Historical Commission begins planning for time capsule unveiling Fifty years after burying a time capsule at Heritage Park East Longmeadow is preparing to dig it up before burying another set to be opened in 2076.
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WILBRAHAM
RD26 Foundation donates $100K to UMass Medical Center
The RD26 Foundation, created in memory of Wilbraham teen Ryan Jude Doyle, continues to turn grief into generosity with a recent donation to UMass Children’s Hospital that helped establish the Ryan Jude Doyle Infusion Suite.
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Joanne Menard hired as ELPS superintendent
By Peter Tuohy ptuohy@thereminder.com
EAST LONGMEADOW — Af-
ter two lengthy interviews by the East Longmeadow School Committee, Joanne Menard was hired as the new superintendent in a 4-1 vote on Jan. 15, barring successful negotiations, over candidate Peter Gillen. Menard will take over for Superintendent Gordon Smith, who will be retiring in June after 16 years with the district.
The process began with forming the Superintendent Search Committee in November 2025. From Dec. 8-11, the search committee interviewed eight out of 15 total applicants, landing on Menard, Gillen and Robert Dodd as finalists. Dodd withdrew candidacy after being hired as superintendent by Rio Rancho Public Schools in New Mexico on Dec. 17.
Menard currently hails from Holliston Public Schools as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. She began her career as a science teacher at the high school level and has experience as principal at both the secondary school and elementary levels.
She has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from The Ohio State
University, a master of education in elementary education from Anna Maria College and a doctorate of education in educational leadership from the University of Hartford.
Gillen is currently the principal of West Springfield Middle School, with experience as vice principal and lead teacher in the English department. Gillen began his career in public education as a sixth grade English teacher. He has a bachelor’s degrees in English and secondary education, along with a master of education in education administration from Springfield College. He also received a doctorate of education from William H. Taft University.
Menard’s interview began by thanking the committee for having the chance to meet each member throughout the process. She said it was really impressive and showed their commitment to the school district.
Committee member Antonella Raschilla began questioning and asked about different instructional or curriculum directives that Menard has given to her district that caused an impact in student growth, and how she monitored usage of high quality instructional materials and growth.
“I’m lucky enough in my role, I’m charged with all curriculum
Jan. 15
reviews for the entire district,” Menard said. “Since I’ve been there, we did a two-year math curriculum review for grades K-12 plus, and the first time since 2011, we have a consistent resource for the elementary school, which is Eureka Math2, and for the secondary schools, Reveal.”
She added that the district is in the middle of an ELA elementary curriculum review and secured a $224,000 grant from the Department of Secondary Education. She said to monitor, the one thing she can really speak
Joanne Menard interviews for the superintendency on
So That Reminds Me: Sacerdote talks Railroad Hobby Show
By Ryan Feyre rfeyre@thereminder.com
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The largest railroad-themed trade show in North America will once again stop people in their tracks this winter.
On this week’s episode of “So That Reminds Me,” hosts Dennis Hackett and Tyler Garnet sat down with John Sacerdote, show manager for the Railroad Hobby Show, to discuss what’s in store for the event, which is slated for Jan. 24 and 25 inside the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds.
Sponsored by the Amherst Railway Society, the show covers all facets of railroad hobbies, including model railroads, railroad art and photography, railroad history and preservation, tourist railroads, railroad artifacts and railroad books and videos.
The event occupies 350,000 square feet in four buildings on the Big E fairgrounds, and this year’s show will feature visitors from all over the world and 396 exhibitors encompassing trains of all shapes and sizes.
But according to Sacerdote, the show is more than just a “flea market.”
“Every major manufacturer on the planet is at the show; every dealer that has large hobby stores, distribution centers; they’re all at the show,” Sacerdote said. “But more importantly, all these historical societies are at the show. All these
museums are at the show. All these places where you can still ride trains in the Catskills, up in Maine, all over the United States, down in Rhode Island, are at the show. So, if it’s got something to do with railroads, they’re at the show.”
Although the hobby show already has a rich history, Sacerdote noted that the Railway Society is always trying to outdo itself every year. He highlighted the Sunday morning Brunch Express, which is essentially an Amherst chartered CTrail train ride that leaves from Springfield Union Station at 7 a.m. and arrives at Hartford Union Station shortly after. It is at the Hartford station where passengers will enjoy a buffet breakfast at the station’s Great Hall.
This year’s show will also feature a Women in Model Railroading information session and reception on Jan. 24 at 3 p.m., where people will have the opportunity to meet the women that play key roles in the railroad and model railroad industries.
Attached to that will be an operating session from 6-8 p.m. where women of all ages will learn more about model railroad operations.
Sacerdote also mentioned that there will be multiple activities for children and stated that the society is hoping to surpass last year’s turnout of 27,535 people.
“I’m really trying for 30,000,”
Sacerdote said, adding that weather usually dictates the overall turnout. “When we have great weather, we have great crowds.” Aside from showcasing some of the major facets of the show, Sacerdote also highlighted the decades-long journey that has defined the railroad show from
its humble beginnings at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the mid-1950s to the extravagant celebration it has become today. Tickets are now available for the show on its website. It is $18 for adults and free for ages 15 and under. Events throughout the
two days are held at the Big E’s Better Living Center, Young and Stroh Buildings and the Mallary Complex. Readers can listen to the full episode by visiting thereminder. com/our-podcast or search “So That Reminds Me” on your favorite podcasting platform.
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on is math.
Menard said that if students are receiving interventions, they are being monitored with progress reports into their data dashboard, Open Architects.
Committee member Kerri Jarzabski asked how Menard would approach designing professional
“My curriculum team and myself present twice a year together. I present at every meeting, but they collectively come with me,” Menard said. “For math in the elementary schools, we use i-Ready, in the secondary schools we use IXL, so we’re always looking at those benchmark assessments.”
development systems that both elevate instructional practice and foster a data informed approach while creating a culture where all staff feel valued, supported and empowered, being mindful of the various career stages.
“In my role as the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, I am charged with the responsibility for the professional development for the
entire district,” Menard said. “I have compiled a committee that we get together three or four times a year.”
Menard said the committee is comprised of 25 people and are all of Menard’s curriculum specialists, including one STEM, humanities and unified arts person at each school. She said the committee gets together to decide what the focus will be on for
the year, going through lengthy discussions on how to get there.
“Our focus for [professional development] for the entire district is tier one instruction for the next three years,” Menard said. She said she has a strategic plan collectively built under four arches: communication, social and emotional learning, teach-
See MENARD on page 4
Railroad Hobby Show show manager John Sacerdote (left) joined hosts Dennis Hackett and Tyler Garnet for the latest episode of “So That Reminds Me.”
Reminder Publishing photo by Chris Maza
EAST LONGMEADOW
EAST LONGMEADOW PUBLIC LIBRARY
The following events are organized by the East Longmeadow Public Library, 60 Center Square. For more information or to register, head to eastlongmeadowlibrary.org or call 413-525-5420.
January book groups:
• Funny Bonz Book Group (grades 3 and 4) — Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 4:30 p.m. This month’s selection is “Murray and Bun!: Murray and the Viking” by Adam Stower. Page Turners Book Group (for grades 5 and up) — Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 4:30 p.m. This
month’s selection is “The Gate, the Girl and the Dragon” by Grace Lin.
HAMPDEN
HAMPDEN SENIOR CENTER
The following events are organized by the Hampden Senior Center, 104 Allen St. For more information or to register for programs, call 413-566-5588.
Greeting Cards with Ellie — Monday, Jan. 26, 1-3 p.m. Cost is $3 per person. All materials are provided. Veterans Coffee Hour with Jason Burgener — Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. Join Jason, Ellen O’Brien, and Lori Callahan from the Wilbraham Funeral Home for a discussion about preparing for your future and potential Veterans’ benefits. Light Refreshments will be provided.
LONGMEADOW
RICHARD SALTER STORRS LIBRARY
lationships. She includes them in all the decision making, and especially the coaches, how she builds them as leaders.”
ing and learning and resources. She also has a professional development agenda template used throughout every school, which states DESE’s high quality standards.
After the interview was complete, the committee held a discussion period. During the search process, committee members visited the candidates’ respective schools, with Raschilla and Jarzabski visiting Menard in Holliston.
