‘Planes over Chicopee’ campaign grows
Date: 10/18/2011
Oct. 19, 2011By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
CHICOPEE — The delivery of painted sculptures of C-5 planes around the city continued last week, with a fiberglass model painted by Ann Beebe installed at the branch of Chicopee Savings Bank on Burnett Road.
The “Planes over Chicopee” campaign is part of the effort conducted by The Friends of the Senior Center to raise $2 million for the construction of a new senior center.
“Our City” is the second sculpture to be sponsored by the Chicopee Savings Bank Foundation.
Beebe titled her work “Our City,” and it depicts landmarks such as City Hall. It is the second plane she has painted, the first being “Frog,” which is located at Lymtech Scientific.
The artist told
Reminder Publications the painting of the plane sculpture was a “challenge as it wasn’t a flat surface.”
She noted with a laugh that she “whacked her head” as she worked underneath the plane.
She received the two models at the end of July and finished them by the end of September. Although the actual painting of “Our City” took about two and half weeks, she made sure the paint adequately cured so it could withstand the elements.
Sandra Lapollo, executive director of the Chicopee Council on Aging, said that 15 of the 10 sculptures have been sponsored with each sponsor paying $1,400. She added a group of seniors who use the center raised $1,300 with $5 and $10 donations to sponsor “Crossword Puzzle” by Marianne Paquette and Rudi Swol.
There are now just five sculptures available for sponsorship. Those interested in contributing to the campaign by sponsoring a plane should contact Attorney Richard J. Kos at 594-2114 or City Treasurer Ernest N. Laflamme Jr. at 594-1560.
