AGAWAM — For 40 years, Governors America Corporation, a company that makes electrical and mechanical controls for engines, has been quietly innovating. From its original scope as a manufacturer, the company expanded itself into all levels of problem solving for its customers.
“We started out very humbly,” said President and CEO Sean Collins. Collins’ father-inlaw, who had worked for American Bosch until its Springfield location closed, began Governors America Corporation in 1986. The fledgling manufac-
turing company rented space in the back of another company’s warehouse. Five years later, the manufacturing company moved to its longtime home at 720 Silver St. in Agawam. Now a second-generation family business, Governors America Corporation has about 100 employees. Collins said the company has stayed relevant by committing itself to vertical integration. The business works to research and develop new products, build prototypes and test and refine them. Collins said Governors America Corporation controls every step of the process, ensuring quality.
“We’re heavily invested in our machine shop,” he said, noting that the company even winds
the copper coils that go into its products.
“We can fix things on the fly,” Collins said.
The business model has allowed Governors America Corporation to reduce its reliance on overseas supply chain partners while selling its products abroad. It has contracts with businesses that range from a scissor lift company in the United Kingdom to worldwide aerospace companies. Collins said China is one of its biggest markets, despite the country having the capacity to manufacture its own products.
Collins said he is excited about how the company will grow in the future. He said, “It’s critically important to have the
next generation interested in manufacturing.” The company has a relationship with Agawam High School and several of the vocational schools in Western Massachusetts. Collins said, “When students come out of high school and don’t know what they want to do, come work for us.” He said they may find they have an interest in engineering.
“Employing people is the greatest reward,” Collins said. He said he has employees that have been with the company for three decades. Collins sees Governors America Corporation as part of an ecosystem. “These smaller shops contribute to the livelihood of the community,” he said.
AGAWAM
City, Pajer settle on sidewalk easement
The City Council and Pajer Superette struck a deal regarding the planned upgrades at the intersection of Cooper, Suffield and Rowley streets.
Page 4
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Mayor unveils fiscal year 2027 budget
Mayor Will Reichelt and Chief Financial Officer Sharon Wilcox presented the FY27 budget at the Town Council meeting on May 18.
Page 5
The workforce at Governors America Corporation. Reminder Publishing submitted photo
Please email your community listings to: dhackett@thereminder.com Items are printed on a space available basis.
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 registra-
tion. For more information or to register, head to agawamlibrary.org or call 413-789-1550, ext. 3.
• Agawam Public Library Walking Group — Saturday, May 30, at 9 a.m. Librarian Kristen Frost will lead participants for a morning session of movement and motion at School Street Park in Agawam. Registration is required.
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 413736-4561, ext. 4. Summer hours at the library start Tuesday, May 26. During the Summer months the library is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library is closed on Saturday and Sunday. The library will be closed all day on Friday, May 29 for an in-house staff training. Children’s programs: Take It and Make It (for ages 2-5 with adult help) — Wednesday,
June 3, at 9 a.m.
Adult programs:
• Adult Summer DnD Series — Tuesdays, starting June 2, at 4:30 p.m. New “One Piece” themed Adult DnD sessions start in June. Registration is required.
• Sarah Clay and the StarCats — Wednesday, June 3, at 6 p.m.
• Getting Ready to Retire with Susan Allen — Wednesday, June 3, at 6 p.m.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
COUNCIL ON AGING WATER
AEROBICS SIGN UPS
Area residents are invited to some gentle exercise in the West Springfield High School pool’s shallow end. Classes will be taught by Michelle Butler and run from 8-8:45 a.m. at the WSHS pool on Tuesdays and Thursdays in July beginning on July 7. Cost is $35 per person for the entire seven class session. Registration opens on June 3 at 8 a.m. on a first come, first serve basis. You must sign up in person at the Senior Center. This is not a drop-in program and you must register in advance. Call 413263-3264 for more information.
The Big E Scholars Program welcomes educational groups to
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Big E Scholars Program pairs the educational mission of Eastern States Exposition with learners and educators to create a meaningful, experiential day at the fair that has a lasting impact on students beyond their visit. Applications are live, and the priority deadline, May 31, is approaching fast. Additional details, including requirements and examples of accepted projects, can also be found through the application link.
Eastern States Exposition launched The Big E Scholars Program in 2025 to give educators the opportunity to present an academic lesson in line with the mission of ESE, the home of The Big E. If your proposal is approved, you and your students receive free admission to the fair, so long as you can demonstrate the educational impact of your outing.
