A pie chart depicts East Longmeadow’s fiscal year 2026 expenses with the largest share going to the School Department followed by insurance costs.Photo Credit: ELCAT EAST LONGMEADOW — The Finance Oversight Committee began its work on April 2 combing through the town’s draft budget for fiscal year 2026 performs the arduous task of reviewing the budget line by line to find efficiencies that could be cut and areas that may have been overlooked in the budget process the committee includes Chair Jim Broderick and Councilors Kathleen Hill and Anna Jones Council President Connor O’Shea serves in an ex-officio capacity Marilyn Richards and Jim Leydon also attended the April 2 meeting Town Manager Tom Christensen reviewed the budget draft which he described as “very conservative.” With a total of $79.13 million the FY26 budget is nearly $7 million more than it was in FY25 Christensen said the town departments were kept to level services meaning they include no new personnel or initiatives such as retirement assessments and insurance rates left the town with the ability to raise just $1 million for increases to its budget without cutting into the excess levy capacity the focus of much conversation at the meeting is a gap between the budget and the maximum amount taxable under the law Christensen explained that it acts as a cushion against unforeseen costs in a “volatile time.” Broderick asked if the desire to maintain the excess levy capacity was a reaction to potential grant and funding cuts from the federal government Finance Director Kimberly Collins explained that the town has not raised taxes by the full 2.5% legally allowed She said the amount included in this year’s budget will be baked into the funding formula for next year’s budget Not using the full amount keeps tax rates below the legal maximum of $25 per $1,000 in value “I congratulate you on your restraint,” Broderick said recognizing the challenge of keeping spending down The estimated property tax rate for FY26 is $19.28 per $1,000 in value $1.87 of which is debt related to the high school and natatorium projects Despite the best efforts of Christensen and Collins just over $300,000 in excess levy capacity was needed to balance this year’s budget leaving an excess capacity of $1.3 million There was “nowhere else to go” in terms of cuts to make to a level service budget Christensen said much work has been done to “flatten that expense curve that got out of control after [COVID-19].” Moving forward he said the town will need to find ways to boost revenue as not much more can be trimmed from the expense side of the funding equation of the town’s general fund comes from property taxes The rest comes from state aid and local receipts While part of the Finance Oversight’s Committee’s job is to examine the budget for potential savings Christensen said $1 million had already been trimmed from the initial town department requests A substantial portion of that was from the School Department which began its budgeting process needing an 8.57% As that figure was far out of the town’s capability the School Committee approved a reduced increase of 5% which was reached with a combination of School Choice revenue contractual bargaining and cutting positions Still out of line with the town’s resources the school budget increase was further reduced to 2.5% which will result in an additional 14 positions being cut or otherwise going unfilled.The Finance Oversight Committee will meet each Wednesday for five weeks before finalizing its recommendations to the council The council will then conduct a public hearing on the budget I would like to receive emails from The Reminder East Longmeadow High School Principal Frank Paige Massachusetts School Building Authority CEO James MacDonald School Building Committee Chair Steve Chrusciel School Committee member Antonella Raschilla Manzi sophomore Class President Brandon McCloud and students from all grade levels lift shovelfuls of dirt at the groundbreaking for the new East Longmeadow High School.Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen EAST LONGMEADOW — Drizzling rain and gloomy skies did not dampen the spirits of onlookers as elected officials members of the East Longmeadow School Department students and professionals from every stage of the East Longmeadow High School project hoisted shovelfuls of dirt to celebrate the project’s groundbreaking The theme of the day’s remarks focused on the partnerships involved in the project Superintendent Gordon Smith recognized contractor Fontaine Bros. architects and designers Jones Whitsett and SMMA and the Massachusetts School Building Authority a semi-governmental agency that helps municipalities with the cost of construction and repair of schools Smith reflected on the start of the project in 2013 when a facilities study examined the needs of all school buildings Some of the schools’ challenges were addressed with capital planning funds while others entered the MSBA’s Accelerated Repair program was accepted into the MSBA’s core program more than four years ago The MSBA is reimbursing the town for $82 million of the $177.5 million project The town is also funding a separate $16.7 million pool project for the campus East Longmeadow High School Principal Frank Paige thanked the voters who approved a debt override in November 2023 to fund the project School Committee member Antonella Raschilla Manzi held her 2-year-old son on her hip while she addressed the crowd she praised the state-of-the-art design and said it was a “safe 21st century building” that will “prepare [students] for success.” Town Manager Tom Christensen called the new school a “gorgeous” and “world class building.” He said “[The groundbreaking] is not just about a building This building will be for all of us because we’re all a part of that soul.” They will be the first and second graduating classes of the new building “I can’t wait to see how it will help students thrive for years to come,” McCloud said School Committee Chair Gregory Thompson has been a champion of the new high school serving on the School Building Committee and speaking at each of the public forums not only for the town but for the students,” who will learn in the building “The whole town is going to benefit from the auditorium and the pool School Building Committee Chair Steve Chrusciel said “It has been such a long time that you begin to think it’s not going to happen We were thrilled to get into the MSBA program my daughter is going to be a junior in the new building MSBA CEO James MacDonald extended his congratulations “Today is a really terrific milestone.” He thanked the state legislature for providing the MSBA’s funding through