Longmeadow voters cast their ballots in a referendum on using a debt override to pay for the new middle school.
Reminder Publishing file photo
With 2026 just days away, Reminder Publishing is taking a look back at 2025 and the biggest stories from East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow and Wilbraham as well as from across the region.
Between shifts in leadership, controversial building projects and more, 2025 was another year to remember.
Controversial projects approved in East Longmeadow and Longmeadow
Reminder Publishing file photo
A pair of controversial projects were approved in neighboring communities.
In East Longmeadow, after several hours of public hearings, points and counterpoints made by lawyers and discussions about the turning radius of large vehicles, the East Longmeadow Planning Board voted 4-0 on Nov. 4 to approve the site plan for a group of warehouses at 330 Chestnut St.
The site, purchased by East Longmeadow Redevelopers LLC in 2019, will be home to four warehouses, ranging in size from 92,514 square feet to 140,400 square feet.
The plan offers a 17% reduction in total square footage compared to a 2022 proposal by the developers for a single large warehouse. The size is not the only reduction from the previous plan. The current project will handle fewer than 200 tractor-trailer trips per day, instead of the 368 trips per day that had previously been envisioned. Due to the 2022 project’s size and traffic volume, it was voted down, appealed to Massachusetts’s Land Court, sent back to the Planning Board and denied again.
Despite the smaller footprint and reduced traffic load, neighbors at the Fields at Chestnut condominium complex remained unconvinced. Residents voiced their suspicions that the site would house an Amazon facility, despite Amazon fulfillment centers averaging 800,000
square feet, and the developers repeatedly explaining that no future tenants have been identified.
In Longmeadow, the debate on whether to move forward with a consolidated middle school came to an end.
With a vote of 1,374-402, residents in Longmeadow chose to fund a $151.59 million combined middle school on the existing Williams Middle School campus at a Sept. 9 Town Meeting. The project, more than a decade in the making, became controversial in 2024, when abutters to the site at 410 Williams St. opposed the location.
Voters then went to the ballot box to support a debt exclusion to pay for the middle school, bringing students in grades 6-8 under one roof, with a vote of 2,130-1,360.
With no other items on the ballot, the question of whether to fund the school through a debt exclusion brought out 26.7% of the town’s 13,056 registered voters.
The MSBA has agreed to reimburse the town for $54.8 million of the project, with Longmeadow taxpayers left to cover the remaining $96.8 million. At Town Meeting, Town Manager Lyn Simmons said the average property owner would pay an extra $247 per $100,000 in property value. The annual property taxes on a home at the town’s median value of $596,300 will increase by $1,462 in the first year of the bond and reduce in subsequent years. Once the bond is repaid, the extra taxes will be eliminated.
The middle school building project now moves into the construction phase, with a ground-breaking set for July 2026. The new building will be erected on the campus where the athletic fields are currently.
Hampden-Wilbraham regional agreement talks stall and then resume
Throughout the year one question has been brought up countless times in Hampden and Wilbraham, and that is what to do with Wilbraham Middle School.
In January, the district began discussing changes to the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District regional agreement. The sticking point quickly became what to do with capital costs for Wilbraham Middle School, a building owned by the town of Wilbraham.
In a January meeting, former Hampden Selectboard member Craig Rivest gave a blunt summation of the board’s thoughts on paying for the capital costs.
“We have no stake in the building … other than we have children there. We don’t own the building. We don’t own the property. We don’t own the lease. There’s no [return on investment] in investing in capital for a building we have no stake in,” he said.
One sticking point for Hampden came from the fact that an assessment had been done at Wilbraham Middle School about the repair needs for the building, before the building became a regional school for both Hampden and Wilbraham students in 2015.
In May, talks officially fell apart after Wilbraham representatives wanted to keep the middle school project capital expenses in line with Minnechaug Regional High School, where Wilbraham pays 82% and Hampden pays 18% of the cost.
Town Administrator Nick Breault said in a letter, “They think the Wilbraham Middle School capital costs should be handled as if the building is a district building, similar to Minnechaug Regional High School.”
