The election will take place at the Longmeadow Community House.Reminder Publishing file photo LONGMEADOW — It is town election season and in Longmeadow five candidates submitted papers to run for two seats on the Select Board races with more than two candidates per seat require a preliminary election to be conducted to whittle down the field The four candidates that receive the most votes will appear on the Annual Town Election ballot Two incumbents are seeking to retain their seats: Mark Gold and Dan Zwirko when he filled then-Select Board member Brian Ashe’s term after he was elected as a state representative while Zwirko is finishing his first three-year term Shelly Maynard-DeWolf and Salvatore Anzalotti III are each hoping to win one of the seats Anzalotti and Maynard-DeWolf had similar reasons for running for the board Both Maynard-DeWolf and Garrett are parents with children in Longmeadow schools and cited their children as a reason for running for Select Board “The reason I’m running is because I want to give back” and “help preserve our community for our children,” said Maynard-DeWolf She moved to Longmeadow from Springfield 16 years ago when she and her husband were looking for “a great place to raise a family.” Referring to the town’s schools and amenities including sidewalks that allowed her to feel safe letting her children walk and ride their bicycles home from school “I want to make sure that their community is as strong stable and safe as I can.” He also said he has always been passionate about serving the community and has done so in many governmental and civic positions “Longmeadow is at an important fiscal crossroads more direct role in seeing the town through these upcoming challenges.” Anzalotti is a Longmeadow native who moved back to town after living in Agawam for a time “I wanted to contribute something to my community “I was particularly motivated to increase my involvement in Longmeadow government because through all the turmoil going on at the national level I began asking myself what more I could do personally safeguard and stabilize my own local community.” Working on local communities and their issues is the best way to improve the country “I believe that building a Longmeadow that is rooted in love and respect for our neighbors caring for our children and elderly and fostering close rich and diverse relationships within our town is the best way to protect Longmeadow and ensure that we remain prosperous and strong as a community for years to come.” Maynard-DeWolf said she feels “uniquely qualified” to serve on the Select Board due to the combination of professional experience She works in the financial private sector for Empower she was employed with the city of Springfield for 11 years including while the city was in receivership she said she worked with all the city’s departments to make a financial plan to move Springfield forward She said she excels in bringing people together to affect change and make progress “I really enjoyed working for the community I lived in I really enjoyed municipal government,” Maynard-DeWolf said Garrett has served on the town’s Finance Committee for a decade in various roles such as being the committee’s liaison to the Longmeadow Tax Ceiling Task Force and to the School Committee “I am also president of Longmeadow Youth Football and vice president of the Longmeadow Football Inc Board” and has served on the board for the Longmeadow Little League and the board of Longmeadow Baseball Association “I am an attorney practicing in Connecticut and have extensive experience in mediation I utilize that experience with me as a member of the Finance Committee and would do so as a member of the Select Board.” Anzalotti feels that he can relate to Longmeadow’s business owners as he owned and managed Agawam Family Cinemas from 1996 to 2014 I was dealing with what was going on at the time in the town Anzalotti worked for the city of Springfield He also has experience as a solo lawyer working with juveniles “My whole career has been in the public sector,” Anzalotti said I was an attorney for the License Commission so I’m aware of the Open Meeting Law and how it works.” Members of the Select Board must make difficult decisions that affect the entire town Gold said the most difficult decision he has made was holding out for a higher annual payment in the surrounding community impact agreement with MGM Springfield He said there were several parties “urging the board to reduce our final request some urging us to take the same offer as the other surrounding communities.” “I was able to lead the Select Board to maintain our request for a $250,000 per year settlement,” instead of accepting the offered $50,000 “It was a singular situation of holding to what I felt was right to do,” Gold said it was eye-opening to learn that our town infrastructure had been neglected for years and maintenance had been deferred across town It was difficult to have to support an increase in our water and sewer rates to help pay for needed infrastructure improvements when these issues should have been addressed