a cent from each dollar of sales tax “We at the MSBA are so proud to be a part of East Longmeadow’s tomorrow,” he said Construction on the new school will be finished in 2026 with the existing school razed and the campus finished 12-18 months later The East Longmeadow Town Council continued budget discussions during its March 25 meeting.Photo credit: ELCAT01028 EAST LONGMEADOW — East Longmeadow is on track to present a balanced fiscal year 2026 budget for review by the April 1 home rule charter deadline Town Manager Tom Christensen said each of the town’s departments have been directed to adhere to a level service budget to keep the town from having to use a portion of its excess levy capacity the less we can do moving forward,” Christensen said Because the department heads kept increases to their expenses under 2.5% he said the town’s overall budget increase “sort of pales” in comparison to other towns in the area The School Department particularly struggled to meet Christensen’s limit of a 2.5% increase A level service budget would have meant an increase of $3 million It wasn’t something the town was going to be able to afford,” School Department Assistant Superintendent for Business Pamela Blair had said at the School Committee meeting on March 24 By cutting six positions and reducing several line items the School Department reduced its ask to 5% over the previous year Christensen said the town could not support that figure and make the other town departments whole the School Committee voted to reduce its request by an additional $894,810 to bring it down to a 2.5% increase and determine what cuts will need to be made at a future meeting “That will require some decisions on how to get to that,” Superintendent Gordon Smith said School Committee Chair Gregory Thompson said Blair shared that the federal Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Marketing Service canceled a contract with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide local produce to school districts because the program “no longer effectuates federal agency priorities.” After the town budget draft is submitted to the council the Finance Oversight Committee will begin its review at its first meeting on April 2 The council will conduct a public hearing on the budget beginning May 13 and continue it to its next meeting on May 27 a law meant to expand veterans’ services and access to benefits includes a provision which would allow municipalities to increase veterans’ property tax abatements veterans are eligible for property tax abatements A portion of this is reimbursed to the municipality by the state The HERO Act allows cities and towns to increase veteran abatements the extra abatement would be borne by the municipality rather than the state Other adoptable provisions include extending property tax abatements to surviving spouses and Gold Star parents who lost a child in the line of duty Director of Assessing Diane Bishop said the Board of Assessors had recommended the town adopt the extra abatement up to 100% This would potentially double the amount the veterans save on their tax bills Bishop also said that as the town was addressing veteran abatements it was a “opportune time” to review senior tax abatement rate Christensen explained that the council would not be able to adopt the “up to 100%” language and would instead have to set a percentage “It’s a fantastic idea,” Council President Connor O’Shea said of the abatement increase he said it was difficult to approve in a year when the town is cutting multiple positions Councilor Kathleen Hill agreed with O’Shea and suggested waiting to see final numbers from the state Councilor Ralph Page suggested revisiting the matter shortly before voting on the final FY26 budget a resident and veteran service agent in Longmeadow saying that she would not have time to “appeal” the decision Page asked what appeal process she would pursue as the matter was up to the council Velturo did not clarify her remarks but instead referenced Bishop’s suggestion to review the senior tax abatement and said “comparing” seniors to veterans is “disrespectful.” The matter was tabled until the council’s April 22 meeting Longmeadow's #14 Clifton Lalime waits at third base while East Longmeadow's #18 Nicholas Rocca throws pitch to #9 Griffin Gauthier.Samantha Sands .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Samantha Sands | SSands@masslive.comLONGMEADOW – With a 1-1 stalemate headed into the bottom of the sixth both teams were ready to battle it out in the final inning to see who whose last ditch effort would come out successful to pull out the win Longmeadow began plotting on what its next strategy would be Evan Wright stepped up for the Lancers (9-4) for their batting opportunity This was the junior’s first at-bat of the game and on his first swing he sent the pitch by East Longmeadow’s Nicholas Rocca into play A fly ball by Wright went deep into right field over the head of Spartans (5-4) outfielder Ollie Klatka and was good for a triple “I was just going up there for a fast ball and I just wanted to help the team.” Longmeadow had an offensive spark after dealing with a scoring drought since the second inning Luke Costello singled on a line drive to bring Wright home and award the Lancers a 2-1 lead This lead would carry Longmeadow to force a three quick outs at the top of the seventh and close out the game to secure 2-1 victory This win boosts the Lancers to a current three-game win streak and allowed them to celebrate their eight seniors on senior day I just wanted to win for them,” Wright said neither team had much offense success throughout the contest which can be credited to the pitchers on the mound Brayden Koegol started the game and pitched five innings Koegol only allowed one hit and one run on the day The junior gave up four walks and notched six strikeouts Derek Steinberg pitched for two innings for a no-hitter they had runners on but they stuck to their command and they did a good job of keeping hitters off balance for East Longmeadow,” Longmeadow head coach Ryan Blain said Rocca pitched the full game for the Spartans the Lancers first took the lead when Chester Bouchard scored off a single hit by Brody Harrington The Spartans wouldn’t tie the game until the top of the fifth where they quickly found some offensive momentum East Longmeadow had the bases loaded as Sean Krol stepped up the Spartans had a stroke of luck and an error made by Koegol allowed for Yadiel Acevedo to rush from third base to home plate to even out the score at 1-1 Krol grounded out to Lancers shortstop Charles MacElhiney on the next play to end East Longmeadow’s at-bat and help Longmeadow