Sullivan begins fourth term

By Nate Luscombe

Staff Writer

HOLYOKE Mayor Michael Sullivan was sworn in to his fourth term as mayor, and delivered a speech in which he called Holyoke a "wonderful community," despite not having his previously written speech in front of him.

Sullivan walked to the podium to deliver his inaugural address, and paused for a moment, shifting through the papers in front of him.

"I apologize. This isn't my speech," he said finally.

He began by thanking the other elected officials of the city, and added that he knows each of them "will do their job well." Sullivan singled out City Treasurer David B. Donoghue and City Clerk Susan M. Egan for their many years of service to the city. Both were re-elected to their respective posts this year.

Sullivan said the city will continue to invest in basic adult education, and be an advocate for earned income tax credit, which "is essential for impoverished families," Sullivan said, and helps bring money into the Holyoke economy.

Sullivan praised the Holyoke school system. "We have teachers who are the most dedicated you can find anywhere," he said. If a student has a problem, the teachers go above and beyond to find a way to help, he said.

Sullivan said his door is always open to "those who want to come in and respectfully discuss issues. I will listen to those discussions, and make a decision on what I think it best for the city of Holyoke."

"I love the city of Holyoke," Sullivan said.

Sullivan's pre-written speech, most of which he touched on during the inauguration ceremony, appears below:

"I would like to thank Principal Dupont for hosting us today, my family for their encouragement, my supporters for their advocacy, and the citizens for their continued confidence in the work that I do as Mayor of this great city. Thank you to my staff for the work and service they provide to the City of Holyoke.

"I commend all those who stood before the voters to seek office. Only those who attempt such a task can truly appreciate the test of public scrutiny. I sincerely congratulate the members of the City Council and the School Committee who met that challenge. Congratulations to City Clerk Susan Egan and City Treasurer David Donahue in being returned to their respected offices.

"There are great challenges that face our community ahead; both internal and external. It does not matter how those challenges began, but how we, as community leaders, bring them to a resolve. It is imperative that we use ideas that are as original as the challenges themselves. I will continue to approach government with new ideas and an open mind. I look forward to the success of technology and capital investments that the City Council and I have jointly made in public safety. The commitments that we have made to our parks and open space throughout the city will benefit citizens today and into the future. We will need to consider additional investments in many public buildings in the near future. This again will be a call to invest in ourselves: this approach is both reasonable as well as a cost effective for municipalities.

"It will be necessary for us to continue to be cautious about what we can afford and what is effective in terms of service delivery. The dwindling support from Boston has caused us ...like many cities and towns in Massachusetts...to be more self-sufficient and look for ways to do more with less. Holyoke has been a case study in survival. I would note that we are blessed to have State Senator Michael Knapik and State Representative Michael Kane as our delegation: they raise their voices on our behalf at the appropriate opportunities and countless projects have been the beneficiaries of that dedication.

"I have found in my tenure as Mayor.... that the City of Holyoke is thankful to have many dedicated, effective and honorable managers in its midst. I encourage each and every one of you as community leaders to seek their advice and embrace it with respect. That embrace will be returned many times over. I will continue to speak to the need for more training for all City personnel and continue to hire and promote the most qualified people for the task at hand. The higher quality of staff and management, the more effective and efficient the municipal system will ultimately be. This will require that appropriate compensation be availed. ... both to attract and retain competent employees.

"The City of Holyoke will continue to be a socially responsible community and serve many who other communities close their doors to. Everyone in this community should hold their heads high and be proud that we have answered the call of those less fortunate. We do, however, need to insist that other cities and towns work to do their part. We need to be dedicated to growing success. It is no longer equitable to warehouse people in affordable housing; it is necessary to allow everyone to increase their potential for economic growth. We all need to advocate for more Adult Basic Education resources as well as work force development dollars so that we can power the local economy.

"I will continue to aggressively support more awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit or EITC, as it is commonly referred to... this program brings vital dollars into the most impoverished homes and is extremely beneficial to the local economy. I encourage the Council to seek ways to fill the need for empty nester housing and allow so many expatriated Holyokers to return from across the river. These individuals could be helpful to institutions and initiatives in their need to grow.

"In being an urban core city or 'gateway' community, as we are now sometimes sighted as, we will face great challenges in education. 'No Child Left Behind' is a great sound bite and sometimes suggests that teachers are singularly at fault for failing schools; I know that is not the case. There are many economic, familial and social obstacles for students today. Please know that I am not trying to let those responsible for student success, including myself off the hook, We can never say that we are doing all we can for young people in providing them with pathways for achievement. It is imperative that we search for ways to improve the learning environment and unshackle our educators to do what they do best...teach.

"We cannot let those who are entrusted with our future be buried in an avalanche of bureaucracy and reporting. We cannot let students suffer because those who are charged with the process of education are saddled with disciplinary and social work that may be necessary, but unfortunately, not always seen as part of the challenge.

"I am looking forward to the changes that our district has implemented. I caution the public-those initiatives will not create change soon enough. It will be a long process in redirecting the course. We need to continue to celebrate the successes that our schools regularly produce, many of them in this building. I thank every member of the district staff, especially classroom teachers, for their daily endeavors. You are collectively my heroes. I thank students who show up every day and try their best, which is the unsung majority of our student population.

"I am very proud of being mayor of Holyoke, as each of you is proud to serve this community. I am committed to working effectively to move this community in a positive direction. I will continue to listen to the ideas of others and use that input to make the best decisions for Holyoke. Those decisions will not be based on politics or be threatened by rhetoric or propaganda. I will continue to keep an open door, as well as and open mind for all those who are willing to have a respectful discourse on any issue. I invite each and every elected official to utilize that offer for the success of our beloved Holyoke, for ultimately, unfettered rancor will only divide and act as a cancer in our community. I am not suggesting that we cannot, or should not disagree; I am suggesting that we do it respectfully.

"I look forward to the City of Holyoke continuing to be a place of which we should all be proud, a place that we can live safely, a place to raise our familes, a place to grow old with dignity, a place where we proudly state, 'I love Holyoke'. It will take all of us, as leaders, to recognize that we should accentuate the positive, never suggesting that we do not realize that we have work to do. But our whistle should not be shrill as we attend to that work.

"God bless and again congratulations to all elected officials, and most importantly, thank you to all who elected us!"