more responsibly over the past several years.” The incumbents also reflected on what they are most proud of accomplishing while on the board he said some of the items he is most proud of include voting for an updated school literacy program and “coordinating two massive town cleanups and a Blueberry Elementary School painting project with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department which saved the town tens of thousands of dollars.” He said “I am always thinking of more efficient ways of doing things which led me to introduce the first mobile application for our town to modernize and enhance our communications with the community.” Zwirko said “Being a strong supporter and advocate for our town’s seniors and veterans,” he has been “continuously voting in favor of events and services that support these two important groups.” who had a hand in moving the town to automated water meter reading and resetting the sewer rate to what he described as “a more equitable system,” his proudest accomplishment is the purchase of the town’s streetlights and “converting them to high efficiency LED systems undertaken with the approval of the Select Board but entirely on my initiative and combined effort with Town Manager Lyn Simmons continues to save the town over $500,000 per year.” He remarked that the savings are “tremendous,” particularly when the town has a tight budget The “significant environmental benefit” of LED lights “makes this achievement all the more gratifying,” he said Gold also pointed to his participation in three contract negotiations with trash hauling companies “My training and experience as part of a purchasing group in the private sector enabled me to bring my years of experience to the town’s team of negotiators My participation in the trash hauling contract process significantly advanced the town’s negotiating capability not because Longmeadow’s purchasing team is weak but because their negotiation skills are limited.” Maynard-DeWolf sees a couple of major challenges facing Longmeadow she said the town needs to create one to “ensure we funnel our money to the right places” and that “Longmeadow remains a vibrant town.” It should be noted the town completed its Climate Resilient Long-Range Plan which acts as an overarching framework for the town direction in terms of land use The document has since won awards within the planning industry Strategic plans are often an array of more specific steps that will help people meet a long-range plan’s goals Another major challenge Maynard-DeWolf sees involves communication between the town boards and departments and the residents so they can help keep our community amazing?” she asked She also said there are opportunities to improve representation on boards and committees and “reflect the residents that live in town.” To reach that goal she said the town would need to make residents aware of how they can become involved The condition of Longmeadow roads is one of the most critical things Anzalotti sees facing the towns He said Longmeadow’s streets are worse than those in Springfield or surrounding communities He also said the schools are deteriorating and need to be addressed Both problems are the result of deferred maintenance Anzalotti said funding for such projects may be found through efficiencies but it is unlikely in a town the size of Longmeadow He said funding through the general fund may be “a bitter pill to swallow” for taxpayers he said balancing the budget and maintaining a surplus is important including roads and deferred maintenance on our municipal buildings facilities [and recreation fields] are a major concern I support and am focused on supporting our DPW to address these pressing needs,” Garrett said “Senior citizens are intimately tied to Longmeadow’s “fiscal future,” Garret said “residents who consume the least amount of resources relative to the tax revenue they provide the town of Longmeadow.” Meanwhile he sees the town’s schools “an engine” bringing new residents to town and keeping property values high “Making sure our schoolchildren are receiving the best possible education is the key to keeping Longmeadow attractive for new residents seeking to move here.” As such he supports the new middle school project and said “making sure this is executed in a fiscally sound manner is of critical importance.” I’m looking forward to seeing through the large investments we have put in place to improve our roads and town infrastructure I’m also excited to continue to support the new middle school project as it moves closer to being shovel ready and to be at the table as we start to consider opportunities for the best use of the land at the old [Glenbrook Middle School] site I also look forward to continuing the rollout of municipal fiber across town to provide better services for our residents and a new revenue stream for Longmeadow rather than continuing to support monopolies like Comcast.” Gold is anticipating lower federal and state funding and said the town will need to operate within those constraints “Continuing to resolve the financial