avoid any stacked runs scored The Spartans were scoreless for the remainder of the game as they only totaled one hit and one run scored throughout the seven innings Clifton Lalime led with a team-high two hits On a day with minimal production on the offensive side Longmeadow stayed patient until an opportunity like Wright’s play presented itself “It’s just a testament that every day at practice we work hard and we work on our approach.” Blain said He’s a hard worker and he’s a good hitter.” Longmeadow will ride its three-game win streak into an upcoming five game road stand to close out the regular season “We just have that mentality with a lot of older players this year that every game we have a great opportunity to go show everybody who we are.” Blain said “We’re just going to keep grinding every day and hopefully we can go on some road trips and have some great focus every game.” the Lancers will travel to Northampton on Friday it will travel to Springfield Central on Friday Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Even Miss Western Massachusetts Teen got into the fun and kissed a fish.Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen EAST LONGMEADOW — About 200 families woke up bright and early on April 19 put on rain boots and grabbed their tackle boxes for the East Longmeadow Lions Club Fishing Derby at Heritage Park second and third place in each age category Worms were donated by Rent-A-Tent and the Massachusetts State Police brought one of its search and rescue boats for children to take a picture with Battles between members of colonial militias and British soldiers broke out in the towns of Lexington and Concord on April 19 the “shot heard ‘round the world.” The American Revolution had begun What many people do not realize is how many people from their own towns fought and With the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution this year East Longmeadow is remembering its people who answered the call to arms with a ceremony on Saturday The day after the “skirmish[es]” at Lexington and Concord people fired guns and rung bells to announce that armed rebellion had begun The signals alerted the one-in-10 men from every town and village who had volunteered to be ready with a minute’s notice to drop what they were doing and go to war With roughly 300 people living in what was then Longmeadow’s East Village about 45 people left their homes to report for duty Reflecting on those people that history has dubbed whose ancestor was a minuteman from Spencer They were just farming families that answered the call.” He added the American Revolution was fought for seven years many of the people who had gone to fight came back to their lives in Massachusetts The anniversary ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and feature veterans marching down Maple Street to the Town Hall and a reading of the people who served in either the militia or the army between 1775 and 1783 Historical Commission member Kenneth Hancock researched their biographies and service records while fellow member George Kingston prepared a talk based on that research The Historical Commission is also hoping to have a Revolutionary War reenactor present for the event The ceremony is one of scores taking place in towns around the state. Massachusetts 250 is a statewide campaign to organize ceremonies and celebrations marking the Revolution’s anniversary. To find more events celebrating the Revolution’s anniversary, visit massachusetts250.org Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More ships their products to 70 countries across the world The materials and parts for their hand dryers are sourced domestically and then “We’re very proud of that,’ Vice President and COO William Gagnon said “It certainly takes extra work to keep it that way Gagnon said they’re a family run business and the only hand dryer manufacturer still completely made in America.  Our competitors took that when it was available,” he said We decided to look within and ask ourselves how can we make this more effectively and more efficiently with our own trained and capable workforce.” are installed in different buildings and venues around the world.   “We’re in the World Cup soccer arenas in South Africa We just put a thousand hand dryers in the new Istanbul airport in turkey,” Gagnon said “We’re used in places like Walmart and Target Gagnon said his family’s decision to go USA-made nearly 30 years ago is paying off now that President Trump has made it clear he’s open to heavier tariffs on trade partners across the globe.   “Many of our large customers are calling and asking should we expect a tariff surcharge on your product are you going to increase your price to us Gagnon said he thinks the proposed tariffs will do exactly what the President says and promote American manufacturing since he’s had to deal with other companies trying to knock off his products.   “We have a lot of copycat Chinese knock offs that come in from China that copy our design It looks like an XLERATOR but it’s not and they cost half of what our dryer costs Gagnon said as they try and grow internationally the tariffs they have to pay on their products can create a barrier.  Turkey and Brazil carry some of the highest tariffs for Excel Dryer and Gagnon said he thinks the President’s plan would help make international trade more fair for everyone.   “By Trump pushing for reciprocal tariffs and making it even that’s going to help open up more export markets for us and give us a more competitive advantage,” he said.  Gagnon said his family,  company and employees are proud of their American-made product and while other businesses may feel uncertain about what’s going to happen next “In business you have to be prepared for everything,” Gagnon said “When the dust settles and the negotiations are made in the end I think it will be good for everyone and level the playing field and open up trade.” by Sarah Heinonen | Mar 12, 2025 | East Longmeadow, Hampden County, Photo Slider Town Manager Tom Christensen and Town Council President Connor O’Shea flank incoming Fire Chief Christopher Beecher and retiring Fire Chief Paul Morrisette.Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen EAST LONGMEADOW — “The end of one legacy and the beginning of another.” That is how firefighter Ed McCandlish described the Change of Command ceremony hosted by the East Longmeadow Fire Department on March 7 during which retiring Fire Chief Paul Morrisette handed the reins to incoming Chief Christopher Beecher said Morrisette “embodies what it means to be a townie.” A lifelong resident of East Longmeadow Morrisette spent 33 years with the Fire Department starting as a volunteer firefighter and serving for the last dozen years as chief Morrisette made several improvements to the department over the years including implementing ambulance services and expanding services to 24/7 coverage a longtime member of the department who has served as deputy fire chief for the past few years Beecher said he takes the role of leader “very seriously” and envisioned the department under his tenure as one of “teamwork Angelo Puppolo (D-Springfield) and Brian Ashe (D-Longmeadow) were in attendance to present Morrisette and Beecher with citations congratulating them on retiring and becoming chief “When everyone is running out of the building these people behind us are running in.” He added there is not always enough time to thank them properly Ashe spoke about having known both Morrisette and Beecher for several years “It makes a big difference in your job when you actually like and respect the people you work with.” For Oliveira’s part he said both the outgoing and incoming chiefs “understand the community” and that was something “you want in someone leading your fire department.” The Center Town District boundaries defined by the Center Town District Steering Committee after residents provided their preferences at an outreach event in October.Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen EAST LONGMEADOW — The East Longmeadow Center Town District Steering Committee took the first concrete step toward creating the district by mapping out the district’s boundaries East Longmeadow has been considering different versions of a Center Town District for several years The town’s first run at a mixed-use zone was in 2020 Deputy Town Manager Rebecca Lisi said the Mixed-Use Village District bylaw was “overly tailored,” applying to just a couple of properties in town and therefore was not applied to the zoning map Lisi emphasized that the district is not a response to a developer proposal or building project because there were rumors about ‘low-income’ housing being developed somewhere But this isn’t a development project,” Lisi said she said the district is “really a focus on zoning or land use.” There are many parcels near Center Square that are zoned industrial a leftover from before the town created the industrial garden park district to be redeveloped in line with the vision for the district rather than be developed into another industrial use The regulations for what developments would be allowed in the district will be laid out in a bylaw and sent for approval by the town.The purpose of the district being envisioned now would be to create a walkable downtown amenities and a variety of housing solutions in a mixed-use space the anchor of this space would be the rotary “Once people understand that the Center Town District will create more variety in the town’s housing options — for young professionals and older people who want to downsize They understand the purpose of the district and the value it holds over future development,” she said the committee has been engaged in outreach talking with residents to see what the town wants out of the district but we’ve had really well-attended meetings,” Lisi said describing the process as a “democratic exercise.” “I think we’re reaching this pivotal moment where we’re pivoting from gathering information to making decisions about what the district is going to look like,” Lisi said Kyle Finnell and Aodhan Hemeon of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission created by groups of residents at the committee’s previous meeting indicating that the group working on it did not want a Center Town District the other 14 maps showed a wide range of potential boundaries Finnell and Hemeon overlayed the maps to find areas of town that the residents agreed upon.With that information four options were presented to the committee focusing on the rotary and the area southwest of there more than a third is zoned for business and a quarter is zoned industrial Twenty percent of the parcels on that map are residential The “central district” map was designed to stretch further north along North Main Street and include a narrow strip south along Shaker Road to Chestnut Street 38% of the parcels in this version of the district would be zoned for business and 29% would be zoned as industrial 20% of the parcels are zoned as residential Some of the maps residents created called for a significantly larger district stretching south to encompass 330 Chestnut St. which was recently the subject of controversy over a proposed warehouse development The map had been drawn to extend the district along North Main Street A third of that map contains parcels in the industrial garden park zone while 16% is industrial zoned outside the garden park and 19% is zoned business An alternative to this was to have a smaller main district and a subdistrict encompassing 330 Chestnut St Residents at the meeting weighed in on the maps Elinor Shuman commented that Amherst had built mixed-use buildings without considering parking solutions for the residents moving into the area residents parked in public parking locations Roland Bolduc spoke about traffic being brought into the area by the people who would be living there despite the concept of not needing a vehicle in a walkable area Ernest Gagnon said the town would need to provide services for new residents He was concerned about density and the number of housing units compared to businesses That information will be determined by the bylaw He said people are concerned about affordable housing Under the legal definition of affordable housing households must make 80% or less of the area median income which in the greater Springfield area is $87,600 for a family of four “I think we can get market-based reasonably priced housing — not affordable housing — for our aging parents for our children who have graduated high school or college recently and want to live in East Longmeadow,” Thompson said One resident said that aside from the “Carlin Building,” at 70 Maple St Bolduc asked if residents had been notified about “what’s about to happen to their area.” However notifying individual residents within those boundaries was not possible Roland and Shirlene Bolduc also expressed dismay that only the members of the public who attended the Center Town District engagement event in October had a hand in creating the maps Center Town District Steering Committee member Nicole Polite favored the compact core map She said a small district would minimize financial risk for both developers and the town and would be easier on East Longmeadow’s infrastructure She added that a smaller district would help ease the town into the reality of having the