Mayor details reduction request to School Committee
Mayor Michael McCabe is requesting that the School Committee reduce its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget by $856,350. Page 2
SOUTHWICK
Southwick elections will have seven contested seats
The ballot for this year’s municipal election has been finalized by the town clerk, and for the first time in 17 years, there will be seven contested races.
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CHESTER
Bernie’s Dining Depot settles into Chester Bernie’s Dining Depot train car was moved onto the tracks in its permanent position at the Chester Railway Station on April 10 Page 5
SATURDAY, APRIL 25 11:30–3:30
Chief Egloff hangs up gear after 30 years
By Cliff Clark cclark@thereminder.com
WESTFIELD — Patrick Egloff officially retired from the Westfield Fire Department on April 17 after 30 years of service, including seven years as chief. He’s now planning on “doing nothing” for the next few months, spending time outdoors and concentrating on his family.
“I’m going to concentrate on my family. My wife and both of my adult children. There’s nothing more important than family,” said Egloff in his office on April 15.
“And the thing about the Fire Department, because it’s absolutely the truth here, I have been blessed because I actually have two families. I have the Fire Department as a family, and I have my wife and my children,” he said.
He’s also headed to his “church” out in the woods because he’s an “outdoorsman at heart.”
“I’m a big deer hunter, and I love bow hunting. So, I’m going to be up in a tree stand somewhere, and to me, that’s my church, a tree stand in the middle of the woods. On a beautiful fall day is where I’m closest to God,” Egloff said.
He explained that he fell in love with the outdoors while growing up with modest-income parents in the Hampton Ponds, when the course of his early life took a sudden and dramatic turn at age seven.
His father got sick, leaving him unable to work, Egloff said.
“My mother had to go on wel-
fare,” he said.
But she was determined to provide for his family by enrolling in a nurse training program at Western Mass. Hospital.
“And she went through the nursing school to get off welfare. She worked her ass off to become a nurse, and she became the sole breadwinner in our family. She used that program and got off it,” he said, adding that she had worked at Mercy Hospital for 25 years.
Egloff said that watching her determination to provide for her family instilled in him a work ethic that served him well in his career as a firefighter, EMT, captain, deputy chief and chief.
After graduating from Westfield Vocational, he began his career by joining the Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing, like his father and grandfather before him.
Initially, he was going to work on the A-10 Thunderbolt, but in 1990, just as he finished basic training and technical school, the Air Guard at Barnes switched from a part-time Fire Department to a full-time Fire Department.
He joined the full-time force, partially because he realized that what he had been trained to do on the A-10 was not a skill that was well suited to the private sector; he trained to be an aircraft armament system specialist, a role that involves servicing equipment used to activate an explosive charge on a warplane’s wing pylon to push the bomb safely away from
on April 17.
the aircraft. He was there for five years, and on a “whim” and at the urging of other Air Guard firefighters saying he could make more money as
a city firefighter, he took the Civil Service exam.
“I think I only had to wait
Westfield Fire Chief Patrick Egloff is shown at the Powdermill Village Apartments fire in 2018 when he was serving as deputy chief. He considered managing that fire as a significant step forward in his career. Egloff retired
Mayor details $856,000 reduction request to School Committee
By Amy Porter aporter@thereminder.com
WESTFIELD — Mayor Michael McCabe is requesting that the School Committee reduce its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget of $78.9 million by $856,350. The proposed budget currently represents a 4.39% increase from FY26, with an increase to the city’s contribution of $2.37 million.
McCabe made this request at the special Finance Committee meeting of the whole on April 13.
McCabe said that, through no fault of the School Department, overall costs increased by $4.7 million, including a $1.9 million increase in special education services, a $773,536 increase in contractual services for both in- and out-of-district transportation and $2 million in personnel contract costs.
McCabe said the increases have nothing to do with increasing maintenance or services. “This is the second year in a row we’ve been in the exact same position,” he said.
Westfield Public Schools Director of Finance Shannon Barry said after the meeting that while the actual costs increased by $4.7 million, due to other changes within the budget, including reductions, the actual proposed budget increase is only $3.3 million.
Breaking down city finances, McCabe said the entire property tax value at a 2.5% increase is $2.3 million. Add in $200,000 in new growth, and another $1 million of local receipts and fees that come into the city, “now you’re at $3.5 million, the representative number of the total amount of new income into the city for fiscal year 2027,” he said. McCabe said the FY27 city budget includes $2 million in free cash and $4.3 million in cuts already made by the mayor to other city departments.
“The school’s increase through no fault of their own is $4.7 million. So my proposal to the School Department was, I will give you
2% over your entire budget, that’s $1.5 million, and you can keep the additional nearly $1 million in the Chapter 70 increase — money that comes into the city, because it’s the city that holds the purse, if you will. At $3.3 million, that’s an increase of 3.6% over last year’s budget. That number came out to $78,027,093,” McCabe said, adding that he is prepared to use the entire sum of money in new revenue for the School Department.