issues of the town within the confines of Proposition 2½ will be an even greater struggle in the next three years as it has been in the past 16 years.” He said “We will have to do things smarter and perhaps in some different ways.” Another issue Gold expects to see is “advanced solar systems” that are “targeted to provide much needed alternative revenue to Longmeadow.” He said the town has already taken steps to prepare for this and “make this a financially viable alternative for the town I am also looking to support more ways that the town can save money for residents,” including lowering electric bills through municipal aggregation “There is much to do to assure that our residents continue to enjoy the quality of life that typifies Longmeadow.” The preliminary election is expected to cost up to $10,000 according to Assistant Town Manager Michael Barbieri A question will appear on the May 13 Town Meeting warrant proposing the elimination of preliminary elections this year’s preliminary election will take place on May 6 with voting at the Community House between 7 a.m Editor’s note: Salvatore Anzalotti III declined to provide a photo when requested by Reminder Publishing I would like to receive emails from The Reminder 2025) – Early-season golf always comes with uncertainty — swings still in progress putters heating up or cooling off without warning Senior Open Local Qualifying at Longmeadow Country Club the new format gave players a little more breathing room and a few more chances to find their form when it mattered including five players currently affiliated with Massachusetts advanced to the Final Qualifying stage for this year’s championship One year after over 3,000 entries were accepted for the U.S Senior Open at historic Newport Country Club (RI) the USGA decided this year to implement an additional qualifying stage in 2025 similar to the Local and Final Qualifying used for the U.S Monday’s event was one of 32 sites for Local Qualifying Final Qualifying will take place over 12 sites nationwide between May 19 and June 12 The closest Final Qualifying event to Massachusetts is June 10 at Deal Golf & Country Club in New Jersey The Championship Proper is set for June 26-29 at two-time previous host The Broadmoor (East Course) in Colorado Springs The field includes professionals and amateurs at least 50 years old whose Handicap Index® does not exceed 2.4 the head golf professional at The Washington Club in Western Connecticut was medalist with a score of 1-over-par 71 spearheaded by a pair of birdies on the 3rd and 4th holes knocking down three birdies to finish with a 72 the head golf professional at Kernwood Country Club led all Massachusetts players with a score of 72 Dully stood at 3-over through the front nine to give himself plenty of cushion to advance Dully has earned alternate status multiple times in what was previously Sectional Qualifying including in 2017 when the Championship Proper was held at Salem Country Club a two-time Massachusetts Mid-Amateur winner (2008 & 2009) is among the new crop of senior players who are 50 this year Higgins was able to get above the playoff line for the final spot with a score of 74 the former Harvard men’s golf coach who played in the 2006 Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston also shot 74 with birdies on the short par-3s (4th it seems Pat Bates (Oklahoma City) had the longest travel among qualifiers but Monday was actually a homecoming of sorts grew up caddying at Essex County Club and played out of Bass Rocks in Gloucester He was a three-time All-American at the University of Florida (1988–1991) and later earned his PGA Tour card and went on to coach at the University of Central Oklahoma His Mass Open victory at Tedesco Country Club was an emotional one as it came just a month after his father’s sudden passing and was Bates’ first tournament since the loss Massachusetts amateurs Keith Burch (Crumpin-Fox Club) and Doug Briggs (Trull Brook Golf Course) also kept relatively clean cards John Hadges (Thorny Lea Golf Club) put on a furious rally by shooting 2-under 33 on the back nine to bounce back from a 42 on the front and earn a spot in a 4-for-1 playoff Vermont golf instructor Jonathan Brisbane (Rutland making a tap-in birdie on the second playoff hole (17th) to edge amateur Keith Kepley (Charlotte COMPLETE LIST OF QUALIFIERS AND ALTERNATES FROM LONGMEADOW CC *Advanced with a birdie on the second playoff hole **Earned spot via participation in playoff remains remarkably true to its original routing and tree removal enhancing course conditions over the years The par-70 layout plays to approximately 6,756 yards and features standout holes like the 601-yard par-5 3rd Longmeadow has maintained a classic Ross feel while challenging every level of player The club also boasts a rich championship legacy Martin shortly before his tragic death during World War II The event helped spark the growth of organized golf in Western Massachusetts Longmeadow has since hosted multiple Mass Opens most recently in 2022 when journeyman professional Michael Kartrude rallied back