First Lady Michelle Obama honors Holyoke Care Center
First Lady Michelle Obama honors Holyoke Care Center
By Dennis P. Hohenberger
Turley Publications Correspondent
HOLYOKE – In a White House ceremony, First Lady Michelle Obama honored the Care Center on Nov. 2 with National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. 
The Care Center takes a prep school, humanities-centered approach in preparing young mothers for the GED or high school equivalency exam. Many of the students go onto two or four-year colleges. Anne Teschner, the Care Center’s executive director, was joined by Tashia Davis, a 19-year-old mother of twins and Brendaliz Rivera, a student in the program.
Davis, who dropped out of high school in the eleventh grade, completed the center’s Clemente Program, which features rigorous academics taught in collaboration with Bard College. Davis also obtained her GED through the Care Center. She is a full-time liberal arts major at Holyoke Community College.
Davis said the White House visit meant a lot to her. “I felt very honored and proud of myself,” she said. The Care Center, said Davis, “opened doors” for her, and described life before as a “runaround.”
Teschner said the Care Center was one of twelve organizations to receive the award. Around 500 other organizations were in contention.
She said the award is the “highest honor” a program like the Care Center can receive. “It was really exciting to be awarded this,” said Teschner. “For us it meant a real ratification of our work. We know what we’re doing with the arts and humanities is important, but getting ratified on a national level is very exciting.”
The Care Center was recognized for their highly regarded poetry program, which allow students to write and read their own works. The organization also invites local poets to read their works, and includes assistance from the Smith College Poetry Center.
The organization usually spends a semester examining a particular topic in the humanities. This year, students focused on the meaning of true love, in both a historical and literary framework. Teschner said it gives students a chance to talk about “big ideas.”
“There’s truly nothing like this anywhere in the country,” she said of the Care Center. “Part of this award is recognizing that, that we’re using tools usually discarded when thinking about how to best educate teen moms or kids living in poverty or kids not doing well in school.”
She said the center’s approach has proven successful for students, as their reading comprehension and writing abilities greatly improve.
During the White House visit, Teschner met with the other 11 programs that received the award. She said one program works with Native-American youth, who write music and perform in a string quartet. A school in Philadelphia, she said, perfect student’s skills in arts and crafts, while another center uses dance as a teaching tool.
Two programs were chosen to represent the “spirit of the award” said Teschner, with the Care Center being one. Brendaliz Rivera, a student, read one of her poems and spoke at the event.
Teschner said she appreciated the “deeply symbolic” nature of the White House, and she understood that the three of them represented the Care Center and Holyoke. “There was this sense of awe as we walked through the building,” which included an encounter with Bo, the Obama’s beloved dog. “It’s a spectacular and celebratory building. You really felt it,” she said.
Teschner described the First Lady as a “graceful” person, who had inspiring words on the meaning of arts and humanities and the roles they play in people’s lives, especially at-risk youth. “She’s very much at ease, but she a very commanding woman,” she said.
Teschner said the award represents that “change can truly happen.” It was only a short time ago, according to Teschner, that Davis was living in a homeless shelter. “You can literally can go from a homeless shelter to the White House.”
First Lady Michelle Obama honors City’s Care Center Humanities Rock program
12 arts and humanities programs recognized at the White House
for creating a wide range of positive outcomes for kids
HOLYOKE – With their personal stories offering dramatic proof that arts and humanities programs can build critical learning and life skills, 12 young people from across the country accepted awards today from First Lady Michelle Obama on behalf of the after-school and out-of-school time programs that changed their lives.
Chosen from a pool of more than 471 nominations and 50 finalists, the 12 community-based programs were recipients of the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, the highest honor awarded to such programs in the United States. The awardees were recognized by Mrs. Obama for using engagement in the arts and the humanities to generate a wide range of outcomes, including increases in academic achievement, graduation rates, and college enrollment, as well as improvements in literacy and language abilities, communication and performance skills, and cultural awareness.
First awarded in 1998, the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, formerly known as the Coming Up Taller Award, is the signature program of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH), and is presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Louis Vuitton is the corporate sponsor of the 2011 award program, and Ovation TV is the national media partner.
“When a student writes a play, she’s not just learning how to put lines on a page. She’s boosting her language skills, becoming a better public speaker, gaining a sense of pride in her ability to set a goal and to reach it,” said Mrs. Obama. “In the end, that’s really what all this work is about. It is about helping our young people grow and inspiring them to give back. It’s about taking an interest in them, and challenging them to dream a little bigger and reach a little higher.”