In response, Hampden Town Administrator Brian Domina was instructed by the Hampden board to relay that “Given the positions outlined in the April 11 memorandum, it is the board’s view that further discussions would be unproductive,” and also recommended the School Committee to prepare the amendments to the agreement for fall Town Meetings.
Ultimately, the amendments did not make it to Town Meeting as Wilbraham did not host one in the fall.
During an Aug. 21 meeting of the HWRSD School Committee, talks began again around the middle school, with member Sean Kennedy suggesting that the committee bring updated numbers about the costs for the pre-existing issues at the middle school. At that meeting, Superintendent John Provost explained that two issues that needed to be addressed before anything would be replacing the windows and doors.
Following that meeting, further discussions were held, and the window and door replacements were accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s Accelerated Repair Program on Oct. 29.
However, within weeks of that decision, the committee began discussing pulling out from the accelerated repair program in favor of applying for the core program, which would be able to provide more comprehensive repairs to the building’s issues, which include the water and sanitation systems, the HVAC system, electrical service, windows, doors, walls, insulation, the fire protection system and the kitchen.
Both Hampden and Wilbraham’s select boards were in support of applying for the core program, but an official vote has not yet happened with the School Committee, as a result both the fate of the repairs at the school and regional agreement remain up in the air as the calendar shifts to 2026.
New leadership in Hampden Police, EL Fire
Reminder Publishing file photo
At the Feb. 11 meeting of the East Longmeadow Town Council, Deputy Fire Chief Christopher Beecher was promoted to the position of chief.
A longtime member of the Fire Department, Beecher is filling a vacancy left by the retirement of former Chief Paul Morrisette.
The Hampden Selectboard chose East Longmeadow Police Detective Sgt. Daniel Bruno, a Hampden resident, to be the town’s new police chief on Oct. 6.
With the retirement of Chief Scott Trombley, the Selectboard hired search firm Public Safety Consultants to narrow a field of 12 applicants to four candidates.
After one candidate withdrew from consideration, the remaining three — Bruno, Hampden Police Sgt. Thomas Yvon and Longmeadow Capt. Carl Mazzaferro — spent about 30 minutes each answering questions from the Hampden Selectboard.
When the board met to vote on the appointment, Chair John Flynn said the members were in an “enviable position” with three good candidates.
Residents petition for recreational marijuana shop in East Longmeadow
A non-binding question on whether to allow recreational cannabis dispensaries in the town’s industrial zone will appear on the June 2, 2026, election ballot.
On Aug. 12, the Town Council met with resident Christina Rivera, who, along with her husband, Jeffery Brooks, is pursuing a zoning change that would allow them to open a recreational dispensary.
They originally came to the council in late 2024 to request a zoning bylaw change for the industrial zone along Shaker Road.
Because recreational dispensaries had been voted down in a previous referendum, the council was unsure of whether it could change the bylaw without voter input. The body sought an opinion from the town’s legal counsel, who said the council had the authority to decide on the issue using its standard bylaw amendment processes.
Nonetheless, at a May meeting, the councilors shared the opinion that the voters should weigh in on the matter in another referendum.
EL Fourth of July fireworks shift to laser show with high school construction
For the first time in a long time, fireworks did not light up the skies of East Longmeadow for the Fourth of July.
Due to the construction of the new East Longmeadow High School, the traditional fireworks display — long a staple of the town’s holiday celebrations — was canceled for 2025. In its place, the East Longmeadow Rotary Club introduced a new laser light show to dazzle attendees.
The Rotary Club was determined to uphold the spirit of celebration and put on the laser light show conjunction with the July 3 Trailer Trash concert at Mapleshade Elementary School.
Longmeadow librarian arrested on child porn charges
The arrest of a middle school librarian charged with distribution of child sex abuse materials has led the Longmeadow community to express concern and outrage.