McCabe said he is also prepared to ask the City Council to increase the tax rate by 4%, and to ask City Council Finance Committee Chair Daniel Knapik to assist him in getting to the 4%.
“Now I know what people are gonna say. In the last two years, you have raised the city’s tax dollars by 10%. And they’re gonna be 100% correct,” McCabe said, adding that Westfield has been losing money from the state at an incredible rate.
“I’m going to give you another figure. I am testifying in Boston tomorrow on these figures. In 2008, we received an unrestricted general government aid of $1.8 billion to share across the 351 cities and towns. That’s in 2008. Eighteen years later, everybody’s touting the governor’s office for giving $1.3 billion. At $1.3 billion, so it’s like the transportation budgets, like the special ed. budget, it’s like a lot of things; if you don’t fund it, it has to be funded at the local level.
“So while we’re on the subject, if the state itself decided to fund circuit breaker as it’s supposed to, and decided to fund transportation as it’s supposed to, we’d have another $1.3 million in our funding sources in order to cover this gap,” McCabe said.
After the meeting, McCabe said that when he went to Boston, he specifically spoke to the lieutenant governor and the secretary of finance about the $1.8 billion in unrestricted government aid in 2008 and the $1.3 billion this year.
“Over the last 18 years, we’ve lost half a billion in unrestricted
government aid, 18 years without sufficient funding to keep pace,” McCabe said.
He said that if the state does not give the cities and towns realistic financial receipts, there is no way to sustain the schools. “We have to keep coming up with extra funds, subtracting them from other departments to prop up the School Department.” He said his proposed 3.5% increase to the School Department means the entire amount of new revenue the city receives will go to the school, “and I can’t fully fund the school.”
“Now, I don’t know what the answer is, but the reason why I’m absolutely urging the council to charge taxes is because we have been underfunding taxes for political purposes now for the last 10 years, and there’s no other way to say it, it is for political purposes,” McCabe told the School Committee during the discussion.
“So when you hear folks say take another $1 million out of free cash as a mayor, or another $2 million out of free cash, that creates a deficit. It means I don’t have real revenue to back up real expenses.”
McCabe said right now, Westfield has a $10 million cushion between the levy limit and the levy ceiling, due to what he called improper taxing. He said the mayor and the City Council can ask for a tax increase higher than 2.5%, pro-
vided that it has a cushion between the levy limit and the levy ceiling. “And we do. But that cushion was only created by improper taxing,” he said.
“So if I go to council and I say to council I need 4%, the council’s gotta give me 4%. It can’t say, ‘Look at us, we’re gonna try to do the good thing’ and then circumvent the system and go back and say to the mayor, ‘Mayor, I know you’re asking for 4% and I know each half a percent is worth $500,000, how about we take $2 million more out of free cash and we lower that rate down to 2%.’ It can’t, you can’t ... the math doesn’t work,” McCabe said.
“The budget picture, once again, is not rosy, and I’m not making any of these numbers up. So when I suggested the $78,027,978, remember that represented a full 2% of the current fiscal year 2016 budget plus another $1 million [from Chapter 70], which came out to 3.36% increase in the fiscal year 2017 budget. If I go higher, if I go to the $78.8 million number, which is the number that’s up on the board, it means I have to find an additional $900,000 on top of the money that I don’t have already,” McCabe told the School Committee.
School Committee Finance Committee Chair Bo Sullivan said he appreciated the explanation and the work going into the budget.
“If I could meld what the mayor just explained and part B of what [Superintendent] Stefan [Czaporowski] gave us [the mayor’s requested reduction], between what could be class sizes and what will be class sizes; if we go down to that $78 million, the class sizes going to the Westfield Middle School of between 25-26 are a bad number. If we do the $78.8, we’re closer to a 20-class size. That’s the issue; if we want to educate people, which is what we were all elected to do, this is what needs to happen. Twenty six kids in a class at WMS is not where we should be,” Sullivan said.
School Committee member Jeffrey Gunther said he also understood and appreciated the position the mayor is in. “But, some numbers that are really important from where I sit is if we were funding our schools at the same level adjusted for inflation and school size and all of that as we were in FY2019, our budget would be $8 to $9 million higher than it is today, even in the new plan.”
Gunther said even if they were to go back to fiscal year 2023, it would be more than $2 million higher. “And that is coming from a combination of those years of low taxes during the COVID years, in addition to the fact that Chapter 70, if it were keeping up with inflation,
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would have given us another $4 to $5 million a year from the state if they were charging out-of-district at the levels we actually have been; in Chapter 70, we would have another $1.7 million in funding for out-of-district special education students.”
Gunther said instead of getting $33,000 for every special education student as an increment because of Chapter 70, they get $5,000. “So Chapter 70 is systematically underfunding us in inflation and special education. In addition to the fact that we don’t get transportation funding like regional districts, those are where the state is falling short,” he said.
“That, combined with the last five years or the early 2020s of our tax growth not keeping up, has kept this district well behind where it should be, from my perspective. And so I really empathize with the position you’re in. I appreciate the work that you’re doing to try to take the bad political vote to increase the taxes, and I would also say that this scenario one budget of $78.8 million doesn’t really move us much in the direction back towards where we were even three or four years ago in terms of funding per student after accounting for inflation, and so to me, that is the floor,” Gunther said.