This program is available to educators and students in any grade, year of study or educational program. Educators must design a fair-based experience that compliments their classroom curriculum in alignment with ESE’s tenets of education, agriculture, innovation and entertainment.
Who can apply:
• K-12 teachers
• Homeschool group facilitators
College professors
• College students
• dult day programs
• After school programs
• Anyone with an innovative idea for integrating ESE’s mission into a learning goal
This application process is comparable to a grant application; applicants accepted to the program receive complimentary admission to The Big E for all participating students and educators. Additionally, members of ESE’s Education department will make recommendations for your self-guided tour and work to connect The Big E Scholars with relevant ESE staff to complete your lesson.
The priority deadline is Sunday, May 31. Any submissions received by May 31 will be notified of the status of their application by June 5. After the start of June, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through July 31. Applications submitted after July 31 will be deferred to the following year’s fair unless space remains available.
students
have a minimum 3.0 GPA average for psychology courses. Emmanuel College inducted 59 students to Psi Chi this spring.
ESE President and CEO Gene Cassidy speaks to a group of law enforcement students from The Big E Scholars Program about the Public Safety and Security procedures at the fair.
photo
Healey plan makes play for global investment
By Colin A. Young State House News Service
BOSTON — Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, Massachusetts.
That’s the ranking of the top four most advanced economies in the world, Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley told lawmakers on May 19, based on GDP per capita. And in making the case for Gov. Maura Healey’s economic development plan, the secretary said it’s time for Massachusetts to act more like that kind of global economic powerhouse.
“If Massachusetts were measured as a country, we’d be the 22nd biggest economy on the globe,” Paley said. “We are competing on a global stage, and our economic development strategy must reflect that.”
Healey, Paley and Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz promoted the governor’s $305 million response to heightened competition in some of the state’s most prized industries during a Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies hearing. Healey’s bill (H 5386) proposes $305 million in capital authorizations (offset by about $254 million in deauthorizations) as well as a host of policy changes the governor said “will make it better for business here in the state.”
Paley told the committee that the plan’s centerpiece is a new “GlobalMass” initiative to attract global investment into Massachusetts and help international companies establish a footprint in the state. The bill directs the Pension Reserves Investment Management Board to provide a seed investment of at least $50 million for a new fund designed to attract global institutional capital. It also includes a $20 million capital authorization to support locations that Paley said “will serve as launching pads for international companies.”
“The fund will invest in com-
panies across our core innovation sectors, but more importantly, it will invest in the most innovative opportunities here in the commonwealth. The goal is straightforward: help Massachusetts companies access the capital they need to grow here rather than somewhere else,” Paley said.
Committee Co-Chair Sen. Barry Finegold asked Paley directly why such a fund was necessary in Massachusetts and to explain his vision for it. Paley said more than 60 consulates have offices in Massachusetts, all of which could probably be covered by a New York office instead.
“The only reason they are not covered from New York is because of our innovation economy, a deep desire to understand what has really been the Massachusetts Miracle over and over again –why Kendall Square became the most productive innovation mile in the world,” the secretary said.
“These economies, these countries, are eager to figure out how to plug in more and learn more. What we haven’t really offered them is a very easy answer about how do you plug in. We give them tours, we show them around. What we don’t do is say, ‘If you really want to learn, the best way is to actually engage. One way to engage, if you’re interested, is to invest with us.’”
He also said the goal of the fund is to find a way to keep the dollars flowing in “especially at a time where the federal government is potentially pulling billions of dollars out of our innovation economy.” Paley also defended the administration’s plan to draw the seed investment from PRIM, which invests the retirement funds of more than 300,000 state employees, teachers and municipal employees.
“This is the tiniest amount of PRIM’s portfolio. It is 0.2% of their private equity portfolio. So, I don’t want to overstate the sig-
nificance specifically in the decision for PRIM, it’s quite small. But it allows for an anchor, it gets the fund started, it changes the conversation from ‘maybe we should do this’ to ‘we are doing this,’” he said. “Plus, the return profile actually matches with PRIM’s most ambitious returns, because here in Massachusetts we actually have really outsized innovation performance. So, a well-managed fund that fits inside of their portfolio can catalyze potentially billions of dollars into the economy, and that’s how we think about that.”
