Revamped AJHS curriculum offers students more learning choices
When seventh and eighth graders enter Agawam Junior High School in September, they will find a revamped program of studies to better prepare them for high school and possible future careers.
Page 4
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Council discusses speed hump installations in three areas
The town of West Springfield is looking to combat speeding in residential areas with the proposed installation of speed humps on East Goosebury Road, Lancaster Avenue and Baldwin Street.
Page 5
West Springfield’s annual Kids Fishing Derby returns
West Springfield Park & Recreation Supervisor Julie Gray is calling families to come out for a fun-filled morning at the annual fishing derby on April 18.
Page 8
Gubernatorial candidate Shortsleeve visits Agawam
By Sarah Heinonen sheinonen@thereminder.com
AGAWAM — About 50 people milled around at Partner’s Restaurant on March 31, gathering in groups to nibble on hors d’oeuvres and talk politics. Eventually, people settled at tables to listen to Brian Shortsleeve make his case for why he should be Massachusetts’s next governor.
State Rep. Nicholas Boldyga introduced Shortsleeve and his running mate, Shawn Oliver. Shortsleeve is one of three Republicans in the primary race. Boldyga said every Republican campaign for office in Massachusetts is difficult. To eschew concerns about the deep pockets of Shortsleeve’s primary opponent, former biotechnology executive Michael Minogue, he said now-Secretary of Education Linda McMahon had run for state Senate in Connecticut twice, and despite drastically outspending other opponents, failed to win the seat each time. He said a candidate can outspend their opponents and lose “if you’re not the right candidate for the job at the right time.”
Oliver, a New Bedford city councilor and corrections officer, took the mic and said, “You have to know criminals when you look them in the face every day; and there are a lot of criminals trying to run the state government.” Oliver said he and Shortsleeve would “fire” all members of the parole board and replace them with “common sense” board members.
Oliver urged the crowd to vote for Shortsleeve because, “He is one of us.”
Shortsleeve leaned heavily on his history as a U.S. Marine and as a business owner. He said the Marine Corps taught him about leadership. “This state is in desperate need of new leadership,” he said. He also spoke at length about his
time in former-Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration, managing the finances at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Administration. Shortsleeve said he went “line by line” to find waste and found that the MBTA paid invoices without question and did not regularly examine where it could cut costs.
“We desperately need a governor in the corner office who knows how to balance budgets.” He said there was “enormous growth in state spending,” and noted the state budget was $48 billion in 2022 and is now $65 billion. He described it as “billions and billions of dollars blown.”
Without citing any sources, Shortsleeve estimated that $5 billion had been spent housing immigrants in temporary shelters. In late 2022, the number of people in the state’s emergency shelters drastically increased, largely due to an influx of immigrants. Because there is a right-to-shelter law in Massachusetts and the shelters were overflowing, many people and families were sheltered in hotels and other large-scale temporary housing, including Logan Airport. As the number of newly
arrived people fell in 2024 and new restrictions, including sixmonth maximum stays and proof of residency requirements, the situation eased. As of August 2025, there were no immigrants sheltered in hotels.
Shortsleeve said he plans to cut waste, increase accountability and lower utility bills and taxes. The last two of these were talking points Shortsleeve returned to several times over the course of the event.
Shortsleeve said Massachusetts is losing population, business owners among them, because taxes are too high. Healey is not “in sync” with the factors impacting small business owners, he said. Shortsleeve’s plan included rolling back the income tax from 5% to 4%.
“We pay our taxes,” said one person in the audience. “I can’t go 14 feet without hitting a pothole.” Oliver said municipalities are “behind the eight-ball,” because not enough funding is coming back to them in local aid.
Pulling a National Grid bill out of his jacket, Shortsleeve said the average Massachusetts customer
is paying $480 per month for electricity. As of January, the average electric bill in Massachusetts was $177.61. Shortsleeve also said 30% of electric bills are the result of state-mandated fees, which he described as taxes. There are several state-mandated charges on electric bills, including the energy efficiency charge, which funds electric energy efficiency programs, and the net metering recovery surcharge, which recovers net metering credits applied to customers with excess generation from on-site generation facilities. However, most of these were put in place before Healey took office in 2023.
On “day one” of his administration, Shortsleeve said he would remove all mandated fees from utility bills. He also said he would tie the state to shale pipelines run by companies, including Algonquin Gas Transmission and Tennessee Gas.