The mayor said there is good news.
“Is it possible if we do this correctly and we pay attention to what our auditors are telling us, if we pay attention to what our city auditor is telling us, if we pay attention to what our treasurer, collector and our assessors are telling us, we will be able to get out of this nosedive without an override,” he said. “It will take two years to do because there’s some things that we have to be willing to pay for. And I know as soon as everybody leaves, ‘Oh my God, he’s forecasting more tax increases. That’s all the guy does is spend money.’ But you have to fix it because, if you fix it now, you won’t face an override in 2028.”
He continued, “If you don’t fix it now, you will go to an override in 2028 as sure as I’m sitting here, because there just simply won’t be enough money to sustain it.”
After further discussion, the meeting adjourned. The School Committee will vote on the budget at its next scheduled meeting on May 5.
McCabe said Westfield is not alone. On the way to Boston, he texted all the mayors of cities and towns in Western Massachusetts, and heard back from Agawam, Springfield, West Springfield, Holyoke, Easthampton and South Hadley. “Three of those are asking for overrides. Fortunately, in Westfield, we don’t have to use an override,” he said.
In the April 16 edition of The Reminder in the story titled “Gubernatorial candidate Shortsleeve visits Agawam,” it was incorrectly reported that Brian Shortsleeve stated the state budget had increased from $48 million in 2022 to $65 million in 2026. He stated the budget increased from $48 billion to $65 billion. Reminder Publishing regrets the error.
The Westfield School Committee convened a special Finance Committee meeting of the whole on April 13 at the Westfield Technical Academy.
Photo credit: Westfield Community TV
Westfield cuts ribbon on first of three new athletic fields
By Amy Porter aporter@thereminder.com
WESTFIELD — The city of Westfield and Westfield High School celebrated the first of its new athletic fields to open with a ribbon cutting at the girls’ softball field on April 13, just before the team played its game against Longmeadow.
At the start of the ceremony, the WHS Show Choir, directed by Korey Bruno, sang the national anthem.
Mayor Michael McCabe welcomed city councilors, including President John Beltrandi, whose granddaughter Delaney Beltrandi (No. 44) was suited up to play; Ward 1 Councilor Karen Fanion, and Councilors Ralph Figy and Brent Bean, both of whom were instrumental in helping to make the new athletic fields at Westfield High School a reality.
McCabe gave kudos to Director of Purchasing Tammy Tefft. “We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have one special person,” he said, nodding to Tefft, who served as the project coordinator.
like three months from taking the exam in order to get hired here,” he said, referring to starting in the city in 1995.
“I was already an EMT, and I was already a firefighter; you know what I mean? So, it was when I went and interviewed for the position, it was really a no-brainer because I was already trained,” he said.
For 12 years, he served as a private in the force and was “happy.”
But there were two firefighters he served with, former Capt. Roderick Maslauskas and former Chief Thomas Kane. who, he said, “saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.”
After “a lot” of studying, he passed the captain’s exam and was promoted to captain in 2008, serving in that capacity until 2011.
Being encouraged by colleagues to run for captain was one thing. When going for the depu-
He introduced members of the staff and board from Westfield Gas & Electric, which has pledged $1 million in additional funds per year on top of its annual payment in lieu of taxes to the city, for a total of $11 million, in order to make the fields a reality.
McCabe also credited the landscape architect, Mountain View Landscapes in Chicopee.
Thomas Flaherty said Westfield Gas and Electric now serves 23 communities with high-speed internet, which in Westfield has a 55% take rate. He said he was looking forward to cutting the ribbon on the first of the three fields to open.
Flaherty also thanked Westfield Bank and its CEO, Kenneth Hagan, for stepping up to sponsor new scoreboards.
McCabe then called up G&E representatives and city councilors to cut the ribbon, before the softball team sprinted onto the field.
“This is phenomenal. This is a great day. I can’t wait for the next good day,” McCabe said. The work on Boardman Field
ty chief position, he had support from former Chief William Phelon, but he wanted that promotion.
“That was more of a drive thing for me,” he said. But again, it was at the urging of a colleague, former Chief Mary Regan, who was also the first woman in the department.
It’s one thing to be promoted to chief, relying on experience and the support of others, but education makes up a significant portion of the qualifications required for the job.
In 1997, he began that journey at Springfield Technical Community College, looking to earn an associate’s degree in fire science while working full time at the department and raising the children he and his wife had.
“I think it took me 10 years to get that because I was Mr. Mom. My wife went right back to work, and on my days off from the Fire Department, I changed 80% of the diapers for both of my kids.
I’m close to my kids because of
and Athletic Stadium is also moving right along. The turf will start being laid down this week in the stadium, and two weeks after that, the rubberized coating on the track.
“I started working on this in 2002,” said Figy, who has been a track and field coach at both WHS and WTA over the years. He said previously that the issue had always been a lack of funds. “I have to give Brent [Bean] credit for the
it,” he said.