With just the seed investment she proposed, Healey said the state has the opportunity to “attract up to a billion dollars in additional capital, additional investment.”
“I know this to be true because the Spanish government just recently came to Massachusetts and opened up a venture capital fund,” she said. “So, there’s growing interest and momentum around Massachusetts because of what we represent and where we’ve led historically.”
Responding to questions from Republican state Rep. Michael Soter of Bellingham, Paley gave his take on the changing mix of businesses in Massachusetts and
the type of economy he thinks the state ought to strive for. He argued that the most commoditized businesses (ones that are particularly cost-sensitive, and labor-intensive with lower margins) are going to leave Massachusetts regardless of what the state does, and that the right move is to double down on the high end of the state’s economy.
“I really feel strongly we are competing on a global basis. When we think about competing, we really have to compete at the highest end of the market with the highest performance capabilities,” he said. “The most commoditized companies, they’re not going to be in the highest-performing economies, they’re going to go elsewhere. Some of them are going to go to the least expensive states, some of them are going to leave the country completely. The least commoditized companies that use the most innovative technologies need to be in the most innovative economies. And that’s why we are attracting companies from all over the world here.”
Paley added, “So, what I really focus on is not just, you know, how do we compete with Florida — although today’s weather is competing very well with Flori-
da. I think we really have to focus on how we compete with China and how we compete with many of the most advanced economies in the world.”
Healey said the state’s economy is at an inflection point and said the economic development bill the committee heard on May 19, which she had dubbed the Mass Wins Act, builds on the economic development law she signed in November 2024 and responds to changes in the economy since then.
“I think it’s time to use our advantage and our position to position our economy for the now and for the future; compete for new jobs, compete for talent, compete for capital and investments. We want to let the world know that Massachusetts is open for business, this is a place where you can come start a company, grow a company, build a future,” Healey said. “The Mass Leads Act launched major capital investments, I’d say, to bolster our economic foundations. The Mass Wins Act is a set of strategic plays that builds for this moment.”
Colin Young is the deputy editor for State House News Service and State Affairs Pro Massachusetts. Reach him at colin.young@statehousenews.com.
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AGAWAM — The Agawam City Council and Alfred Pajer, owner of Pajer Superette, 400 Cooper St., struck a compromise regarding the planned roadway upgrades at the intersection of Cooper, Suffield and Rowley streets. The project, which will install sidewalks and accessible crosswalks at the intersection, became controversial when the plans called for Pajer’s business to lose some of its parking spaces.
The small business has no lined spaces, but customers park in front of the shop, where there is enough space for a row of cars. To create a crosswalk that complies with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, the corner of Pajer’s lot is slated to be used and a raised curb installed to protect pedestrians waiting to cross. Despite attempts to narrow the raised curb, Pajer said he would lose parking spaces that are vital to his business.
Members of the community became involved after hearing about the situation and more
than 100 attended the April 21 City Council meeting to oppose the plan. The council tabled the matter and hosted a workshop a week later to delve into the issue. During the May 18 council meeting’s public comment period, Pajer said he and the city had struck a compromise. He thanked the community for its support.
According to Mayor Christorpher Johnson’s chief of staff, Barbara Bard, the details of the compromise will not be released until a contract is signed. Councilor Rosemary San -
dlin said, “Everyone wanted to see a resolution.” Councilor George Bitzas described the resolution as “the art of compromise” and urged residents to continue shopping at Pajer Superette.
“If Freddie’s also okay with this, then I am comfortable voting for it,” said Councilor Christine Rickmon.
Councilor Ed Borgatti commented, “This is a perfect example of how the process works.” He added, “If you get enough support, you can get people to listen.”
Healey appoints former revenue chief to lead CCC
By Colin A. Young State House News Service
BOSTON — Given the unique chance to reshape the Cannabis Control Commission, Gov. Maura Healey has tapped a former revenue commissioner who more recently has been steering the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to chair the new-look, downsized panel.
The governor on May 19 appointed Christopher Harding as chair of the new three-person CCC and also picked as commissioners Western Mass. economic development official Xiomara DeLobato and cannabis law advisor Anthony Wilson. Healey in April signed a law dissolving the original, five-commissioner structure of the CCC and replacing it with a three-person panel appointed entirely by the state’s executive.