The 12 students receiving awards from Mrs. Obama today represented a wide range of arts and humanities programs, including one program that takes 11th and 12th grade students on a 10-day journey through five Southern states following the path of the Civil Rights Movement (Sojourn to the Past), another that uses art history and poetry as vehicles to inspire, challenge and motivate pregnant and parenting teens (Humanities Rock), and another that engages children and youth ages 5 to 18 in free, high-quality art-making classes that provide students with a positive means of self-expression (Fleisher Youth Art Programs).
“These programs literally transform the lives of the thousands of young people they touch,” said Rachel Goslins, executive director of the PCAH. “They give these kids an outlet for their passions and their talents, and teach them to think creatively, to communicate more effectively, to work as a team, and to solve problems.”
Goslins pointed to a study recently released by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, “Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools,” which reports on a growing body of research documenting positive educational outcomes for youth involved in the arts and humanities. According to the report, low-income youth engaged in arts programs are more likely to stay in school, to get good grades, to graduate, and to enroll in college. These benefits of involvement in the arts increase over time for low-income students, who are more likely than their peers to have attended and done well in college, to have obtained employment with a future, to have volunteered in their communities and to have participated in the political process by voting, according to the report.
Among the measurable outcomes generated by the 2010 awardees are the following:
100 percent of the young people in the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, ArtLab, HANDS-ON, the Young Shakespeare Workshop and Positive Directions Through Dance finish high school, and many are the first in their family to go to college;
86 percent of the students participating in the 826 Seattle after-school program reported improved grades;
88 percent of the students involved in ArtWorks reported that the program was successful in providing the resources, connections and ideas they needed to pursue a creative career;
Last year, more than 4,000 middle and high school students in 10 states and the District of Columbia attended extracurricular humanities courses through the Gilder Lehrman Saturday Academies; and
Since 2001, the Native American Composer Apprentice Program has created, presented and recorded more than 200 new works for string quartets written by high school students living on reservations.
“By transforming lives and communities, these programs represent an important investment in our future,” said Goslins. “It is our hope that by recognizing the best of the best in this field, we will increase awareness of their tremendous power and impact, and give them the opportunity to serve more young people and attract more sustainable support.”
Each of the 12 community-based programs will receive $10,000 and a year of communications and capacity-building support in recognition of their accomplishments.
The 2011 awardees are:
826 Seattle
SEATTLE, WASH.
ArtLab
Platteforum
DENVER, COLO.
ArtWorks
Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
Fleisher Youth Art Programs
Fleisher Art Memorial
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
HANDS-ON
ZUMIX
EAST BOSTON, MASS.
Humanities Rock
Community Adolescent Resource and Education Center
HOLYOKE, MASS.
Native American Composer Apprentice Project
Grand Canyon Music Festival
GRAND CANYON, ARIZ.
Positive Directions Through Dance
The Dance Institute of Washington
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Gilder Lehrman Saturday Academies
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
NEW YORK, N.Y.
Sojourn to the Past
SAN BRUNO, CALIF.
Young People’s Chorus of New York City, Inc.
NEW YORK, N.Y.
Young Shakespeare Workshop
SEATTLE, WASH.
For more information about the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards, please visit
About the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards
The National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award is the nation’s highest honor for after-school arts and humanities programs. The awards recognize and support outstanding programs that lay new pathways to creativity, expression, and achievement outside of the regular school day. These programs excite and engage a range of students, cultivating imagination, collaboration, discipline and academic success, with demonstrable results. They also provide safe harbors after-school, weekends and evenings for children and youth in some of our country’s most at-risk urban and rural settings.
About the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
Created in 1982 by Executive Order, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) is an advisory committee to the White House on cultural issues. The PCAH works directly with the Administration and the three primary cultural agencies—National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)—as well as other federal partners and the private sector, to address policy questions in the arts and humanities, to initiate and support key programs in those disciplines, and to recognize excellence in the field. Its core areas of focus are arts and humanities education, cultural exchange, and community revitalization. Mrs. Michelle Obama, like other first ladies before her, serves as honorary chairman of the committee, which is composed of both private and public members.