Shortsleeve and Oliver both spoke in favor of auditing the state Legislature, which 72% of voters approved in a 2024 referendum.
Brian Shortsleeve speaks to voters at Partner’s Restaurant in Agawam.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
See SHORTSLEEVE on page 2
STRM: Revitalize CDC’s #GreenNFit Day returns April 25
By Dennis Hackett dhackett@thereminder.com
SPRINGFIELD — Volunteers from all around the area and beyond will work on restoring homes by participating in Revitalize Community Development Corporation’s #GreenNFit Day on April 25.
On the latest episode of “So That Reminds Me” hosts Tyler Garnet and Ryan Feyre sat down with Revitalize CDC’s President and CEO Colleen Shanley-Loveless and Vice President of Community Engagement Ethel Griffin to talk about Revitalize CDC’s #GreenNFit Day on April 25.
Shanley-Loveless explained that Revitalize CDC was founded as an all-volunteer organization in 1992. When Shanley-Loveless was hired in 2009, the organization went from all volunteers with a budget of under $100,000 to growing “significantly” with a staff of 20, now. She said that Revitalize CDC’s work initially began with home repairs.
“The board of directors had realized there was such an overwhelming need in the community, so we focused on doing home repairs, modifications and rehabilitation on the homes of low-income families with children,” she
Shortsleeve
Since then, state House of Representatives Speaker Ronald Mariano and state Senate President Karen Spilka have blocked the audit, saying it violates the separation of powers under the state constitution. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio has since sued to force the audit. In addition to allowing audits of the Legislature, Oliver said Shortsleeve would make sure all executive departments are audited. Under state law, all executive departments must be audited over the course of three years. DiZo-
said. “It could be veterans, seniors and people with special needs.”
Currently, Revitalize CDC has a nutrition program, a healthy homes program and a digital equity and navigation program.
“Once people become a part of it, they don’t leave. We have a 24-member board and just yesterday another organization came to our office and said, ‘we would like to place somebody on our board,’” Shanley-Loveless said.
Revitalize CDC’s #GreenNFit Day, which takes place the last weekend in April, is a day when the organization and its volunteers gather to work on homes in different parts of the city.
Beginning in 2013, Shanley-Loveless said the program moved to the Old Hill neighborhood, where volunteers worked on almost 200 homes each #GreenNFit Day for the next seven years before moving into the North End after a COVID-19 related pause.
“We have 20 homes this year, we are kind of spread out across the city — East Springfield, Mason Square area. We’re also going to do a spring cleanup on the Boys and Girls on Carew Street, and then we’re also going to be working on the Boys and Girls Club Family Center, which is on Acorn Avenue,” she said.
glio completed those audits within the prescribed timeframe in 2025.
Despite this, Oliver claimed such an audit would “find billions of dollars in waste.” He promised that the first billion would be returned directly to municipalities in local aid.
Reflecting local sentiment that spans the political spectrum, a man in the crowd said, “We have to fight for money in Western Mass., when Boston just gets money dumped on them.” Another person told Shortsleeve and Oliver, “I don’t want you to walk away after getting you elected and forget about us.” Oliver said that, like Western Massachusetts,
Griffin said the planning process for the next year begins a week after each #GreenNFit Day.
“We’ll start back with the planning process for the following year, determining where we are going to be; we’ll determine the application process for them. It’s a good thing we don’t wait to the last minute,” she said.
Griffin said the event goes on rain or shine. Each year, she said the American International College, Springfield College and Western New England University football teams participate. Shanley-Loveless added that the event receives support from businesses, churches, other schools and people “from Maine to Florida.”
Healey only visited New Bedford during campaign season. He promised Shortsleeve would not forget about the region.
Someone in the audience mentioned the “crazy policies” passed by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. The organization does not pass binding policies but instead develops and provides model policies school committees can choose to use. Oliver opined that some districts were on an “ideological crusade.”
Shortsleeve lamented the achievement of students in the state. He described the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as “anti-choice,
She added that the volunteers love showing up each year for the event.
“It’s a really diverse group of volunteers all coming together. I remember one time a volunteer said, ‘You get more from this than you’re actually giving because it makes you feel so good,’” she said.