“The cannabis industry plays an important role in our economy, and this law gives us an opportunity to strengthen the Commission so it can better support businesses, workers and consumers,” Healey, who opposed the 2016 legalization of marijuana, said in a statement. “This industry supports thousands of jobs and small businesses across Massachusetts, and it’s important that we have a regulatory structure that is effective, accountable and built to meet the needs of a growing industry. These appointees bring strong leadership and management experience, and I’m confident they will help move the Commission
and industry forward.”
Harding was Department of Revenue commissioner during Gov. Charlie Baker’s tenure and most recently has been working as chief of staff and undersecretary at EOHHS, the largest secretariat under the governor’s executive arm. DeLobato works as vice president and chief of staff at the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, where Healey’s office said she helps lead regional economic initiatives, business partnerships and workforce development efforts. Wilson has advised a range of cannabis operators, entrepreneurs and startups navigating Massachusetts’ regulatory landscape through a private practice, and has worked in local government, including as associate city solicitor and city clerk in Springfield and as city clerk in Cambridge.
The Healey administration noted in its announcement that Harding was a founding member of the Cannabis Advisory Board as revenue commissioner and that he chaired its industry subcommittee. The administration said his background in “operational leadership and organizational management will help guide the Commission through its next phase of reform and modernization.”
Under the new CCC framework, the chair is to serve coterminous with the governor, meaning Harding could be on the job only through the end of the year unless Healey wins reelection this fall. Healey’s office said Harding “will be sworn in and begin immediately overseeing implementation of the reforms signed into law earlier this year,” including an increase in the possession limit and a
raising of a common ownership license cap.
The CCC had a public meeting scheduled for May 21.
Cut out of the process now are the treasurer and attorney general, who each had an individual appointment and a say in two joint appointments from the CCC’s 2017 launch until this year’s shakeup.
The new CCC law designates the chair as the person responsible for personnel and administrative matters at the agency and makes explicit that the executive director is to report directly to the chairperson. Executive Director Travis Ahern was hired last year by a vote of commissioners active at the time.
The lawmakers who negotiated the new structure made clear in the legislation that Ahern “shall continue in their role with all the powers and duties authorized in statute or delegated by the commissioners and in place at the time of transfer” until or unless the newly-appointed chair takes other action.
Frustration with a slow pace of regulatory changes, headline-grabbing internal conflicts, and a plea from the inspector general for the Legislature to intervene at the “rudderless agency” combined over the last two years to get lawmakers to move for changes for the CCC, an agency created after voters in 2016 approved legal non-medical marijuana.
The CCC developed a reputation among lawmakers — who were unanimous last year in voting to reorganize the agency — as an ineffective regulator and as an organization beset with personnel conflicts and scandals.
From September 2023 until September 2025, Shannon
O’Brien was exiled from the commission as chairwoman after Treasurer Deborah Goldberg suspended and then fired her based in part on clashes with the former executive director, who had previously worked for the treasurer. A Superior Court judge ruled last year that Goldberg acted unlawfully, and ordered O’Brien reinstated to her position with back pay. O’Brien’s return revealed fresh clashes with Ahern, who was hired during O’Brien’s absence. Though the internal strife was what got the most attention, the CCC has also been busy in recent years trying to tailor policy to a maturing and evolving industry. The previous set of regulators — which included Bruce Stebbins, Kimberly Roy and Carrie Benedon aside from O’Brien — was working on issues related to fraud in the mandatory testing of legal marijuana sold here, tried to peel away some of the red tape that makes it tough to do business here and paid particular attention to supporting social equity programs. The agency is also in the midst of launching long-awaited venues where adults can buy and consume marijuana in a social setting. In one of its final acts, the last iteration of the CCC voted last month to stop issuing cultivation licenses in a bid to help businesses that have struggled to stay afloat as oversupply sunk the price of an ounce of marijuana. Those issues — and others including ramifications of potential shifts at the federal level — await Healey’s new CCC. Colin Young is the deputy editor for State House News Service and State Affairs Pro Massachusetts. Reach him at colin. young@statehousenews.com.
Comi,
recently inducted into Psi Chi, an international honor society in psychology. Psi Chi is an international honor society dedicated to excellence in scholarship and advancing the science of psychology. The honor society is open to psychology students who have earned a cumulative GPA that is in the top 35% of their class and
Town Council hears details on fiscal year 2027 budget
By Peter Tuohy ptuohy@thereminder.com
WEST SPRINGFIELD — West
Springfield Mayor William Reichelt is emphasizing the town’s strong financial position after releasing the fiscal year 2027 budget.