Mayor Pluta responds to resident death
Friends, Family, and Neighbors,
It is with a heavy heart that I post to you all this morning. I am so saddened and upset by the loss of a life of one of our Holyoke Residents. I continue to work hard to bring heat and electricity to everyone’s homes. The loss of an innocent soul is not welcomed and is a terrible thing. I please encourage you to go check on your elderly and disabled neighbors today. I ask that all residents in the City without heat, and electricity come to our Emergency Shelter, staffed 24 Hours (Veterans War Memorial – 310 Appleton Street, Holyoke).
Lastly, I say to you the citizens of Holyoke, I will not rest, I will not falter I will focus on restoring power and heat. This is a sad day in the City of Holyoke. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of this beautiful soul. I have reached out to them, and will work with them to make any and all arrangements necessary.
Mayor Elaine Pluta
Court order sought to cease Mater Dolorosa vigil
Court order sought to cease Mater Dolorosa vigil
By Dennis P. Hohenberger
Turley Publications Correspondent
HOLYOKE – The Springfield Catholic Diocese filed suit last week in Hampden Superior Court against a group of former parishioners who continue a vigil inside Mater Dolorosa Church which closed in June.
Both sides were scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, where the diocese sought a civil action to end the vigil. The diocese contends the church, particularly the steeple, poses a danger to the occupants, public and the structure is in need of repairs.
Shortly after Mater Dolorosa held its final mass more than 100 days ago, the around-the-clock vigil began. Neither side seems willing to compromise and it appears that court action will either end or prolong the vigil.
In a statement issued by the diocese, it was said the vigil amounted to trespassing and was without permission and unauthorized. “This action was undertaken with heavy heart, but it should be noted after repeated efforts by the diocese to convince these individuals to end their trespass,” read the statement.
The diocese said the occupation “prevents the very necessary work of addressing the safety of the steeple.”
“We had hoped that through their prayerful vigil, the very rapid rejection of their Vatican appeal and two separate and independent findings on the deterioration of the steeple they would have come to accept these most difficult but equally necessary decisions.”
The diocese concluded that a civil action was the only way to resolve the issue. “We again ask them to end this divisive action and join with their sisters and brothers at the new Our Lady of the Cross Parish,” read the statement.
Victor Anop, an attorney who represents the group of steadfast parishioners, said he was served with the suit on Thursday, which left little preparation time for the Wednesday court appearance. He did, though, file a 74-page rebuttal to prevent the civil action by the diocese. “Our position is simply ‘Why would the leader of your church go to a civil court and try to restrain you from praying in a place of worship?’” he said.
Anop said the diocese was acting in an “autocratic and dictatorial fashion,” which he claimed is “out of touch with today’s world.” He added that representatives from the diocese had “lost their moral compass” and treated to the vigil holders in an “insensitive” way.
He said the diocese is “embroiled” in two other cases, one in Northampton and one in Springfield, but judges in those cases have held off on final decisions until the Vatican decides on both matters. The attorneys for the Mater Dolorosa vigil holders filed an appeal with the Vatican shortly after the closing. Rome rejected the groups appeal, but Anop said another appeal, with supporting documents, was re-filed and they are waiting for an answer.
Anop called the vigil and the appeal an “internal matter” which should remain a dispute within the Roman Catholic Church and not become a civil matter. Anop said the group’s appeal is still before the Vatican’s Congregation of Clergy, who reviews and decides on such matters.
He wants Canon Law and not civil law to decide if Mater Dolorosa should reopen or not. In the case of Mater Dolorosa, a civil judge can grant the diocese’s injunction, and thus end the vigil, or allow the Vatican to render judgment.
All crops lost
All crops lost
Nuestras Raices Farm ravaged by Irene
By Dennis P. Hohenberger
Turley Publications Correspondent
HOLYOKE – The winds have died down, the heavy rains have stopped, but the effects from Tropical Storm Irene linger along the Connecticut River Valley. The Nuestras Raices Farm on Jones Ferry Road suffered heavy losses from flooding.
The organization will have little to celebrate at the annual Harvest Festival a few weeks from now. The high banks that protect the farm were breached last week. Polluted, mucked-filled waters laid waste the late-season bounty of corn, peppers, pumpkins, squash and flowers.
The dozen tenant farmers, who opted out of crop insurance, no longer have fields to tend or crops to sell at farmers markets in Holyoke, Chicopee and Springfield. The season is over.
