Agawam

By Tyler Lederer | Jun 25, 2024

Agawam council OKs $132M budget, donations to police, fire

AGAWAM — The City Council unanimously approved the $132 million fiscal year 2025 budget on June 17. Councilor George Bitzas was absent, though he, too, had supported it in past meetings. “This is the second good thing we have this year,” said Council President...

Agawam resident, Holyoke principal gains heroine award

By Tina Lesniak | Jun 25, 2024

Agawam resident, Holyoke principal gains heroine award

HOLYOKE — Roseanne “Rosie” Caracciolo, principal of Dean Technical High School in Holyoke and a resident of Agawam, has received the Community Heroine Award from the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.

Tina Lesniak

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Elks honor Agawam youth for patriotic essay contest win

By Mike Lydick | Jun 25, 2024

Elks honor Agawam youth for patriotic essay contest win

WESTFIELD — Ava Skowron, a sixth grader at Doering School in Agawam, is one of two statewide winners of an annual Americanism essay contest to be sponsored by the Westfield-West Springfield Lodge of Elks.

Mike Lydick

mlydick@thereminder.com | + posts

Agawam’s $230M high school passes with 71% approval

By Tyler Lederer | Jun 19, 2024

Agawam’s $230M high school passes with 71% approval

AGAWAM — Agawam voters have approved a debt exclusion that will fund the $230,245,404 high school building project. According to unofficial results, in the June 11 special election, “yes” received 3,610 votes, 71.3% of the 5,065 votes cast. “No” received 1,455, or 28.7%.

Tyler Lederer

tlederer@thereminder.com | + posts

By Miasha Lee | Jun 19, 2024

Agawam library offers raffles, events to check out this summer

AGAWAM — “Anytime is a good time to develop a reading habit,” said Cher Collins, adult services librarian at the Agawam Public Library. “Usually, the summer gives us some downtime and the freedom to relax with a good book happens more often than during the busy...

Agawam ECC retiree motivated by being kids’ 1st teacher

By Mike Lydick | Jun 19, 2024

Agawam ECC retiree motivated by being kids’ 1st teacher

AGAWAM — Debra “Debbie” King never intended to become a teacher. She wanted to be a nurse, but an anatomy and physiology class changed her career plans and led to a teaching career.

Mike Lydick

mlydick@thereminder.com | + posts

By Tyler Lederer | Jun 19, 2024

Agawam street to get more enforcement, not lower speed limit

AGAWAM — One morning, Colleen Strunk-Ackerley was driving down South Alhambra Circle with her 2-year-old daughter when a car swerved into her lane going the opposite direction. If she moved left, she said, the wrong-way driver might have done so, too. If she moved...

Council of Jewish Women awards $70K in scholarships

By Sarah Heinonen | Jun 17, 2024

Council of Jewish Women awards $70K in scholarships

Nearly 50 students will have an easier time paying for college this fall with scholarships totaling $70,000 from the Springfield Council of Jewish Women.

Sarah Heinonen

sheinonen@thereminder.com | + posts

By Tyler Lederer | Jun 11, 2024

Developer says Main St. hotel would fill need in Agawam

AGAWAM — The Opal Inn & Suites, a proposed Main Street hotel, returned to the Planning Board on June 6 for a site plan review, where developers discussed its layout, amenities, and the construction process. Developers also reiterated that the target demographic...

Agawam valedictorian set goal, worked hard, accomplished it

By Mike Lydick | Jun 11, 2024

Agawam valedictorian set goal, worked hard, accomplished it

AGAWAM — Liam Kennedy wasn’t trying to become Agawam High School’s valediction when he entered ninth grade. But that all changed around his junior year when he started seeing what his friends’ grade point averages were.