Reichelt and Chief Financial Officer Sharon Wilcox presented the FY27 budget at the Town Council meeting on May 18, where a public hearing on the capital and operating budget was held.
The town’s operating budget is currently proposed at around $137.2 million with a capital budget of $8.6 million.
Reichelt said budgeting was fairly straightforward, but that many other communities, they are facing tough economic challenges like budget overrides or significant cuts to departments.
“We are thankfully not in that scenario,” Reichelt said. “Thanks to the department heads that are here behind me, we are in a good position.”
Reichelt wrote in a letter to the Town Council on May 1 that the financial strength didn’t happen by chance, but as a result of “disciplined budgeting, difficult decisions and a decade of careful management on both the municipal and school sides of government.”
By Katie Castellani State House News Service
BOSTON — Advocates say thousands of jobs are expected to get cut unless lawmakers restore funding for a program that supports employment for at-risk young people.
The current state budget includes $15.24 million for a line item (7002-0012) supporting a jobs program for at-risk youth. That funding is expected to provide 3,800 youth summer jobs this year, according to state officials. That’s down from 6,500 jobs funded by $23 million in fiscal year 2025 ($16.24 million in legislative appropriations and the rest from unspent or unobligated funding from previous years and unspent ARPA funds).
Youth advocates are calling on
Reichelt said that the town is looking at a projected 2.8% increase in property taxes, which stems from a $3.8 million increase from FY26 in the proposed FY27 general fund expenditures.
He added in the letter that “the town never loses sight of what a tax increase means for residents, particularly seniors living on fixed incomes, working families managing rising household costs and longtime homeowners who want to remain in the community they helped build.”
“At the same time, affordability is also central to attracting new families, encouraging businesses to open or relocate here and supporting continued economic growth,” Reichelt said in the letter. “Our objective is to remain affordable while continuing to provide strong value through reliable services, quality schools, safe neighborhoods and sound infrastructure.”
Wilcox said the FY27 budget is primarily funded by real estate taxes at 58.1% of general fund revenue, followed by state aid at 33.9%. State aid revenue came in at approximately $47.1 million, a 0.91% increase from FY26.
Reichelt said that Chapter 70 state aid did take a hit due to a decrease in school enrollment by 166 students since last year. This decrease led to around $3 million in cuts from the School
senators to boost funding during next week’s budget debate. They are backing a state Sen. Sal DiDomenico amendment that raises the Senate Ways and Means Committee’s allocation of almost $15.4 million to $20 million. This is enough to add back 1,150 jobs, said Lewis Finfer of the Youth Jobs Coalition and Massachusetts Action for Justice.
About $25 million is needed to fund the 6,000 jobs that advocates desire, but that ask didn’t seem “politically feasible” in a tight budget year, Finfer said. The House-approved FY27 budget funds the program at about $17.6 million. Gov. Maura Healey’s budget proposal matches the Senate’s at almost $15.4 million.
During a rally held in a packed
Department, including the closing of Mittineague Elementary School for a decrease of around $1 million in operating costs annually. He added the cuts were done without any workforce reductions to teachers or paraprofessionals.
The School Department is the biggest expenditure of the general fund, coming in at around $58.75 million, or 42.5%. Municipal costs are next at around $38.75 million, 28.1%, with employee benefits close behind at around $30.2 million, 21.9%.
Wilcox said the budget is a level service budget and a significant change in the operating budget is an increase of municipal recurring expenditures by 5.41%. The school side of recurring expenditure increase is just 0.07%. Pension costs are estimated to increase by 5.4% and health insurance at an estimated 8% increase.
The town has also introduced the new central dispatch station into the budget, which has been fully funded for the first full year of operations and opens at the beginning of July. The station will be a hub for all emergency calls, combining the police, fire and EMS under one roof to improve efficiency and safety. Reichelt recommended $977,076 be put toward the station in the FY27 budget.
There were no public com-
hearing room at the State House, Sen. Jamie Eldridge of Marlborough backed the amendment, noting he represents a district where fewer families rely on youth jobs for additional income. Eldridge said he was motivated to support the funds after learning about the different challenges young people face in areas where they feel more pressured to get a job and support their family.
“It really moves me to advocate for these programs,” he said.
For Amani Henry — who migrated to the U.S. two years ago — job opportunities and support he’s received from the youth organization MissionSAFE are crucial to helping his mom back in Jamaica.
