MARCH 5, 2026 | FREE
IN THIS EDITION
In Senate, Moulton would focus on affordability, abolishing ICE
SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Rep.
Seth Moulton wants the Pioneer Valley to know that he has a plan.
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Run to End
Homelessness to raise money for Springfield Rescue Mission
Winter is the perfect time for the Run to End Homelessness, said Kevin Ramsdell, executive director and CEO of the Springfield Rescue Mission. “People get to experience what homeless people face every day. They get to feel the cold, feel the damp,” he said.
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Baystate updates Play Deck, where young patients can just be kids
The first thing people notice when entering the Baystate Play Deck are the colors. Jewel toned film panels on the floor-to-ceiling windows splash colors across the floor as the sun moves throughout the day.
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SPRINGFIELD
Officials, advocates clash over rent control
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
HOLYOKE — Lighthouse Holy-
oke’s Divine Theater was the site for a Feb. 25 press conference hosted by leaders from Holyoke and Springfield to share their opinions about the rent control initiative that looms across the state this year.
The conference was led by Housing for Massachusetts, a broad coalition of state residents, small property owners, family-owned real estate companies, affordable housing developers, housing advocates, and business leaders concerned about the housing affordability and availability across the state.
Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia, Springfield City Councilor Mike Fenton, small property owners and Pioneer Valley Developers joined the event to speak out against the proposed rent control ballot question and highlight unintended consequences from the statewide proposal.
The current state ballot initiative proposes a cap on annual residential rent increases at 5%, or by the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. If passed, the policy would repeal a law passed by Massachusetts voters in 1994 to ban rent control and would apply to virtually all privately owned rental housing across the Pioneer Valley that is not owner-occupied, a point expressed repeatedly by speakers during the press conference.
Members of Springfield No One Leaves and other local protesters attended in response to the campaign, arguing the ballot question is one of the few protections available for tenants facing drastic increases to rent. According to a recent Bay State Poll conducted by the University of New
Hampshire Survey Center, 56% of respondents either somewhat or strongly support the proposed ballot question.
In December, Gov. Maura Healey told Boston Public Radio she was against the initiative and said that rent control was not going to solve the state’s housing affordability crisis, arguing that the current proposal would “effectively halt production.” Healey also noted then that she has noticed that investors in housing are already pulling out of the state due to concerns with the looming ballot question.
During the conference, Chair of Housing for Massachusetts Conor Yunits explained that while the initiative was well intentioned, it was not a solution to the state’s housing crisis. Instead, he argued that in order to really start combating the issue, the state simply needs to develop more housing.
“Everyone here is concerned about housing. We know there is an affordability crisis, and that’s why many of us have been working with the governor, with the Legislature, with mayors, city councilors and policy leaders for years, to build more housing. Because when you look around the country and you see where housing prices are falling, like in Austin, Texas, where rents are down 6%, or in Phoenix, where rents are down 4%, it’s because they are building housing,” said Yunits. “They have more supply than demand, here we have significantly more demand than we have supply. Cities and states that build new quality housing see prices fall.”
Yunits also pointed out that the cap of rental rate increases does not include any exceptions for building renovations and no appeal process for property own-
ers to recover costs for upgrades or improvements. He noted that if increases could only match the rate of inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, most rent increases would fall well below the 5% cap, based on the average 2.6% seen over the last 20 years in inflation.
“We all know that we need to pick up the pace of housing creation, and that’s why we all support solutions that remove barriers to affordable and market rate housing, and [we] would welcome new ideas that spark construction. But we also know that any policy that constricts supply will take us backwards, and that’s what this ballot question will do,” added Yunits.
Yunits said similar efforts for rent control across the country have yielded negative consequences. Proponents of the mea-
sure have said “this is not your father’s rent control,” to which Yunits said, that is correct, it is a worse policy.
“This question, with some minor exemptions, will apply to every single residential dwelling unit that is rented out in Massachusetts. Not just every apartment building, not just housing in every city, every single residential dwelling unit in every community in Massachusetts,” Yunits said. He shared that the measure would leave landlords unable to cover rising costs of upkeep and would give no incentive for a property owner to manage or invest, and that these issues could also lead to an eroded local tax base from reduced property values.
“And what happens when
Chair of Housing for Massachusetts Conor Yunits explained that while the initiative was well intentioned, it was not a solution to the state’s housing crisis.
Reminder Publishing photos by Trent Levakis
See RENT on page 2
STRM: Gionfriddo and Sullivan discuss the upcoming Big Broadcast
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
SOUTH HADLEY — On the latest episode of “So That Reminds Me,” hosts Ryan Feyre and Dennis Hackett sat down with Mount Holyoke College Jazz Ensemble Director Mark Gionfriddo and Maureen Sullivan, who handles PR for the Big Broadcast, to discuss the upcoming event on Saturday, March 7. According to the organizers, performances for the event are at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Chapin Auditorium at Mount Holyoke College, 50 College St.
This year marks the 21st year of the showcase, which Gionfriddo started because he thought it would be fun to do something “a little bit different.”
“We were noticing that there was really nothing like this around, and especially for a college jazz program to put something like this on is really kind of unusual right from the bottom up of writing the whole thing and costuming it, and they do the hair and the makeup and all of that stuff,” he said.