“We met with five different groups of people, one of them being the instructional coaches that she talked about, the superintendent, School Committee and community members, principals and central administration,” Raschilla said. “All of them, how they spoke about working with her, I mean she builds re-
Jarzabski said she had the unique opportunity to visit both candidates’ districts, and Menard’s experience is diverse over several different career opportunities. She said it gives Menard a strong understanding of K-12 and a perspective of central administration.
“I think what was highly answered consistently through a variety of the different groups that we met with was her ability to be creative, and innovate in securing funding through grants and some significant amount of funds that was allowing them to do some things in the curriculum with literacy where there was some weakness,” Jarzabski said.
She also said that there has been tension in the district between union leadership, teachers, the School Committee and superintendents, but Menard
The following events take place at the Richard Salter Storrs Library, 593 Longmeadow St. For more information or to register for programs, call 413-565-4181, or head to longmeadowlibrary.org.
Youth programs: Hungry for More (grades 6-8)
— Tuesday, Jan. 27, 3-4 p.m.
Hungry for More is a Middle School Book club (Grades 6-8) that reads books filled with food! Pick up your copy of “Mabuhay!” by Zachary Sterling in the Discovery Room.
STEAM: Here to There! — Wednesday, January 28, 3:304:15 p.m. Elementary aged kids can experiment at STEAM stations focus of getting things from here to there! From paper bridges, marble mazes, telephones, and planes, everyone can learn how to use materials to make sound and objects travel!
Adult programs:
• Lisa Ruch Presents: Literary Reimaginings — Wednesday,
advanced curriculum reviews. That had not been done for over a decade in that environment through built relationships. Jarzabski said it spoke a lot about her collaborative nature.
Chair Greg Thompson said Gillen’s support of his staff and the town was clear and evident in his visit and that he runs an immaculate building, which was “quiet for a middle school.”
He applauded both candidates on their passion for education and said they were both cut out for the job.
“I truly believe that if we choose either one, we would be in a good direction,” Thompson said. “I applaud the screening committee for the work that they did to give us solid professionals.”
Student representative Anna Flanagan said she thought Gillen did a good job integrating special education and autism specialists into the classrooms. She said she could tell by walking around the
Jan. 28, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Fan fiction has been a part of literature for centuries. In this 6-month series, the library explore a section of prequels, coquels and spin-offs of famous literary works. This session will be about “Hester” by Laurie Lico Albanese.
• Library Virtual Speakers: Secrets and Second Chances with Liz Moore — Wednesday, Jan. 28, 7-9 p.m. Liz Moore will discuss her latest work, “The God of the Woods,” an instant New York Times bestseller and one of NPR’s 2024 “Books We Love” highlights.
LONGMEADOW ADULT CENTER
The following programs are organized by the Longmeadow Adult Center, located at 211 Maple Road For more information or to sign up for programs, call 413-565-4160 option 1.
• BINGO! Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 1:30 p.m. — Come to the li-
school that the students knew him well and were told that he was a really good communicator.
Committee member William Strother said he had the opportunity to be on the search committee and the process was very diligent to find the right people. He said they have two great candidates to ensure that a great job will be done regardless of who takes the mantle.
“It’s one thing to have a leader that’s more of a manager and it’s another thing to have a leader that will move us forward,” Strother said. “If we could hire both of them, we would, but we’re at this place where we have to choose one, so for me, the one I would choose today is Dr. Menard.”
Member Aimee Dalenta said deciding seemed impossible because they were both incredible candidates and unbelievably competent. She said Gillen stood out as a better fit for East Longmeadow and embodies “transformational leadership,” provid-
brary for the first bingo of the new year! See what kind of luck 2026 has in store for you with some no-charge Bingo! Wonderful prizes are up for grabs so make sure to sign up today!
WILBRAHAM
ST. CECILIA’S WOMEN’S CLUB LUNCHEON AND CARD GAME PARTY
The Saint Cecilia Women’s Club is sponsoring a Luncheon Card & Game Party, Thursday, Jan. 29, at the Saint Cecilia Parish Center, 42 Main St. Check-in begins at 11:30 a.m. with lunch served at noon. Come with friends to play any game of your choice (mahjong, bridge, dominoes, Scrabble, Canasta, etc.) The donation is $10. There is also a raffle for many prizes and gift cards. Proceeds help to fund the club’s scholarships and charitable donations to area organizations. For reservations, please call Sue Agnew, 413-596-9480.
ing something inspirational and motivating.
“He is the type of person who is going to bring people together,” Dalenta said.
Thompson said that some districts require residency, and while East Longmeadow doesn’t, closeness is still a concern and Gillen lives in East Longmeadow. He said he had great conversations with Menard and felt like there was a majority decision based on the discussion alone.
Raschilla said Menard brought up living further away without being asked, which shows her character. She said Menard and her husband can be seen at most town events and that “the community says that they see her, and that she’s around,” Raschilla said.
The complete interviews with Menard and Gillen can be viewed on the ELCAT01028 YouTube channel under the “live” section.
Historical Commission begins planning for time capsule unveiling
By Peter Tuohy ptuohy@thereminder.com
EAST LONGMEADOW — On
July 18, 1976, the East Longmeadow Rotary Club buried a time capsule in Heritage Park to celebrate the town’s bicentennial, dated to be opened in 2026. Now, 50 years later, the East Longmeadow Historical Commission has begun early preparations for unearthing the capsule, opening it this summer and reburying another to open in 2076.
Written in a letter from 1976 by former Chair Jeanne Goodlatte, who served from 1970 to 1984, the time capsule was directed to be opened on Independence Day. Historical Commission Chair Tom Behan said since it was buried on July 18, that’s when the commission plans to open it.
Behan led the discussion on a history of the time capsule and what might be found inside, listing a few items, such as a yearbook from 1976, 8mm film and eight track tapes. He added that they will try to reunite the items
with people as best as they can.
Town Manager Tom Christensen joked that he hopes there’s a Twinkie inside and School Committee Chair Greg Thompson said Christensen could take the first bite.
“They reached out to all the
citizens in town,” Behan said.
“Students wrote letters, people put stuff in there, buried a time capsule and it’s 50 years later, so it’s time to dig it up.”
Comments left on a Facebook post about the time capsule in the East Longmeadow Town Forum
detail what else might be inside, such as from Kris Morrisino, who said her grandmother left a letter inside for her. Another comment from Lori Pellegrini Potter said she remembers people throwing in credit cards from stores that were no longer in business.
School Committee meets with Town Council to discuss
By Peter Tuohy ptuohy@thereminder.com
EAST LONGMEADOW — The East Longmeadow School Committee joined the Town Council to discuss the fiscal year 2027 budget at a joint meeting on Jan. 13.
Town Manager Tom Christensen began the discussion and said that the operating budget has not been nailed down yet, but some aspects are expected to increase, such as a 15% uptick in health insurance, 9% for retirement and $100,000 for the new high school’s insurance.
Christensen also said to expect a large increase in the high school’s electric bill due to the building being all electric. The
building is set for photovoltaic solar energy and he said that he hopes it offsets some of the increase. An estimated cost is $1.3 million for installation, with $1 million due upfront in July 2026 and the rest after completion.
School Committee Chair Greg Thompson said working with the town manager has been fantastic and that working collaboratively on the new school has been moving fantastically and on time.
“It is beautiful,” Thompson said. “It will be an asset to this community, and we’re hopeful that folks will get in and get a chance to look at it.”
Thompson also said that he’s hopeful they’ll get to work with the recreation department to
make the pool accessible to the community. It will be blocked off from the school and will have designated parking.
“We’re hoping to use that pool, as we said we would, as a community based program for the whole town,” Thompson said.
Thompson also said two additional classrooms at Mountain View are underway. The framing is complete and just needs to be closed in. He said he hopes those will be online by the end of the school year, or at least the next school year.
“We will have all the building space we are going to have for a while,” Thompson said. “We will be opening the new building, as you all know, next fall in August.”
and in FY26, there are only 454. He said they used
Treasurer Christine Devlin has a few ideas for the events this summer and how to involve every aspect of the town in the new capsule, such as local businesses, town government, churches and
Thompson also provided an update with staffing and said that they are down 20 full time positions from last year. In FY25, over 470 positions were funded
$350,000
The East Longmeadow School Committee meets with the Town Council on Jan. 13.