Holyoke resident Scott McGinley, the librarian at Williams and Glenbrook middle schools, was arrested on Aug. 13 after turning himself in. The FBI Nashville Division began investigating McGinley in July after undercover law enforcement allegedly found McGinley in an encrypted online messenger app group named “Little boyz only” discussing his sexual preference for “boys age 2-12” and “especially 4-7,” according to information released by the federal Department of Justice. Law enforcement also alleged that McGinley made graphic sexual comments about “students” who were “11-14 years old” and that he “ha[d]n’t touched them sexually,” but sat “hot boys strategically so [he could] see under their desks, and close to [him].”
According to the criminal complaint filed by a special agent with the FBI Boston Division, McGinley transmitted a video depicting child sexual abuse, which led the FBI in Nashville, Tennessee, to contact their colleagues in the Springfield Resident Agency, part of the Boston field office, on Aug. 7. The next day, a search of McGinley’s home and person allegedly uncovered more than 100 pieces of child sex abuse material on his phone and a locked case containing items, including boys’ underwear, bedding, a Santa Claus costume, diapers, diaper cream and applesauce packets. The FBI was assisted in its investigation by the Longmeadow and Holyoke police.
McGinley had worked in Longmeadow Public Schools since 2016. Prior to that, he worked in schools in Springfield and Amherst.
Longmeadow Public Schools Superintendent M. Martin O’Shea released a statement to the community on Aug. 13, and the School Department hosted an Aug. 14 public forum including members of local, county and federal law enforcement, to answer questions when possible and listen to concerns from the public. About 100 people were in attendance.
Wilbraham Hill Climb faces increased scrutiny
Reminder Publishing file photo
In August, a new issue was raised in the ongoing debate over whether the town should continue to approve the Wilbraham Hill Climb.
After hearing over the prior few months from groups of residents both for and against the event, the continuation of the Hill Climb may come down to state law.
The Hill Climb began in 1908 with manufacturers in the burgeoning automobile industry racing for bragging rights to see which vehicles could make it up the steep incline of Monson Road. In 2013, the event was reenacted for the town’s 250th anniversary. In recent years, the Springfield to Boston Foundation, a nonprofit that encourages young people to engage in the classic car hobby, has been hosting the event. The Hill Climb has grown to include a car show, food trucks and a craft fair, all staged along Main Street.
Monson Road residents have complained about not being able to come and go from their driveways, safety concerns and traffic congestion along Main Street. Meanwhile, supporters saying it is family friendly and one of the few events left in town that brings the community together.
Mary Kate Holman, whose family was involved in bringing the Hill Climb back in 2013, said the reason the event was advertised as a “reenactment” is because racing on public ways is illegal under state law. The law prohibits operating “a motor vehicle in a race” or “for the purpose of making a record.” Input from the town counsel could determine whether the board decides to approve future events.
Hampden moves town offices
In November, Hampden’s town offices officially moved to the former Thornton W. Burgess Middle School building. The move had been several years in the making after the town took ownership of the building from the school district after it closed in 2017.
WESTCOMM officially opens dispatch center
Elected officials, first responders and more gathered on July 14 for the ribbon cutting ceremony of a new regional emergency communications center at the old Salter College site at 645 Shawninigan Dr.
The new center is set up to enhance and revolutionize the emergency response capabilities for the towns and cities it currently serves and allows more room for other communities to join.
WESTCOMM Regional Dispatch currently provides emergency communication services for Chicopee, Longmeadow, Monson, East Longmeadow, Ware and the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department.
WESTCOMM hosted a groundbreaking event in March 2024 and has since renovated the building to feature advanced equipment and systems designed to streamline communication processes and improve response times during critical situations.
Additionally, the facility is said to provide ample space for training, collaboration and future expansion to accommodate the needs of growing communities.
The new facility was made possible through funding from the State 911 Department.
SNAP halt in November/response from community and municipalities
With a halt in federal funding for SNAP program leaving food insecure people scrambling to feed themselves and their children during the government shutdown, local officials and organizations worked hard to fill the need and ease anxiety, but found their own resources stretched in many cases.
Among the initiatives to keep the community fed in Springfield was a coalition formed by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, Bishop Talbert Swan of the NAACP and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
Springfield is home to 53 food pantry programs, operated by nonprofits, churches and civic organizations. At a press conference on Nov. 3, Sarno said that 47% of Springfield residents receive SNAP benefits.