Gionfriddo, who is reprising his role as bandleader “Matt Morgan,” and the college’s jazz ensembles are polishing the best Big Band songs, solos and commercials from the 1940s.
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rents are capped? The value of the property is also capped. Then the property tax revenue that the property generates for the local community is also capped,” said Yunits.
Garcia added similar sentiments, saying that rent control would only discourage rent development, something a Gateway City like Holyoke cannot afford.
“We face big city challenges with small town revenue,” said
“It’s kind of our idea of what it would be like to be in the audience of a 1940s radio variety show; this one particularly happening at a remote location,” Gionfriddo said when describing the show.
The idea was conceived after students approached Gionfriddo about how the theater department at the college only conducts a musical every four years. They asked if he ever thought of doing a semi-theatrical production.
Gionfriddo used to produce a show with a cabaret group in the 1990s called “Puttin on the Ritz,” which was a fictitious radio variety show that took place at a radio station where singers would appear as “stars” of that era to sing on the air.
After he began directing in the Jazz program at Mount Holyoke College in 1999, Gionfriddo said he felt like himself, and his students were ready to take on a similar project. The Jazz Ensembles produced the first “Big Broadcast” in 2006.
Regarding the location of the broadcast, Gionfriddo said Chapin Auditorium looks “very, very period.” He later found out that The Glenn Miller Band performed on the same stage as the Big Broadcast in February 1939.
The Glenn Miller Band and
Garcia, adding the city relies heavily on responsible private investment to rebuild neighborhoods and expand its tax base.
“Development slows, revenue slows, and that limits our ability to invest in public spaces, infrastructure and our schools,” he said.
Garcia shared that Holyoke is number one in the state when it comes to housing stock per capita dedicated to affordable housing.
He highlighted one protester standing in the back of the room with a sign saying, “The Rent is Wicked High.” Garcia said it was a statement that he agrees with
Andrew Sisters are two bands that Gionfriddo says he focuses on for the production, among other artists of the time period.
Besides the music from the 1940s, Mount Holyoke College students help write the show, including the introductions and outros for TV22 meteorologist Brian Lapis, who emcees as “Fred Kelly.” The students also select period commercials and news stories from the period for the production.
Gionfriddo mentioned how it is a great way for the students to learn about music and stories from the 1940s.
During the first few years of the show, he said a majority of the crowd were those who grew up in the time period of the 1940s and 1950s, but as the years have gone on, more students have attended the performance, with some expressing interest in helping.
Sullivan talked about the audience and atmosphere from the past few years, sharing, “I have to say that over the years being in the front of the house that people, when they come in, that they’re just in such great moods. People are happy to be there, and it’s always a great audience.”
She added, “Some of these songs from the Great American Songbook have been done by a
and that there are dramatic rent increases that communities face all over the state, but while this ballot question was well-intended, he argued that there needs to be a different approach.
“The real question for me comes down to, how do we work together to establish better rent control, and the real answer is not as simple as it sounds, but it is what it is: we do need more housing development here in our community and across the commonwealth,” said Garcia. “Families, they’re all feeling the pressure [from the housing cri-
lot of artists over the years, so I think that younger people would be surprised to hear some of them and realize, ‘oh actually I know that song.’”
At the beginning of the program, the Big Broadcast makes sure to note that they are not glorifying or promoting the themes of the time period, according to Gionfriddo.
Tickets are available at the Odyssey Book Shop in South Hadley, and online at mhc.ludus. com and at the door.
To hear the full episode, visit thereminder.com/our-podcast or search “So That Reminds Me” on your favorite podcasting platform.
Gionfriddo also talked about why the focus of the production is on the 1940s. “We like the [1940s] because big hairstyles, and there was a lot of stuff going on,” he stated. “Obviously it’s very, very different from contemporary times, so it’s very interesting because some of the student, they’re kind of like, ‘oh, wow there’s a lot of stereotyping, there’s a lot of provincial, some of it is rather offensive,’ but they all understand that it’s kind of a historical piece, like a typical theatre piece.”
sis] across the spectrum, and we must acknowledge that reality, no question. But this issue is a rather complex one.”
Garcia added that the pressures may be shared, but the conditions for each community vary.
“We need thoughtful balanced solutions, not policies that are risky for communities already working hard to rebuild, and I’m talking in particular about gateway cities like Holyoke,” said Garcia. “There’s no guarantee that a rent-controlled unit would go to a low-income family or our most vulnerable residents. And this just kind of speaks to when I say there’s always unintended consequences.”
Springfield City Councilor Mike Fenton said Western Massachusetts has an affordability crisis. He argued that the idea of rent control is an admirable one, but the problem with the referendum was in the nuances of the details.
“For cities like Springfield, we’re trying to grow and maintain our market rate housing. We can’t afford uncertainty and discouragement of investment in housing,” Fenton said. “There’s nothing in this proposal that incentivizes property owners to reinvest in the maintenance and repairs of their homes. We can all agree that we need solutions to the housing crisis, but this proposal will not solve it.”
