South Hadley signs regional dispatch agreement with Westfield
The town of South Hadley signed a regional dispatch agreement with Westfield following a Selectboard vote on April 7.
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CHICOPEE
Pilot opens new travel center after initial denial in 2022
Local developer Dinesh Patel, in partnership with DVR Ventures and Pilot, hosted a grand opening on April 8 for a new Pilot Travel Center located at 357 Burnett Road.
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HOLYOKE
Council approves opioid settlement funds to help with programs
The City Council unanimously voted in favor of using $1 million of Holyoke’s opioid settlement funds for various requests throughout the city.
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Moulton makes Holyoke campaign stop
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
HOLYOKE — Seth Moulton
thinks the U.S. Senate could use a bit of a tune up.
The United States representative stopped in Holyoke on April 9 to host a “Fireside Chat” roundtable to talk with the Holyoke and Springfield community about his goals for U.S. Senate if he were elected.
Moulton is currently the U.S. representative for Massachusetts’ Sixth District, covering the North Shore. He is running to capture U.S. Sen. Ed Markey’s seat this fall and has begun his campaign tour by visiting Western Massachusetts to listen and learn about people’s biggest concerns. Moulton stopped at the Holyoke Public Library, where 20 people shared their thoughts and he shared his plans.
“The old playbook is just not working,” Moulton stated. Although Moulton shared that he has “great respect” for Markey, he also expressed a need for change. Markey was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1976, two years before Moulton was born. He has served in the Senate since 2013. Moulton was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014.
“I’m running for Senate at a time when a lot of people are hurting across Massachusetts,” Moulton said. “When we know that the status quo in the country and the Democratic Party is not getting it done.”
Moulton, a candidate in the Democratic primary, also spoke about his American Affordability Agenda, a comprehensive plan focused on housing, health care and education.
“I’ve put forward a very aggressive affordability agenda that
as a principle, as a first principle, just plant the ground and say things; housing, health care and education should just be human rights. Those should be basic human rights expectations this day and age,” Moulton said.
He also stated that he believes Massachusetts needs new leadership to lower costs and address national challenges. Other issues that Moulton said he has heard so far across the state include rising rent prices and high utility bills.
“It’s tough to afford rent. It’s tough to pay our heating bill. Electricity bills are of the highest in the entire country, and so we’ve got to figure this out, and we’ve got to do better, and I just don’t think that we can afford to
wait six more years for new leadership,” Moulton said. Moulton said that Massachusetts needs to improve its tax revenue and do a better job of bringing more businesses to the state and keeping them here.
“I know there are a lot of businesses that get started here because we have a great environment for starting businesses,” Moulton stated. “But then many of them move out of state because of the cost of continuing to do business here is too high.”
Other issues Moulton touched on during his stop were transportation and the West-East rail, mental health, education and the current conflict in Iran.
Although Moulton agreed that
transportation to connect the state is needed, he urged the state to focus on updating the standards of the construction. He explained that, right now, the plan is to build the train to “1910 standards,” which would take it two and half hours to get from Springfield to Boston, “which is slower than the trains did in the 1950s.” He continued, “I think that’s pathetic. I don’t think we should be spending a dollar on that kind of rail service. Now, Morocco on the other hand, a country over in Africa, which has a third of the GDP just of Massachusetts, just built a rail line the same as Springfield to Boston and it goes
U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton talks to the community at the Holyoke Public Library about his priorities to run for U.S. Senate.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
See MOULTON on page 2
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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
186 miles per hour. That would
home repairs, modifications and rehabilitation on the homes of low-income families with children,” she 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
make it a 40 minute trip. Imagine if you could get from downtown Boston in 40 minutes from Western Massachusetts. That would open up amazing job opportuni-
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.
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.”
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 volun-
ties for people out here.”
For education, Moulton also urged for a change to the Department of Education for a more modern approach, universal pre-K and a more precise focus on vocational opportunities for seniors in high school.
Moulton also called the Iran War a “terrible idea,” and ‘illegal,” and thought the ceasefire is the right step. He said he would like to see a deal reached “for long lasting peace” so that this conflict doesn’t keep happening every few years.
Moulton admitted he did not have all the answers for every problem discussed, but expressed the importance of hearing from the people.