Photo credit: ELCAT
From left:The 1976 time capsule’s lid is brought down to close it for the next 50 years. Residents fill the time capsule with their items. The parade down on North Main Street prior to burying the time capsule.
Photo credit: East Longmeadow
Oliveira hosts workforce summit with statewide leaders
By Sarah Heinonen sheinonen@thereminder.com
SPRINGFIELD — Western Massachusetts leaders in education and economic development met with Massachusetts Secretary for Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones for a summit on how to grow the region’s workforce to meet the needs of today and the future.
The meeting, hosted by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and led by state Sen. Jake Oliveira, identified the need for a robust bridge between education and the workplace, in the form of educational pathways, internships and registered apprenticeships.
Jones said the roundtable was an opportunity for “candid conversations on how we can advance labor force participation, grow our workforce in this region by tapping into the great talent that studies in our higher ed institutions right here.”
Speaking about the higher education partners at the summit, Oliveira said, “They’re the folks that are training the next generation of workers here in Western Massachusetts, and I wanted to make sure that our higher ed institutions, our workforce development leaders know that they have a partner in the state government — the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Develop-
ment, the Executive Office of Education and the Skills Cabinet.”
The Massachusetts Workforce Skills Cabinet coordinates the work done in the state offices of Education, Labor and Workforce Development, and Housing and Economic Development to create a cohesive agenda.
Bay Path University President Sandra Doran said, “We need to think about our students. That is our only focus, making sure our students are successful. We know that a good internship leads to a better job and career. Students who have internships frequently start at more of a mid-level position than a junior position, at a higher salary, and I don’t think that’s completely understood. Where you start in the marketplace, the workforce, has a direct relationship to where you’re going to end up.”
Oliveira pointed out, “A lot of their students can’t afford to take the time, that might be working full-time jobs already, to do unpaid internships. To find ways that we can get more paid internships here to students in Western Massachusetts with Western Massachusetts employers, I think is another very important piece.”
Jones said registered apprenticeships, which combine paid, on-the-job training with classroom education, are a “proven model” that has long been used
in trades and is becoming more common in other fields. In December 2025, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced $1.8 million in grants for registered apprenticeship opportunities in the field of early childhood education. The funding went to eight organizations to train and place more than 300 apprentices.
Holyoke Community College Vice President of Business and Community Services Jeff Hayden said, “HCC has a fairly strong infrastructure in relation to the current employment market, much of it at the entry level.” However, he said some entry level positions do not offer a family-sustaining wage. “What we need to do is to build pathways so that people can not only get a job but get into a career where they can advance. How do we get them more education and more employment for them to get that sustaining wage.”
One example of such a pathway would be to become a licensed practical nurse. He said the program would be designed for people who work in health care fields but not providing direct medical care. The pathway would allow them to further their education and work in the field with the goal of becoming an LPN.
Among the challenges that the summit explored was connecting people with what Oliveira called “the changing economy,” and en-
sures the workforce continues to meet the future employment demand in various sectors, including quantum computing and food science. He said the colleges and universities in Western Massachusetts are positioned to meet those needs.
Jones said that her office takes “a sector-based strategy” and looks to prepare people entering the workforce for the fields where there are opportunities, such as health care, education and advanced manufacturing in Western Massachusetts. She described it as “building a bridge.”
Jones said it was important in designing a strong network of pathways to “understand what the gaps are in our skills for our current talent as well as our future talent. Linking that to sector strategies and making sure that we are closing that immediate gap that we know employers are looking for today, but also leveraging our workforce infrastructure, our education ecosystem, that we’re preparing our future students for opportunities that we know will also be here down the road.”
Doran said the three principal areas of study at Bay Path University are health care, education and entrepreneurial management.
“Our programs are intentionally aligned with needs of this community,” she said, “That’s our mission, for our students and
for the region. We are ready to go. We’ve always been career focused, for 125 years. We’ve got the infrastructure, the programming, we’ve got the personnel. We just need more internships.”
Funding will be critical to creating those internships, Doran said, adding, “We’re looking to some of our closest friends and donors. We’re looking for grants. We know that the federal government may not be a partner in this.”
Likewise, Oliveira said funding will be key to making pathways work. “Funding is always a challenge, especially when the federal government is pulling away from a lot of grant programs that go to help institutions of higher education, nonprofits and the workforce side,” Oliveira said. While the state cannot fill that funding gap, he said, “What we can do is identify proven programs that have worked in the past and build off of that.” He cited Westfield State University’s internship incentive program, which provides funding that is matched by the university to provide paid internships as one such proven program.
When it comes to funding, Jones said, “I think it’s an opportunity to understand, what do we want to do, how can we do it and how can we be more efficient with the tools that we do have?”
Florence Bank promotes Ryan Hess of East Longmeadow
FLORENCE — Florence Bank is pleased to announce that Vice President/Commercial Team
Leader Ryan Hess of East Longmeadow has been promoted to lead the bank’s commercial lending efforts as senior vice president/chief commercial banking officer. Hess replaces Senior Vice President/Senior Commercial Lender Mike Lynch, who will retire in June 2026 after 21 years at Florence Bank.
“Ryan has done an outstanding job as a leader as part of our Commercial Team and is a trusted associate and advisor to clients in Western Massachusetts. His promotion is well deserved, and I look forward to his continuing that success,” said Matt Garrity, president and CEO.
Hess joined Florence Bank in 2023 and has 14 years of banking experience as well as a strong affinity for commercial lending
and solutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts and believes his skill in collaboration and leadership will continue to inform his work for Florence Bank as he manages the commercial team.
“We have a talented group of business banking professionals here at Florence Bank. My experiences have helped pre-
pare me for this role to lead that team,” he said.
Active in the community, Hess sits on the board for United Way of Franklin & Hampshire County and serves as a committee member for Ronald McDonald House and Make-A-Wish of Massachusetts.
After 42 years in banking, Lynch looks forward to playing golf, traveling and spending time with his family, and believes Hess
is well-suited for his new role. “I wish Ryan the best and look forward to the success of the bank under his leadership,” he said.
Garrity lauded Lynch’s accomplishments during his tenure as senior commercial lender.
“Mike has always represented Florence Bank with distinction, integrity, and professionalism. We’ll miss his numerous contributions and wish him well as he embarks on his next journey.”
A thank you to the community
On Jan. 17, we came together and packed 21,633 meals for local food pantries. This event couldn’t have happened without the generosity of several businesses in town that donated to the gift basket raffle I organized to help raise the $8,000+ we used to support this event. I would like to publicly thank those businesses: The Pizza Shoppe, Grapevine Restaurant, Shaker Bowl, Beauty Times, My Main Squeeze, Tre Olive, Added Attractions, Gilbert’s Stationary, Giftology, Escape Therapuetic Massage, Healthtrax, Frankie’s Pizza, ink N Thread, A. W. Brown’s, Comb and Collar and St. Michael’s Players.
Please support these businesses that supported those in need.
Suzy Gile East Longmeadow Martin Luther King remembered
In 1983, Martin Luther King Day was made a federal holiday. This year is the 43rd celebration of the holiday. Rev. King knew racism and he experienced discrimination. He knew Rosa Parks and led a year-long boycott following her arrest for refusing to give up her seat to a white man, one of many Jim Crow laws in the south.
In 1965, King led a march with former Congressman John Lewis. Police and bystanders brutally attacked hundreds of protesters with clubs and tear gas. It is remembered as Bloody Sunday. Lewis suffered a fractured skull and nearly died. Television was
new to the American people and coverage of the incident brought racial violence into living rooms across the nation. People saw racism with their own eyes. It could no longer be minimized or considered harmless.
King led scores of marches in support of desegregation, voters’ rights and other basic civil rights. His efforts influenced the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
The scores of protests that King organized resulted in assaults on thousands of protesters, Black and white. MLK was arrested 28 times for his activism. He was the victim of four serious assaults, including a knife attack. He was stabbed in the chest and spent weeks in the hospital recovering from his injuries.