from down two shots with four holes to play and Ethan Whitney all shot at least one round of 64 that week to earn a share of the course record Longmeadow has also hosted a pair of national championships the latter of which featured several future tour pros Sam Saunders (Arnold Palmer’s grandson) Russell Henley (2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational winner) and Rickie Fowler (fan favorite and six-time Tour winner) For the latest updates on all Mass Golf events, visit MassGolf.org or follow Mass Golf on Facebook, X and Instagram at @PlayMassGolf Find a Club Club Services Members Now! for Clubs Club Contact Update Form World Handicap System™ The Links at Mass Golf Audubon Certified Golf Courses Championships Women’s Championships Women’s Team Tournaments Team & Parent/Child Tournaments Women’s Cup Matches Men’s Team Matches Future Sites USGA® Team Massachusetts Regional Events Delta Player of the Year Member Days Women’s One Days Charity Events Golf Travel Game Improvement with KOHR Golf Ways To Enjoy Golf Rules of Golf Member Discounts Handicapping Student Member Program Arbella Insurance Program Publication: The Massachusetts Golfer E-Newsletter Women’s Newsletter Hole-in-One Program Volunteers Site Design by RainCastle Communications, Inc. The eaglets were found stranded in the Fannie Stebbins Memorial Wildlife Refuge in Longmeadow 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 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 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 HAGERSTOWN, MD (December 5, 2024) – Due to micro trenching work, the Washington County Division of Engineering announces upcoming road work that will affect traffic on Longmeadow Road and Marsh Pike from Monday The work will be conducted between 9:00 a.m Crews will be working in the travel lanes and shoulders during the specified times Drivers should expect temporary lane closures and construction personnel directing traffic as necessary A map of the impacted areas is attached for reference Washington County appreciates your patience as we work to improve the roadways For further information, please contact Washington County’s Public Relations and Marketing Department at [email protected] places and unique spaces with creative and artful imagery Liberal leave is in effect for all non-essential personal on Tuesday Essential personnel are expected to fulfill their duties as usual The starting time for today’s Board of County Commissioners meeting will be reevaluated at 9:00 am by Sarah Heinonen | Oct 23, 2024 | Hampden County, Local News, Longmeadow, Photo Slider Residents ask questions for the Municipal Fiber Task Force and Fiberspring representatives Adam St Kelly Frazier and Bobby Liswell.Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen LONGMEADOW — Cities and towns across Western Massachusetts are exploring municipally owned internet networks Westfield and South Hadley operate networks Wilbraham and Southwick are at various stages of municipal fiber projects with different internet service providers pursuing a town-owned network through a partnership with South Hadley’s service South Hadley has long had a municipal light plant something required by state law for cities and towns to operate a utility South Hadley has operated an electricity utility for more than 100 years and a fiber optic broadband and phone service since 2018 The town recently finished the buildout of its townwide fiber optic network six months ahead of schedule and under budget establishing networks in partnership with Shutesbury and Leverett Longmeadow’s first Town Meeting vote to establish a municipal light plant took place in May The legally required second vote will be taken at the Nov The town’s Municipal Fiber Task Force hosted a public forum with representatives from South Hadley Electric Light Department The town is pursuing a local fiber network for a few reasons Frazier said Fiberspring’s fiber optic internet service is $70 per month With local ownership of the infrastructure which can be reinvested into the municipal light plant Municipal Fiber Task Force Chair Vineeth Hemavathi said that $30 of each customer’s monthly bill will go to Fiberspring as the internet service provider The remainder will go to the town’s municipal light plant board “We’re not in it for a large profit share,” said SHELD Telecommunications and AMI Meter Manager Bobby Liswell Fiber typically provides faster upload and download internet speeds with less lag than cable broadband And there is a greater capacity to accommodate more internet-connected devices Liswell said fiber connections are not affected by power surges a member of the South Hadley Municipal Light Plant Board said it also adds value to a home when selling “The benefits are pretty endless,” Frazier said Installation of a fiber connection would be completely voluntary and the network could be rolled out in sections or “fiberhoods,” based on where the most interest lies While the establishment of a municipal light plant requires no funding 12 warrant will seek $490,000 from free cash for