Some of the work volunteers do include replacing bathtubs with showers, replacing steps, replacing carpets, adding handrails for stairs and much more.
While Revitalize CDC does similar work in Holyoke and Chicopee, #GreenNFit Day is focused on homes in Springfield. Shanley-Loveless added that the or-
pro-politics,” and said he would fire and replace the entire board. He said parents should be able to log in online and see what their child learned in class that day. He also said the MCAS was removed as a graduation standard but not replaced with another metric, which he was in favor of, along with more vocational training options.
ganization’s nutrition and healthy homes programs, along with its lead inspection and remediation work are available in 11 of Massachusetts’s 14 counties.
Shanley-Loveless touched on how important the GreenNFit event is for helping people in need.
“Everybody needs a little help now and then, and we’re happy to be there to bring some joy and improve people’s quality of life in helping to make their homes safer,” she said.
To listen to the full conversation, head to thereminder.com/ our-podcast or search “So That Reminds Me” on your favorite podcasting platform.
Shortsleeve also promoted the proposed federal Education Choice for Children Act, which would allow households earning up to 300% or their area’s median income and corporations to use up to $1,700 in tax credits to contribute to Scholarship Granting Organizations, which provide private school tuition vouchers.
When it comes to the need for housing statewide, Shortsleeve said, “To get prices down, we need to boost supply. There is an enormous amount of state-owned land.” To encourage builders, he would eliminate the stretch energy code and suspend the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act, he said. With Shortsleeve’s strong message of deregulation, Reminder Publishing asked the candidate what he would do to protect the people whom the regulations were designed to protect. He responded, “You protect people by acknowledging the policies have failed.”
Photos from a previous Revitalize CDC #GreenNFit Day. Reminder Publishing submitted photos
Senator sees immigrant protection bill expanding safe spaces
By Alison Kuznitz State House News Service
BOSTON — The Senate’s forthcoming approach to shielding immigrants from federal enforcement tactics may include guardrails around additional places beyond courthouses.
“I would observe, not necessarily speaking for what the Senate will ultimately do, but the House bill, in terms of the safe spaces, spoke only to courts,” state Sen. Will Brownsberger told the News Service on April 7 when asked about any potential differences between the branches’ approaches. “And of course the governor also spoke to schools, hospitals and churches. And you know, that’s a place where we might build on that a little bit.”
The House on March 25 passed the so-called PROTECT Act (H 5316), which blocks federal agents from making civil immigration arrests at courthouses. But providers with the Massachusetts Medical Society, who were on Beacon Hill that day for an advocacy event, pointed out the House measure stopped short of Gov. Maura Healey’s proposal to keep federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents out of other places, including nonpublic areas of hospitals and other medical facilities.
Brownsberger called the House bill a “good step forward.” The Senate version is likely to incorporate a Brownsberger proposal (S 2976) that had a hearing
before the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday and would provide legal remedies for residents whose constitutional rights are violated by federal law enforcement.
“We think this will fill some gaps in existing law because there are a number of civil rights violations for which there is no remedy for recovery if the perpetrator is a federal agent,” the Belmont Democrat said.
Brownsberger’s bill is drafted to “withstand judicial scrutiny,” said Jane Bentrott, counsel at the nonprofit Protect Democracy United. She said holding federal officials legally accountable, just as their local and state counterparts already are, is “urgently necessary” following two civilian deaths in Minnesota.
“Moreover, this bill could protect your constituents’ rights in many more contexts,” Bentrott said. “For example, if universities are subjected to pretextual funding cuts to punish protected First Amendment behavior, if businesses face weaponized regulatory scrutiny to influence corporate decision making for corrupt objectives, if residents are confronted with warrantless searches or seizures, they will be able to sue the enforcement officers personally, no matter their badge.”
The Senate plans to tackle immigration protections “over the next few weeks,” Brownsberger told the News Service.
“It’s one of the bills that we just have to do, and we will do,” he said.
SO THAT REMINDS ME
A podcast from The Reminder Find it on your favorite streaming platform
AJHS curriculum offers students more learning choices
By Mike Lydick Correspondent
AGAWAM — When seventh and eighth graders enter Agawam Junior High School in September, they will find a revamped program of studies to better prepare them for high school and possible future careers.
Students will have 60 minute-classes to increase their depth of knowledge and a new six period day. They also will have “more choice and voice” in their elective courses for the 2026-27 school year than they’ve had in the past.