In 1963, Dr. King led 250,000 followers in a march to the Lin-
coln Memorial. On the Washington Mall he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. That day King’s words crossed racial, ethnic, and religious lines as it reached the hearts and minds of people of all colors.
Rev. King’s message of equality is taken from the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims that all people are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” His message is written in the Bill of Rights which guarantees the civil rights of all people. King’s dream is that no person be judged by the color of their skin. This is a fundamental right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Martin Luther King gave his life in pursuit of these rights. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the age of 39.
During his lifetime, Martin Luther King’s dream was shared by the nation and the world. At age 35, he became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. King delivered a speech advocating universal peace rooted in nonviolence. Like the greatest of American freedom fighters, Rev. King did not seek fame and glory, rather, he sought racial equality and justice for millions of Americans.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” — Martin Luther King on the Washington Mall, Aug. 28, 1963
Puppolo aims for affordable health care, budget work in 2026
By Peter Tuohy ptuohy@thereminder.com
State Rep. Angelo Puppolo has his eye set on bringing more affordability and accessibility to health care across the board in 2026.
Puppolo worked towards health care reform in 2025, introducing bills to assist the copay costs of prescription medicine, dental insurance coverage and clarifying the delivery of health care and dentistry, but he said he wants to keep the momentum going.
“I’m getting more calls than I’ve ever had from constituents on not having access to primary care physicians, having to wait too long to go into a specialist,” Puppolo said. “Too many doctors have been retiring or leaving the area and they’re leaving a big shortage for primary care.”
Puppolo said that it’s time to
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discussed, and that there won’t be that much to use next year. There is a balance that will hopefully supplement the operating budget because it is a source of income, Thompson said.
To follow up Christensen’s point on solar energy, Thompson said they hope to significantly offset a quarter of the increase in gas and electricity, leaving an estimated $250,000 increase.
“I think that may be conservative, but we won’t know until the first year, so we’ll have a good year to run through it,” Thompson said. “The architects and the builders tell us it’s gonna be about an additional year before we get the solar panels online, so we’ll see that increase for one year and we’ll realize the savings from the solar panels the second year, so
Time Capsule
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photos that residents can submit of themselves or their fam-
look at incentives to keep and bring more primary care doctors into the area to ensure residents have reliable access to health care. He also said he would like to lower the cost of health care and prescription medicine, which seems to continually be “out of control and in some cases, untouchable.”
“We gotta make sure that people get the care and treatment they need,” Puppolo said. “I think that’s gonna be, hopefully, a big goal that we can accomplish this year.
Puppolo also looks to do more environmental work with clean green energy and the budget, which he said might still be a challenge in 2026. He said that even though revenue has been pretty robust, some of the biggest challenges have stemmed from uncertainty coming out of Washington D.C. and the Trump administration relating to unex-
this is like a two year process.”
Thompson said they knew there would be a rise in electric costs and a substantial increase in the budget due to the new building being all electric.
Council President Connor O’Shea said from a council perspective, they’re still evaluating priorities as the budget process continues, but that they definitely have an interest in keeping things at the services they’re offering and maintaining the standards they have as a community.
“It’s a good start but more to come of course as the numbers firm up,” O’Shea said.
Assistant Superintendent for Business Pamela Blair said she worries about fitting everything back into the budget and completing the contract negotiations among different percentages and steps of staff salaries. She said $80,000 has been cut from curriculum renewal, and they are using $450,000 from School Choice
ilies. General items from 2026 could also be involved, such as current grocery prices, popular technology or prominent locations in town.
Devlin also has ideas for the Historical Commission’s parade
pected cuts in places such as education or health care.
“We’ve gotta make sure that we have the funding to put together our budget,” Puppolo said. “We’re doing that right now, we’ve looked at consensus revenue figures, but we’re trying to put that together and I think that is going to be a challenge moving forward.”
Puppolo said that he stays mindful that funding can always be cut from Washington, and that the uncertainty and unpredictability is keeping him, and every state, in a mindful era. He said Massachusetts is fortunate enough to have the Commonwealth Stabilization “Rainy Day” Fund, which serves as a reserve account to stabilize fiscal stability, but he doesn’t want the need to draw on that if it can be avoided.
He said in 2025, he was proud to accomplish his budget bill
but won’t have that same revenue next year. Instead, $283,000 is projected for next year at $5,000 per student.
“It’s a balancing act trying to get these things back into the operating budget,” Blair said.
Superintendent Gordon Smith said the numbers will be set in a clearer display once they receive the Chapter 70 budget numbers from Gov. Maura Healey. He said it’s hard to know where the number will go but they’re always hopeful. One thing they are not in control of is the increases in transportation, which Smith said doesn’t get talked about enough.
“When you look at transportation costs from FY24 to FY25, transportation as a whole, that’s regular transportation and special ed transportation, went up 9.54%,” Smith said. “Transportation between FY25 and FY26 went up 5.54%, so when you look at increases, either from Chapter 70 or from the town, and I’m not
float on July 4, such as making it half 70s theme and half modern with those on the float being dressed for the respective periods. She said it seemed the main idea would be to have both time capsules on the float itself.
and bring “the bacon” back into the district.
“It’s the bread and butter and the lifeblood of a lot of organizations and groups,” Puppolo said. “Without that money, especially given a lot of the cuts that have been coming down from Washington, without that funding, it’s been draconian in terms of what the future may hold and being able to provide the services in the community that they do.”
For 2026, Puppolo said he looks forward to continuing his work and being a part of the house leadership team. He said the open door policy that leadership has with Western Massachusetts and the Springfield delegation is second to none and it enables results when concerns are given.
“My district and all of Western Mass. has a great seat at the table,” Puppolo said. “We’ve got experienced legislators and, es-
saying the town could have done more, we’re just not keeping up.” Christensen said that those conversations will continue at the state level because it’s a problem plaguing every school district in the commonwealth.
“It’s like us trying to keep up, right with our 4, 5% budget increase with Prop. 2 ½ . You don’t need to be a mathematician to know that’s not going to work out,” Christensen said. “The state sort of needs to start funding these things at a more appropriate level.”
Blair also said that the students are changing, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, and Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Heather Brown said there are a lot more needs for students and staff and for resources to support that.
“Of course our goal is to make sure all students are getting what they need to thrive,” Brown said. “There’s also extra demands from
The commission plans on following a similar format as the old capsule and will be taking submissions for items to go into the new one. Behan also said they will have students write letters to themselves, as they did in 1976.
pecially in these turbulent times, it’s important to have consistent leadership that continues to get results.”
the state that we purchase high quality instructional materials, so that requires a year to year increase, in terms of what we’re purchasing.”
Smith added on to Brown’s point by saying that goes for every student as well for the past decade. He said the students in front of them do not learn the same way as students from five to 10 years ago did.
“You do need to stay with consistent professional development,” Smith said. “When you’re cutting back on that, you’re also then putting ourselves into a really challenging situation, okay, how do we get our staff the skill development that they need to continue to produce at a high level with students.”
O’Shea said that this was a good kickoff to the process, but once the department budgets are submitted, they’ll have a better idea of where things are looking from a town perspective.
No dates or locations for drop offs are set yet, besides opening the capsule on July 18, and the commission noted that there will most likely be a screening process for what will go inside.
Donald Whitney Springfield
State Rep. Angelo Puppolo. Reminder Publishing file photo
HAMPDEN/WILBRAHAM
Ryan’s legacy in action: How RD26 turned heartbreak into healing
By Tina Lesniak Correspondent
WILBRAHAM — The RD26 Foundation, created in memory of Wilbraham teen Ryan Jude Doyle, continues to turn grief into generosity with a recent $100,000 donation to the University of Massachusetts Children’s Hospital that has helped establish the Ryan Jude Doyle Infusion Suite.
“The RD26 Foundation was started in late 2019 to honor Ryan Jude Doyle,” said his mother, Dee Doyle, who also serves as co-board director of the RD26 Foundation. Ryan was a junior at Minnechaug Regional High School when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma after experiencing pain in his knee. A varsity football and baseball player, Ryan underwent the amputation of his left leg, numerous chest surgeries, and many rounds of chemo-
therapy prior to beginning his senior year.