district Center Town District Steering Committee member Stephen Graham also leaned toward the compact core but said some aspects of the mixed-use district could be adapted and included a health club and the Red Stone Rail Trail “within minutes” of the center of the town adding that “if developed right” East Longmeadow “could become one of the nicest walking communities anywhere.” Center Town District Steering Committee member Dawn Stark also liked the compact core and agreed with Polite that it would be easier for the community to adjust She said she is “pro-business” and “if it’s a ‘Center Town District,’ let’s keep it in the center.” However she repeatedly expressed concern about including the residential properties in the area Center Town District Steering Committee Chair Carolyn Ferros said she preferred the “central district” that encompassed more of the corridors along Shaker Road and North Main Street She said it had the fewest Residential A properties included She also said the district could be drawn to encourage people away from the rotary Center Town District Steering Committee member Jason Gumpert was the only one in favor of the expansive mixed-use corridor that included a strip of properties running north-to-south through the center of town He said it would allow for “exploratory development” and “flexibility.” Town Councilor Ralph Page had submitted comments including a suggestion to create the bylaw first and then identify the district that would best meet the bylaw’s goals He also was against including 330 Chestnut St which he said was “one of our town’s best features” and industrial parcels “recession-proof” the town starting with the compact core map and tweaking it to include fewer residential properties adding the Carlin Building and the storage facility that abuts the wetlands alongside the rail trail to the north of the rotary The border was stretched south to include the properties between the rail trail and Shaker Road The resulting map creates a district that includes the rotary but is centered west of there Lisi emphasized that the boundaries could be altered as the process continues She said the Steering Committee will move on to drafting the bylaw The map and bylaw will be sent to the Planning Board for public hearings go through the Town Council’s bylaw process She said there will be plenty of additional opportunities for residents to provide input “We’re still a long ways from a complete bylaw but we’re moving in the right direction,” Lisi said by Sarah Heinonen | Mar 12, 2025 | Local News East Longmeadow’s 141-year-old town bell is deteriorating from exposure to weather as it sits in front of the Town Hall.Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen EAST LONGMEADOW — “Ask not for whom the bell tolls,” English poet John Donne famously wrote East Longmeadow’s town bell has not tolled in more than 30 years as it sits aging in front of the Town Hall Community Preservation Committee Chair Tom Behan said this piece of town history is in need of restoration when it was commissioned from Meneely Bell Foundry in what was then West Troy the current Town Hall was built as a school and meeting house for the area known at the time as Longmeadow’s East Village It is one of four large belltower bells in East Longmeadow with the others housed at the First Congregational Church Michael’s Parish and the First Baptist Church The bell was last rung in 1994 for the town’s centennial anniversary when it was rung 100 times for the town’s 100 years of existence when Japan surrendered to Allied forces in World War II The bell was removed from the tower around 2005 and set on a Redstone base in front of the Town Hall exposure to the elements has taken its toll on the bell’s condition When seeking the Town Council’s permission to restore the bell Behan explained that the protective finish on the yolk has worn away allowing it to rust and the layers of patina on the bell are beginning to pit the bronze and corrode the material the bell will need to be disassembled and shipped to a company that specializes in such work The yoke and A-frame will be sand-blasted and powder coated Behan explained that the bell itself will be “soft-blasted” using a gentle abrasive to remove patina without damaging the underlying material It will then be clear-coated for protection would be replaced with a steel one that is period appropriate the Town Council approved $12,000 of Community Preservation funding for the project which will also include a new base and hardware Behan said the work would have to be repeated in 20 years in talks with Town Manager Tom Christensen it was suggested the bell be displayed in the lobby of the new Town Offices at 382 N it would likely be placed under an acrylic barrier to keep people from touching it or trying to ring the bell which is still operable more than 140 years after it was cast Meadow Brook School Librarian Celeste O’Brien Suess’ The Cat in the Hat for the Read Across America event.Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen East Longmeadow High School students volunteered to visit Meadow Brook School to read to students in grades K-2 for Read Across America This year’s reading partnership took place on March 14 Read Across America began in 1998 as an initiative of the National Education Association The year-round program of events and partnerships encourages children and teens to read The highlight of the program usually takes place in National Reading Month in March and around the March 2 birthday of famed children’s author Dr National Education Association offers a list of titles and resources for families and educators to use throughout the year The association focuses on books that allow students to see themselves reflected in the story and those that let young readers learn about worlds and characters different from themselves WEST SPRINGFIELD — It wasn’t looking good for the Greenfield hockey team in overtime on Wednesday against East Longmeadow in the Western Mass The top-seeded Green Wave tied things 3-3 early in the third period which led to overtime but through seven minutes of the extra period Fourth-seeded East Longmeadow peppered Greenfield keeper Cooper Smith throughout the 4-on-4 extra time period but Smith — who finished the game with 30 saves — came up with stop after stop even when the Spartans went on the power play While East Longmeadow had the majority of chances Jurek came up with the puck with just over one minute to go in overtime raced down the ice and beat an East Longmeadow defender to the net before slipping a shot into the Spartan goal with 59 seconds remaining in the first OT period sending the Green Wave to the sectional championship game with a 4-3 victory at the Olympia Ice Center I had been out there for about four minutes which took down Minnechaug 4-2 in Wednesday’s other semifinal That final will take place on Saturday at a time to be determined a wide range of options could have played out on Wednesday Greenfield knocked off East Longmeadow 2-1 the first time the two teams saw each other earlier in the month but last week the Spartans defeated the Green Wave 10-1 Greenfield coach Adam Bouchard said despite the big loss competitive game on Wednesday with a Western Mass “They took it to us the other night,” Bouchard said We had a game plan which was effort and execution Outside of that 10-1 game every game against East Longmeadow these last few years has been a one goal or overtime game This is the exact kind of game we expected.”  