“Someone told me once that there’s two types of politicians. Some of them get elected to be
teer 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 organization’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.
someone, and some get elected to do some things. I’m all about doing some things,” Moulton stated. “I want to get things done in Washington, and that’s the attitude I think that we need from our elected officials and integrity would sure help.” He concluded, “What I want you to know is that there is a choice in these elections. There’s a choice to just continue with the status quo, to continue with using the same old playbook and look if you think things are going well in the country right now, then you should support the person I’m running against, because that’s the status quo choice, but if you think we can do better, if you think we need to do better, then you should know that there is a next generation, a new generation of leaders who want to serve.”
Photos from a previous Revitalize CDC #GreenNFit Day.
Reminder Publishing submitted photos
South Hadley signs Westfield regional dispatch agreement
Police Chief Jennifer Gundersen (left) and Assistant Town Administrator Chuck Romboletti (right) talk to the Selectboard about two agreements that will transition South Hadley to a regional dispatch center.
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
SOUTH HADLEY — The town of South Hadley signed a regional dispatch agreement with Westfield following a Selectboard vote on April 7.
South Hadley Police Chief Jennifer Gundersen and Assistant Town Administrator Chuck Romboletti joined the meeting to talk about the memorandum of agreement and intermunicipal agreement, the two documents that the board passed to regionalize the town’s dispatch.
The MOA is between the town of South Hadley and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local #1033 Units A and B, relative to impacts related to the regionalization of emergency dispatch operations.
South Hadley employs five full-time and two part-time dispatchers at a cost of $334,000 in fiscal year 2026.
With the MOA approved, it states that “effective upon the closure of the Town’s Emergency Dispatch Operations Center and the transition of dispatch services to the Westfield Public Safety Com-
munications Center (or other designated regional dispatch center), the parties agree that the Town’s Dispatcher positions will be eliminated and the employment of individuals serving in those positions will end by layoff as of the official closure date.” No closure date was specified in the document.
Romboletti highlighted that employees seeking assistance with transition planning or job placement may contact Human Resources to get information regarding application opportunities and process with the regional dispatch center; referrals to MassHire or other transitional career services; and information regarding any available town of South Hadley vacancies and the town’s application process.
“We met with the union a few times, provided information, and we’re able to come to an agreement that we think will retain some staff and help in transition,” Romboletti stated.
The Selectboard unanimously approved the MOA.
The IMA is between the city of Westfield, the town of South Hadley, Fire District No. 1 and
See DISPATCH on page 5
Photo credit: SHCTV15
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
CHICOPEE — Local developer
Dinesh Patel, in partnership with DVR Ventures and Pilot, hosted a grand opening on April 8 for a new Pilot Travel Center located at 357 Burnett Road.
According to a Pilot press release, the site expands Pilot’s growing network and offers an elevated travel experience, a host of preferred amenities and brings career opportunities to the Chicopee community. Pilot has more than 900 locations in 44 states and five Canadian provinces, serving an average of 1.2 million guests per day.
“We are proud to serve the Chicopee community with this new travel center,” Pilot Operations Business Development Vice President Sam Edgmon said. “Whether you’re fueling up on your daily commute or passing through and need a place to refuel, refresh and recharge. We look forward to helping you make the most of every mile.”
The ceremony featured many
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
CHICOPEE — With April being Parkinson’s Awareness Month, the city of Chicopee hosted a flag-raising event on April 7 to educate the community about the disease and raise awareness.
Mayor John Vieau, state Rep. Shirley Arriaga, and the Parkinson’s Foundation New England Chapter Community Education and Outreach Manager Stefany Scliopou spoke during the ceremony, which was held inside the City Hall auditorium.
The Parkinson’s Foundation strives to make life better for people with Parkinson’s by improving care and advancing research towards a cure, according to the organization. Through its work, they bring together people with Parkinson’s, their care partners, medical professionals and researchers to
stakeholders, including state Rep. Shirley Arriaga, representatives from Chicopee Mayor John Vieau’s office and other local and state elected leaders, as well.
“From the very beginning, this project is about not just building a travel center, but it is about serving the people and the local community,” Patel said. “Chicopee always stays in our heart because this is a unique location. It is a strategic location, and Chicopee always brings continued growth.”
This long-anticipated development was described as more than just a travel center. Leaders also described it as an investment into the local neighborhood.