Farm Project Director Kevin Andaluz, who surveyed the damage last Friday, estimated the crop loss at $200,000 or more. The farm’s north side sustained minor flooding, mostly around a stage that is used for events.
An access bridge that connects the farm’s north and south sides was severely damaged. The boards, which once supported workers and trucks, barely hold Andaluz as he crosses. A light mud caked leaves about six feet above a stream bed. The stream normally carries runoff from the Holyoke Mall.
“We planned to fix it before the storm, but now we need to fix it all because the water moved the whole bridge up,” he said.
As Andaluz walked up a trail to the main farm, the mud became deeper. A man hacked at corn stalks with a machete. Because the water has not been tested, the crops must be destroyed. A waste treatment plant up north, he said, overflowed and sent pollutants down stream.
Yellow police tape surrounded the plots once filled with near-harvested crops. A putrid smell emanated from the fields. Dead worms filled shallow pools. Insects and other species were noticeably absent. UMass Amherst is scheduled to conduct soil and watering testing.
Crops like Aji Dulce, a pepper native to the Caribbean, were destroyed. Andaluz said that crop sells for $5 a pound during the high season. Growers sold 7,000 pounds last year. The list of crops lost grew longer as Andaluz passed by the small plots. Eggplants, beans, cilantro and butternut squash were washed away.
Two days before the storm, farmers rushed to pick their crops. It was not enough time, though, as floodwaters toppled the banks and spilled onto the fields. In his six years managing the farm, Andaluz has never seen such flooding. “Everything you see inside the yellow mark is lost,” he said as his eyes fixed on a drowned pumpkin patch. The farm’s southern point cannot be reached on foot or by vehicle.
Andaluz said the organization halted all farmers market activities. “We don’t have any produce. It’s very sad,” he said. “It’s worse today, because you can’t grow this late in the season.”
Once soil sample results become known, the farm will plant cover crops to restore the land. Compost will be added when the soil finally dries out. He said the riverbanks must be fixed, especially a hole near the farm’s southeast side. “This is why the water is getting in,” said Andaluz. “I’m not happy, because many people use this to support their families. Right now, they’re not going to get anything.”
He said the Harvest Fest gave growers an opportunity to make a nice profit before the season ended. “They’re not going to have anything,” said Andaluz. “We’re working with a state agency to find some funds to help these people.” A special collection will set up for the farmers at this year’s festival. He estimates that soil restoration will take a few years.
Donations can be sent to: Nuestras Raices, Attn: Kevin Andaluz, Subject: Farm Relief, 329 Main Street, Holyoke, Ma, 01040
Walking tour offers access to city’s best destinations
Walking tour offers access to city’s best destinations
By Dennis P. Hohenberger
Turley Publications Correspondent
HOLYOKE – Residents laced up their sneakers last Thursday and joined Mayor Elaine A. Pluta on a walking tour of the Canal Walk, which included a visit to the Paper City Brewery. The weekly tradition, when the weather cooperates, began under former Mayor Michael J. Sullivan.
The walking tours showcase the city’s arts, parks, businesses and technology, while encouraging residents to socialize and feel safe. The tours leave City Hall around 4:30 p.m., every Thursday. A walk was scheduled this week for HG&E’s fishway.
The mayor led residents to the Canal Walk on Dwight Street and later along Race Street, the planned Canal Walk’s second phase. The Canal Walk offers views of Heritage State Park, the Merry-Go-Round and City Hall. The Volleyball Hall of Fame and Holyoke Children’s Museum border the brick-stamped walkway.
Pluta said the walks highlight the amenities available to residents downtown, as well as the economic and cultural progress being made. She said the small businesses downtown and in Canal District need support from residents.
Expanding the Canal Walk on Race Street, said Pluta, should bolster the burgeoning artist community. “We are definitely promoting that whole effort and looking forward to having the Canal Walk get closer to where the artist are located. Some of them are living there and have their businesses there,” she said.
Beside visiting the fish way this week, the Sept. 15 walk includes stops at the Canal Gallery and Open Square, where several businesses will host events and offer special discounts, including the Serene Spa, California Slice Café and Vega Yoga.
Eileen Houseman, a member of the Mayor’s Peace Initiative, said she “gains knowledge” on the walking tours of what is happening downtown. “The Children’s Museum is a wonderful place to take your grandchildren,” as she passed the complex.
