State Rep. Angelo Puppolo (D-Springfield) is entering his 19th year in the state Legislature, and he said his primary goal for 2025 is the same now as it has ever been: “fight for every penny” for the people of Western Massachusetts.
EAST LONGMEADOW — The East Longmeadow School Committee approved a plan to attract more students to the preschool program at Meadow Brook Elementary School by offering another full-day class.
EAST LONGMEADOW — Tiny homes, in-law apartments and other sub-separate living structures, known as accessory dwelling units, will be allowed by right in Massachusetts as of Feb. 2. The Affordable Homes Act, passed in the summer of 2024, prohibits municipalities from outlawing the living arrangements. However, towns can implement reasonable restrictions, which has left them scrambling to put bylaws on the books by the deadline.
EAST LONGMEADOW — Recycling is more common than ever, with 69.1 million tons recycled in 2018, the latest year for which there is data from the federal Environmental Protection Agency. However, recycling is expensive for cities and towns. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection offers grants as part of its Recycling Dividends Program. This year, East Longmeadow was awarded $17,600.
EAST LONGMEADOW — In another step forward for the East Longmeadow High School project, the School Committee approved six proprietary items, only available from one vendor, to be included in the building design.
Change — or resistance to it — was a common theme in the area in 2024. Reminder Publishing took a look back at some of the stories that took precedence over the past year in East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Hampden and Wilbraham.