Patel said the travel center can serve many different demographics, including truck drivers “who are keeping the economy alive right now, families passing through Western Massachusetts, and local residents who will stop by for the food, gas and diesel.”
“This parcel will bring jobs, economic activity, a reliable and high-quality stop to the travelers, but more importantly, it represents the investment of the
ensure every person with Parkinson’s has access to the best care.
National Parkinson’s Day is observed annually on April 11 to raise awareness about the disease.
Parkinson’s is a brain disorder that affects movement and can also involve other changes that impact daily life. It is a progressive condition, meaning symptoms get worse over time.
While there is currently no cure yet, treatments can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life, according to Scliopou.
“It can be managed,” Scliopou explained. “People can live a long, happy life with Parkinson’s, making sure they have a health care team that will assist them, that can help with medication, exercise and support groups. Those are really the three big things that help folks manage their day-to-day.”
Parkinson’s is the second-most common progressive brain dis-
community and the people who will use everything we have here,” Patel added.
The travel center will also serve as a solution to the persistent traffic congestion along Burnett Road, according to Pilot. Eighteen-wheel tractor-trailers and other large trucks have notoriously clogged the area’s roads.
At the groundbreaking event in August 2025, Patel said that he paid for an intensive traffic study conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The study showed that the new Pilot Travel Center will offer a safe, accessible location for trucks to refuel and exit without ever having to travel down Burnett Road.
Besides offering traffic relief and improving safety, the project will also have an economic impact. Pilot was projected to contribute nearly $1 million annually in local taxes, including real estate, gas and meals taxes.
Key features of the new travel center include a modern, open-concept store design, new Pilot eats food service, restrooms and showers, four self-checkouts for a faster and more convenient shopping experience, large beverage coolers for a wide selection of drinks, and mobile fueling and exclusive in-app offers available through the Pilot app. Through its Miles of Good initiative, Pilot supports the communities it serves by focusing on education, safety and veterans, according to the organization. As part of this ongoing commitment, the grand opening ceremony included a $20,000 donation to Chicopee Public Schools, which
order after Alzheimer’s disease. It affects more than 10 million people worldwide, including about one million people in the United States.
Each year, around 90,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and that number is expected to grow.
Scliopou said that the disease affects everyone differently, but early signs may include a mild tremor, loss of smell, soft speech or smaller handwriting.
Common movement symptoms include tremor in one or both hands, stiffness, slow movements and balance problems. Non-movement symptoms include sleep issues, constipation, depression and anxiety. Thinking changes are also common and can affect quality of life as much as movement symptoms.
Scliopou talked about the importance of keeping track of how
City of Chicopee
Office of Community Development
Draft Annual Action Plan 2026-2027
Opportunities to give comment on the draft Plan
Draft available from April 10- May 12
Copies at the Office of Community Development & Posted on City Website https://www.chicopeema.gov/187/Community-Development
Public Hearing - Wednesday, April 22 @ 6PM Central Library, 449 Front Street
Virtual Hearing - Tuesday, May 5 @ 11AM
Meeting link: https://teams.live.com
Meeting ID: 931 460 243 527 2 • Passcode: x57fF7
Public Comment welcome until May 12, 2026 to JDias@chicopeema.gov
Those who need special assistance to participate should contact Office of Community Development at 413-594-1490
you are feeling each day to determine if you need further medical assistance for your symptoms, especially because there are so many associated with Parkinson’s.
“Really advocating for yourself. I can’t stress that enough, because you know your body best,” Scliopou stated. “There’s a lot of symptoms, which is why Parkinson’s goes undetected or undetected for so many years because it didn’t start with something like losing a sense of smell or a sense of taste, which COVID, of course, didn’t help things.”
If a symptom impacts your dayto-day life and continues to progress, it is important to reach out to your doctor for further testing before determining if specialists and a plan for treatment are necessary.
Arriaga stated that many of her colleagues were busy with budget season, but she wanted to show her support and be there on behalf of other state officials to help bring awareness to the disease.