Throughout his treatment, the Wilbraham community rallied around him. “His positive attitude and fight to get better was inspiring to many people,” Dee said. After Ryan passed away, the foundation was established “initially to provide scholarships to Minnechaug seniors,” ensuring that his legacy of perseverance and community spirit would continue.
In the six years since its founding, the RD26 Foundation has far surpassed its early goals. “The RD26 foundation has raised much more than $100,000,” Dee said. In addition to the recent $100,000 gift to UMass Children’s Hospital, the foundation has awarded $31,000 in scholarships and donated $117,000 to families with children affected by cancer.
A key part of that outreach is
the foundation’s backpack program. “We have a backpack program in which we gift a backpack, with a blanket, a hat and a check to families in need,” Dee said. Funds for these initiatives are raised through a variety of community-centered events, including annual golf tournaments, a 5K run/walk and cornhole tournaments. “We are lucky to have solid sponsors who support this cause,” she added.
The opening of the Ryan Jude Doyle Infusion Suite marked a particularly meaningful milestone for the family and the foundation.
“The opening of The Ryan Jude Doyle infusion suite at UMass was one of the best days our family and supporters have had in six years,” Dee said. While Ryan had positive memories of his care team — “he loved the nurses & staff” — the physical space left room for
Hampden departments share FY27
By Peter Tuohy ptuohy@thereminder.com
HAMPDEN — The Hampden Selectboard and Advisory Committee met on Jan. 12 for the annual State of the Union and fiscal year 2027 budget kickoff, where town departments presented their current budget plans.
Advisory Committee Chair Doug Boyd kicked off the discussion and said that people aren’t happy with the increase on their taxes, which was “not a surprise to any of us who have been paying attention,” according to Boyd. He said that he anticipates the coming year is going to be equally difficult.
Boyd said that he is requesting departments to have level service budgets, which aims to take the same level of service provided now and continue it into the next year. He added that the preliminary budget from the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District is already quite high, which will make putting the budget together quite challenging.
“We just ask that people restrain, try to restrain your budget requests,” Boyd said. “We anticipate that it is going to be difficult.”
Hampden Police Chief Daniel Bruno, who was appointed in November 2025, continued the conversation and said the budget is on track for this fiscal year. He said he contributes part of that to being short an officer, which makes the department’s salary line on track.
“We’re looking pretty good for this fiscal year, absent any major problems, ” Bruno said. “Hopefully no injuries or anything like that. We never know what could happen. I mean recently, we’ve had some slips and falls on ice in town, just with police officers, so you never know when someone’s going to get injured … we can’t
really anticipate that.”
Bruno said he is trying to hire an officer to fill that vacant position, which is a detective position, to fully staff the Police Department. He also wants to hire a few reserve officers, which he said helps to defray the budget’s bottom line for filling gaps when full-time officers are out.
“That being said, with contractual obligations and everything going into fiscal 27, I’m hopeful we can stay level funded,” Bruno said. “Obviously, we have those contractual needs that we need to meet, and at full staffing, I think it will be a little bit tight.”
Bruno added that the building is in pretty good standing and hopefully there will be no huge costs for maintenance, but they are working on a few heating issues. He also said the department is getting “long in the tooth” on cruisers, in terms of mileage and wear and tear, and will cost more in the long run.
Hampden Fire Department
Deputy Chief Patrick Farrow said they are also doing well. He said a new forestry truck is set to arrive in February and new reporting software will go live on Feb. 1. There is also an open position due to one of the firefighters being promoted to lieutenant, which Farrow is looking to fill.
“As far as budgets, we’ve had a few hiccups in maintenance,” Farrow said. “We had to buy some tires for the tanker, and we just had the manifold go on our engine too, so that’s out of service for a couple weeks.”
Since the truck is 26 years old, the manifold needs a custom part and the department has partnered with WB Hill in East Longmeadow for repairs. Farrow said it’s a win-win because they don’t have to travel very far with the truck. Selectboard Chair John Flynn said that the Fire Depart-
The HampdenWilbraham Regional School District
EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS
We will be taking applications for our early childhood programs for district residents for the 2026-2027 year. Programs are for 3 and 4 year old children. If your child will be three by September 1, 2026 you may obtain an application at the hwrsd.org website under “Departments”, “Student Services”, “Early Childhood Program” or call Corinne Roberts, Student Services at 279-3863. Applications will be available starting January 1, 2026. Priority screening and placement will be given to applications received prior to January 31, 2026, but we offer a rolling admission.
improvement.
“UMass was chosen because we saw an area that needed improvement,” Dee explained. The donation allowed the hospital to expand and upgrade the
ment has always had a reputation of doing the work as they can and asked if the opportunity for self service goes away as things get more complex, and Farrow said they have done small repairs themselves.
Farrow said the department is good as far as capital needs are concerned because they’re focused on the new fire station and getting all the necessary contracts signed.
“We’re good,” Farrow said. “I think the budget this year might be a little tight with those major repairs I brought up, that’s why I brought them up.”
Hampden Senior Center Executive Director Rebecca Moriarty, who Flynn said is “fresh off the enrollment nightmare,” said the Senior Center is doing good and she doesn’t see any issues with the current budget year.
“For next year, you know, the only thing I can see, increase wise, is utilities are going up,” Moriarty said. “The electric, gas
infusion area, creating an environment designed to better support children and young adults undergoing lengthy and diffi-
expenses for our supplies increase every year, so I always put in a little bit of extra money for those utility and building maintenance line items.”
She said there will potentially be another look at the roof and window project next year, which has been “pushed off for a little bit.”
Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District Superintendent John Provost said a “level service light budget” will be implemented. Transportation services were reduced, not for budgetary reasons, but because there was a very “unreliable transportation service last year,” Provost said.
The Ryan Jude Doyle Infusion Suite recently opened at UMass Children’s Hospital after it received a $100,000 donation from the RD26 Foundation. Pictured from left to right are Griffin Doyle, Dee Doyle, Casey Doyle and Tim Doyle at the infusion suite. Reminder Publishing submitted photo
The Hampden Selectboard meets for its annual state of the union Photo credit: Town of Hampden
By Sarah Heinonen sheinonen@thereminder.com
SPRINGFIELD — Cars
streamed into the parking lot of South Congregational Church on the evening of Jan. 13. When the church’s parking lot was full, people parked a block away and hustled through the cold back to the church. Inside, about 150 people packed into a space on the ground floor, leaving it standing room only. Members of several different faiths and religious traditions gathered to pray together, not for any one person, but for the those who have died in interactions with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the millions of people in America who are living in fear.
“Friends, this is a nightmare,” said Bishop Douglas Fisher of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts. “We catch people when they fall, and right now, in the country, as they fall into fear.” He paraphrased Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe as saying that the Episcopal Church is the “church of resistance” against the “rising tide of authoritarianism and Christian nationalism” in the federal government.
“The people in this room are suffering right now,” said Sister Melinda Pellerin of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield and a board member of the Pioneer Valley Project, which organized the vigil. She spoke of the “terror” people are experiencing throughout the country, particularly immigrants. “We must name the injustice. These are holy times. We are the better angels,” she said, referencing President Abraham Lincoln’s 1861 inaugural address calling for unity in the country.
Prayers were also offered by South Congregational Church’s Rev. Lindsey Peterson, Rev. Dr. Atu White of Mt. Zion Baptist Church and Rev. Jason Seymour of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Greater Springfield. Pellerin, Laraine Shore-Suslow-
By Sarah Heinonen sheinonen@thereminder.com
itz of Sinai Temple and Adan Abdi, a leader in Springfield’s Somali Bantu community, led the gathered people in a lamentation ritual.
Seymour drew a line from the Jan. 7 shooting of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to the murder of Rev. James Reeb, a Unitarian minister who was killed in Selma, Alabama, when he went to assist Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement.
Calling attention to the table at the front of the room, which held a candle and dozens of names and photos, Pellerin led the lamentation, saying, “For every person whose image and name you see here tonight who has been killed by ICE...” The group responded in unison, “We name their humanity.” The call and response continued, with those gathered pledging to “carry the sorrow” of grieving families and refuse to be silent.
Shore-Suslowitz spoke about the Jewish tradition of lamentation as a call to “repair a broken world.” Abdi read two verses from the Qur’an in both Arabic and English. The first verse was a prayer to Allah to protect and rescue people from oppression. The second passage spoke of Allah not giving people more burdens than they can bear.