A lifelong resident, Houseman has seen changes over the last few years, like the Holyoke Transportation Center on Maple Street and projects that are underway. She said new restaurants and entertainment would attract more visitors downtown. “There are things happening. Come on down and see it,” said Houseman.
Andrew Melendez, of the Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce, started the runners group, “I’m Running for Holyoke.” The group jogs different routes that showcase the city’s unique qualities, which residents often pass. “This city is too beautiful to just run around Ashley Reservoir,” he said.
The group runs courses in the Flats, South Holyoke, Highlands and other neighborhoods. “We just past a mark. We ran 25 miles around the city, already,” said Melendez. The group has 25 members and continues to grow.
“People get in comfort zones. We want to bridge that gap. I walked today to show that leaders in this community are here to be part of it all,” said Melendez. “The opportunities here are endless. This walk alone shows that the potential here is amazing.”
The walk ended at the Paper City Brewery on Cabot Street. The brewery hosts a Thursday night tasting, where customers sample a variety of beers. Owner Jay Hebert, who opened the brewery in1996, took visitors on a tour and showed the brewing process.
He said the brewery’s “excess capacity” allows Paper City’s continued growth in its contract brewing side. Small, craft brewers either don’t have the capacity to expand their businesses or are unable to afford the large, stainless steel vats. Paper City has the space and brewing capacity to meet the needs of small brewers. “Eventually they’ll go on their own, but it at least it gets them out on the market without a large capital output,” said Hebert.
In Paper City’s early days, Hebert produced 100 barrels. The brewery now produces thousands of barrels annually, with a distribution network that reaches Pennsylvania. Hebert said the business requires a “hands on” approach, from the brewing process to marketing to distribution. “Those are the things that have kept us in the light, in people’s eyes,” he said.
The weekly open house, said Hebert, offers customers a way to connect with the product and where the product is made. “It helps, once they leave, to keep our place in their mind,” he said. Hebert expected about 80 beer aficionados on Thursday.
For more information on the weekly walking tours, please contact the mayor’s office at 322-5510.
Save the “Bud”
Save the ‘Bud’
Residents want local landmark restored
By Dennis P. Hohenberger
Turley Publications Correspondent
HOLYOKE – Residents and preservationists met at The Bungalow on Main Street last Thursday where they gave an update on the physical and financial state of the Bud. The once popular pub, within a short walk from City Hall, continues to decay and drown in unpaid property taxes.
The event took place at C.R.U.S.H.’s “Party with a Purpose,” a speaker series hosted by the group on topics that impact the community.
Olivia Mausel, of the Holyoke Historical Commission, said the building might have been a stage coach stop between Albany and Boston in its early days. She said blueprints of the structure could not be found at City Hall and the architect is unknown.
Past purchase deals on the Bud have fallen through, she said, and described the building’s history as “checkered and colorful,” where vice overwhelmed virtue on occasion.
Mausel said floors where added to the building in the 1800s and that further documentation is needed. Recently, according to Mausel, a structural specialist said the building would need a “gut rehab” or a complete renovation.
Holes in building’s ceilings and gaps in floor boards have made for hazardous conditions. “The roof has fallen through at the south end of the building, all the way through,” she said.
Jeffrey Brynes, a local photographer, received a call in January that the Bud would be open. Around that time, Byrnes said a “rash of arsons” broke out in the city and he feared the Bud would be torched.
Before a fire or a wrecking ball could befall the Bud, he carefully photographed the building’s interior and later posted them on his website. “Little did I know it would turn into something so big as a discussion tonight,” he said.
Brynes said the photos drew an immediate response from residents and preservationists, who wondered if the building could be saved. “Let’s have a community that can function and help restore this, not what one person can do, but what we can all do to help make this building part of the community again,” he said.
Vitek Kruta, an expert in historical preservation, spoke about “healing the community through restoration.” Kruta participated in large restoration projects in Europe and the U.S. For a decade, Kruta helped restore castles and churches in Nuremburg, Germany, a city flattened by Allied bombers in WWII.
He said in that city, residents created the “Friends of Old Town,” where they now have over 6,000 members and have saved over 500 buildings. “It created an economy, tourism, but mostly it really healed the ruins of a decimated city,” he said.
He wondered if Holyoke could form a similar group, dedicated to preserving the city’s landmarks. In Nuremburg, said Kruta, skilled craftspeople, along with private and public entities, created educational and vocational programs that bolstered the city’s workforce.
