollment will start picking their coverage plans that don’t include GLP-1 coverage for weight loss. The GIC voted in February to eliminate that coverage, following suit with a benefit change that commercial insurers and the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association have also pursued. The GIC provides insurance for more than 460,000 public employees and retirees, and some 22,000 GIC members take GLP-1 drugs for weight loss at a total cost of $46 million.
Though costs tied to GLP-1s have been straining the agency’s budget, some GIC commissioners say the decision could increase health disparities and lead to higher costs should chronic conditions worsen. The vote followed Gov. Maura Healey’s suggestion that commissioners consider the recommendation to scrap coverage for GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.
“I think the hardest part of the GLP-1 journey for any patient right now is the constant worry about whether they’re going to have to go back into their disease state and lose their coverage,” Donnelly-Boylen said. His husband is a board-certified obesity medicine doctor, with patients on MassHealth and coworkers on state employee insurance coverage.
“All of them right now, who have been treating their disease, are literally thinking about whether or not the state is going to make the decision to let them get sick,” Donnelly-Boylen said.
“As a person not on the state insurance right now, I can tell you, I’m scared all the time. But right now, state employees and people on MassHealth are petrified.”
All carriers with the Massachusetts Health Connector decided to stop covering GLP-drugs for 2026 strictly for weight loss, and additional GLP-1 cost pressure could come from MassHealth. In her fiscal 2027 budget, Healey proposed funding MassHealth at $22.7 billion, compared to $22.1 billion in fiscal 2026. As part of cutting costs, MassHealth wants to eliminate coverage for GLP-1
weight loss drugs.
“MassHealth members are disproportionately impacted by obesity. They have the most to gain from effective treatment and the least ability to absorb costs if coverage is withdrawn,” Leddy said. “Withdrawing coverage does not create a level playing field. If anything, it widens an already devastating gap.”
In a change that began in January, GIC enrollees now must participate in a new program through Vida Health to maintain coverage for GLP-1 prescriptions. A GIC official said last November that the agency determined that using a vendor to manage GLP-1 drugs for weight loss more closely “was the most responsible next step to achieve savings and maintain GIC coverage for GLP-1s for weight loss.”
Zucchi called the new program “infuriating” because he’s been treating patients, like state employee Deb LaValle, for several years with obesity medications. LaValle hadn’t been able to get knee replacement surgery due to a high body mass index. That changed with GLP-1s, she said, which made her feel like she’s “finally progressing to a better quality of life.”
The new program is “creating more issues,” Zucchi said. “What other disease state would they require the medication to be prescribed by a provider through one organization?”
Ella Adams is a reporter for the State House News Service and State Affairs Massachusetts. Reach her at ella.adams@statehousenews.com.
Public defender law tilted pay landscape, prosecutors are noticing
By Colin A. Young State House News Service
BOSTON — Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden applauded the Legislature on March 24 for the law it passed last summer to end a work stoppage among some bar advocates. But he said that law also spun off “some, I think, unintended consequences that simply have to be addressed.”
The Committee for Public Counsel Services has been hiring attorneys with the help of a $40 million reserve account and a mandate from the Legislature and Gov. Maura Healey to hire 320 additional attorneys over two fiscal years, part of an attempt to reduce the state’s need for as many independent contractor bar advocates to provide legal representation to indigent defendants.
And Hayden says that’s making it harder for him and other district attorneys to hire young prosecutors to their offices. CPCS is hiring new attorneys at an annual salary of $79,500, he said.
“By comparison, we start as-
sistant district attorneys in our offices at $72,000 and it can take several years before an ADA reaches the current starting salary of a CPCS attorney,” he said. “As a result, we run a risk – and I’ve already experienced it personally – we run a risk of losing district attorneys to the Committee for Public Counsel Services at the precise moment that the needs and stability is vital to our criminal legal system.”
The governor’s fiscal year 2027 budget recommendation proposes about $186.95 million for the 11 district attorneys offices and the District Attorneys’ Association, up 3.2% from the $181.15 million included in the FY26 budget the governor signed last summer. Hayden told the Joint Ways and Means Committee at the Foxborough Community Center that the district attorneys collectively are asking for a 10% increase over last year’s budget, or 6.5% over Healey’s FY27 recommendation, about $18 million more to bring the total outlay for DAs to roughly $200 million.
And $12 million of that request would go towards raising the starting salaries for ADAs to $80,000 a year and boosting pay for current workers who earn more than the current starting salary but still less than $80,000, Hayden and Worcester District Attorney Joe Early said. Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey and Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan were also on the budget testimony panel.
“These young, talented attorneys — and we tend to get some of the best and brightest — are the best money that this Legislature can ever spend to ensure public safety. ADAs certainly should not be making less than public defenders. We’re not suggesting they make more. We’re simply suggesting that the playing field must be level,” Hayden said.
The Suffolk County top prosecutor said his office doesn’t just compete with CPCS for new hires, but also with other state agencies. He pointed out that the
current salary for a starting-level counsel position under the National Association of Government Employees contract is already more than $78,800 and increases to more than $82,000 in January.
He said the Legislature addressed the same issue many years ago with a “significant increase.”
In 2018, House lawmakers added to the budget an increase to the salary for assistant district attorneys, which the News Service reported was a topic that district attorneys had pressed in meetings with House leadership.
“We appreciated it then, and we appreciate it now. But we are telling you that we are now at a point where it, unfortunately, needs to be addressed again,” Hayden said. “We are once again behind the competitive rate to pay young, talented, bright attorneys to work within our DA’s offices.”
State Sen. Paul Feeney noted that Healey’s budget also includes a $30,000 or 3% increase to the staff retention fund shared by district attorneys’ offices and asked Hayden if that’s part of the
long-term solution. Hayden explained that the retention fund is geared more towards ADAs who have already worked in the office for a couple of years and are looking to make a career out of it.
“From a long-term perspective, ideally — and maybe we should be looking at that retention fund being increased — but I think for where we are right now, I think the governor proposed a 3% increase in that retention fund. I think that’s reasonable under the circumstances, but with regards to the current issue and crisis we face, it only puts a dent in the issue,” the DA said. “That alone is not going to enable us to stay level and in competition with the Committee for Public Counsel Services and with other entry-level attorneys in other areas of government across the state. That doesn’t even begin to come close to it.” Colin Young is the deputy editor for State House News Service and State Affairs Pro Massachusetts. Reach him at colin. young@statehousenews.com.