“I am not a professional, and I
have learned a lot over the course of the past four years. Thanks a lot to Stefany [for] educating us and raising that awareness,” Arriaga stated. “It’s important that we understand what it does to a person. It affects people’s moods, their memory, their sleep and their ability to move physically. As Stefany has stated, it doesn’t happen the same for everyone; it is very different, so understanding that it might look different in your household, versus someone else’s, and how you can be supportive for these folks because it’s a sentence, right? Once you’re diagnosed with Parkinson’s, it’s forever.” The event concluded with Vieau reading a proclamation and the unveiling of the Parkinson’s Foundation banner to recognize April as Parkinson’s Awareness Month in Chicopee.
To learn more about the disease, ways to help, or about the foundation, readers can visit Parkinson.org.
Dinesh Patel, his family, the Pilot team, Chicopee stakeholders and elected officials gather to celebrate the grand opening of the Pilot Travel Center located at 357 Burnett Road.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
Stefany Scliopou is presented with a proclamation from Mayor John Vieau recognizing Parkinson’s Awareness Month in Chicopee.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
See PILOT on page 8
HOLYOKE
Council approves opioid settlement funds to help with programs
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
HOLYOKE — The City Council unanimously voted in favor of using $1 million of Holyoke’s opioid settlement funds for various requests throughout the city.
After receiving requests from residents, different city departments and organizations, the Board of Health commissioners and the Opioid Citizens Advisory Committee issued their funding recommendations for opioid settlement allocations to the Development and Government Relations Committee of the City Council.
The DGR Committee reviewed the proposals at its March 23 meeting before submitting its recommendations to the full council, which voted on the allocations during its April 7 meeting.
Of the 13 requests, seven were allocated by the DGR Committee before the final allocations were approved by the City Council. The money is being allocated across seven different projects.
City Councilor Richard Purcell, who chairs the DGR Committee, said that the money will fund a recovery community support program at Holyoke Health Center, a community ambassador program at Hampden County Career Center Inc, DBA Masshire Holyoke and
South Hadley Fire District No. 2. South Hadley said it wants to regionalize its dispatch because the state is incentivizing this route for many communities. Presenters at the meeting said service improvements such as consistency, technology, certification, coordination and cost savings are reasons for regionalizing.
According to the agreement, South Hadley, Fire District No. 1 and South Hadley Fire District No. 2 will be responsible for their portion of operating costs at the dispatch center. The total amount due from South Hadley fire districts to Westfield will be offset by a Transition Expense Award as part of the Development Grant program from the State 911 Department. The agreement states that South Hadley will remit to
a recovery coach at Holyoke Medical Center.
The funds will also assist with Naloxone access through Tapestry Health for Holyoke Harm Reduction, the Dwight Street Drop-in Center with the Center for Human Development, Emergency Harm Reduction at the Providence Ministries for the Needy and a mental health first-aid capacity building at the Greater Holyoke YMCA.
City Councilor Israel Rivera explained that, to his understanding, most of the funding will go to salaries that will provide services to the people in need.
“I feel like if it was me, I’d be wanting to give the checks and the money to the people that really need it, firsthand checks,” Rivera stated. “I’m formally incarcerated, so I’m with that, I’m not about paying somebody at the top all the money just to provide services, but the reality is, the services are really needed in the community, and right now, this is what we have, and we have to work with what we have at the moment and try to buildout to wherever we want to be as a community.”
The DGR Committee and city also relied on public input to help inform recommendations for the funding. In July 2025, members of the community, service providers and people with lived experience were invited to join the Opioid
the dispatch center $130,000. Fire District No. 1 will remit to the center $50,000 and South Hadley Fire District No. 2 will pay $20,000 for the first year.
According to the IMA, a 911 grant will cover 100% of the costs for the first three years, 50% for year four and 25% for year five. In year four, South Hadley and the fire districts will pay 50% of the $200,000 contract, then 75% in the fifth year. Town Administrator Lisa Wong said the town would save an initial $300,000 annually with the grant.
Gundersen stated that the town administrator, assistant town administrator and town counsel have been working on the document for “about a month.” It went through a few drafts to determine how South Hadley’s fire districts would factor into the dispatch.
The Selectboard approved the IMA on April 7, and District 1 signed off on it the same day.
approves the requests to
Response Management Team at the Community Needs Assessment kick off meeting.
The community needs assessment and the allocation processes were modeled after Holyoke’s HUD Community Development Block Grant program, which emphasizes community engagement and transparency in the awarding of funds.