preliminary network design work and applications for pole permits The permits are required because the fiber lines would run along existing utility poles The network buildout is expected to take up to five years and to cost $25 million Municipal Fiber Task Force member Ben Brown said that rather than bonding for the entire project bonds can be taken out to cover one fiberhood at a time Hemavathi noted that West Springfield is funding its network that way He later added that the revenue from each fiberhood can then be used to pay off some of the debt or to fund the next section of the buildout Hine said that South Hadley was receiving revenue that covered its expenses within three and a half years While the forum had few residents in attendance Tom Shea asked about the timeline for the project Hemavathi explained that the pole applications take about two years for approval in Massachusetts The design work would be completed at the same time with the goal of being ready for installation as soon as the permits are approved Select Board member Mark Gold asked if pull permits need to be sought throughout the town whether or not they are in a fiberhood with active installation Brown said that an application for every poll in town will be sought at the same time Even if the installation is rolled out one fiberhood at a time returning more than once to seek permission from power companies would extend the process “We want to make the best use of that time,” said Liswell Resident Larry Star was neither for nor against the project He said he already receives nearly 1 gigabit speed upstream and downstream from his Xfinity cable internet connection and was skeptical that 2GB would be needed by 2030 Municipal Fiber Task Force member Mike McLane said “The technology we’re relying on has limitations.” Hemavathi added “We’re asking the town to think ahead and way into the future Comcast will never make the investment in fiber to the home.” Brown said that the task force had consulted a private internet service provider and they were told “The [return on investment] is not in Longmeadow.” Starr reiterated that his needs were satisfied with his current connection Hemavathi pointed out that not everyone had the same situation “You’re talking about families with kids,” he said Frazier said people are often concerned with the customer service they receive from their internet companies SHELD can provide service to western Massachusetts customers in a matter of hours rather than scheduling a four-hour window on a future day for a technician to arrive A resident said that he already “cut the cord,” eliminating cable TV programing and choosing to stream content “What can you offer me that I can’t already do?” I haven’t had cable for years.” With Fiberspring Hine told the resident people do not have to go all in with either Fiberspring or Xfinity He explained that he had Fiberspring internet and streamed Xfinity’s cable television content people will be able to signal their interest at fiberspring.com people can also learn about the network and how it will work People who express interest will be notified when they are able to connect to the network Frazier said each connection is blocked off for a four-hour period so the technician can take as much time as needed to answer questions and even hookup devices the design and engineering plans will be covered under an intergovernmental agreement between it and Longmeadow A second intergovernmental agreement would be negotiated to cover construction of the network SHELD partners with Holyoke Gas & Electric to install the “middle mile,” bringing the fiber into town SHELD would oversee the “final mile” installation In areas where utility lines run underground Liswell said the town would run its own conduit down the street but it’s an optional one.”McLane contended that the internet is a necessity He said both he and his children have used remote schooling options Gold called it a “generational issue.” He said Longmeadow has a high percentage of older residents who may not see the value of a fiber network and said he was concerned that the expected take rate was based on a younger population When the Select Board met with representatives from Fiberspring in September it was estimated that a take rate of higher than 40% would be needed to break even and closer to 50% would be required to turn a profit for the town “Take a look at the demographics of South Hadley,” said Hine half of all internet customers in town had signed on we did not find any community that has not met the take rate.” He later said that once customers begin being connected interest in the network catches on and “you can’t build fast enough.” by Sarah Heinonen | Mar 5, 2025 | Hampden County, Local News, Longmeadow Renderings of the new Longmeadow middle school which would be built on the campus of Williams Middle School.Photo credit: Longmeadow Public Schools LONGMEADOW — Longmeadow Public Schools Superintendent M Martin O’Shea shared the latest plans for the new middle school The Massachusetts School Building Authority a semi-autonomous state