Despite this opposition, not everyone at the press conference was against the measure. Katie Talbot, an organizer with Springfield No One Leaves told Reminder Publishing the rent control measure is needed because it serves as a “tourniquet” for the larger housing crisis.
“Our larger housing crisis stems from the ability of corporate and LLC landlords to make egregious profit. That’s where it stems from; when we started allowing corporations and companies to buy out homes and make
a profit off it, things shifted,” said Talbot. “I don’t think rent control is the say all, be all, end all of the housing crisis. It’s not. But it allows our people to stop hemorrhaging money, to actually be able to adjust to a reasonable rent increase annually, and it also keeps our people in our communities.”
Talbot said that, while working with Springfield No One Leaves, she has heard from various tenants that they have had to move out of their communities after facing large increases in monthly rent from landlords. She said that she feels there is a disconnect from those who don’t understand what it’s like to rent in the current landscape.
“I think there’s a real out of touch analysis from the opponents of rent control. None of them on that stage are renters, none of them have been renters for a long time. So, I think there are a lot of folks that are pushing back against rent control that really don’t know what it’s like to be a renter these days,” said Talbot. Talbot said it has been encouraging to see things, like the passage of the Affordable Homes Act last year, and some investments made by the state into municipal housing. She argued that more effort should be made in these areas alongside the rent control initiative.
“Tenants need it. Homeowners are identifying the need for rent control because they’re having their adult children move back home because of rent increases. We’re seeing across the country home ownership is not happening until people are 40, and that’s because they can’t save money because of rent,” said Talbot. “The folks that are opposed to it are the landlord lobby, the developer lobby and the real estate lobby, who all profit off housing, so I think it’s just a very telling and a very stark difference.”
Maureen Sullivan (front left) Mark Gionfriddo (back left) sits down with “So That Reminds Me” hosts Ryan Feyre and Dennis Hackett. Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
Protesters gathered during the press conference at Lighthouse Holyoke in opposition to the anti-rent control campaign.
Reminder Publishing photo by Trent Levakis
In Senate, Moulton would focus on affordability, abolishing ICE
By Sarah Heinonen sheinonen@thereminder.com
SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Rep.
Seth Moulton wants the Pioneer Valley to know that he has a plan.
Moulton, who is running to unseat U.S. Sen. Ed Markey this fall, visited three cities in the Pioneer Valley as part of a listening tour. The Feb. 20 stops in Holyoke, Springfield and Westfield gave Moulton a chance to present himself to voters outside of the 6th District, which includes Salem, Gloucester and Andover. Roughly 35 people gathered at Socialite Coffee Bar in Springfield to hear Moulton’s positions and share their concerns.
“I don’t think we can afford to wait six more years for new leadership,” Mouton told them. While he said that he had “great respect” for Markey, he added, “There comes a time to pass the torch to a new generation.” Markey was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1976, two years before Moulton was born. He has served in the Senate since 2013. Moulton was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014.
Moulton laid out the issues he sees in the country. “There’s really two Americas,” he said. “There’s an America for the wealthy and the well connected, with the airline miles and the hotel perks and the tax loopholes, and if you’re really wealthy, you get to fly your private plane to Washington and get a pardon for any law you break.”
He continued, “And then there’s America for everyone else. That’s struggling to pay rent, that maybe has a college graduate that just moved back home because he or she can’t get a job, that’s turning down their thermostats as it gets cold out because they can’t afford their electricity bills or their gas or oil bills.”
Moulton presented himself as a more progressive candidate than Markey with messaging that will resonate with voters. “Everyone knows we’re opposed to Trump,” he said. “But we also have to stand for something ourselves.” His three-pronged affordability platform focuses on housing, health care and education, which he said are “human rights.”
Referring to President Barack
Obama’s signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act, by its nickname, Moulton said, “Obamacare dramatically expanded health care. Millions of Americans have health care, so it’s a huge step in the right direction, but it’s not perfect.” Moulton is in favor of a public option. “That means that you can have Medicare if you want it. It doesn’t mean we’re going to force you onto Medicare,” he said, adding that a public option would drive down the cost of commercial health insurance plans and improve the efficiency and outcomes. He said, “We need that force in the market because health insurers, frankly, are extracting way too much out of the system.”
Moulton also spoke about eliminating pharmacy copays, saying their purpose is to ensure people don’t abuse medicine. “But we should trust our doctors to just give you the medicine that you actually need,” he said, adding that there is inequality built into how much people pay based on what insurance they have.
Moulton later told Reminder Publishing, “I think the reality is a lot of Republicans look at Democrats and say, ‘All they want is Medicare for all.’ And this is a compromise. A public option is not Medicare for all. I actually think it’s a better compromise because it preserves competition.”
A teenager asked Moulton about the dismantling of the Department of Education. While not in favor of eliminating the department, he told them that the 50-year-old department has not changed much even though education has. He said he was in favor of universal preschool and expanded vocational training, because people ask for it. While computer programmers might have jobs taken by artificial intelligence, he said plumbers would always be needed. When rebuilding the department, he said, “We got to rebuild it for the future, for the jobs for the next 30 years.”