The city of Holyoke is one of the municipalities who will receive legal settlements that the state’s attorney general completed with pharmaceutical
District 2 signed the document on April 9, and it was sent to Westfield for signatures.
“This IMA is an important component for a couple of reasons. One is that once this IMA is signed, Westfield can submit their grant that is going to fund this regionalization project to the 911 center,” Gundersen stated.
Gundersen explained that Westfield is looking for this IMA because they’re looking to hire more dispatchers. “Hopefully, some of ours, to build up their
companies and opioid distributors who were complicit in aiding the opioid crisis.
The settlement meant that these companies would allocate funds directly to the state’s municipalities and the funds would be used to address harm done to residents, driven by the needs of each community.
Over $50 billion in Opioid Settlement Funds have been awarded across the country to state and local governments because of litigation and the national settlement between the commonwealth of Massachu-
staff. They’re looking to send their dispatchers here to have them start training in earnest. That IMA is a commitment on both sides that this is going to happen,” she stated. Gundersen mentioned that the South Hadley dispatch center is currently dealing with staffing shortages. Currently, the overnight shift is not covered by a 911 dispatcher. South Hadley is using police officers. They have also hired three Westfield dispatchers to come to the town to serve as part-time per
setts and the opioid industry. Massachusetts decided to allocate 40% of those settlement funds to cities and towns across the state from 2021 to 2038. In 2024, Holyoke received nearly $427,000 in total. Holyoke is estimated to receive a total of $3.6 million through fiscal year 2039. The Office for Community Development will be responsible for the allocation and fiscal management of the program. More information on Holyoke’s opioid settlement funds can be found at Holyoke.org.
diem employees. “While I wish that we had the continuation of our own employees, this is the second-best thing because it is preparing Westfield for South Hadley joining them, and it’s preparing the South Hadley first responders to be hearing how Westfield does business,” Gundersen stated. Gundersen said that she and the two fire chiefs will host office hours soon at the Senior Center and library “over the next month or so,” to answer any questions about this transition.
The Holyoke City Council discusses and
allocate Holyoke’s opioid settlement funds to different organizations and businesses in the city.
Photo credit: Holyoke Media
Holyoke High starting pitcher Jeremy Francisco fires in a pitch
Senior Justin Rivera slams out a triple off the first Granby pitch.
Carter Felsentreger connects on a Granby pitch.
Granby’s Anthony Santiago steals second.
Aiden Robinson gets a good hit.
Jeremy Francisco and Justin Rivera try for a pickoff on Anthony Santiago.
Ryan Greaney scores a run for the Purple Knights.
Purple Knights’ Nolan Judd focuses on a Granby pitch.
Michael Medina strides in for a Holyoke run.
Committee approves School Choice slots for 26-27 school year
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
SOUTH HADLEY — The South Hadley School Committee officially approved 51 School Choice openings for the 2026-2027 school year during its April 1 meeting.
School Choice gives parents the opportunity to enroll their children in whichever school they feel best fits their needs outside of their own district. This can include a neighboring public, private or charter school.
The vote comes after Superintendent Jennifer Voyik presented two different budget options at the committee’s March 25 meeting: a deficit budget and a fully funded budget if a tax override passes.
The two options were crafted after Voyik met with the administrative team, who went through all the grade levels and looked at the projected enrollment for the next school year.
The committee voted against the deficit budget, which would have led to severe cuts across the School Department, at that March meeting, and instead opted for a $27.5 million fiscal year 2027 budget. That number, however, could change based on which tax override option residents choose during the April 14 Town Election.
Voyik said she took the com-
will support its Family and Com-
ments the School Committee made on March 25 back to the administration team to discuss the available School Choice slots before presenting the final proposal for recommendation at the April 1 meeting.
At the kindergarten level, there will be 10 slots available. With that, South Hadley Public Schools will look to hire a kindergarten teacher using School Choice funds. The 10 slots would add $50,000 in School Choice funding for the following year.
Voyik explained the decision to use this funding for a kindergarten teacher, stating, “The idea would be that we strategically do this over the next several years to help stabilize our class sizes and get them down to a more reasonable spot that would attract families back into the district, and also provide our teachers the ability to be able to really dig in a little bit more with their students.”
There will be six sections next year for kindergarten and 10 School Choice slots, with an average class size between 18 students and 19 students.