With the associate’s degree in hand, he enrolled at Anna Maria College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in fire administration and later a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in fire and emergency services.
“So, I did 100% of my college while working full time here at the Westfield Fire Department,” Egloff said.
When asked what he was most proud of, he said he was proud of working in the fire prevention office for five years.
“I was the fire inspector for the city of Westfield for five years, and I learned so much there. And just like it says, it’s fire prevention. We worked with the kids. We worked with the Senior Center with our seniors, and I worked with Tina Gorman, hand in hand, when she actually got the award for Senior Safe Educator of the Year,” he said.
There was one moment that
idea of going to G&E,” he said.
“We have had a great response,” said WHS-WTA Athletic Director Greg Vouros about the new softball field. “Longmeadow came in and commented [on] how nice the field is. Everything looks great,” he added.
WHS Principal Charles Jendrysik said the kids are really excited about it. “How can you not be? There’s an excitement throughout the program.”
he believed was a “true test” of his ability to manage a working fire using the department’s equipment and personnel. It was the Powdermill Village Apartments fire, on Union Street, in 2018.
Egloff said Regan was either on vacation or out of town when it happened.
“We held that fire to four out of 22 apartments,” he said, adding it was the biggest fire he had ever worked.
“That was my fire and will always stick with me. And I kind of got a little bit of a reputation from it. That was the true test,” he said.
He also understands the loss families feel in the aftermath of a fire.
“There’s nothing more important than a human life. The thing is, when there’s a fire, a lot of people lose their stuff. And I’m not just talking regular stuff, I’m talking memories, I’m talking pictures of kids. Nowadays, it’s not so bad because everything’s
“On behalf of Westfield
lic Schools, I want to extend our sincere gratitude to Tom
and Westfield Gas and Electric and Whip City Fiber for their generous support and commitment to this project. Your investment in our students goes far beyond infrastructure; it reflects a deep belief in opportunity, pride and community,” said Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski after the ceremony.
electronic. But back in the day, it was all pictures, wedding pictures, everything,” he said.
As for accomplishments, Egloff said buying three new trucks during his seven years as chief was something he would look back on as a positive memory, while thanking Mayor Michael McCabe for his support. He acknowledged, however, that one change he wanted to make in the department was to increase the number of personnel in the fire prevention office.
“That was the main thing that I wanted to accomplish. I’m going to retire, and it’s not going to be accomplished,” he said.
Although he plans on doing nothing for a while after retiring, he said he will probably get out his fishing tackle and clean his shotgun.
“Shad fishing is coming up. I’m going shad fishing, and in May, it’s turkey season. I’m gonna go kill a couple turkeys, or at least try to.”
Pub-
Flaherty
From left, Councilor Ralph Figy and granddaughter, Councilors John Beltrandi and Karen Fanion, WG&E General Manager Thomas Flaherty, Councilor Brent Bean, WHS Principal Charles Jendrysik and Mayor Michael McCabe cut the ribbon on the new softball field. WG&E General Manager Thomas Flaherty and Mayor Michael McCabe with members of the girls’ softball team before the ribbon cutting.
Reminder Publishing photos by Amy Porter
Select Board letter asks School Committee to cut budget
By Cliff Clark cclark@thereminder.com
SOUTHWICK — The Select Board and Finance Committee agreed in principle to write a formal letter to the regional district School Committee to ask it to reconsider the $16.5 million it adopted in its $30.07 million budget and look for additional savings.
On April 13, the board approved a draft of the letter that will now go before the Finance Committee for its approval before being sent to the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District School Committee.
“ ... the discussion was to have them basically comb through that budget another time and see if there’s any other places where they can reduce the burden on the taxpayers in the town of Southwick and Granville and Tolland,” said board member
Douglas Moglin about the letter.
Moglin told his fellow board members that he had a conversation with district Superintendent Jennifer Willard and the district’s Finance Director Nick Bernier a couple of days after the board and committee’s joint meeting last week, and “let them know what we’re feeling.”
He also acknowledged the district is not completely in control of its financial fate based on the state’s foundation formula, which was modified in 2019 when the Student Opportunity Act was made law.
“But we’re out of options this year, and we’re certainly out of options for next year,” Moglin said about the town’s budget and its ability to cover its annual allocation.
Chief Administrative Officer Nicole Parker wanted it to be made clear that it’s not the district’s fault.
By Cliff Clark cclark@thereminder.com
SOUTHWICK — The ballot for this year’s municipal election has been finalized by the town clerk, and for the first time in 17 years, there will be seven contested seats.
“The last time we had five or more contested races for the local election was on May 12, 2009, when we had six contested races for the following seats,” said Town Clerk Christie Myette.
As expected, there are two running for the seat on the Select Board that is currently occupied by the incumbent Diane Gale.
She will face former Select Board member Joseph Deedy, who served nine years on the board from 2013-2022.
For Gale, this will be her first challenge after defeating former Select Board Chair Russell Fox in 2023.