The vigil recognized fear and suffering beyond that of immigrant communities, also calling out the burning of Beth Israel Temple in Jackson, Mississippi, and the 2020 arson of Springfield’s own Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Presbyterian Church.
Alex Blenman, a member of the Episcopal Service Corps, said he came to the vigil to become more involved in the community. “Seeing what people are going through, it seems a little unfair to say the least,” he said of the experiences of immigrants. He noted that his grandparents immigrated to the United States from Trinidad and Tobago
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield City Council accepted several grants, totaling $5.33 million, at its Jan. 12 meeting. Among them, there were funds to pay for Brownfields mitigation, sidewalks and gang violence reduction programs.
Two grants from the state One Stop for Growth program were received to address contamination at 140 Wilbraham Ave., a Brownfields site. Deputy Development Officer Brian Connors explained that $100,000 would cover the cost of environmental testing at the property, while the
in the 1960s.
David Morse, a member of Sinai Temple, said he has long been active in the fight for “immigrant rights” in the Pioneer Valley. The
$300,000 grant would be used for site engineering so the property can be redeveloped.
A $3 million MassWorks Grant will pay for public way improvements, including sidewalks and tree plantings in the areas surrounding the 364-space parking garage at Willow and Cross streets. Sidewalks will also be installed on Roosevelt Avenue between Alden Street and Wilbraham Road, using a $269,749 Complete Streets grant. The project is designed to better facilitate children walking to area schools. Work is expected to take place this summer.
Springfield Police Lt. Brian Elliott presented the council with information about how the department plans to use the $860,688 Shannon Community
vigil was “a call for interfaith communities to work against the fear that is in our community, and there’s a large immigrant community in Springfield, and
Safety Initiative grant it received.
The Shannon Community Safety Initiative is a comprehensive program to address gang and youth violence through social intervention, suppression and community mobilization, while also providing opportunities for young people. The city is responsible for a $215,172 match. Elliott said 69% of the funding will be distributed to community-based organizations with missions that align with the Shannon program’s goals. The remaining funding will be used for “suppression and prevention.” Councilor Justin Hurst asked which organizations would benefit from the funds. The list had not yet been finalized, Elliott said, but some are “legacy partners” that the city has worked
people are scared,” Morse said. “I wish there was more we could do to influence the political climate in the country, but we’re here as a community.”
with in the past.
Elliott said that the department was unable to fund as many programs as it has previously because its Shannon allocation was reduced by 31% from last year. Hurst inquired whether the funding reduction was part of blanket cuts to the program. Elliott was only able to say that it was the first year Springfield received less than $1 million for the initiative, and that some other cities saw allocations above that threshold. Councilor Zaida Govan asked to see data on the efficacy of the community partners’ programming.
The council also accepted grants for state library aid and funding for the SHINE program administered by the Department of Elder Services.
Sister Melinda Pellerin of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield and a Pioneer Valley Project board member pours water to honor Indigenous people, enslaved Africans, people who have suffered under oppression and those killed by “police violence” and ICE.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
Kaufman named soccer coach at Wilbraham & Monson
WILBRAHAM — Wilbraham & Monson Academy has announced Ashley Kaufman as head coach of its girls varsity soccer program, in addition to assistant director of admission, effective immediately.
Kaufman joins the WMA community after stints as director of coaching and operations at Inter Connecticut FC, assistant and goalkeeper coach at Yale University, assistant women’s soccer coach at Washington and Lee University (Virginia) and graduate assistant coach at St. Lawrence University (New York). She is a 2019 inductee into the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame and a 2014 inductee into the Utica College Athletic Hall of Fame.
“After a very extensive search, we are so pleased to welcome Ashley Kaufman as our new girls varsity soccer head coach and assistant director of admission,” said Director of Athletics & Afternoon Programs Don Nicholson. “Ashley comes to us with an extensive club soccer and college coaching background. Her experience coaching will be a great asset as she leads WMA
Selectboard
Continued from page 9
“It was designed for a number of buses that exceeded the number of drivers we could hire,” Provost said. “We went to a three-tiered system this year. It has not been perfect, but has to a large extent, resolved the problems with transportation.”
Provost said there were a number of gains this year, and was the first year that students who were not affected by the COVID-19 shutdown entered the “testing window,” where students in third through 10th grade are tested.
“We were hoping to see some nice improvements in their achievements, and we did see that,” Provost said. “Groups that
RD26
Continued from page 9
cult treatments.
“The infusion suite will make a place no one wants to be a little more comfortable and bright,” Dee said. “All the bays have more comfortable chairs and big screen televisions and new artwork.”
The foundation’s success, Dee believes, reflects the spirit of Ryan himself. “If you knew Ryan, you wouldn’t be surprised by all the support we have had,” she said. “We are overwhelmed and thankful by the community’s generosity and people’s eagerness and enthusiasm to get involved with our foundation’s events.”
Looking ahead, the RD26 Foundation hopes to build on that momentum. “We are hoping 2026 is a very successful year for the RD26 foundation,” Dee said, noting an expanded social media presence and a continued focus on helping children with cancer “one backpack at a time.”
More information about the foundation and upcoming events can be found at RD26.org, and on social media by following @ rd26_foundation.
STOGNER RECEIVES COLLABORATION RECOGNITION AWARD
NEWTON — Lucas Stogner of was selected to receive the Collaboration Recognition Award at Lasell University for the fall 2025 semester. This peer-nominated award recognizes students who demonstrate excellence in collaboration through effective communication, idea-sharing and teamwork. The award reflects Lasell’s emphasis on collaboration as a core learning outcome and a key career readiness competency identified by the National Association of Colleges & Employers.
Girls Soccer back to prominence in the New England region. Ashley’s involvement and experience with The Chelsea Piers Soccer Club and Inter Connecticut FC, will also be a huge boost to our program’s development. Through her work as a director of coaching, operations and program development with these clubs, Ashley has amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience which will be greatly beneficial to the future success of our girls varsity soccer program.”
In her admissions role, Kaufman will be a liaison for parent relations and family engagement throughout a prospective family’s admission process.
“We’re thrilled to bring Ashley to WMA,” added Dean of Enrollment Management Fumio Sugihara. “She’s an exceptional soccer coach — a leader who understands what it takes to develop young people in highly competitive environments, and she brings the relationships and insights from some of the region’s most selective colleges. That combination of competitive excellence and genuine mentorship is exact-
came before them definitely were impacted by missing some school during really important years of their education.”
Provost said the middle school has great achievements, particularly in math, which resulted mainly from changing the schedule. This provided 30 more lessons per year and allowed teachers to get more chapters done.
He also said the district has had success in introducing more high school students to high level classes, such as AP courses, and that they will be named in the national AP honor roll. The honor roll is based on hitting certain metrics for the number of students who take AP classes, the number of students who score a three or better on AP exams and students who took five or more
ly what we were looking for.”
To learn more about the WMA girls soccer program and the academy’s other programming, visit wma.us/girlssoccer or www.wma.us.
AP classes.
There have also been a decrease in suspensions, expulsions and bullying, and increases in student reported levels of culture in their school. Most teams in the athletic department also qualified for post season play. The music program is expanding, mainly because of an increase in class size. Provost said the larger class size in music, the better.
Provost added that as the end of the year approaches, he is concerned about the physical plant needs at the middle school before passing the conversation over to Assistant Superintendent Douglas Slaughter. Slaughter said budgets are on track for FY26. 75% of the operating budget is driven by personnel cost and contracts will have
a large play in budgeting for the coming year. He said how those contracts settle will make a big difference in the kind of pressure the district has.
“At present, we’re trying to build a budget best based on what we know at the moment,” Slaughter said. “We don’t have information yet on health insurance. It’s a pretty significant cost for us, we’re anticipating a pretty high increase.” Slaughter said there are significant capital costs, which will continue to be refined because the level is “not affordable to the community at this point in time.” He also said the number of students as a percentage in the budget will increase at about 1%, which will cause additional pressure.