Kruta said a similar model could be recreated in Holyoke with the high schools, Holyoke Community College and other institutions, who would train others in preservation skills. “Today is really the question, do we have a community that could actually create and sustain something like that?”
This summer, Kruta will teach a course in historical preservation and restoration at Holyoke Community College.
While most of the talk surrounded structural concerns, City Treasurer Jon Lumbra said unpaid property taxes hinder progress. The building is currently assessed at $83,000 and has outstanding taxes that date back to 1992, when the city took possession. In 1992, the property owner owed $10,500 in taxes. With continued interest and penalties, $281,450 in taxes are owed on the Bud. $49 is levied daily against the property, according to Lumbra.
“This points out one of the reasons why we need to get to the buildings much sooner and take them, rather than waiting three or fours years,” he said.
Lumbra said new ordinances on unpaid taxes and abandoned property, promote payment plans and interest free loans over three years. In the case of the Bud, 50 percent of the interest, or $84,000, could be paid off over three years, interest free, with an abatement of $54,000.
Under current city ordinances, a potential buyer would have to come up with $71,000 to start the process. In the City, 255 parcels are in tax/title process or around $10 million owed in uncollected property taxes. He said the city does not want to “take anymore properties than we have to.”
Lumbra said while the city has an overlay account of $500,000 that could be applied to outstanding property taxes, the Bud alone would “wipe out” most of the money.
For now, the historical Bud stands ready for restoration or the wrecking ball.
Bishop announces planned ‘yoking’ of St. Jerome, Our Lady of Guadalupe churches
By Dennis P. Hohenberger
Turley Publications Correspondent
HOLYOKE – A resurrection of sorts occurred on Easter Sunday as celebrants at St. Jerome Church learned that their parish will remain open, along with Our Lady of Guadalupe. There had been speculation that the parishes faced closure or a complete merger.
In a letter to parishioners, the Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell said the churches will remain open, but that a “yoking” of pastors will occur between the two.
Over the last few years, with tight budgets, fewer priests and smaller congregations, parishes in the region were closed or merged.
In November 2009, McDonnell issued a decree that outlined closings and mergers in the region. Parishes in Adams, Chicopee, Ludlow and other communities were ordered to prepare. A recent merger included Holy Cross and Mater Dolorosa Churches.
Then, a pastoral planning committee reported to McDonnell that, “We believe that the situation in Holyoke is in a state of flux, making long range planning challenging. Further preparation is required regarding the overall needs of the Holyoke community.”
In a letter to St. Jerome parishioners, McDonnell said he agreed back then on a two-year process. “One message came through, however – both Saint Jerome and Our Lady of Guadalupe should be maintained. A follow up to that was that the two parishes could be yoked under a single pastor.”
Under the plan, St. Jerome Pastor Father Anthony Cullen will become pastor of Holy Cross Church in Springfield, while Pastor Father John Lassard-Thibodeau, of Our Lady of Guadalupe, was granted a four-month sabbatical.
Father William Lunney, a Holyoke native, will become pastor of both parishes on May 15. He will be assisted by Father Jose Siesquen Flores.
In closing, McDonnell said, “On the first Easter Sunday, the disciples at first found news of the resurrection hard to comprehend. Slowly, their understanding grew; slowly they came to recognize that death had been overcome by life eternal.”
He added, “I pray that the Risen Lord help us all on our pilgrim journey as both Our Lady of Guadalupe parish and Saint Jerome parish put uncertainty behind and move forward together.”
Ray Feyre, a member of St. Jerome’s parish council, said both parish council met over the last two years and tried to formulate a better outcome, other than closing one or both of the churches.
In the last few years, he said, such a process was not afforded other parishes in the region, where they were told directly by McDonnell to close or merge.
Early in the process, according to Feyre, McDonnell brought in a consultant to aid the effort. While the two parishes will remain separate, they will share pastors and services. He called the plan “bittersweet,” but said both churches will make the “best” of the situation.
He added that Lunney grew up in Jackson Parkway, only a blocks from Our Lady of Guadalupe, formerly Sacred Heart.
Ground broken for new state-of-the-art senior center
Ground broken for new state-of-the-art senior center
By Dennis P. Hohenberger
Turley Publications Correspondent
HOLYOKE – In 1961, Elaine A. Pluta attended the old Holyoke High School on Sargeant and Beech streets. On Wednesday, 50 years later, now as mayor, she broke ground, along with local and state dignitaries on the planned $8.1 million Holyoke Senior Center.