“This is my only way to help my family at the moment, and I
ments during this hearing, so the council voted to keep it open to allow residents the chance to comment at a later meeting. The
know there are plenty of kids who need these types of programs for many other reasons,” Henry said. ARPA funds have been exhausted and Healey launched other programs aimed at support youth workers, the Executive Of-
fice of Labor and Workforce Development said. This includes a program that provides $900,000 to six organizations for job training, placement and other services for 116 young adults with disabilities.
Town Council will continue to examine the budget over the next few weeks before a final vote is made.
West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt kicks off the budget presentation at the Town Council meeting on May 18.
Photo credit: West Side Media
State Sen. Jamie Eldridge speaks during a rally for more funding for youth jobs on May 14. State House News Service photo by Katie Castellani
for
On May 4, Agawam defeated Minnechaug 13-8 in a softball game played at Minnechaug Regional High School.
Alexina Lentes had a 4 for 5 day with 3 RBI in the Brownies victory.
Jordyn Rosario scoots home with a run.
Taylor Stairs contributed a double and 2 RBI
the Brownies.
Second baseman Madison Georgina fields the ground ball.
Toni Vassallo hustles after the ball which lands just foul.
Reese Glynn leads from third base as the pitch is delivered.
Agawam’s Kiley Ryan awaits the pitch as Alexina Lentes breaks from second.
Avery Gordon swings the bat as her Agawam teammate Toni Vassallo likewise swings the bat in the on deck circle.
Brownies catcher Mady Pajer throws to second.
Payton Malanson went 2 for 3 with a double and 2 runs batted in.
Agawam infielders (L-R) Taylor Stairs, Madison Georgina, Kiley Ryan and Alexina Lentes take their positions in the bottom of the sixth.
Barney Frank, 86, left mark as trailblazer in politics
By Colin A. Young and Sam Drysdale State House News Service
BOSTON — Former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out publicly as gay and a liberal bulldog who left his fingerprints on the nation’s banking regulations, died May 20. He was 86.
Frank announced in early May that he had begun hospice care at his home in Maine.
“He has been such a tremendous asset for not only Massachusetts but the entire country. This makes us very sad,” Senate President Karen Spilka said when she heard the news on the morning of May 19. “He stood out and stood up and was a voice for so many people when they had no voice.”
A Democrat, Frank was elected to the Massachusetts House in 1972 after winning a four-person Democratic primary and besting Republican Virgil Aiello in the general election. He brought to the House his experience as chief of staff to Boston Mayor
Kevin White.
Frank represented Boston’s Back Bay and Beacon Hill until 1980, when he won election to Congress after Father Robert Drinan heeded the pope’s call for priests to leave electoral politics and did not run for reelection.
Redistricting soon pitted the freshman Frank, then a Newton Democrat, against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Margaret Heckler in his first congressional reelection campaign, in 1982. He won that contest.
Frank was a member of Congress in 1987 when he became the first to voluntarily come out as gay. Fellow Massachusetts delegation member U.S. Rep. Gerry Studds was the first congressman to be outed, but his revelation came in connection with the 1983 congressional page sex scandal rather than on his own accord.
“While some in our community knew Barney was gay before he came out publicly, it was extremely meaningful when he did so.
Times were very different in the 80s. Most people didn’t realize
that they knew LGBT folks,” said Arline Isaacson, co-chair of the Massachusetts LGBTQ Political Caucus. “So, when Barney came out publicly, it was earth shattering to many. Certainly, in the halls of Congress and our State House, most legislators and staff were shocked. It was likely the first time many in Congress learned that they knew a gay man. Barney was a role model for us.”
In 1990, Frank was reprimanded by the House in connection to his two-year relationship with Steven Gobie, a male prostitute who had run an escort service out of their apartment. After an 11-month investigation, the House Ethics Committee found that Frank was unaware of the criminal activities but had lied in an unrelated memo about how he and Gobie met.
Despite the scandal and public calls for his resignation, Frank won reelection with 66% of the vote that year. And he didn’t shy away from scandal and controversy.
During the “Contract With
Dolores
America” phase of the mid-1990s, Frank often sparred with U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and later in the decade was one of the leaders of Democrats’ attempts to block GOP efforts to impeach President Bill Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal. With Democrats in control of the House, Frank was elevated to the chairmanship of the House Committee on Financial Services, serving in the post from 2007 to 2011 — giving him tremendous influence over the nation’s banking system as the 2008 financial meltdown took hold.