Wilbraham & Monson Academy head coach Ashley Kaufman. Reminder Publishing submitted photo
Rick’s Place receives $25,000 Flexible Funding grant
SPRINGFIELD — Rick’s Place, Inc. has been awarded a $25,000 Flexible Funding 2026 grant from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. Flexible Funding grants are awarded through a highly competitive process designed to support organizations whose work aligns with the Foundation’s strategic focus areas and regional priorities.
The grant will provide general operating support to advance Rick’s Place’s 2026 priorities, with a primary focus on relocating to a larger space to meet the growing demand for grief support services. A new location will enable Rick’s Place to serve more families, expand peer grief
support programming, and offer a welcoming environment that fosters caring connection and community. Grant funding will also support targeted outreach to help ensure families across the region know where to turn for grief support.
Grief can have a profound impact on youth and families,
influencing emotional well-being, learning, behavior, and family dynamics. Access to consistent, age-appropriate grief support helps reduce isolation and strengthen coping and resilience for both youth and caregivers, underscoring the importance of continued investment in services like those provided by Rick’s Place. “We are deeply grateful to the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts for recognizing the importance of grief support for youth and families and for investing in work that helps ensure families do not have to navigate loss alone,” said Therese Ross, executive director of Rick’s Place.
Negotiators begin hashing out CCC, hemp reform approaches
By Katie Castellani State House News Service
BOSTON — The panel tasked with negotiating final details of legislation overhauling cannabis laws expressed confidence in finding common ground between the chambers and acknowledged during its first meeting on Jan. 14 that it is prioritizing equity.
“The Senate bill reflects our shared commitment to a safe and equitable and well-regulated cannabis industry,” said Sen. Adam Gomez of Springfield, the Senate chair of the conference committee. “We share many goals with the House and while there are many differences to work through, I’m confident that this committee can find common ground in a timely manner.”
On Nov. 19, the Senate voted 30-7 to approve its cannabis bill (S 2749). The House passed its version (H 4206) on a 153-0 vote in June. Each chamber appointed three members to serve on a con-
ference committee to hash out final details of the legislation.
Rep. Daniel Donahue of Worcester, the committee’s House chair, noted the legislation presents a comprehensive plan to restructure the Cannabis Control Commission and “much needed and timely” reforms to the industry’s regulations to support social equity businesses as well as address public health issues that have arisen.
“We’ve created some great use of legislation and are looking forward to reconciling the differences between the House and Senate,” Donahue said.
The House bill overhauls the CCC by reducing the board from five members to three and places all appointing power with the governor, stripping appointing authority from both the treasurer and attorney general. The commission chair would work full time and two commissioners would work part-time. Under the
Senate proposal, the CCC would also shrink to three members and both the governor and attorney general could appoint members.
Under both bills, the CCC executive director would be appointed by the chair and serve as “independent authority over enforcement” and operations of the commission.
Rep. Michael Soter of Bellingham noted the final legislation should focus on improving equity in the industry.
“Those are the things we have to focus on. Folks have invested life savings, invested parents’ life savings, into something they dreamed and hoped for,” Soter, the House Republican on the conference committee, said. “That was something that we focused on and we have to stay focused on as we work out some of our differences moving forward.”
The House bill increases the number of licenses a marijuana retailer can hold from three to six over a three-year period. The Senate legislation would allow retailers to hold four licenses.
Priority would be given to social equity businesses and those owned by minorities, women and veterans under both proposals.
Both bills also aim to encourage more investment into cannabis businesses by raising the cap for holders of equity to be considered owners. The House bill raises the equity ownership in each business to 35% and the Senate proposes an increase of 12%, up from the current cap of 10%.
Sen. Jo Comerford of Northampton also said the conference committee is crucial because it shows lawmakers are responsive to the industry as it evolves, referencing the response to her work around regulating intoxicating hemp products.
“It says that we are iterating, we are learning with the industry, we’re learning about issues like intoxicating hemp and we’re taking action as action is required,” she said. “We’re going to be responsive, because we care about this industry.”
The House legislation creates an oversight structure of
the importation, manufacturing and sale of hemp beverages and CBD products. Both products could only be sold if they are registered with the CCC and the agency must develop regulations for registering hemp products, including a prohibition on products with synthetic cannabinoids. Products could only be made with concentrate that complies with federal hemp potency limits.
Hemp drinks could only be sold by retailers licensed by the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission to sell all alcohol and all hemp-based products would need to be registered with the CCC. CBD products could only be sold by entities with a certain consumable CBD product tax license and have an endorsement from the CCC.
The Senate bill directs the CCC to work with other agencies to study and develop recommendations regarding the regulation of the hemp-derived canna-
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
Robert Alan Bennett
Roland H. Cloutier
Savannah A. Hatch
Robert M. Joyal
Margaret-Anne Martin
Greggory Mitchell
Susan J. Santerre
Helene C. Sears
Joan A. Skypeck
Chester J. Szetela
France E. Talbot
Lorraine D. Taylor
Michael S. Walas
EAST LONGMEADOW
Mary Ellen Goodwin (Lenilko)
William R. Fielding
Rose B. Lupi
Charles Mannheim
HOLYOKE
Elizabeth A. Frisino
Vivian Y. Lagoy
Daniel A. Sudsbury
LONGMEADOW
Lawrence A. Leavitt
Diana J. Srebnick
Nelson Stone
LUDLOW
Anna T. Celona
Julieta “Julie” Hoeckh
Jane Louise Machado
SOUTH HADLEY
William P. Bunnell
Eleanor C. Klepacki
David R. McKenna
Louis C. Rimbold Jr.
Richard J. Ross
Thomas R. Rudzik
Judith VanHandle
SPRINGFIELD
Jeffrey J. Albert
Agnese Basile
Robert E. “Bob” Crane II
Gloria M. Fernandes
Nicolina Ferullo
Ann Heropoulos
Marie T. Kittrell
Jean L. Provost
Dorothy Pulowski
Candice
Lynn Stolpinski
Richard Wright Jr.
WILBRAHAM
Laurette Bishop
Anthony G. Laino
Cynthia Perella
Marion V. Sears
DINING ENTERTAINMENT
Provisions Picks: Big Italian reds from Campania
We’re back in the cold weather everyone, and you know what that means: big reds. Big Italian reds to be specific!
I’d like to turn your attention to Campania in Italy. It’s located right on the Mediterannean in the south along the boot’s ankle, and it is one of Italy’s oldest wine regions, dating back to the 1100s B.C. As you may have guessed, this makes for a hot and dry climate with a long growing season perfect for bulking up the wines from their local red variety Aglianico. While Aglianico has remained a popular wine grape for centuries, it actually achieved its greatest acclaim in the days of the Roman empire
when it was used to make the famous wine Falernum. Interestingly, the Romans chose not to use Aglianico’s thick, tannic skins in Falernum winemaking, opting instead to directly press the freshly picked fruit in order to produce a white wine. Today, however, the most acclaimed versions of this grape are mostly red in color, richly ripe, tannic, high in natural acidity due to volcanic soils and full-bodied with a tendency to reveal a great deal of complexity when aged. In fact, top-tier red appellations such as Taurasi produce wines that can happily age for decades, although not all of the wines require it. Don’t be fooled by the
richness and ripeness described here though; Aglianico is more than a simple fruit-bomb. Look out for notes of plum, cocoa, medicinal herbs, leather, pipe tobacco, meat and dark cherry.
We’ve loved the wines of Casa di Baal for many years now, and their reds offer an excellent introduction into the region for the curious. The Salerno family own and operate this small vineyard and winery producing a mere 2,000 cases of wine each year with their primary business being in olive orchards and olive oil production. In the early 2000s, the family’s daughters decided that they wanted to stop selling grapes to other local wineries in
order to establish their own wine program and Casa di Baal was born. They are excellent farmers who care tremendously for their land and have been farming the vines organically since 2006 before converting to biodynamic agriculture back in 2014. While this article focuses on their reds, the Salernos also produce some excellent white and sparkling wines that you won’t want to miss either!
• Casa di Baal Rosso di Baal 2022 ($19.99) — 40% Merlot and 40% Aglianico with the remainder made up of Barbera, this was the first wine produced at Casa di Baal, and it serves as an approachable
introduction to the region’s red wines. Rosso di Baal offers notes of red berries, plum, ample spice, and wet earth with lively acidity. Excellent with sharp Italian cheeses like Pecorino, red sauce pasta dishes or pizza.