The representative also called for the abolition and prosecution of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “You can’t be above the law if you think you can enforce the law,” he said. He touted legislation he has sponsored to allow people to sue ICE officers for violating their constitutional
rights and to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Moreover, Moulton pointed to legislation he had introduced that would prohibit federal troops in polling places without congressional approval, as Trump ally Steve Bannon has pushed for. Federal law already prohibits this and punishes anyone who “has under his authority or control any troops or armed men at any place where a general or special election is held” with a fine and not more than five years in prison, as well as disqualification from holding office.
Moulton said he is “absolutely” concerned that the Trump administration may try to invalidate of otherwise influence the 2026 election. “I think it’s a very legitimate threat. And that’s why I’m proposing legislation to address this. We’ve got to be all on our toes and doing what we can to fight it.” He admitted it would be hard to secure enough votes to pass it but said making elected officials declare their position furthers the discussion. “It’s very hard to argue that we should have troops in our election centers,” he said.
Taking a poll of the room, Moulton asked how many people could describe the Democrats’ immigration policy. No hands went up. He laid out his ideas, including streamlining legal immigration as an alternative for those who would otherwise come into the country through other means. For those already in the United States, particularly those brought here as children, he was in favor of a pathway to citizenship.
When asked by a voter what he would do differently from Markey, Moulton said Markey and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have not put forward “an aggressive agenda on affordability.” He said, “It’s all next generation leaders coming up with these ideas.” Among them, he named himself, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and newly elected Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
“We also, as Democrats, have to look ourselves in the mirror and said, ‘Why are we losing touch with working people?’” He said many people see the Democratic party as being for the “ultra-rich and the ultra-poor.” He said the
party only began talking about affordability in the past year.
“I am not going to get elected on a platform of next generation leadership in Massachusetts and go to Washington and support Chuck Schumer,” as leader of the Senate, Moulton said. “I don’t think people look at Chuck Schumer and think, ‘He’s going to figure out AI,’” Moulton said, adding that he is concerned with the issue because it will affect future generations, including his young children. He said, “I’m thinking about where we’re going to be in a century, not just where we’re going to be in six years.”
Moulton does not think that an emphasis on “next generation leadership” will split the Democratic party. “I think Democratic unity really matters, and I’m very proud to have a lot of voices in the Democratic party,” he said. “If we really want to win, we need to reach out to some of these independents who do feel alienated who used to vote Democratic, you know, a lot of these union guys who voted for Obama and then voted for Trump, and say, ‘Hey, you’re welcome back in, we want you.’” Democrats may not agree on everything, he said, but it is important to “build a team.”
In 2018, Moulton started the Serve America political action committee to support Democrats running for congressional seats held by Republicans across the country. Since its inception, 24 of those candidates have been elected and another four are
mounting challenges in the 2026 race. Moulton said, “We can have better leadership here in Massachusetts, but if we don’t win majorities in the House and Senate, we’re not going to be able to advance this agenda.”
Moulton, who is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was asked how he feels about Trump’s use of the military and how his actions have “eroded” NATO.
“It’s hard to think of something that frustrates me more,” Moulton told the person. He said the trust in the military has fallen since Trump’s first term began in 2016. “He is directly abusing the military for his own purposes,” he said, referring to National Guard troops being sent into American cities. He referenced a 2018 quote by the president, who said the American soldiers buried at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery were “losers” and the Marines who died in the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood were “suckers.”
“What’s lacking in Washington isn’t intelligence, it’s just courage. It’s the courage to take the right vote, to do the right thing, even when you’ve got political pressure in the other direction,” Moulton said. “And it really pisses me off, frankly, when I see colleagues of mine show a lot less courage in a very comfortable seat in the Senate or the House of Representatives than our 18-yearold soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, guardsmen show every single day on the front lines.”
Run to End Homelessness set for March 15 at Forest Park
By Sarah Heinonen sheinonen@thereminder.com
SPRINGFIELD — Winter is the perfect time for the Run to End Homelessness, said Kevin Ramsdell, executive director and CEO of the Springfield Rescue Mission. “People get to experience what homeless people face every day. They get to feel the cold, feel the damp,” he said. For most of the past 15 years, the race was held in February but was recently moved to early March. This year, the event takes place on March 14. While it is named the Run to End Homelessness, Ramsdell joked it is a “run, walk or crawl” along a 5-kilometer course through Forest Park. People can sign up to participate in the 5K or in the 10K, which loops the course twice. Ramsdell said many people do both.
As the Springfield Rescue Mission’s largest winter fundraiser, the organization raises money through the $40 registration fee. In 2025, the race brought in the largest number of participants in its history, with nearly 400 people taking part. Ramsdell said he hoped to surpass that number this year.
Ramsdell said the organization also hosts a complimentary “carb-up” spaghetti dinner at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame the night before the race. In addition to fueling the athletes for the next morning, it offers a chance for participants to pick up their race bibs and find camaraderie with each other. For those who do not attend the dinner, race day check-in is at 9 a.m. The race steps off an hour later.
The Springfield Rescue Mission began more than 130 years ago. The organization feeds
about 300 people each day. Another 300 people are served weekly through the mobile meal program for people who cannot visit the Mill Street site.