agency that helps fund school building construction and repairs has entered into an agreement with the town to reimburse some eligible project costs The latest figures available reflect a cost of about $152 million of which the MSBA would reimburse about $45 million The school would house about 665 middle school students combining the student bodies of Glenbrook Middle School and Williams Middle School both of which are more than 60 years old and not designed for education in the 21st century Set to be built on the Williams Middle School property with four wings arrayed as fingers branching off from a central spine O’Shea said the Middle School Building Committee is working in conjunction with architectural firm Jones Whitsett to create a “secure” yet “accessible” campus with outdoor spaces available to students The building committee is still determining whether to use natural grass or turf on the field While turf is more expensive up front — up to $760,000 as opposed to a $400,000 natural grass field — the annual maintenance of a grass field costs about five times as much as turf.On the inside of the building two wings would be devoted to the public-facing areas: the gymnasium The other two wings would house the classrooms and other educational spaces O’Shea said the large science labs on the top floor would be an upgrade from the cramped facilities that are now in use would be a “counseling suite” with a social-emotional room and literary and math labs for use by students who need support in those subjects The building’s color scheme and furnishings are also being considered by the building committee the town will vote on whether to fund the new school the School Committee approved the submission of a statement of interest to the agency regarding the replacement of the windows and doors at Center School the windows are old enough to be eligible for replacement under the MSBA’s accelerated repair program The MSBA would reimburse the town for up to half of the costs New windows would improve the climate and energy efficiency of the building Protecting the envelope of the school is “critically important,” the superintendent said School Committee member Jaime Hensch remarked Longmeadow Public Schools recently sent our surveys to families and staff that asked about cell phone policy preferences While there was a consensus that phones are distracting and disruptive to learning solutions ranged widely between not allowing phones for any student at any time O’Shea said that based on the “hundreds and hundreds” of survey responses a tiered system of restrictions — no phones for elementary students with increasing responsible use policies for older students — may make sense The most consistent feedback was that there needed to be consistent enforcement from all school personnel The School Department plans to engage with stakeholders on the matter to address the use of a “social norms” campaign digital literacy education and concerns about safety O’Shea said that there were parents who wanted their child to have a phone to contact them in an emergency Hensch countered that being on a phone during an emergency could be dangerous He gave an example of receiving one set of instructions from a teacher and other instructions from parents School Committee Chair Nicole Choiniere agreed Hensch said parents often needlessly text their child throughout the day increasing the disruptive nature of phones Positive behavior needs to be modeled by adults Maple Shopping Center at 901 Shaker Road in Longmeadow has reopened with two initial businesses a nail salon and the Iron Chef Asian Cuisine (Jim Kinney / The Republican)The Republican It’s also opening with a different food store. Armata’s, which was in the plaza for more than 50 years, declined to return with its owners, instead focusing on their Hampden Village Food Mart said Jim Reardon of NAI Plotkin real estate It will take months for Ace Market to open because the store still needs to do a build-out of the space Ace is owned by Zubia Abbasi of the Indian Orchard section of Springfield according to papers on file with the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth 1/20Fire destroys Armata's Plaza in LongmeadowIron Chef Asian Cuisine A nail salon is celebrating its grand reopening also has signed a lease and already is fitting out its space The bank has it listed as “coming soon” on its website Reardon said there are discussions with other potential tenants including with businesses interested in the largest space: 5,400 square feet at the far northern portion of the building where Armata’s was The plaza is owned by Pun Longmeadow Real Estate of Southwick The fire in November 2021 struck just a few days before Thanksgiving the blaze caused more than $5 million in damages and was the most destructive fire in town history serving the far southern end of affluent Longmeadow near its borders with East Longmeadow and Enfield The average household income within a mile is $154,612 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. 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