Voyik said there will be one slot in grade 1, two slots in grade 2, and no slots in grade 3 due to the larger class size. There will be one slot available in grade 4.
For the middle school, there will be no slots available in grade 5, five for grade 6, two for grade
munity Engagement team with funding for a series of end-ofyear and back-to-school events.
Chicopee Public School Family and Community Engagement
The School Committee discusses School Choice slots for the 2026-2027 South Hadley school year during its April 1 meeting.
7 and zero for grade 8.
Voyik talked about having no slots available for fifth grade and eighth grade, explaining, “For fifth grade, that’s going to be our largest class in the entire district, I think it’s 153 [students] next year, so we don’t recommend slots for fifth grade. The middle school is going to have the largest student population next year, so fifth and eighth grade, I believe there’s 142 or 146 [students], something like that, so a zero for eighth grade.”
Facilitator Kristen Coelho was at the event with Assistant Superintendent Carol Kruser to accept the donation and explain how the funds will help.
TheReminder.com
Every week we will provide you with a complete listings of deaths from the preceding week from throughout Greater Springfield. We are doing this as a convenience to our readers in case you miss an obit in the daily paper. We hope you find this useful and that you will refer to it weekly.
CHICOPEE
Paul J. Brault
Joyce A. Grycel
Jeannine M. Martell
Tomas G. Martins
Jeanne L. Russell McClain
Suzanne J. Morrissette
Ilda F. Paulo
Darlene J. Peck
Una M. Trudell
Mark Walas
David F. Zajchowski
EAST LONGMEADOW
Mildred D’Amato (Cangro)
Glenn E. Elmer
George Thomas Herberger
William J. Jamieson
Kathleen M. Snow
Jon M. Steele
Norman R. Tremblay
Mary Jane A. Whitehead
HAMPDEN
Catherine Pat Bombard
David Stevens
Stanley Witkop Jr.
HOLYOKE
Marilyn J. Angers
Eric H. Dugroo
Robert E. Lafrenaye
LUDLOW
Edward J. Cislak
Richard L. Dionne
David P. Petrolati
Susan Ribeiro
Barbara S. Zielinski
SOUTH HADLEY
Charles A. Boulais Jr.
Olivia Nicole Hann
Rosemary Lane
SPRINGFIELD
Barbara A. Aubrey
Loys A. Center
Robert A. Dionne
Robert R. Lynch Jr. Evelyn I. Marlborough
Casey Thompson
WILBRAHAM
Joan Davis
Jean M. Hirsch
Rosemary “Ro” O’Donoghue
The School Committee also approved having 10 slots in grade 9, grade 10 and grade 11, respectively. Voyik explained the School Choice decision for the high school after discussing it with Principal Elizabeth Wood.
“Principal Wood, recognizing that no matter what scenario happens, if there’s a deficit budget, students are going to leave, and so there will be room for slots, and in an override budget, there are
“We are extremely grateful for this donation for Chicopee Public Schools and our Family and Community Engagement Department,” Coelho stated. “This will allow us to really extend and bring much more programming to Chicopee, our school system. I’m looking forward to hosting many parent academies. We have a lot of workshops in the works, we have literacy nights, cultural celebrations and many more opportunities to offer our families and engage with them in the community.”
The grand opening has been a long time coming. The City Council unanimously voted against the original plan in 2022, and the decision was upheld in
slots available because we’re not losing teachers, and so her recommendation for the high school would be 10, 10 and 10, and we can’t accept School Choice for 12th grade,” Voyik stated.
The School Committee unanimously approved the School Choice slots for the 2026-2027 school year. With the acceptance, the applications for School Choice are officially live, and the application will soon be posted on southhadleyschools.org.
the Hampden Superior Court after the applicant filed for appeal in June 2024.
Pilot then submitted a revised application, which was approved in December 2024 during a City Council meeting. At that meeting, the council voted to approve licenses for a truck stop and travel center on Burnett Road. A groundbreaking ceremony occurred on Aug. 12, 2025.
“I want to express how proud we are officially to open as a Pilot travel center in Chicopee,” Patel stated. “This is a family business.”
For a limited time, there will be special offers available for guests who download the Pilot app on their phones.
Photo credit: SHCTV15
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 fascinated 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 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.