• Casa di Baal Aglianico di Baal 2019 ($24.99) — Entirely composed of Aglianico and aged in a mix of stainless steel and used French oak barrels, this wine is bold and full-bodied with rich tannins now softened by age. Look for notes of leather, high quality tobacco, and dark fruit with a backbone of minerality. Pair with red meat or truffle dishes.
UMass Amherst to host the return of Five College Opera
AMHERST — When the cast of “The Marriage of Figaro” takes the Bowker Auditorium stage for the first of two performances on Feb. 6, it will mark an important return for the opera community in the Pioneer Valley.
For the first time in nearly a decade, the Five College Opera will be mounting a full stage production, bringing together cast, crew, orchestra and resources from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Smith College, Hampshire College, Amherst College and Mount Holyoke College to present one of the pillars of the operatic canon.
“The Marriage of Figaro’s story and beautiful music have continued to resonate with audiences for more than 200 years since its premiere,” said Jamie-Rose Guarrine, professor of voice and interim associate chair of the UMass Department of Mu-
After
STOW — State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine on Jan. 6 sent a notice to Massachusetts bars and restaurants regarding the fire hazard posed by sparklers, which are believed to have contributed to the tragic New Year’s Eve fire that claimed dozens of lives in a Switzerland bar.
“Please be advised that sparklers and other pyrotechnic devices, including so-called ‘cold spark’ pyrotechnics, are illegal for possession, sale, and use in Massachusetts without professional licensing, certification and permitting,” Davine wrote in a notice to proprietors of restaurants, nightclubs, bars and discotheques. “This includes small sparklers that have been sold as novelties or party favors to accompany champagne bottles, which are believed to have
Cannabis
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binoid market.
The House bill requires the CCC to audit all marijuana and medical marijuana businesses to ensure compliance with cap limitations. The CCC must also conduct an economic analysis of the cannabis industry, and the bill allows the agency to limit the numbers of licenses issued.
Both bills remove the current requirement for medical marijuana licensees to simultaneously cultivate, process and dispense marijuana to run their establishment. The Senate bill would recognize patient registrations from other states for medical marijuana prescriptions.
The Senate bill also directs the CCC to conduct a study on the mental health outcomes of cannabis use in Massachusetts.
The legislation from both chambers also raise the amount of marijuana a person can legally
sic and Dance. “It’s a universal story of people falling in love, falling out of love and finding each other again, told with wit, warmth and a shared humanity that has stood the test of time. It’s comic and iconic, and the perfect story to experience live, told in the theater.”
Melanie Bacaling, guest stage director for “Le Nozze di Figaro,” has described the design concept as “stylized period, focusing on how the themes of the opera transcend time.”
The performance on Friday, Feb. 6 will start at 7:30 p.m. There will be a second show, on Sunday, Feb. 8, beginning at 3 p.m.
The Five College Opera is a collaborative production in which faculty from across the campuses join together to plan an opera, and students in music and theater from all of the campuses have the opportunity to study and
caused the New Year’s Eve fire that claimed 40 lives and injured more than 100 people in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.”
The marshal thanked the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, which has provided the notice to local licensing officials for distribution to licensed establishments, and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, which is distributing the notice to its members.
Separately, the Department of Fire Services issued a notice to a Hialeah, Florida business that markets sparklers online. This business, King of Sparklers LLC, reportedly sold and shipped sparklers that were later recovered by Fall River Fire Department inspectors at a local establishment.
“The shipment of prohibited fireworks products into the
possess from one to two ounces. Gomez did not offer a timeline for when negotiations could conclude when asked by a reporter after the meeting.
perform. Students learn operatic techniques from experts and perform in a production which is open to the public.
Previously produced every three years, the Five College Opera’s operations were postponed indefinitely when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Last year, a steering committee was formed with representatives from all five institutions to re-envision the direction of the organization. The result was the decision to return with a show that highlighted the unique talents of an all-student cast.
That cast was auditioned with “Le Nozze di Figaro” in mind, with the added consideration that performers will be able to capitalize on learning these core arias of the opera canon in their future careers, including in upcoming graduate auditions.
At UMass, opera is on the rise,
commonwealth constitutes a violation of Massachusetts General Law and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Fire Code and presents a significant public safety concern,” the notice stated.
Davine said that sparklers burn at temperatures of over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and cast sparks that can easily ignite furnishings, decorations and other flammable materials. They can remain hot enough to start a fire even after they’ve been extinguished, as happened in 2022, when the unsafe disposal of illegal sparklers caused a three-alarm fire in Dracut that displaced nine people. They are classified as fireworks in Massachusetts and their possession, sale, and use require professional licensing and certification.
“The tragic fire in Switzerland
Katie Castellani is a reporter for State House News Service and State Affairs Pro Massachusetts. Reach her at kcastellani@ statehousenews.com.
following last spring’s production of “Fairy Tales and Magic”, a collaboration between the vocal and orchestral programs in the Department of Music and Dance. It’s a career pipeline that’s still being built, but Guarrine sees it as on an upward trajectory.
“Opera is just one part of a multi-faceted approach to prepare our students for the career landscape, whether as performers, educators, choral, oratorio, or opera singers,” she noted. “What has been nice about Five College Opera is that it strengthens that area, but it also provides a connective force to the operatic experience by uniting us with the Five College community.”
Guarrine also hopes that this year’s production will provide a scaffolding for the future of the Five College Opera. At a time where budgets are stretched, the production team of “The Mar-
has a chilling similarity to the Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island, which led to numerous safety reforms in Massachusetts bars and clubs,” Davine said, noting the sprinkler regulations,
riage of Figaro” is exploring out of the box solutions and documenting best practices of the massive logistical undertaking of mounting an opera, hoping to create a roadmap for future productions.
The Marriage of Figaro is Mozart’s sparkling comedy of love and class, set during a single chaotic day. When Figaro and Susanna’s wedding plans are jeopardized by Count Almaviva’s entitled advances, a whirlwind of disguises and misunderstandings ensues, culminating in a joyous celebration of wit, compassion, and the triumph of love.
Tickets for “Le Nozze di Figaro” (“The Marriage of Figaro”) can be purchased at the Fine Arts Center Box Office (in the lobby of Frederick C. Tillis Hall), by calling 413-545-2511, or by going to UMasstix.org/musicanddance.
inspection schedules, and crowd manager requirements that are now in place in Massachusetts.
“We just want to help these businesses keep their patrons and staff safe.”
East Longmeadow long jumper Lindsey Rivers leaps
- good for second place.
Max Carlin (246) hands the baton to East Longmeadow teammate Arya Rahmani-Kia during the boys 4x200 race.
Longmeadow’s Aidan Kretschmar won first place in the 600 meters with a time of 1:28.14.
Ben Lopez from Minnechaug took second place in the high jump with a mark of 5-10.00.
Minnechaug’s Lucia Johnstone limbers up with a hand stand prior to the start of the girls high jump.
Nora VanDerhoof from Longmeadow earned a fifth place finish by throwing the shot 24-05.25.
penses of administration Interested parties are entitled to petit on the Court to institute formal proceedings and to obtain orders terminating or restricting the powers of Persona Repres-
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99 Papers: Barbara Ln., Quinnehtuk Rd., Village Dr., Pioneer Dr., Partial - Maple Rd., Frank Smith Rd., Wolf Swamp Rd.
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Michael D. Parker, trustee, and Rowley Street Development Trust, trustee of, to MK Trust, trustee of, and Maksim Loboda, trustee, Rear Rowley Street
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Tara L. Fiorini, trustee, Tara A. Fiorini, trustee, Trisha L. Barkyoumb, trustee, and Marlene Revocable Trust of 2023, trustee of, to Nicholas Crescentini, 23 Peros Drive
LONGMEADOW
Dominic Kirchner II, trustee, and Cioccolate Realty Trust, trustee of, to Tracey Nguyen, 131 Maple St.
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Vello Bendt and Valerie Bendt to Brian J. Collins, 85 Inverness
Jeffrey Alan Grassette and Lisa Ann Grassette to Shawn P Peabody and Leigh T. Peabody, 319 West
