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Date: 12/30/2015
Although municipal elections were a dominant story in the 2015 news for Chicopee, many other events marked 2015.
Jan. 9, 2015 CHICOPEE – The City Council decided to delay approving $185,000 to secure and further stabilize the former Uniroyal administration building until questions some councilors have can be addressed in a Finance Committee meeting.
Mayor Richard Kos had asked the council to approve $185,000 to seal up the windows with plywood, secure the brick parapets and further repair the roof.
Although the building has not yet been redeveloped, work continues on securing funds to demolish the remaining buildings and clean up the property for new uses.
Jan. 23, 2015 CHICOPEE – With the opening of the new RiverMills Center, attendance has increased, especially within one key demographic group: men.
Council of Aging (COA) Executive Director Sandra Lapollo told Reminder Publications that the opening of the new senior center last year she has seen a dramatic increase in men using the facility and its offerings.
The new senior center has been seen as an asset to the city.
Feb. 5, 2015 CHICOPEE – The sewer separation project for downtown took another step forward at the City Council meeting on Feb. 3.
The council voted to authorize the city treasurer to borrow $12.5 million to finance the combined sewer overflow projects for Hampden Street, Kimball Street, Bullens Street and Cochran Street. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection required approval of the bond before the deadline for the final design on the renovations Oct. 15.
The effort to address the city’s combined sewer overflows was a reoccurring theme for the mayor and the City Council.
April 24, 2015 CHICOPEE – A Chicopee hero will probably be honored by his name adorning the new middle school.
On April 16, the School Committee’s Facilities Subcommittee voted to recommend to the full committee that the new middle school should be named after Chicopee native Sgt. Kevin A. Dupont. Committee chair Susan Lopes said the full committee should vote to approve the designation in May.
The new school was named in Dupont’s honor.
May 15, 2015 CHICOPEE – The city’s Police Department will now offer greater protection to both people who are being booked and for officers themselves.
On May 5, Mayor Richard Kos and Police Chief William Jebb announced the purchase and installation of four new high definition cameras that monitor the entire booking areas as well as an additional camera in the elevator serving the area.
The new system came after the city drew nation-wide attention for a video of an officer putting a chokehold on a prisoner.
May 22, 2015 WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE – The Great New England Airshow has always celebrated contemporary aviation with aircrafts of the past and this year was no exception.
During the show, the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor fighter made an impressive debut at the show. Although the plane has been used by the Air Force since 2005, it has never been featured at the show until this year.
A twin-engine stealth tactical fighter, the F-22 thrilled audiences during the media day presentation with a series of maneuvers over the base’s runway.
The air show saw a record number of people and was part of the base’s 75th anniversary celebration. The next air show will either be in 2017 or 2018.
May 22, 2015 SPRINGFIELD – For Congressman John Lewis, delivering the commencement address for the Elms College on May 16, founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph (SSJ), was a profound moment.
“It is almost too much,” the civil rights pioneer said. “To stand here is almost unreal, unbelievable.”
The order played a key role in Lewis’ life. It was 50 years ago that Lewis helped lead the march from Selma, AL, to the state capitol of Montgomery to advocate for voting rights for African-Americans. Alabama State Police beat Lewis so badly that he has no memory of how he was brought to the only hospital in Selma that would treat African-Americans.
June 19, 2015 CHICOPEE – If getting to the library is difficult, the library may be coming to you.
On June 11, the new bookmobile for the Chicopee Public Library made its public debut. Made possible through a $75,000 donation by the Polish National Credit Union, the converted van has a wide selection of materials to borrow as well as providing Internet access, Nancy Contois, chief librarian said.
Contois explained to Reminder Publications there is resurgence across the country in bookmobiles. She said that with tight municipal budgets libraries “are difficult to staff at multiple places and at multiple times.”
July 10, 2015 CHICOPEE – Thomas Kielbania Jr. is looking of a new location of his Chicopee Kielbasa Festival.
The man who successfully revitalized the long dormant Polish fest wrote on Facebook on July 5 “Looking for a new Chicopee venue to hold the Kfest for future events. I’ve exhausted all city park options and I’m thinking private land or a special event place would be cool. Westover, malls and city parks are out for possible venues. What’s left?”
The event has moved to the Big E grounds in West Springfield.
Oct. 15, 2015 CHICOPEE – The merging of Holyoke Catholic High School (HCHS) and Cathedral High School into the HCHS building earlier than planned may have caused concern about the future of a new Catholic high school to be built on Surrey Road in Springfield, but Paul Gagliarducci, director of the rebuilding effort, insisted the merger doesn’t mean the new Pope Francis High School project will be affected.
“It’s a reality as far as I’m concerned,” Gagliarducci said at the press conference on Oct. 13 formally announcing the two schools will merge for the fall of 2016 under the name of Pope Francis High School at the campus of the current HCHS.
Work has started on the construction of the new Pope Francis High School on the grounds of the former Cathedral High School in Springfield.