New go-to ice cream shop swirls its way onto Memorial Drive
By Miasha Lee Correspondent
CHICOPEE — A new ice cream shop in Chicopee will assuage impending heat waves this summer.
West Side Creamy Cones owners Matt and Zarena Sarikcioglu opened a second location called Creamy Cones at 1410 Memorial Drive.
The husband-and-wife duo originally planned to give away 300 free cones during its grand opening on March 29, but with the turnout and support from the community, Matt and Zarena served nearly 400.
“Business has been amazing, well above our expectations,” said Matt and Zarena. “We’re incredibly grateful for the warm welcome and support from the Chicopee community. It’s been really rewarding to see such a positive response so far.”
Creamy Cones is a place where the community can enjoy fresh ice cream. They focus on quality over shortcuts, using premium soft serve machines and a fresh mix sourced from a farm in Pennsylvania with a short shelf life to ensure the best taste possible. Creamy Cones’ menu goes far beyond the basics.
They offer classic soft serve flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and twist, along with rotating weekly flavors such as pistachio and black raspberry. In addition, they serve milkshakes, flurries, lemonades, floats, specialty sundaes, banana splits, ice cream cakes, ice cream nachos, hard dips, premium hard ice cream and much more.
“What sets Creamy Cones apart is our commitment to quality, freshness and value,” Matt and Zarena pointed out. “We don’t cut corners, from our ingredients to our equipment. Everything we serve is something we would personally enjoy. Our mission is simple: to show the community how ice cream should be clean, creamy and affordable.”
The Sarikcioglus said they truly
enjoy building something together and sharing the same vision every day; ice cream is in their roots. Their family has been in the business for three generations, starting with Matt’s grandparents and continuing through mobile soft serve trucks in New York. Expanding into its first brick-and-mortar location in West Springfield was a natural next step, while still continuing its event truck operations across Western Massachusetts.
The Chicopee location came from a moment of vision. Matt was driving back from a catered event and noticed the space at 1410 Memorial Drive. Even though it wasn’t on the market, he saw its potential immediately, especially the high traffic and large parking lot. After reaching out to the property owner, everything moved quickly, and the buildout of Creamy Cones officially began.
“We believe Creamy Cones brings something special to the Chicopee community,” stated the Sarikcioglus. “A welcoming, family-friendly place where people can gather, make memories, and enjoy high-quality ice cream at reasonable prices. We’re here to raise the standard for what people can expect.”
Since opening, Creamy Cones’ soft serve and specialty sundaes have been the most popular, especially the Reese’s Peanut Butter Sundae and the Strawberry Shortcake Sundae. Chicopee resident Christine Wessig was excited for an ice cream place near her to enjoy and attended the grand opening. Wessig thought the Reese’s Peanut Butter Sundae was so good, she went back for another one the following day. Wessig said, “Their menu is unique and there are so many flavors to choose from. Creamy Cones is bringing enjoyment for ice cream back to the Memorial Drive area. I plan on getting some of their ice cream cookies to bring home. I wish them the best with the new location.”
The Sarikcioglus’ goal is to
serve the best ice cream in Chicopee at affordable prices with generous portions. They understand that ice cream is a treat, and families shouldn’t have to overspend to enjoy it. Looking ahead, they plan to expand throughout Western Massachusetts, including East Longmeadow, Amherst, Northampton, and South Hadley, and could explore franchising in the future.
In addition to serving their customers, Matt and Zarena are also passionate about helping others in the industry. They are currently offering mentorship to new and aspiring ice cream shop owners, and they plan to officially launch this program on their website soon. They’ve already had hundreds of shop owners reach out to us with questions about the business, equipment and products, and they do their best to support and guide them.
“We take pride in understanding every aspect of the business
so we can consistently deliver the best possible product and experience,” the couple said. “The most rewarding part of all of this has been seeing the happiness we bring to people; families coming together, kids enjoying a treat, and creating lasting memories. That means more to us than anything else.”
Creamy Cones’ hours are Monday through Friday from 2-9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. The Sarikcioglus plan to expand their hours once the summer season begins. Customers can contact them through their Facebook and Instagram pages.
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
Left to Right: Zarena, Nara and Matt of Creamy Cones. The new location just opened in Chicopee on 1410 Memorial Drive.
Reminder Publishing photo courtesy of Creamy Cones