AJHS Principal Norm Robbins gave the School Committee an overview of the changes during a presentation at the March 24 meeting. He said one of the things Superintendent Sheila Martin wanted was increased learning time for students.
“We’ll have longer periods, 60-minute classes, so we can go to a six-period day, and then with that, we want to give students more choice and voice, and that’s where the program studies really come into play at this point,” he said.
The school will continue with its current teaming model and will have four core classes students will take every day: English, math, social studies/civics and science. There also will be some required electives. In seventh grade, it will be physical education and health; in eighth grade it will be STEM and literacy.
Around those required elec-
AGAWAM — For a limited time, Cooper’s Gifts, Apparel, Home is accepting professional attire donations for Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts and Suit Up Springfield.
Both causes request interview-appropriate women’s and men’s clothing, shoes and accessories. Items will be collected at Cooper’s now through April 30.
“We invite everyone to spring clean their closets and change a life,” said Kate Gourde, owner of Cooper’s Gifts, Apparel, Home.
Donations must be like new, clean and on hangers. All professional attire is welcome, but casual clothing will not be accepted.
“Just ask yourself ‘Would I wear this to an interview?’ If the answer is ‘yes,’ Dress for Success and Suit Up Springfield can put it to good use,” Gourde said.
The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence
tives, students can choose additional electives. “We wanted to create three big buckets for seventh graders to actually choose from so they won’t be taking all PE classes, or all visual and performing arts classes or all world languages classes,” said Robbins.
The AJHS principal said the goal of the new course design is to give students an overview, “a whole rounded, whole child perspective” of things. “So, we asked them in these three buckets in seventh grade to choose one from each category, and from there, after they make those choices, to choose five additional electives that will fill in their schedule.”
Eighth grade is similar, but because it is the bridge year for students. Robbins said they only have two buckets from which to choose because many of them are already chosen. He added that they may expand to three categories next year, but for now they will continue with just two.
He said students won’t necessarily get all five electives because the schedule might get filled up. But it will give them an option to take on those extra classes they’re going to be choosing. When creating the new schedule Robbins said teachers were asked to “modernize” the school curriculum.
Robbins said the goal was to bring the curriculum up to more “modern times, to think about where kids are, where kids are going and where kids need to be. And so that’s why we said, ‘OK,
by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help them thrive in work and in life. They provide each client with professional attire to secure employment, but they are about much more than simply a new outfit. Besides physically equipping the client with apparel and accessories, their programs furnish her with a confidence that she carries forever and the knowledge that she can actively define her life, the direction she takes and what success means to her.
Suit Up Springfield is a community organization focused on providing the men of Springfield with professional attire. Their goal is to help everyone find a suit that will give them the confidence, knowledge and tools to help them become a successful member of our community. Both organizations have boutiques in downtown Springfield.
“We have held clothing drives
AJHS Principal Norm Robbins gave the School Committee an overview of the school’s revamped curriculum for the 202627 school year at the March 24 meeting.
let’s look at what we’re doing, and can we change it up? Can we make it a little bit more entertaining as well as educational and part more enticing?’”
Since the staff at the junior high school also have been working on career-to-career planning and a career pathways program, many of the classes in the new curriculum are designed to meet that need. “So, when they go to high
for years; our customers consider it a convenience. Especially for people west of the river, it’s easier to bring donations here, and we are open seven days a week,” Gourde said. Items may be brought to the shop anytime during the month of April. Cooper’s is located at 161 Main St., Agawam, and is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays noon to 4 p.m.
“This drive coincides with Dress for Success as our April Round-Up charity; so, it’s the perfect time to spread the word about their mission and really help them out,” Gourde said. Each month Gourde chooses a local charity to receive the profits of the store’s Round-Up Program through which customers are invited to round up their purchase total to the nearest dollar amount. Gourde will then match 50% of the total collected. The program has donated more than $67,000 to local
school, they’ll have that that track, as well as the academic and college track,” said Robbins. Because of the need to have students improve their writing, there also will be a 45-minute class every other day, first semester or second semester, where students will practice more in-depth writing.
“Maybe a little bit more directed towards, how do you respond? Open response, those types of questions, but also go along with what the teachers are teaching in their English class. So, it’ll be offered,” he said.