A miscommunication by Greenfield led to the opening goal of the game The Green Wave turned it over in their own end to Spartan Joseph Mazza who quickly sent it across the crease to Owen Reid for the wide open tap in giving East Longmeadow a 1-0 lead just 3:03 into the game The Spartans (11-8-1) didn’t take long to strike again East Longmeadow’s Brayden Erickson drove to the net and was checked hard but the puck slipped back to Connor Brewster who was able to snipe it into the left corner to take a 2-0 lead with 8:13 to go in the period The power play got Greenfield back in the game The Wave went on the man up late in the first period and Jurek did the rest Jurek retrieved the puck in the Greenfield end rushed up the ice himself by weaving through the Spartan defense before putting a back hand top shelf for an unassisted goal that cut the lead to 2-1 with 3:53 remaining in the period “We were just picking each other up on the bench after being down two [goals],” Jurek said The Green Wave tied things on the power play in the second Greenfield controlled possession this time around and after a scramble in front of the East Longmeadow goal Matt Garvin was able to smash it home to tie things 2-2 with 7:53 to go in the frame Shawn Baumann was credited with an assist on the play The Spartans kept taking penalties late in the second the Spartans got the puck out of their own end and East Longmeadow’s Carson LePage tipped it away from a Wave defender and went in on a breakaway He finished the chance to give the Spartans a 3-2 lead with 2:13 to go in the second period Greenfield came out with life to start the third fed it to Garvin at the point and he rifled a shot in to knot things 3-3 with 13:50 to go in the third The Green Wave went on the power play with 2:20 to go in regulation but were unable to find the game-winner until Jurek’s OT heroics “A few turnovers and mistakes on both sides caused some goals to go in get the players in the positions we needed them to get in and we’re lucky to have number two [Jurek] here to show everyone who number two is.”  you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users EAST LONGMEADOW — The East Longmeadow Town Council approved a bylaw on Feb Massachusetts passed the Affordable Homes Act which was intended to make housing more available and affordable throughout the state accessory dwelling units were made an as-by-right use This means municipalities cannot prohibit them cities and towns were allowed to pass bylaws restricting them Using guidelines from the state and the town’s attorney the bylaw was written by Planning and Community Development Director Rob Watchilla and received several public hearings with the Planning Board After an initial reading by the Town Council and review by the council’s Planning Matters Subcommittee the Town Council reviewed the proposed changes and that lot must also contain a single-family home All buildings on a lot must cover less than 25% of the land There are additional rules around lot coverage for properties in residential zone C Mobile homes and temporary structures are not allowed to act as an accessory dwelling unit A separate entrance and clearly marked address are required The gross floor area of an ADU is limited to the smaller of either half the gross floor area of the principal dwelling or 900 square feet All setbacks and building height limits required in a residential zone also apply to the ADU All ADUs must conform to all state and local sanitary and building codes and environmental laws The council debated whether to require separate electrical meters for the attached and contained accessory units Councilor Ralph Page said the state regulations do not require a separate meter for these ADUs He also said it may require homeowners to rewire their entire house Watchilla said rental units usually have a separate electrical meter unless electricity is paid by the landlord Council President Connor O’Shea agreed with Watchilla and said tenants and their landlords can work it out between them if a separate utility bill is not desired Watchilla said that since short-term rentals are not allowed anywhere in town the language could be removed from the bylaw Councilor Marilyn Richards said that people will primarily check the ADU bylaw when considering such a use and the language should remain An ADU must have one off-street parking space devoted to it and a separate driveway is possible in zones that allow more than one curb cut per property Attached ADUs are those created by adding an addition onto a primary residence while contained units do not change the footprint of the primary structure and all construction occurs inside the primary dwelling’s envelope The bylaw spells out separate rules for detached units which do not share a wall with the primary residence Detached units can be located in the side or rear yard and must have a distance of at least 10 feet from the single-family home The units must also have a separate water meter and sewer lines and separate trash removal O’Shea suggested changing the bylaw to require that such ADUs adhere to the setbacks for accessory structures instead of those for the primary dwelling Richards countered that 5 feet from a rear or side property line Page agreed with Richards but said that as written now the state’s regulations indicate that an ADU can be placed wherever an accessory structure can be placed He said he would rather be more restrictive than less until the state finalizes its regulations Detached ADUs require a site plan review by the Planning Board There was much debate over whether to require a site plan review for attached and contained ADUs As Page pointed out during a Planning Board public hearing on the matter additions and interior renovations of a single-family home do not require a site plan review The Planning Matters Subcommittee