On the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District School Committee, three will run for two open seats, including incumbent and Southwick representative on the committee, Ryan Korobkov.
She will face Lynn Comer and Stephanie Jane Widun for the two open seats, of which one is currently held by Fox, who was appointed to the committee in 2025 to fill the seat vacated by Erika Emmelmann.
For the open Board of Assessors’ seat, incumbent William A. Brown IV will be challenged by Elizabeth Lalli, who has attended several board meetings and spoken about inaccuracies on town residents’ property cards.
Brown IV was appointed in September to fill out the threeyear term of Alan Hoyt and was nominated by the Southwick Republican Town Committee as its nominee to the board.
“We’re getting less and less funding from the state, which requires them, then, to assess the town more to do the required work that they have to do throughout the year,” she said.
About the letter, Parker said:
“It’s to reiterate the position that we are in a dire financial crisis at the moment and that we just want them to recognize the position, which I think obviously they do. And that we are supportive and collaborative and trying to do the best we can to get the state funding back to where it should be as well.”
During the joint meeting two weeks ago, the idea of sending a letter was almost conceived after a comment by committee member Paul Connolly.
“Everybody should suffer equally,” he said, referring to the town cutting each department’s budget by 10% where possible.
“That’s where our money is
For the one open seat for a three-year term to serve as a Dickinson School Trustee, incumbent Gene Henry Theroux will face Debra Jean Patryn, who was a teacher in the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District for over 41 years.
Theroux is also running unopposed for a three-year term as a cemetery commissioner.
Town Moderator Celeste St. Jacques will run unopposed for another three-year term.
With two seats open on the Parks & Recreation Commission, incumbent John Whalley III will join Rachel Stevenson, who was the SRTC nominee, on the ballot for a three-year term.
Whalley III will run unopposed for the three-year term on the Community Preservation Committee.
going. So, I mean, if we’re asking police and fire to cut 10%, I think they should step up. And it might be painful,” Connolly said at the meeting.
That prompted committee Chair Joseph Deedy to suggest sending the letter. He acknowledged the School Committee had already adopted its budget, but said, “they’ve finalized their budget … but we still have a few weeks left.”
Committee member Karen DeMaio agreed, and all those at the meeting generally agreed to it without taking a formal vote.
While the letter was not read out loud at the Select Board meeting on April 13, it was approved unanimously.
Reminder Publishing was given a copy of the letter on April 14.
These are some excerpts from it:
“We understand the structural
of Trustees is one seat with a one-year term.
Kathleen Fischbach, who was appointed last July to the seat, replacing Jennifer Belden, will square off against Michael McMahon, who is stepping away from the three-year term seat on the board he’s held since 2023. He was nominated for the seat by the SDTC.
On the Board of Health, incumbent Terry Hannah Putnam, who was the SDTC nominee, will run unopposed for the three-year term.
On the Water Commission, John F. Cain, who is the SRTC nominee, will run unopposed for another three-year term.
challenges associated with Chapter 70, the limitations of minimum aid status, rising special education and transportation costs, and the unique burdens placed on rural regional districts. We recognize the complexity of these issues and the difficult decisions they require,” the letter said.
“At the same time, we must share the financial realities facing the taxpayers of the Town of Southwick. Over the past two years, the town has taken significant steps to maintain financial stability.
“Last year, municipal operating budgets were reduced by 5%, followed by an additional 10% reduction this year. These measures have resulted in the severe constraint of a number of municipal services. In addition, the town has deferred critical capital investment decisions that, while neces-
Residents can register to vote or check their registration via the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website.
In-person early voting will not be an option for the 2026 annual town election. Voters who wish to cast their ballot before election day should utilize the vote-by-mail option or absentee voting if they meet the requirements.
Any registered Southwick voter can apply for a vote-bymail ballot. Vote-by-mail applications can be completed in the following ways: In person at the town clerk’s office.
• By completing the paper application and mailing it to the town clerk.
Former DPW Director Randy Brown, who is now the director for Westfield’s DPW, will run unopposed for a seat for a threeyear term on the Planning Board.
The election will be held on Tuesday, May 12, at Town Hall.
On the Southwick Public Library Board of Trustees, there are two seats open with threeyear terms, and Andrea Bugbee, the Southwick Democratic Town Committee nominee, will appear alone on the ballot, leaving one seat on the board open.
Also on the Library Board
The deadline to register to vote in the Southwick’s annual election in person is 5 p.m., Friday, May 1. No names can be added to the voters’ list after this deadline.
• Online via the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Mail-in Ballot Application System. Vote-by-mail application must be received in the town clerk’s office by 5 p.m., Tuesday, May 5. Any applications received later than the 5 p.m. deadline will be rejected, and you will not receive a vote-by-mail ballot. In addition to vote-by-mail, which requires no excuse, Massachusetts also has absentee voting for those who qualify. To qualify for an absentee ballot, you must: Be away from Southwick on Election Day; or
• Have a disability that keeps you from voting at the polling location; or
• Have a religious belief that prevents you from voting at the polling place on Election Day. Qualified voters can either complete an application for an absentee ballot to be mailed or can vote absentee in-person during regular business hours at the town clerk’s office until noon, Monday, May 11.