In its aftermath, he and U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut wrote legislation aimed at a sweeping overhaul of the financial services industry. President Barack Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Act into law in July 2010, though Republicans have since chipped away at some of its provisions. Frank retired from Congress and did not seek reelection in 2012.
“Barney Frank was a trailblazer — someone who never hesitated to stand up for what he believed in or speak his mind. Our Commonwealth and our country were better because of his service,” Congressman Seth Moulton said on Wednesday. “I was grateful for the chance to know him over the years. We should honor Barney by continuing to fight for more
affordable housing and consumer protections.”
Frank is also remembered as one of the most quotable elected officials from the Bay State.
“There are three lies politicians tell,” he told a real estate group in 2009, according to reporting in The New Yorker. “The first is ‘We ran against each other but are still good friends.’ That’s never true. The second is ‘I like campaigning.’ Anyone who tells you they like campaigning is either a liar or a sociopath. Then, there’s ‘I hate to say I told you so.’ ... Everybody likes to say ‘I told you so.’ I have found personally that it is one of the few pleasures that improves with age. I can say ‘I told you so’ without taking a pill before, during, or after I do it.”
When informed of his passing by reporters on May 20 during an unrelated press availability, state Sen. Michael Rush also quoted the late congressman.
“We shared a district,” Rush said, “and when I got elected to the House of Representatives, he said one of the greatest quotes I’ve ever heard in public life, he said, ‘The last time I voted for a politician I agreed with 100% of the time was myself, but only during my first term in office.’ “ Colin Young is the deputy editor for State House News Service and State Affairs Pro Massachusetts. Reach him at colin.young@ statehousenews.com.
STRM: Pride Month events in Western Massachusetts
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
On the latest episode of “So That Reminds Me,” hosts Ryan Feyre and Tyler Garnet sat down with Holyoke Pride Committee members Jeffery Bianche and Jeffrey Anderson-Burgos, while Chris Maza and Dennis Hackett sat down with Springfield Pride Parade Founder and CEO Taurean Bethea to chat about what’s in store for Pride Month in their respective communities.
Holyoke
Holyoke will host its Pride flag raising on Monday, June 1, at 5 p.m. at City Hall, 536 Dwight St., and there will be a Youth Queer Prom on Friday, June 5, at 5 p.m. at the Holyoke War Memorial, 310 Appleton St. The latter event is for LGBTQIA+ youth and allies between the ages of 1324 who want to “celebrate freely and joyfully.”
Other Pride events in Holyoke include a Buen Provecho Drag Brunch on Sunday, June 7, at 11 a.m., at Fame Lounge, 386 Dwight St. and a Rainbow Run 5K and 1-mile fun walk on Saturday, June 13, at 10 a.m., where participants can hit the ground running, or walking, at Ashley Reservoir in their brightest rainbow gear.
Anderson-Burgos, who said he is interested in running, created this event and shared he is looking forward to seeing it continue to grow. “I know that runners are constantly looking for the next race, so going into it, I knew it was going to be, if you build it they will come. Just putting in on the race calendar, people are immediately signing up for it.”
All ages and abilities are welcome. Readers can register for the event on the committee’s website until June 12.
A Drag Story Hour event will take place on Thursday, June 25, at 1 p.m. at the Holyoke Public Library, 250 Chestnut St. Residents are encouraged to bring the family to library to experience heartwarming stories that celebrate acceptance and diversity.
The marquee event, Holyoke PrideFest, will take place on Saturday, June 27, from noon to 6 p.m. at Veterans Park, 536 Dwight St. The day will include live performances, local food vendors,
nonprofits, small businesses, art and community connections.
Bianche said there will be between 60-70 vendors at the event. He added that PrideFest has continued to grow since the first year, and he expects around 2,000 people.
The celebration continues at a Pride After Party from 6-11 p.m. at The Wauregan, 420 Dwight St., with music, dancing and “unforgettable vibes.” Tickets for the after party are available on the website.
For the latest updates and event details, readers can visit holyokepride.org. Vendors and performers can apply on the website as well. Readers looking to donate, sponsor, or volunteer can do so on the website, as well.
Bianche said he still needs to add a couple events to the website’s calendar for people to check out. He explained that the celebration has grown a lot, and he and Anderson-Burgos wanted to sponsor and create events to support people of all ages.