suggested that instead of a site plan review attached and contained ADUs should be subject to administrative review by the Planning Department and a building permit Page said that the building permit should suffice as an administrative review is not required for other additions and renovations of a single-family home He said in-law apartments already exist in town without any issues The council decided to remove the requirement for Planning Board administrative review as many of the same steps could be included in the building permit process Planning Board Chair Russell Denver commented “It’s another piece of where the state [is] sticking their nose into local zoning.” He said there have been several times that the state has allowed a lawsuit over a zoning decision made in East Longmeadow [Towns] have decided what the zones should be and how they should be enforced the state has decided to step into the shoes of local communities and make these changes.” Denver said he and members of the Planning Board “believe that this … potentially has the ability to make major impacts on this community — some people will say positive I think the majority of the Planning Board will say negative.” He posed a rhetorical question asking if state representatives or state senators that represent the town or Gov Maura Healey had called East Longmeadow to ask their opinion on allowing ADUs as-by-right “Our hand is forced here,” Christensen acknowledged he said that “almost every department in town,” including the Planning Board had a hand in creating the bylaw over just 188 days and that is “exactly how government is supposed to work.” by Tina Lesniak | Apr 9, 2025 | East Longmeadow, Hampden County, Local Headlines, Local News While the Fourth of July fireworks display will be put on hold the annual carnival will go on as planned.Reminder Publishing file photo EAST LONGMEADOW — For the first time in a long time fireworks will not be lighting up the skies of East Longmeadow this Fourth of July Due to ongoing construction at East Longmeadow High School the traditional fireworks display — long a staple of the town’s holiday celebrations — has been canceled for 2025 the East Longmeadow Rotary Club will introduce a new laser light show to dazzle attendees “The main reason we are unable to hold the fireworks this year is due to the construction at East Longmeadow High School,” explained Alison Donnelly president of the East Longmeadow Rotary Club “There is no safe or approved area in the town where the fireworks can be displayed for this year.” While the news may be disappointing to some “Given that our Summer Concert Series location had to be moved last year due to the construction we were aware that East Longmeadow High School would likely not be a viable option for our 2025 fireworks display,” Donnelly said there is no approved area where fireworks can be lit off safely and would accommodate the crowds that normally attend the event.” the Rotary Club was determined to uphold the spirit of celebration a laser light show will be hosted in conjunction with the July 3 Trailer Trash concert The event will take place at Mapleshade Elementary School “In other communities where fireworks were not an option they have replaced their fireworks with laser light shows which we are excited to do as well,” Donnelly said “We are pleased to have come up with a solution for the community.” most of the town’s beloved traditions will continue as well as the carnival complete with rides The carnival will take place at Center Field Donnelly noted that she doesn’t believe there are any other changes to the festivities and shared her excitement about the upcoming show “It is our understanding that the East Longmeadow Rotary Club is the first or one of the first in the area to host a laser light show “Many in the community are understanding and appreciative of the East Longmeadow Rotary Club’s efforts in providing an alternative.” Donnelly emphasized that the Rotary Club is an all-volunteer organization focused on community service and she encouraged anyone interested to get involved The Center Town District Steering Committee discusses housing models during a Jan 29 meeting.Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen EAST LONGMEADOW — The first steps toward crafting a center town district bylaw were taken at the Jan 29 Center Town District Steering Committee meeting Town Manager Tom Christensen began the meeting by explaining the town’s reasons for pursuing a center town district He explained that the town’s revenue is not keeping pace with its expenses in part because new growth has been stagnant the town will have difficulties meeting its needs The center town district will encourage new growth with multiple uses of the same parcel Another reason for the center town district is to meet the state’s affordable housing threshold of 10% of housing stock Affordable housing is defined by the state as affordable for and occupied by households making 80% or less of the areawide median income that translates to individuals making up to $61,350 annually The last reason for the center town district is to intentionally rezone the industrial properties in the downtown area which Christensen said are no longer an appropriate use of the land he said mixed-use zoning will incentivize developers and increase the tax base The town contracted with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission to help create the district the steering committee set the boundaries of the district west along Maple Street and south along Shaker Road The district is 96.5 acres and consists of 122 parcels The committee is considering various structures for the district a law that regulates smart growth zoning districts Among the requirements for building in smart growth zoning districts is that the development permit a mix of housing for families persons with special needs and the elderly; achieve certain levels of housing density and contain 20% affordable housing units a land use and environment planner with PVPC presented several sets of choices for the committee to decide The first was what type of development should go into the district whether it be single family attached homes He explained that the single-family attached homes “Density is what we need,” said Carolyn Ferros the density of units depends on the type of housing He said single family attached homes must have a minimum density of eight units per acre whereas there must be at least 12 duplexes and triplexes per acre A minimum of 20 multifamily units are required on an acre parcel in a 40R district While housing would be a possibility in the district the committee agreed that mixed-use developments