Westfield Food Pantry Program Director Melissa Cahalan described their program as “slammed” and “as busy as we’ve ever been.”
During the Town Meeting on Nov. 4, the Longmeadow Food Pantry announced that they were close to running out of supplies. Jamie Walker, food pantry coordinator for the Longmeadow Food Pantry, told Reminder Publishing that the food pantry improved quite a bit since the Town Meeting due to a large community outreach, but as the need grows drastically, it was hard to say what will bring them back into a comfortable position.
Additionally, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and Gov. Maura Healey visited the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts on separate occasions to urge President Donald Trump’s administration to release SNAP payments and commend the work of those working to fight hunger in Massachusetts.
Earlier in the year, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts received notice of its first federal funding cut this year which was that the United States Department of Agriculture canceled some food deliveries to the Food Bank through August, amounting to approximately $440,000 worth of food.
While this loss of federal food represented only 1% of the Food Bank’s total distribution last year, the nonprofit needed to make up for this shortfall by drawing on its emergency reserves to purchase food.
Former Healey aid Lamar Cook arrested on cocaine trafTrafficking charges
LaMar Cook was arrested and charged with cocaine trafficking after nearly 8 kilograms of the drug were allegedly delivered to the Springfield State Office Building, 436 Dwight St., where Cook worked at the deputy director of Gov. Maura Healey’s Western Massachusetts office. Cook’s employment has since been terminated.
Trafficking cocaine, a Class B substance, is a felony. After the initial probable cause hearing on Oct. 29, Judge William Rota ordered Cook to be held until a full hearing on Friday, Oct. 31, to provide his attorney, Kedar Ismail, time to acquaint himself with the case. Cook will enter a formal plea at that time. Rota imposed a $25,000 cash bail upon release after the hearing.
Cook’s arrest was the result of an investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team and the State Police Detective Unit, with help from Homeland Security Investigation.
Baystate Health to offer buyouts in bid to cut costs
In an effort to cut costs, the largest employer in Western Massachusetts, Baystate Health, has announced that it is offering severance packages to some of its 1,300 employees who opt for “voluntary separation.”
Baystate Health operates hospitals, specialist clinics and primary care offices, including the flagship campus at 759 Chestnut St. in Springfield, Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield, Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer and Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield.
The Baystate Health system serves 800,000 people throughout the Pioneer Valley.
In a Nov. 14 press release, Baystate Health stated that the employee buyouts were an effort to “sustain our momentum through continued financial transformation.” It cited “rising labor costs, inflation and reimbursement challenges” as factors in its decision. It also called out the federal One Big Beautiful Bill, passed in July, for “creating additional headwinds for health systems across the country.”
The separations will affect Baystate Health and its subsidiaries, including Health New England, but the company stated that the positions being targeted by the voluntary separations were “non-direct patient care areas.” Rather, Baystate said it is recruiting and hiring physicians, advanced practice providers and bed-side caregivers.
Western Mass. natives among Gaza flotilla detainees reportedly released
Two men with ties to Western Massachusetts who were part of an all-volunteer humanitarian aid flotilla intercepted by the Israeli Navy in waters outside of Gaza were released from Ketziot prison in the Negev desert of Israel on Oct. 7.
Sons of independent congressional candidate and Sheffield resident Nadia Milleron, the two Western Mass natives, Torleif and Adnaan Stumo, joined the initial 50-vessel Global Sumud Flotilla in Barcelona, Spain, in August with the hopes of establishing a humanitarian corridor to bring food and medicine to the besieged people of Gaza.
The two brothers had been in Israeli custody since Oct. 2. A prerecorded message posted on Toleif’s Instagram page late in the evening on Oct. 1, Eastern time, announced he had been captured by Israeli forces.
On Oct. 6, Milleron shared with Reminder Publishing that representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem had visited her sons to determine that they have adequate food and water, and that medical attention has been requested for Torleif, who had injuries to his hands and wrists. At that time, Milleron added her two sons were taking part in a hunger strike to protest the interception of the flotilla.