HILLTOWNS
Bernie’s Dining Depot settles into Chester
By Amy Porter aporter@thereminder.com
CHESTER — After several months of preparation, Bernie’s Dining Depot train car was moved onto the trucks in its permanent position at the Chester Railway Station on April 10.
Several adjustments had to be made for the 1946 Pullman coach-turned restaurant, which was moved from Chicopee to the station on Dec. 22. Those adjustments included cutting the width of the passenger platform.
David Pierce, president of the Chester Foundation and Railway Station Museum, said more work has to be done on the outside of the coach, but it will be available to explore at Chester on Track on Saturday, May 16.
Pierce said the interior is in good shape, very much as it was when the restaurant closed in Chicopee in 2022. He said they have been wanting to get a dining car for the Chester Railway station for 30 years. The Pullman coach ran on New York Central through Amtrak, and Amtrak stickers are still visible.
It was a coach first, made into a dining car,” he said. It became a fixture for 40 years as Bernie’s Dining Depot in Chicopee, famous
for its prime rib. Pierce said visitors have been stopping by the station ever since the dining car arrived, telling stories about the restaurant.
“We’ve been wanting a dining car for 30 years, ever since the Blue Caboose was brought to the station and made into a kitchen car,” Pierce said. The station is currently upgrading the Blue Caboose to a commercial kitchen, and they look forward to having events in both the kitchen and the dining car, he said.
The dining car itself was donated to the museum by its former owners, and the museum has spent $40,000 to date to move it. Much of the funding was raised through tours of the National Historic Landmark Railway Station, built in 1862; special events and rentals of the 1919 wooden caboose, available for overnight camping.
Pierce said everything at the historic 1840 Railway Station Museum was moved there, including the station itself, a historic landmark that was saved and relocated from the other side of the tracks in 1990.
The Chester Railway Station Museum, which will house a train show, as well as all of the train cars on the property, including several 1920s-era freight cars and a children’s boxcar, will be on exhibit at
Chester on Track.
Chester on Track will take place all day on Saturday, May 16, and will feature a parade on Main Street beginning at 10 a.m., where there will be a craft fair, ‘one-lung’ steam & gas engine demos, classic cars and a Chester Fire Department duck race. There will be live music by the Pitoniak Brothers, D Rod and the Uprising, Tom Willy Filliault, and Just Us with Linda Burns on two stages throughout the day, at the Chester Railway Station and on the porch of the Inn on Main Street.
Other venues include an open house by the Western Mass Hill-
town Hikers at the Chester Granite and Polishing Works across from the Railway Station Museum, where visitors may experience history with ongoing tours, artifacts and a chance to take home a piece of “Chester blue granite.”
Children’s activities, including a bounce house, petting zoo, donkey rides, an archery booth, story walk, and State Police K-9 demos, among many other activities, will be featured at the Emery Street ballfield. More information is available at chesterrailwaystation.net and on the Chester Railway Station and the Western Mass. Hilltown Hikers Facebook pages.
Littleville Elementary hosts ‘Penguin Palooza’
HUNTINGTON — The hallways of Littleville Elementary were transformed into an Antarctic adventure this past on April 2 as students and families gathered for the highly anticipated Penguin Palooza Literacy Night. The event fused reading comprehension with hands-on exploration, proving that literacy is about much more than just turning pages.
The evening was organized into various high-energy stations designed to engage every sense. In the lobby, the chilly atmosphere was made real at the Blubber Hand station, where students “tried on” a layer of simulated fat to discover firsthand how penguins stay warm in freezing temperatures.
Nearby, families flocked to the Penguin Photo Booth to snap “frozen-in-time” memories with themed props.
The heart of the event featured several dedicated zones:
• Iceberg Research: This science-focused station allowed young explorers to dive into non-fiction texts and data, connecting reading skills with biological discovery.
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sary in the short term, will need to be addressed in the near future.
“Despite these efforts, the school district’s assessment continues to increase at a pace that is becoming increasingly difficult for the town to sustain. With enrollment continuing to decline, the school budget — coupled with direct tuition cost — is now approaching, and in some cases surpassing, the entire municipal operating budget.
“This growing imbalance
• Let’s Get Crafty: A creative hub where students worked on the “Penguin Stream” activity, practicing the vital literacy skill of following multi-step instructions to build their own penguin habitats. These handmade nests allowed children to visualize how penguin colonies thrive in the wild. A crowd favorite was the traced handprint penguin craft, where students carefully outlined their own hands on paper to serve as the base for their unique, tuxedoed masterpieces.
• Read Aloud: Educators led an interactive penguin story, “Tacky the Penguin,” bringing the text to life with character voices and student participation to strengthen listening comprehension.
• Penguin Games: The gymnasium was alive with “waddle races” and “iceberg hopping,” activities that focused on teamwork and physical literacy.