The organization operates a short-stay program, in which people stay for two or three months. Ramsdell said many of the people who use this option are working but need somewhere to stay while they save up first and last month’s rent. Others may have just lost their job and are figuring out their next steps.
The long-term program sees people stay for about a year to “help then get back on their feet.” Springfield Rescue Mission assesses the education and finances of the people in this program. From there, the organization helps coordinate vocational training, continuing education, and technology and financial literacy classes. There
People participating in the 2025 Run to End Homelessness. Reminder Publishing submitted photo
are also in-house health care services. Ramsdell said everyone’s situation and needs are unique.
People can learn more about the Springfield Rescue Mission at springfieldrescuemission.org. To register for the Run to End Homelessness, visit runsignup. com/Race/MA/Springfield/EndHomelessness.
U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, who is running for Senate, speaks with voters at Socialite Coffee Bar in Springfield. Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
Baystate updates Play Deck for young patients
By Sarah Heinonen sheinonen@thereminder.com
SPRINGFIELD — The first thing people notice when entering the Baystate Play Deck are the colors. Jewel-toned film panels on the floor-to-ceiling windows splash colors across the floor as the sun moves throughout the day.
A colorful mural at one end of the room draws the eye up to see a tree with a squirrel, owl and birds in its branches. Further up the wall, the sky turns to stars with a lit crescent moon, and the word imagine spelled out in a constellation. The animal motif is carried through the room, past the couch and TV, and the wall stacked with board games, to an area that looks like it was lifted straight out of a kindergarten classroom. Comfortable furniture, make-believe play sets and toys invite children to play.
Play is the sole purpose of the room and accompanying outdoor deck.
It also helps prevent isolation, giving children and teens a place to go to get fresh air and spend time outside of their hospital rooms.
The Play Deck opened 14 years ago, and the well-used space was ready for an update. There was carpeting on the floor, which posed cleaning and sanitation challenges. The wall of windows floods the room with natural light, but it also made the space heat up by midday. To address that, retractable shades were installed, a translucent coating was added to the greenhouse style glass on the ceiling and the colored film on the top half of the windows filters the sun.
The barrier on top of the curved half-wall in the room was designed to keep people safe, because, as Director of Patient Support Services Stephanie Adam said, “Kids are climbers.” But over time, the barrier, like other parts of the room, began to show its use by thousands of children. About 20 children and teens use the room each day, as well as their siblings.
“This space is supposed to be their safe space,” said Child Life Amanda Simas. “This is strictly a place where they can be a kid.” She said no children undergo medical tests or blood draws in the room. Their vitals are not checked, except in emergency situations. Referring to the oxygen equipment on the walls and outside on the deck, Mary Ann Westcott, unit manager for Life and Healing Arts, said children are never in an area where care cannot be provided, if needed. “It’s still a hospital,” she said. Nonetheless, the room “helps children just be children. It’s really magical,” she said. “There’s nothing more natural than for families to sit and watch their children play.”
Westcott said the entire pediatric unit has a lighter, more colorful feel to it than the rest of the hospital, but the Play Deck is the crown jewel. She said it offers a place for the community to interact with the children at the hospital. Events and entertainers come in to enrich the lives of the young people, including sports teams. Holidays are also celebrated on the Play Deck.
Adam said, “Play is the primary way children learn” and it “helps children process complex emotions.” She described the Play Deck as a “critical,” and “beautiful, magical space” that provides “distraction from medi-
cal treatments.”
One of those distractions and a frequent visitor to the Play Deck is Baystate Medical Center’s hospital facility dog, Isabela, known affectionately as Isa. The fouryear-old golden retriever has received intense training beyond that of a standard therapy dog.
“She can be part of procedures,”
Simas said. Adam added, “She knows when you’re not feeling great. She’ll come over and put her head in your lap and give some love.”
Simas said the patients and staff light up when they see Isa. While Westcott agreed, she joked, “It’s the first time in my very long career I’ve been allergic to one of my staff.”
Kathy Tobin, interim vice president of philanthropy, thanked Country Bank for funding the mural and the Golf Committee. The annual tournament paid
for many of the upgrades to the space. Tobin said registrations for the tournament sell out “pretty quickly” each year, because she said the area golfers “know how important play is.” Pediatrician in Chief Matthew Di Guglielmo spoke about how much he hated being in the hospital as a sick teen and the importance of having a space like the Play Deck.
Operations Director: Curtis Panlilio
Executive Editor: Chris Maza
Managing Editors: Dennis Hackett, Ryan Feyre
Staff Writers: Sarah Heinonen, Deb Gardner, Amy Porter, Trent Levakis, Cliff Clark, Tyler Garnet, Peter Tuohy
Graphic Design Manager: Beth Thurber
Graphic Design Department: Leigh Catchepaugh, Lorie Perry, Sophia McClellan, Susan Bartlett, Jim Johnson-Corwin, Molly Arnio
Sales Manager: Scott Greene
Account Executives: Matt Mahaney, Paula Dimauro, Lisa Nolan, Jeanette Grenier, Paul Poutre, Andy Shaw, Laura Tassistro
Classified Account Managers: Roxanne Miller-Longtin, Evan Marcyoniak, Shannon Spada
Sales Support: Carolyn Napolitan
Financial Department: Nancy Banning
Above, the Baystate Medical Center Play Deck offers an area for young patients to play. At right, Pediatrician in Chief Matthew Di Guglielmo and Kathy Tobin, interim vice president of philanthropy, listen as Director of Patient Support Services Stephanie Adam speaks about the importance of play.
Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL VS MINNECHAUG
BASKETBALL
The Springfield Central High School girls basketball team won their fifth straight PVIAC Class A Western Mass Championship by defeating Minnechaug Regional High School 50-48 in overtime on Feb. 18 at Westfield High School.
Jada Watson lets the shot fly in the paint.
Zi'Yan Wallace fights through two defenders to get the shot off.
Maya Ocana-Saunders stops and shoots from the paint.
Noelanni Rodriguez dribbles through space on offense.
Giavanna Mars uses her speed to drive from the top of the arc.
Central claimed its fifth straight PVIAC Class A Western Mass Championship.
Jada Watson (5) and Genesis Grimes (11) receive the championship plaque to add to the school trophy case.
The assistant coaches celebrate after taking the lead late.
Zh'Nai Wallace applies pressure on defense.
Baystate pauses gender affirming care in face of federal pressure
By Sarah Heinonen sheinonen@thereminder.com
First came changes at Colorado Children’s Hospital, NYU Langone Health in New York and Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Los Angeles. Now, the chilling effect of proposed rules from President Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services has reached the Pioneer Valley. In an effort to avoid running afoul of the administration, Baystate Health has paused some gender-affirming care for youth.
Gender-affirming care is an umbrella term for health care to treat gender dysphoria, defined by the American Psychiatric Association’s “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” as a “marked incongruence between one’s experienced/expressed gender and their assigned gender, lasting at least 6 months.” According to the Mayo Clinic, gender dysphoria can result in anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, substance misuse and other men-
SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Health awarded $25,000 in scholarships to 22 Springfield students pursuing careers in health care through the Baystate Springfield Educational Partnership. All recipients are BSEP alumni now enrolled in post-secondary education, and 10 of them currently work at Baystate Health. The scholarships were celebrated at a recent event, with recipients, their families and friends, and Baystate Health leaders in attendance. Melonie
tal health concerns. A 2022 study published in the medical journal JAMA Open Network found gender-affirming care resulted in a 60% reduction in depression and 73% reduction in self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
Gender-affirming care includes a wide range of treatments, from counseling and mental health services to puberty blockers and hormone treatments. Surgical intervention is also a form of gender-affirming care but one that is usually reserved for adults. According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the rate of gender-affirming surgeries on teens aged 15 to 17 was 2.1 per 100,000. The study found no cases of such surgery performed on children aged 12 or younger.
While Massachusetts passed a law in 2022 that expanded protections for reproductive and gender-affirming care, the federal government’s oversight of Medicare and Medicaid has created economic pressure on hospitals. In
Jackson, chief people officer, addressed the audience noting, “As alumni of BSEP, you’ve already demonstrated something incredibly important: when access meets opportunity, extraordinary things happen.”
Natalie Guzman-Escalera, a former BSEP student, scholarship recipient and now a Baystate Health employee, also spoke at the event. She shared her story and described how BSEP and the scholarship helped her education and nursing career.
December 2025, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced regulations that would prohibit hospital systems providing gender-affirming care from collecting reimbursements from the federal insurance plans. While the rules are still under regulatory review, many hospital systems have decided to comply with the regulations, with the expectation that they will be approved.
In early February, Baystate sent a letter to the families of patients under 18 who receive gender affirming care that explained it would no longer be providing gender affirming medicines but would continue to offer mental health counseling.
“As the health care regulatory landscape continues to evolve, we have been assessing how we can best serve the long-term needs of our patients and their families,”
Baystate Health wrote in a statement, “As the regional provider for higher-acuity and safety net services, we have a clinical obligation
Many BSEP students face financial barriers to pursuing higher education. BSEP scholarships help reduce that burden by providing funding for post-secondary education, allowing students to focus on achieving their academic and professional goals.
The scholarships are funded through Baystate Health’s Community Benefits Program, which has awarded more than $850,000 in scholarships to BSEP students and alumni to date.
Baystate Health is proud to
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
Ronald N. Gilpatrick
Louis A. Lajeunesse
Roger D. Landry
Alice P. Forget
Cary Gray
Christos Lolos
Sheila C. Moore
Carol Ann Sakiewicz
Dorothy E. Sinkowski
Ronald A. Shunaman
EAST LONGMEADOW
Antoinette Caliento
Gerard Josef De Blok
Earl A. DeRusha Jr.
Marcia M. Kessler
Margaret A. Miller
Dolores M. Scibelli
HOLYOKE
Janet C. Douyard (Powers)
John Alan Kelleher
INDIAN ORCHARD
Stacia J. Falkowski
Gloria M. Mitchell
LONGMEADOW
Janice S. Boyer
Joanne M. Carroll
Barbara E. Morrison
Frank S. Podgurski
Stephen A. Wichrowski Jr.
LUDLOW
Kathleen V. Garand
David Henriques Sr.