Some of the new, innovative courses that will be offered include:
• Digital Design would allow students to take their technical knowledge and put it into real world applications.
Arcade Engineers would give students the opportunity to learn how to design games for an employable skill rather than just playing the games.
• Eco Guardians, would tie into the school’s outdoor classroom that is nearing completion. It would give students the opportunity to explore the wetlands area in the school’s backyard.
• Project Prototype will invite students to bring their creativity and problem-solving skills to work through modern day challenges and work on designs to solve some authentic problems. There also will be a focus on health in the new curriculum. For seventh graders there will be a
wellness class that not only will cover nutrition, but also how to improve themselves as individuals. The new eighth grade class is called Foundations for Healthy Relationships.
“It’s really important, as students get older, maturity wise, you know, hormones raging, making sure that developmentally they’re understanding all the pressures they are facing — junior high, high school, teenager — and how to navigate those murky waters, so they have some opportunities for healthy relationships,” said Robbins.
The new curriculum — which can be viewed on the school’s website — received an enthusiastic response from committee members. Committee member Wendy Rua said she “absolutely loved” the presentation. “It’s really exciting to see where you’re meeting the students and making such flexibility for them to choose. I’m really so much in favor of it.” Committee member Michael Perry called the new curriculum “excellent,” adding that he loves the idea of giving students more electives. “What I really like is a lot of the STEM offerings. It’s a big variety of courses and offerings, and I think it’ll be things that will interest these kids at that age especially,” he said.
“Kudos to you and your team for putting together something like this that gives them so many different choices,” said committee member A.J. Christopher.
organizations since its inception in 2014. More information on the Round Up program and how to
on
nominate a charity may be found
Cooper’s website coopersgifts. com/round-up/.
Reminder Publishing photo by Mike Lydick
Kate Gourde, owner of Cooper’s Gifts, Apparel, Home organizes clothing donations for Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts, and Suit Up Springfield, at her shop in Agawam during the month of April.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Council discusses speed hump installations
By Peter Tuohy ptuohy@thereminder.com
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The town of West Springfield is looking to combat speeding in residential areas with the proposed installation of speed humps on East Goosebury Road, Lancaster Avenue and Baldwin Street.
Town Engineer Connor Knightly gave an overview for each mapped installation in public hearings at the Town Council meeting on April 6. Knightly said the proposed installations would most likely occur during the summer at the approval of the council.
Vehicle speeds and enforceable violations were monitored and tracked on the three streets. Knightly said the 85th percentile speed, meaning 85% of drivers go a certain speed or slower, is typically looked at more than posted speed limits.
East Goosebury Road has a speed limit of 30 mph and the 85th percentile showed drivers going at 43 mph. The street had enforceable violations in 33% of drivers, with the fastest recorded speed being 80 mph. Knightly added that the 15% of drivers going beyond the 85th percentile and driving 43 mph or above is something that “needs to be addressed right away.”
The speed humps are proposed to go in front of 175 East Goosebury Road and 61 East Goosebury Road. He said any type of “hilly” area is difficult to work around and those areas are relatively flat.
Resident Ed Kazar said he has lived there since 1988 and since he’s “already seen a number of accidents,” his main concern was a speed hump at the “crest of the hill” making things worse if people were driving too fast without seeing it and couldn’t gain control of the car.
Resident Kaitlin Kenyon said she hated where the speed humps were proposed because the “hilly areas” are where the speeding problems are, citing concerns for the safety of her children when they play in the yard.
Lancaster Avenue’s study tracked a total of 3,121 cars with 21% having enforceable violations. The 85th percentile speed was 36 mph on a 30 mph speed limit, with the fastest recorded speed being 68 mph. Knightly said two out of three sets of recorded data showed a speeding problem. The speed humps are proposed for 164 Lancaster Ave. and 315 Lancaster Ave.
Resident Will McCarthy said people speed down the street at all hours like it’s the Daytona 500 and that his dog has almost been hit twice while on walks.
Resident Joan Reed said she was hoping for three speed humps because people “fly up and down that street.”
“If you’re walking, walking a dog, you literally take your life in your hands,” Reed said. “If you don’t jump over the curb or onto somebody’s lawn when the cars are going down that street, you’re going to get hit, and people have
gotten hit. You can put up all the signs that you want that say ‘high traffic area, slow down’ or whatever, but it doesn’t matter. You need to do something on Lancaster Avenue.”