“We’re trying to just get anyone who’s working in this realm to just sort of submit their event and get it listed to become part of this bigger Holyoke Pride umbrella,” Bianche said.
Springfield Springfield is hosting its LGBTQIA+ flag raising on Thursday, June 5, at 10:30 a.m. at Springfield City Hall, 36 Court St.
Bethea said this will be the fifth year that Springfield Pride Parade will host events to celebrate Pride Month.
Instead of the annual Gala, this year’s schedule will feature the first ever “Pride Strikes,” a charity bowling classic on Friday, June 5, at Tap’s MGM Springfield from 7-10 p.m. Readers can register their teams at springfieldprideparade.com.
The fifth annual Springfield Pride Parade is taking place on Saturday, June 6, starting at noon. The parade starts at the Springfield Technical Community College campus and proceeds to downtown Springfield, where guests can continue the celebration at the fifth annual Springfield Pride Parade Block Party from 1-6 p.m. at Stearns Square and the Pride Lands in downtown Springfield.
Outside of those events, Bet-
hea said he is looking forward to the youth community panel. “Just hearing their thoughts on different things, and I feel like there’s always something to learn,” Bethea stated. “It’s like what’s happening in the world from their perspective, where we’re just like, ‘Oh wow I didn’t know that.’”
Bethea said Springfield Pride’s work is much more than the parade. It’s also an opportunity to create “safe spaces” programming throughout the city for the youth and residents.
Although this year’s event in Springfield coincides with Boston’s celebration, Bethea said he expects a great turnout of about 5,000-7,000 people rain or shine.
He joked, “If you’re from Springfield, you are obligated to be here. A few years people have been like, ‘We went to Boston in the morning and ended up in Springfield,’ so there’s enough to go around.”
More details and information on each event can be found at springfieldprideparade.org.
To hear the full episode, visit thereminder.com/our-podcast or search “So That Reminds Me” on your favorite podcasting platform.
Some other Pride events taking place during the month of June in the Pioneer Valley include: Westfield Pride Month events: Harlot Queen’s Album Release party at Westfield Women’s Club; a Pride flag raising at Westfield City Hall on Monday, June 1, at 5:15 p.m.; Pride Karaoke on Tuesday, June 2, at Shortstop Bar & Grill at 6 p.m.; Family Gift Card Bingo at the Senior Center on Wednesday, June 3, from 6-7:30 p.m.; Comedy Night at Hutghi’s on Thursday, June 4, from 4-7 p.m.; Out & About Social event at Fame, 386 Dwight St., Holyoke on Friday, June 5, at 5 p.m.; Rainbows over Elm Pridefest will take place on June 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and there will be an ecumenical service at First United Methodist Church on Sunday, June 7, from 6-7 p.m.
• Chicopee Pride Festival, presented by the Chicopee Queer Consortium — Saturday, June 13, noon to 6 p.m. Includes its inaugural Chicopee Pride Parade, which will kick off the day at 10 a.m. The parade will
step off at Dana Park on Serman Street and process down Springfield Street, Fairview Avenue, Academy Street and Front Street and into Szot Park.
Franklin County Pride — Saturday, June 13. Parade begins at noon in Greenfield, starting at the intersection of Sanderson Street & Federal Street and finishing at Energy Park. The festival begins at 1 p.m. All of Miles Street down to Energy Park for the festival.
• Belchertown Pride Festival, hosted by the Belchertown DEI Task Force and Belchertown
Police Department — Saturday, June 20, noon to 5 p.m. at the Belchertown Common.
• Amherst Pride Parade and Celebration — Sunday, June 28, noon to 3 p.m. The parade begins at Amherst-Pelham Regional High School and processes to the Amherst Town Common. This is not a comprehensive list of every event going on in Western Massachusetts. Readers are encouraged to check out events within their local communities for other celebrations taking place during Pride Month.
Lobster Feasts
Springfield Pride Parade founder Taurean Bethea (center) joined Chris Maza and Dennis Hackett to discuss the fifth annual event. Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
Joseph J. Ronca, Pamela K. Ronca and Pamela K. McCarthy to Matthew
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LSS Holdings Three LLC, to Steven Shuback and Melanie Shuback, 109 Somers Road
Michelle Melanson, Michelle Magner and Dean Melanson to Marc Warbington