Ruth F. Pancotti
SOUTH HADLEY
Dr. Francis M. Croke
Thomas Norman Hazen
Hugh Parker Hutton
Kelli Theresa Quesnel
Charles H. Turner III
SPRINGFIELD
Carl Robert Cadogan
Dennis Anthony Clarke Sr. Raymond N. Dagenais Jr.
Leon A. Lemieux
Sandra J. Murray
Gail A. O’Brien
Joan E. Rhone
Dolores P. Santinelli
Linda A. Scibelli
Sandra A. Sullivan
WILBRAHAM
Terris J. Burnor
Nancy P. O’Neill
to ensure all patients receive quality, compassionate and accessible care consistent with our mission and core values.”
Nearly 79% of Baystate’s patients are covered by Medicare or Medicaid. The health system acknowledged that the “evolving regulatory landscape” “threatens hundreds of millions of dollars” in reimbursements. It said that ceasing access to gender-affirming pharmaceutical care for children and teens will allow it to preserve “access to care for all 800,000+ residents of Western Massachusetts,” which is “a responsibility we take seriously.”
Baystate is working to transfer patient care to other providers and has partnered with Transhealth, an independent, nonprofit healthcare provider in Northampton that focuses on serving transgender and gender-diverse communities, to help facilitate the move.
“Transhealth welcomes trans youth from Baystate Health as new patients. We have hired additional
honor the 2025 scholarship recipients. These dedicated BSEP alumni are now in college and working toward careers in health care. Their hard work and determination reflect Baystate Health’s mission to strengthen the health and well-being of the communities it serves.
Founded in 2007, the BSEP program has served more than 4,700 individuals and currently counts 403 alums among Baystate Health employees. Scholarship recipients are attending institutions including UMass Chan Medical School–
providers and are ready to deliver expert, compassionate, trans healthcare to all youth from Baystate,” said CEO Jo Erwin. “We are working closely with the hospital to help make this transfer of care as smooth as possible for families.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, a supporter of a transgender bill of rights and the Transgender Health Care Access Act, and Ron Wyden of Oregon are calling on the Trump administration to withdraw its proposed regulations.
“This policy would mark an unprecedented intrusion of partisan politics and ideology into medical decision-making and severely restrict access to evidence-based, medically necessary care,” the senators wrote. “This proposed rule would place the federal government directly between physicians, patients, and families by conditioning hospital participation in Medicare and Medicaid on the denial of individualized, clinician-directed care.”
Baystate, UMass Amherst, Tufts University, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Springfield Technical Community College, and several other colleges and universities nationwide. Their career interests span a wide range of health care fields, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, diagnostic medical sonography, behavioral neuroscience, biotechnology and clinical psychology. For more information about the Baystate Springfield Educational Partnership, visit baystatehealth.org.
Agawam Cinemas to premiere new cult horror movie “Dark Places”
By Peter Tuohy ptuohy@thereminder.com
AGAWAM —
On March 14, the local independent film production company Xposse Productions will be premiering “Dark Places” at Agawam Cinemas at 7 p.m. Tickets can be found for $9.75 on Agawam Cinemas’ website.
The film follows college student Natalie Parker, who grew up homeschooled and is now nervously on her own for the first time. When she meets and begins dating another introverted student, Jason Evans, college professors begin to be murdered. The two team up to figure it out, which leads to an attempt to take down the cult behind it all.
Writer and Director Geno McGahee is an award-winning filmmaker based out of Western Massachusetts and is the mind behind “Dark Places.” He first picked up a camcorder at 12 years old and released his first feature-length film, “Evil Awakening,” in 2001.
“I was always a writer, so I ended up seeing a film called ‘Galaxy Invader,’” McGahee said. “It’s a terribly low budget film, but it’s terribly charming as well … it’s really silly but it made me want to film.”
He got the idea while working
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Symphony Orchestra will offer a celebration of women at its next performance during Women’s History Month, “MendelSpringfield Symphony Orchestrahn, Gershwin, & A Woman’s Voice,” on Saturday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. at Springfield Symphony Hall.
Tickets for the March 14 concert are now on sale, starting at $25, online at SpringfieldSymphony.org, or by calling the box fffice at 413-733-2291.
At the March 14 performance, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra will hold its fourth annual Fearless Women Awards, honoring local women who embody courage, resilience and empowerment. Since its inception, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra’s Fearless Women Awards have recognized more than 20 women in the region, nominated by their peers. A pre-concert reception will be held in the Mahogany Room at Symphony Hall, and the Fearless Women awardees will be recognized on-stage at the start of the performance.
This concert will feature women composers and performers celebrating Women’s History Month. Guest conductor and Springfield Symphony Orchestra Artistic Advisor Mei-Ann Chen will appear for her second performance of the 2025-26 season and will include the return of a Springfield favorite, pianist Claire Huangci, to Symphony Hall.
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra’s nonprofit community partner for the March 14 performance is The Gray House, and concertgoers are encouraged to bring diapers, wipes, gift cards and monetary donations, all much-needed items to help families in the community. The Gray House is a small neighborhood human service nonprofit located in Springfield whose mission is “to help its neighbors facing hardships to meet their immediate and transitional needs by providing food, clothing and educational services in a safe, positive environment in the North End of Springfield.”