Baldwin Street had 6,757 recorded cars in its study with 1,300 enforceable violations. The 85th percentile speed was 38 mph on a 30 mph speed limit, with the fastest recorded speed at 62 mph. This street has four proposed speed humps in the school zone outside Memorial Elementary School.
Two would be on the section of Baldwin Street between Memorial and Cold Spring avenues and the other two would be outside the school between Cold
Spring Avenue and River Street.
“Four is for good measure,” Knightly said. “The two that I would advocate for the most would be those closest to [Cold Spring Avenue]. It would not be absolutely necessary to have the ones outside of the two that are closest, but given that this is an active school zone, it is a highly traveled road and a blatant disregard for school zone hours did weigh in on that a little bit.”
He said speed humps have already been approved for installation on the other side of the school on Norman Street, which have yet to be scheduled. The council voted to continue the public hearings to a future meeting.
Baystate Winair announces Dan Suse as new president
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Winair, located at 78 Kelso Ave. is proud to announce that Dan Suse, Jr., will be assuming the role of president. With a robust background in the industry and a deep commitment to customer service, Suse is ready to lead Baystate Winair into its next chapter while upholding the values that have made it a trusted name in the region.
As the only wholesale in the area that combines the benefits of local accountability with the resources of a nationwide supplier, Baystate Winair prides itself on delivering exceptional service and expertise. The transition to Suse as president reinforces this commitment, ensuring that customers will continue to receive the highest-quality products and support.
Suse brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new
role. A dedicated professional, he has been with Baystate Winair for six and a half years and has consistently demonstrated integrity and a strong work ethic. Suse and his family reside in East Longmeadow, and Suse is also an ambassador with the ERC5 Town Chamber of Commerce, showcasing his dedication to community engagement and local business development.
“I am thrilled to step into the role of president at Baystate Winair,” said Suse. “My commitment to our customers and our community is unwavering, and I look forward to enhancing and growing the services we provide. Together, we will continue to ensure that our clients receive the exceptional support and quality they deserve.”
Baystate Winair is committed to offering a wide range of products and services, with a fo-
cus on customer satisfaction and reliability.
With Suse as president, the company is well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of its clients while maintaining the personal touch that sets it apart.
Operations Director:
For more information about Baystate Winair and our services, and our services, please visit winsupplyinc.com/Location/ West-Springfield-MA/01089/ HVAC-Supplies or call 413-733-6311.
New Baysate Winair
President Dan Suse Jr. (right) hands former President Joe Baskin a plaque recognizing his time with the company.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
Town Engineer Connor Knightly gives an overview of the proposed speed humps at the Town Council meeting on April 6. Photo
Mikayla Vadivel passes the ball to the low post.
The Wolfpack’s Skylar LaBorde battles for the ball with Erin Corbett of Westfield.
Gabby Read (L) from West Springfield competes for the ball against Westfield’s Sydney Strom.
Alexis Phelan led West Springfield’s well-balanced attack with 5 points.
Grace Lantaigne splits the defense and draws the foul.
On March 8, West Springfield lost to Westfield 34-25 in the Girls Suburban League 7/8th grade Division 3 basketball championship game played at Chicopee High School.
WEST SPRINGFIELD VS WESTFIELD
The West Side Wolfpack - runners-up in the Suburban League D-3 basketball championship. Layla Breglio
Layla Breglio sinks the free throw.
West Side’s Natalia Hernandez (L) and Westfield’s Abbey Bruce vie for the loose ball.
AGAWAM
AGAWAM PUBLIC LIBRARY
The following events are organized by the Agawam Public Library, located at 750 Cooper St. All events are free and open to the public. Some programs require registration. For more information or to register, head to agawamlibrary. org or call 413-789-1550 ext. 3. The library will be closed on Monday, April 20, for Patriots’ Day. Children’s programs: Paul Revere event with Kevin Driscoll- For kids of all ages — Tuesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. Come to the library for an evening of patriotic fun & laughter as Agawam celebrates 250 years of the American story,
as told by ventriloquist Kevin Driscoll. This program is funded in part from by the Agawam Cultural Council. This program is brought to the library by the GFWC Agawam Junior Women‘s Club. Registration is required.