Snacks and synchronized dancing
To keep the “colony” fueled, families visited the Snack sta-
presents a serious challenge to the town’s ability to maintain essential services and long-term financial stability.
“We offer this perspective not as criticism, but to underscore the importance of aligning our collective efforts with the fiscal realities facing the community. At this point, it is critical that we work together to ensure that both municipal and school services remain sustainable.
“With that in mind, we respectfully ask the district to take immediate and meaningful steps to better align expenditures with current enrollment and the financial capacity of the member towns.”
tion for creative treats inspired by the flightless birds. The energy reached its peak during the Penguin Dance, a choreographed moment where students and staff alike took to the floor to show off their best waddles and wing-flaps.
A community success
By the end of the night, every student walked away with more than just a craft; they left with a renewed excitement for discovery. The Penguin Palooza serves as a cornerstone of Littleville El-
ementary’s mission to foster a love for lifelong learning through community engagement and interactive play.
“Seeing the kids connect what they read in books to the ‘blubber’ they feel on their hands at the research station is what literacy is all about,” said one Littleville teacher. “It makes the learning stick.”
As the crowd headed home on the evening of April 2, it was clear that while penguins might not be able to fly, the imaginations at Littleville Elementary certainly did.
Paul Poutre, Andy Shaw, Laura Tassistro
Classified Account Managers: Roxanne Miller-Longtin, Evan Marcyoniak, Shannon Spada
Sales Support: Carolyn Napolitan
Financial Department: Nancy Banning
Blue Caboose kitchen car at the Chester Railway Station Museum on April 10.
Starting pitcher Curt Piziak on the mound for St. Mary's High at their April 9 game with Smith Vocational.
Henry Rutkowski pulls down a fly ball early in the game.
Lead off batter Audrey Amaral starts the game with a first pitch single.
Noah Amaral knocks out a double.
Owen Cox makes contact and brings in a run.
Giani Franco zeroes in on a pitch.
Jovani Franco tries for a bunt.
Caleb McCleary backs away from an inside pitch.
Noah Amaral scores a run under the ump's watchful eye.
The town has already used 36.8% of the total amount allocated to build a partial town-owned fiber-optic network for utility pole work and inventory needed before the cable starts getting hung.
“Make-ready work for the [three fiber service areas] already have pole applications in place, and we are working with the pole owners, utilities and our partner to get the poles themselves ready for the infrastructure,” said Select Board member Douglas Moglin, who has been supporting the project for over five years, in an email.
An attempt to borrow the entire estimated cost of the project, $14-$15 million, failed at Town Meeting last May, getting a majority of the votes but falling 14 votes short of a twothirds majority.
After the vote, Moglin proposed to the Select Board using a $3 million borrowing authorization approved by Town Meeting in 2023, $900,000 of American Rescue Plan Act money, and a $250,000 state grant to build a portion of the network using a fiber optic cable that was installed under the rail trail when it was being built.
With $4.125 million available, $1.518 million has already been spent on the pole applications and preparing the utility poles, making room on the poles and replacing those if necessary, where the cable will be hung.
According to invoices the town supplied to Reminder Publishing, it has already paid $530,538 to Eversource for “make-ready fees.”
Verizon New England has
been paid $155,608 for the work it’s done to prepare the poles.
Before that started, Verizon charged the town $54,573 for a field survey of the poles needed and another $25,327 for aerial surveys of the areas involved.
To bond the project, the town has allocated $7,500 to Hanover Insurance and $2,500 to Verizon.
Whip City Fiber, a wholly owned subsidiary of Westfield Gas and Electric and the company the town has contracted with to build the network, was paid $371,153 in the fall for engineering, designing and field work.
That amount included $63,543 for base maps and routing, $63,543 for planning and engineering the network, $25,417 for drafting the route, and $82,948 for having an engineer validate the design, GIS analysis, and project and system management.
WCF has been paid $93,695 for make-ready work it has already performed and $25,223 for a general contractor fee.
For months, when asked about a contract the town and WCF have been negotiating, Chief Administrative Officer Nicole Parker answered that it is still being reviewed by attorneys with Bacon Wilson.
Moglin said in the email that the contract will determine when construction starts.
That contract will specify where the fiber optic cable will be strung.
Moglin has proposed connecting the DPW, Southwick Public Library and the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District to the cable branching off from the rail trail that was installed when the trail was built. With the library included, it would bring the fi-
ber cable nearly to the entrance of the town’s industrial park, Hudson Drive.
He also proposed hanging cable along the north side of Depot Street, where a 100-unit condominium project is planned, and along the north and south sides of South Longyard Road to Liquori Drive, and along the east and west sides of Powder Mill Road up to Legion Road.
Other areas are along Sheep
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AGAWAM
Robert A. Helin
Susan A. O’Hare
Paul S. Vadnais
FEEDING HILLS
Rose A. Gasteyer
Ashley Poitras-Marrero
Adam J. Tietze
Pasture Road, starting at about 210 Sheep Pasture Road and then continuing along Point Grove Road on the northern side until it reaches the culvert between the north and middle pond of Congamond Lakes. It would be hung on the southern side of the road until it reaches 49 Point Grove.