The concert will open with Fanny MendelSpringfield Symphony Orchestrahn Hensel’s “Overture in C major,” her sole surviving orchestral work that only in recent years has earned well-deserved recognition in the symphonic musical world. Huangci will also perform George Gershwin’s “Piano Concerto in F” to close out the first half.
The second half will feature a piece by Fanny MendelSpring-
on the set of one of his friend’s films, a romance comedy, where he also met the star of “Dark Places,” Lindsey DeLand.
“This idea came into my head of something darker, of putting them into a scenario where there was a looming force,” McGahee said. “It was a moment of inspiration. I’ve always wanted to do a good cult movie. Many years ago, I made a cult movie, but I wasn’t experienced enough to really get the message out that I wanted.”
McGahee said he’s always been a fan of horror movies and cult films like “Race with the Devil,” so making a film like this has always been in the back of his mind. As far as his approach went, he said it was “Scream” inspired.
“Directing and shooting it, it was such a great experience,” McGahee said. “I have the best team in the world. We’ve worked together now for five years, this great group of people I’ve assembled. Every shoot we do is just like, I won’t say a party atmosphere, but it feels like a family atmosphere.”
He added that putting a film together is always a crazy process with the ups and downs, from getting the schedules right and shooting in the forest through 20-degree weather. At one point
field Symphony Orchestrahn Hensel’s younger brother, Felix MendelSpringfield Symphony Orchestrahn, “Symphony No. 3, Op.56, A minor.” He was inspired to create a masterwork after visiting the ruins of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, lived and loved.
According to Heather Caisse-Roberts, president and CEO of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, “March 14 is a celebration in the truest sense. It is a night where the brilliance, strength and artistry of women fill every corner of Symphony Hall. From the extraordinary music of Fanny MendelSpringfield Symphony Orchestrahn to the dynamic leadership of Mei-Ann Chen and the breathtaking artistry of Claire Huangci, this program reflects what happens when talent and vision are given the space they deserve. And when we honor our Fearless Women from right here in our community, we are reminded that leadership, resilience and creativity are alive all around us. The Springfield Symphony Orchestra is proud to be a stage where women are not an afterthought. They are the story.”
Chen, an internationally-acclaimed conductor and one of
during filming, the person in charge of the film’s gore couldn’t make it to the set. This led McGahee and the team to get creative with how certain things were shot, resulting in “the most impactful death scene that I’ve ever shot,” according to McGahee.
McGahee utilized places to film all over Western Massachusetts, such as a Holyoke school, as well as the Enfield Mall in Connecticut. He said he is a low
Musical America’s 2015 Top 30 Influencers, began serving as Artistic Advisor for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra in its 202425 season. In this position, Maestra Chen serves as the Orchestra’s artistic face, curating programs, selecting guest soloists and facilitating other artistic needs. In addition to this performance, Chen conducted the season’s Opening Night concert on Oct. 11.
Chen has served as Music Director of the MacArthur Award-winning Chicago Sinfonietta since 2011, and her contract has been extended through the end of the 2028-2029 season. She is also Chief Conductor of Austria’s Recreation — Grosses Orchester Graz at Styriarte. Highly regarded as a compelling communicator, Chen is a sought-after guest conductor, and has appeared with distinguished orchestras throughout the Americas, Europe, Taiwan, The United Kingdom, and Scandinavia, (over 150 orchestras to date). Chen is a recipient of a League of American Orchestras Helen M. Thompson Award, a Taki Concordia Fellowship, several ASCAP awards and is the only woman in the history of the Malko Competition to have been named First Prize Winner.
budget guy, making films out of his own pocket, so he relies on the kindness of other people allowing him to use their homes or businesses.
He said he is super excited for the premiere and to have something to present to an audience. He also looks forward to getting back with the team behind “Dark Places” to see it on the big screen.
“It’s open to the public, so it’s nice to get feedback from people
Renowned for her “radiant virtuosity, artistic sensitivity, keen interactive sense and subtle auditory dramaturgy” (Salzburger Nachrichten), American pianist Claire Huangci showcases her versatility across a wide range, from Bach and Scarlatti to German and Russian romanticism, and contemporary works by Bernstein, Amy Beach and Samuel Barber. Huangci has performed in many of the world’s most prestigious halls, including Carnegie Hall, Suntory Hall To-
that weren’t involved,” McGahee said. “It’s a super exciting night. I love premieres because it’s just a party, you don’t have to do anything. You don’t have to set up lights, you don’t schedule anything, you just get to show up.” He thanked the entire team behind “Dark Places,” and Agawam Cinemas for their generosity in holding the premiere. The film will stream on Tubi, Fawesome and Amazon Prime Video.
kyo, Paris Philharmonie, Vienna Konzerthaus and more. Huangci’s extensive discography showcases her artistic versatility. Her newest recording, “HEROINES,” with Alpha Classics, features the virtuosic music of female composers Fanny Hensel, Amy Beach, Clara Schumann and Florence Price, and is scheduled for release in January 2026. A Springfield favorite, this performance will mark Huangci’s fourth time performing with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.
Scenes from “Dark Places.”
Reminder Publishing submitted photos