• Special Saturday drop-in craft:
Googly Eye Butterfly Craft — Saturday, April 25, while supplies last. Drop-in & pick up. Children will enjoy assembling the butterflies and adding their own unique touch with googly eyes and vibrant colors. For all ages
• Yoga with Miss Lisa — Friday, April 24, at 3:30 p.m. Songs, movement activities and games help to bring the yoga practice to young children. For ages 2–5. This program is provided by Pathways for Parents. Registration is required.
CROP HUNGER WALK
The annual Agawam/West Springfield CROP Hunger Walk is on Sunday, April 26. Agawam Congrega-
tional Church, 745 Main Street, in Agawam, is hosting the event this year. The Registration Rally begins at 1 p.m., with the Agawam Lion’s Club providing lunch. There will be music and raffle prizes before the 1:30 p.m. kick-off. There are options for walkers of all ages of 1-, 3- and 6-mile routes. The two longer routes will take in the Connecticut River walkway. Three quarters of funds raised will go to Church World Service while one quarter of funds will support the Parish Cupboard, which serves families in Agawam, Feeding Hills and West Springfield.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
WEST SPRINGFIELD
PUBLIC LIBRARY
The following events are organized by the West Springfield Public Library, located at 200 Park St. For more information or to register for programs, visit wspl.org or call 413-736-4561 ext. 4. The library will be closed on Monday, April 20, for Patriots’ Day.
Teen programs: Teen Lego Club — Tuesday, April 21, from 6-7 p.m. Work together to build one the library’s awesome kits. Open to ages 13 and up. Button Making! — Wednesday, April 22, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Make buttons/pins with the library’s press machine! Open to ages 13 and up.
Kids programs:
• Family Crafternoon. — Tuesday, April 21, 3-6 p.m., Drop in crafts for ages 3 and up. While supplies last.
• Video Game Night (for ages 8-12) — Wednesday, April 22, 6-7:30 p.m. Play some of the Youth Room’s Wii and Switch games.
• Arts and Science Rocks (for ages 9-12) — Friday, April 24, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. The theme is “good vibrations”. The group will talk about sound, play some instruments and make one to bring home.
NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK
Come to the library from Tuesday April 21, througb Saturday April 25, to celebrate all things library. Complete any activities to be entered to win the grand prize. Each department will have their own cards so grab one and collect stamps when you attend and return the card at the end of the week. Be sure to stop by each of the service desks for the full schedule of activities and how to register.
Youth Services:
• April 21 — Tiny Tots Story Time
West Springfield’s annual Kids Fishing Derby returns
By Peter Tuohy ptuohy@thereminder.com
WEST SPRINGFIELD — West
Springfield Park and Recreation
Supervisor Julie Gray is calling families to come out for a funfilled morning at the annual fishing derby on April 18. The derby runs from 7:30-11 a.m. at Piper Pond, the “Rez” at 51 Smyrna St. The derby is free to enter with
no pre-registration required, but fishers must be West Springfield residents ages 14 and under. Participants must provide their own fishing poles, bait and tackle.
Parents may assist in baiting the hook, casting the line and netting, unhooking or untangling fish.
Families can grab any spot along the water and get ready to fish once they arrive. Gray says sponsors Donut Dip and Sullivan
Paper Company will be “offering plenty of extras to make the experience even more special,” along with hot chocolate, fresh donuts and “goodie bags filled with fun fishing snacks for participants.” The West Springfield Youth Sports Association will also be holding raffles every 20 minutes to give families even more chances to win prizes.
Fish can be brought to staff as they are caught, who will measure and record them for different award categories. The morning then wraps up with an award ceremony at 11:10 a.m. to celebrate participants and their catches.
“The energy throughout the day is always fun, enthusiastic and full of excitement,” Gray said. “You’ll see kids arriving with their families carrying fishing poles, tackle boxes and bait, just eager to get started. We even have many dedicated families who come early each year to claim their favorite spot at the ‘Rez,’ which has become a tradi-
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.
AGAWAM
Joseph Luc Gaulin
John A. Hanson
Frederick D. McCormack
Susan A. OhAre
Gail F. Orlandi
Laura M. Sapelli
Elizabeth Norma Wescott
FEEDING HILLS
John A. Carney
RUSSELL
Eric E. Griffin
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Martin G. Balboni
Paul Steven Carlson
Thomas Cortis Sr.