were preferred as they would be most advantageous for increasing the tax base While committee member ex-offico Ralph Page did not “see any problems” with duplexes and triplexes committee member Steven Graham opined that developers were less likely to build them because other options would have a higher return on investment the better.” Graham said “vibrant” mixed used areas have little restriction on when is allowed Committee member Nicole Polite said she would like to see “mom-and-pop shops” rather than chains Page flipped though inches of a book with potential land uses and suggested the committee go through it systematically Ferros suggested subdistricts and said what may work on Baldwin Street might not be best at the rotary “[We] definitely don’t want to do one-size-fits-all.” The committee discussed whether to create a base zoning district or an overlay district An overlay district allows for both the base zoning or the uses permitted in by the overlay bylaw but Page said the point was to change the use of the parcels the industrial just doesn’t make sense in the center of town.” However he said he was concerned that businesses in the district would have their zone changed Ferros assured that the zoning would not change for existing properties until their use changed Hemeon told the committee that it can create specific dimensional regulations for developments Specified details make the process smoother for developers and the town Page said the look the committee chooses for the center of town will inform the dimension regulations he said that he has always loved coastal towns with shops directly abutting the sidewalk but questioned whether no setbacks would work in East Longmeadow Ferros briefly confused the business zone’s 100-foot frontage with its setback but it was explained that the setback is only 25 feet Hemeon said he has seen multifamily buildings up to 40 feet tall in 40R districts Page said the maximum height in industrial zones is 50 feet while residentially zoned properties can be as tall as 35 feet Graham said the Mario’s Cafe Ambiance building at 60 Shaker Rd Ferros said the tallest buildings should not be in the rotary but said a two-story building would not be out of place between the Redstone Rail Trail and Shaker Road Page suggested a 40-foot maximum height with taller buildings allowed under a special permit Hemeon said the committee can also specify the inclusion of green spaces Ferros shared that green spaces would help make high-density areas more attractive Graham liked the idea and referred to Mattoon Street in Springfield which is a green space in the middle of high-density housing he said green spaces were not an economical investment for developers Gumpert suggested requiring green spaces based on the size of the parcel Ferros said there were too many mostly empty parking lots in town Committee member ex-offico Robert Tirrell suggested developers estimate the amount of parking needed for their projects rather than have the town require a specific number of spaces Hemeon said the district could have shared parking rather than a certain number of spaces required for each business Page pointed out that Town Hall and library share parking with the businesses in Center Square It works because the town offices are not open when the businesses are busiest but Graham asked who would pay for its construction and maintenance land use and environment department deputy director at the PVPC said a public-private partnership might allow for the developers to share costs Graham dismissed the idea of a garage and said every lively downtown has parking issues Ernest Gagnon said the town already had traffic problems and thought the district would exacerbate them Roland Bolduc said two-income families require two parking spaces He was also against the idea of a parking garage Another person asked if people would be charged for parking in a garage Tim Brown recalled a controversy in 2024 regarding regulating chickens on residential properties He said people were upset because they like the “rural nature” or the town “I don’t think anything high density is good for East Longmeadow,” he said Gumpert commented that everything in the center of town is already developed It is the green areas on the outskirts of East Longmeadow that are being paved over for subdivision Another resident asked if there were any infrastructure needs attached to the district Page explained that the town was already working on its infrastructure including paving on Somers Road and Prospect Street and lighting on North Main Street Ferros said developers would design their projects to meet the needs of the town “We have to come up with regulations of what we want it to look like and then go forward We want to create a look and feel for the town that allows some things and not other things.” He added that the parcels would not be redeveloped overnight and said the committee is creating the bylaw with an eye toward what the town will look like in 50 years Ferros reminded the audience that the bylaw would go to the Planning Board for review and the Town Council for approval Deputy Town Manager Rebecca Lisi said the goal would be to have a final bylaw by March She said she was concerned about “misinformation” from certain members of the Town Council She emphasized that the town center district and the contract with the PVPC as its consultant was a town initiative “Before we even had an opportunity to explain the purpose of our committee and explain to the community what 40R is misinformation was being spread and continued to be spread Posts on social media by Town Council members are being circulated that are spreading misinformation to deceive constituents and are confusing 40B with 40R.” Part of the state’s housing laws under Chapter 40B allows developers who want to build affordable housing to ask the state to override local zoning bylaws in municipalities where less than 10% of housing units are considered affordable This provision of 40B is in effect in all cities and towns that have not reached the threshold of 10% affordable housing Ferros later told Reminder Publishing that with chapter 40R but it’s not the main component.” She said that certain councilors were “cherry-picking” information and using terms such as “affordable housing” to sow confusion in the community “It creates more work for the committee to re-explain 40R” and “undermines the process.” Ferros clarified that 40R may or may not be chosen as a structure for the center town district Rather than create a bylaw that adheres to the 40R regulations Ferros said the committee is working to create a district that works best for East Longmeadow