E.L. First receives grant

EAST LONGMEADOW East Longmeadow First, a citizen's group that was founded nine months ago with the goal to manage sprawling growth in East Longmeadow, announced last week that it received a $2,000 grant to aid its work, according to Lynn Smith, the group's chair.

The funds, awarded by the New England Grassroots Environment Fund (NEGEF), will be used by East Longmeadow First to help in the current "Yes on 23" campaign to put a cap on the size of retail development in town. Voters will decide whether or not to pass Article 23 at the May 1 Annual Town Meeting.

"This is very timely assistance," Smith said. "We're trying to get the word out to East Longmeadow residents that if we don't stop these big box stores, they will turn us into West Springfield. These funds will help us do that."

Smith said the group's name signifies that the homeowners, taxpayers and residents of East Longmeadow should come first, and out-of-state developers a distant second, when it comes to the future prosperity and quality of life in East Longmeadow.

The New England Grassroots Environment Fund (NEGEF) is a small grant program designed to foster local grassroots environmental initiatives in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

It provides small grants of up to $2,500 to fuel local activism that results in broader community involvement in projects that address a wide range of environmental issues and opportunities.

For more information about the fund contact NEGEF at P. O. Box 1057, Montpelier, VT 05601, call (802) 223-4622, email info@grassrootsfund.org or visit the website at www.grassrootsfund.org.