WESTFIELD
Lucille T.
Lillian R. Struckus
Joanne B. Tirrell
Margaret Muzzy (Smith)
Lyndsay M. Beaumier
Ruth M. Hutchinson
Henry Monczko
Paul
A child holds the fish they caught at the judges’ table at a previous fishing derby.
Forbes Library hosts fiber arts exhibit by The Fiberistas
By Sarah Heinonen sheinonen@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON — The Hosmer Gallery on the second floor of Northampton’s Forbes Library is awash in colors and textures. Nine women have put their heart and soul — and thread — into a fiber art exhibit, “Bits and Pieces.”
Sally Dillion, Rebecca Fricke, Barbara Kline, Martha May, Martha Robinson, Florence “Flo” Rosenstock, Margaret Stancer, Eileen Travis and Nancy Young
are The Fiberistas. They range in age from mid-50s to mid-80s, but the one thing they have in common is a love of fiber art.
“There’s nine of us and we work in a variety of different mediums,” Rosenstock said. The “Bits and Pieces” exhibit includes art created by quilting, sewing, felting, crochet, soft sculpture, collage, fabric discharge and printing, cyanotype and photo silk screen and mixed media. Rosenstock said, “I like making things with my hands. I’m fasci-
tion on the day has varied based on weather.
tion for them.”
She said one of the best parts of the day is hearing the excitement carry across the water as people cheer each other when fish are caught.
“It really creates a strong sense of community,” Gray said. “We also see some really special moments, especially with the kids. There are times when a child might not catch a fish, and other kids will actually bring one over to share so no one feels left out. It’s such a great example of kindness and sportsmanship. Overall, families keep the atmosphere positive, supportive and fun. Everyone is there to enjoy the experience together, and most leave with great memories of the day.”
She said that 50-100 fishers are expected and that participa-
“We’ve had years where it’s beautiful, sunny and perfect for fishing, and other years where we’ve had to shovel snow just to get the area ready,” Gray said.
“That said, even on our coldest or less-than-ideal weather days, we still have an amazing turnout. Families are very dedicated to this event and love continuing the tradition year after year, no matter the conditions.”
Gray added that she hopes kids walk away with a love for the
nated by color.” Her medium of choice is quilting, but she also likes to dye her own fabrics. Occasionally, she will create fiber sculptures with felt and paper
In 2001, the Fiber Arts Center opened in Amherst. When it closed seven years later, a handful of the people who enjoyed the center decided they would carry on in the form of The Fiberistas. Over the years, some members have moved away, and others have joined the group.
The goal of the “Bits and
outdoors and “a little more confidence in trying something new.”
“Fishing teaches patience, which we all know can be tough, but it also brings excitement, responsibility and an appreciation for nature,” Gray said. “Honestly, if they leave knowing how to bait a hook, cast a line and maybe tell a slightly exaggerated story about ‘the one that got away,’ we consider that a win. More than anything, it’s about unplugging, getting outside and creating memories with family and friends.”
Pieces” exhibit was to use materials the artist already had, scraps from other projects that would otherwise go to waste. The exhibit consists of about 50 pieces of art. Many of them were created for the exhibit, but some pieces are older and simply have not been on display before.
Since the group’s founding, they have staged an array of exhibits in Northampton and Amherst, including at Art in the Orchard, an outdoor art show that is on display for three months
of the year. Rosenstock said making fiber art that will stand up to the weather is particularly challenging. Nonetheless, Rosenstock loves having her work on display. She said, “It’s wonderful to get people’s feedback — and maybe sell a piece — but it’s mostly having people see and appreciate the pieces.”
“Bits and Pieces” will be on display until April 29.
Quilts by Margaret Stancer and fiber sculptures by Nancy Young, part of The Fiberistas’s
“Bits and Pieces” exhibit at Forbes Library.
Reminder Publishing photos by Peter Tuohy
Steven D. Venne and Patricia A. Venne to Andrea Johansen and Michael Johansen, 47
35 Papers: Arbor Ln., Greenwood Rd., Oak Ridge Dr., Old Orchard Rd. 61 Papers: Gary Dr., Pidgeon Dr., Raymond Dr., Ruth Dr., Sawmill Dr. 228 Papers: Echo Hill Rd., Highmoor