There are also potential subscribers along the town’s line between it and Westfield, Tannery and Pontoosic roads, where WCF is already providing service.
In January, Moglin said the start of the network’s construction was still a “couple of years out.”
When the actual construc-
tion begins, it will cost between $20,000 and $25,000 per mile in rural areas, which is based on “aerial construction,” which means hanging the cable on existing poles.
For the higher cost, based on underground construction, the cost per mile can vary from $15,000 to $80,000, according to Dgtlinfra.com. In the three service areas, the town will try to get an idea of the participation rate, which is the percentage of potential customers who would subscribe to the service at an estimated price of $89 per month.
John Wagner (Ronnie) HUNTINGTON Michael F. Ziter SOUTHWICK
DEERFIELD — As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, Historic Deerfield’s 2026 season is centered on bringing the Revolutionary era to life as a lived, local experience in Western Massachusetts.
Starting April 18, visitors can explore the era through a new series of exhibitions that examines the Revolutionary period from multiple perspectives: political, cultural, aesthetic and deeply personal.
Drawing from its extensive collections and the stories of local residents, Historic Deerfield’s upcoming exhibitions illuminate how the Revolution was experienced, debated and understood both in New England and across the Atlantic world.
The three exhibitions include “Picturing the Revolution, Dressing the Revolution, Fashion and Politics 1760-1789” and “A Town Divided, Deerfield in the Age of the Revolution.” The first two exhibitions will run from April 18 to Jan. 3, 2027 while the third exhibition will run from April 18 until Jan. 2, 2028.
Together, the exhibitions reveal how images shaped political narratives across the Atlantic world; how garments, textiles, and adornment became declarations of allegiance; and how one rural Massachusetts town grappled with the upheaval transforming an empire into a republic. According to organizers, by placing Deerfield within the wider currents of Revolutionary thought and commerce, these exhibitions illuminate Western Massachusetts’ essential role in the birth of the nation.
Historic Deerfield Marketing and Communications Director Danaë DiNicola said that during the spring and summer, Historic Deerfield is offering hands-on and immersive programs that connect visitors directly to 18th-century life. These programs include weekly trade demonstrations like blacksmithing, tailoring, and pottery; hearth cooking programs featuring historically significant foods like election cake; and family-focused activities at the Discovery Center that explore Revolutionary espionage through coded messages and invisible ink.
Special events include Wooly Wonders in early May, which highlights the agricultural and textile traditions that underpinned the colonial economy, and a Juneteenth Witness Stones Walking Tour that expands the
Revolutionary narrative by honoring the lives of enslaved people in Deerfield, including Prince, an enslaved man who sought self-emancipation.
Later in the season, Historic Deerfield is collaborating with Plays in Place to present “A Stake in the Ground: 1774,” a series of outdoor, site-specific performances set on the eve of the Revolution.
“Altogether, the season invites visitors to explore the Revolution not as a distant story, but as something that unfolded in homes, workshops and communities like Deerfield,” DiNicola stated.
Historic Deerfield is a museum of early American life located in an authentic 18th-century New England village in the Connecticut River Valley. Through its preserved historic houses and extensive collection of decorative arts, it offers visitors a chance to engage directly with the material and cultural history of early America.
DiNicola said Historic Deerfield generally offers a robust lineup of exhibitions, demonstrations, and public programs, but has unified the theme of the American Revolution into a lot of its offerings this season. “Recognizing the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution was quite important to Historic Deerfield, particularly because this region played a meaningful role
in that history,” DiNicola stated. “Our goal is not just to commemorate the anniversary, but to encourage thoughtful engagement with it.”
She continued, “This 250th anniversary of the Revolution has given us the opportunity to unify our offerings and allowing us to explore a topic from unexpected angles.”
DiNicola said most of Historic Deerfield’s daytime offerings, including exhibitions, trade demonstrations, hearth cooking programs, and Discovery Center activities, are included with general admission and do not require advance registration.
Historic Deerfield is open Wednesdays through Sundays, as well as Monday holidays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visitors can purchase tickets upon arrival at the Hall Tavern Visitor Center or at the Flynt Center of Early New England Life.
However, certain special programs and events, such as “A Stake in the Ground: 1774,” do require advance tickets, which can be purchased through Historic Deerfield’s website. Readers can find more information at historic-deerfield.org.
General admission is $20 for adults and $5 for youth ages 13–17; children 12 and under receive free admission as do Historic Deerfield members and Deerfield/South Deerfield residents.
Above, from left: “Picturing the Revolution.” A blacksmithing exhibit taking place during Historic Deerfield’s 2025 season. At right: a silversmithing demonstration taking place at Historic Deerfield last year.
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Duda Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, and David M. Duda, trustee, to Holly Steinmetz, 144
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Kirchner II, trustee, and A-O-K Realty Trust, trustee of, to Bianca Gonzalez-Lesser,
Elizabeth A. Blumgarten to Quincy McGinnis Lacwasan and Andrew Alden Holt Carney,
