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| By Courtney Llewellyn Reminder Assistant Editor EAST LONGMEADOW The School Committee agreed to a number of food-related contracts for the upcoming 2008-09 school year at their last meeting. Bids from New England Ice Cream, Mansfield Paper Company Inc., Charles Freihofer Baking Company Inc. and Garelick Farms LLC were all approved by the committee. Joan Huhtanen, director of Food Services in the East Longmeadow Public Schools, said ice cream has been offered to the students on a regular basis since 1984. The frozen treat is currently sold at the high school and at Birchland Park Middle School on a daily basis. "There is a different schedule for the elementary schools," Huhtanen stated. "At Mapleshade and Mountain View ice cream is offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. At Meadow Brook, ice cream is available only on Fridays." She added that the school district has been doing business with New England Ice Cream for the past three years because they were the most successful bidder each year. This year's bid was for $25,591. Freihofer Baking Company has been the lowest bidder for bakery and bread items for at least the last eight years, according to Huhtanen. This year's bid was $28,035. Garelick Farms, which bid $67,349 this year, has been the successful bidder for East Longmeadow schools for the past four years, as has the Mansfield Paper Company, which bid $33,442 this year. "Each year, the School Lunch Program goes out to bid for paper products, bread, ice cream and milk," Huhtanen explained. "It is my belief that the prices we received for the upcoming year are fair and reasonable." She added that there has been an increase in the prices due to manufacturing and transportation costs, however. |