The location that once served Holyoke’s teens will now serve those in their later years, but still with the goal of engaging minds and fostering a sense of community.
“It’s just amazing to think that 50 years ago, when I was here in school, who would have thought that I would be here overseeing a new senior center on the same spot,” said Pluta.
For weeks, heavy equipment dug and scraped away the last vestiges of the schools foundation. All that remain are bricks and broken mortar. A new senior center, with construction to start next month, will open a year later.
Kathy Bowler, the director of the Holyoke Council on Aging, said the new center signifies “hard work and that people working together can make something extraordinary happen.” She said the 20,000 square-foot, two-story facility will boast the latest in green energy, with advanced geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels and smart design.
The building will be located on the Sargeant Street side of the parcel and have a large green space and gardens facing Beech Street. Bowler said the new location will take advantage of their neighbors, Wistriahurst Museum, CVS Pharmacy and the River Valley Counseling Center.
“We’re already talking about ways to work together,” said Bowler. ”It’s also wonderful to think that this is an economic development tool. When you look at this area and you look at the Hope VI construction, and you look at all the wonderful things happening, we are another addition to that.”
The Senior Concert Band of Western Mass. performed selections and the national anthem throughout the ceremony.
Barbara Bernard, a noted columnist and broadcaster, said that when in her twenties, she won $100 on a local quiz show. Concerned with the well-being of seniors and retirees, Bernard found the Golden Agers, which became a national model to make retirees more productive in their advancing years.
As a student at Mount Holyoke College in the 1950s, Bernard interviewed mill workers for a school project. She asked on worker what he planned do to when he retired. The man told Bernard that he would basically sit at home and wait to die. Since that interview, Bernard has devoted herself to senior causes and the construction of the new center.
City Councilor Kevin Jourdain evoked the memory of his former colleague, Jack Whelihan, who fought for decades to fund and construct a new senior center. The current center in located in the windowless basement of the Holyoke War Memorial Building on Appleton Street.
Whelihan, a long-serving member of the City Council, passed away two years ago.
State Sen. Michael R. Knapik (R-Westfield) and Ann Hartstein, the Secretary of Executive Office of Elder Affairs, spoke during the ceremony. Member of the center’s building committee and the Holyoke City Council were present.
Harry Craven, the owner of Highland Hardware, and Mansir Printing donated $4,900, proceeds from the sale of calendars, to the Friends of the Holyoke Council on Aging. For the last 13 years, Craven has sold the calendars in his store, which feature photos from his Holyoke archive.
Joan Grady and Marion Tierney accepted the check on behalf of their organization. The FHCA has set a goal to raise $500,000 for the center. The money will be used for furnishing and final touches on the center. After the ceremony, the Wistriahurst Museum hosted a reception.
2011 election coverage
The Holyoke Sun invites candidates to participate in an online feature this year. The feature, called “Meet the Candidates,” is a return of sorts of candidates’ statements that will appear free of charge on our online Reader Forum, which can be accessed on our website at www.HolyokeSunOnline.com or directly at http://HolyokeSun.wordpress.com/.
We are asking all candidates running in both contested and uncontested races to submit statements that include biographical details only and are limited to 200 words, along with a photo (preferably color) to appear in our special online “Meet the Candidates” section.
If you would like to participate in our “Meet the Candidates” feature, please send your statement and photo by e-mail to Editor Kristin Will at kwill@turley.com or to The Holyoke Sun, 138 College Street, Suite B, South Hadley, MA 01075. While we will not hold candidates to a deadline to submit a statement and photo, please be advised that all statements appearing in our “Meet the Candidates” online feature will be removed on Oct. 28, 2011.
Candidates may also write one guest-opinion of 300 words maximum regarding their positions and platforms to appear on The Holyoke Sun’s print editorial page, which must read as an opinion piece. The date of the last publication we will print these guest-opinions is Oct. 28, 2011.
To publish Candidates’ Statements as paid print advertising or purchase paid advertising for political fundraiser events in The Holyoke Sun, please contact The Sun’s Advertising Rep. Guy Demers at 413-536-5333 or via e-mail at gdemers@turley.com.
If you have any questions regarding “Meet the Candidates,” please do not hesitate to contact Editor Kristin Will at 413-536-5333 or kwill@turley.com
