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Town celebration returns May 19-21

Colonel Kosiorek, or Dr. Kosiorek as his patients know him, shared this photo from a trip "outside the wire" while he was serving in Iraq. He will be the keynote speaker at the annual memorial service during Long Meddowe Days. Reminder submitted photo
LONGMEADOW The Longmeadow Historical Society presents the 27th Annual Long Meddowe Days to take place on May 19, 20 and 21.

Long Meddowe Days is our town's celebration, a time to commemorate our town history. The event takes places on our beautiful town Green. During Long Meddowe Days, the entire family has a chance to shop for arts and crafts, take historic tours, march in the town parade, ride a pony, climb the wall and enjoy musical entertainment all weekend long.

On Friday, May 19, Long Meddowe Days will kick off the start of a fun-filled family weekend with a concert by Mike Barnett and Friends at the traditional Family Picnic on the Green beginning at 5:30 p.m.

On Saturday, May 20, the festivities begin with the 13th Annual Tim Page Road Race. Walkers start at 7:30 a.m., runners at 8 a.m. The ever-popular "Our Town" parade follows on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. at St. Mary's Church. Marchers will begin assembling in St. Mary's back parking lot at 8:30 a.m.

The juried Arts and Crafts will be available on Saturday and Sunday. Tours of the historical Storrs House, walking tours of Longmeadow architecture and the Longmeadow cemetery will be on Saturday and Sunday.

Also, visit "Old Longmeadow" as a group of crafters and their families set up a village consisting of blacksmiths, weavers, fireplace cooking and more. This trip to the past is interesting and educational for the entire family.

As first begun in the year 1870, a Memorial Service will be held as one of the events of Long Meddowe Days on May 21 at noon on the Longmeadow Town Green. Delivering the Key Message will be Colonel David E. Kosiorek, past Commander of the largest dental clinic in the Camp Anaconda, Iraq area.

Kosiorek has had a 20-plus year military career with the U.S. Army Dental Corps, beginning in 1982, after his graduation from Tufts University with a DMD Degree. His service began with one year of dental residency at Fort Brag, NC, and two years in the northern Bavarian town of Bayreuth.

Kosiorek was then selected by the U.S Dental Command in Europe to fill a position in the southern Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Having completed his tour of duty in Europe, he was assigned to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and was then selected to attend a specialty residency program in Orthodontics at Ft. Meade, Maryland.

He served as the staff orthodontist at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas for four years and was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as the director of Orthodontics. Shortly thereafter he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

After almost 16 years of active service, Kosiorek decided to enter private practice and establish himself in Longmeadow in 1998. Not giving up the military completely, he joined the Army Reserve and was promoted to full Colonel. In the summer of 2004, while providing care to Cheyenne and Crow Indians in eastern Montana, Kosiorek was called back to active duty.

He was deployed to LSA Anaconda, Iraq where he assumed command of the largest dental clinic in theater. Upon his return in 2005, Colonel Kosiorek presented to the town of Longmeadow an American flag that had flown in Iraq.

Kosiorek is a native of Chicopee and is one of nine children. He attended local schools and graduated from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst with a degree in Zoology.

Using his science background, he became a biology teacher at Minnechaug Regional High School where he taught for several years. Having the need to fulfill an earlier dream, he decided to change careers and attend dental school. He resides in East Longmeadow with his wife Penny and his two children Justin and Danielle. He currently has a dental practice in Longmeadow.

As first begun in the year 1870, the Memorial Service will be a "Tribute to Honor Those Who Fought and Died for Our Country," with prayers lead by Father Larry Provenzano of First Church of Christ and Deacon Donald Higby of Saint Mary's Church. Local Honored Elected Officials present will include State Representative Mary Rogeness and Select Board Chairman John Papale.

The Ceremony will begin with a "Call to Service" by a bag piper, with the National Anthem and America the Beautiful sung by the Williams-Glenbrook Middle School Choir directed by Michael Smith, and the playing of Taps by Longmeadow High School student Matt Hibert. Longmeadow High School student Thomas Bearce will recite his composition on "The Meaning of Memorial Day."

The ceremony will end with the Memorial Salute by The United States Marine Corps League Color Guard; John Rutovich, Judge Advocate; and the 9th Mass. Light Artillery Color Guard, which is under the command of Capt. Elliot Levy.

The public is invited.



More on the Storrs House




Samplers, tintypes, early newspapers, and other treasures from the collection of the Longmeadow Historical Society will be featured at the Storrs House, 697 Longmeadow St., on docent-led tours of the 18th-century structure held as part of theLongMeddowe Days festivities on May 20 and 21.

Also, on viewwill be a Poets Album compiled for auction during the Brooklyn NY Sanitary Fair in 1864 to raise money for the care of wounded Union soldiers.Many well-known poets, including H. W. Longfellow, J. G. Whittier, O. W. Holmes, W. C. Bryant, R. W. Emerson, and J. R. Lowell, are represented with handwritten verses, some composed especially for the occasion.

The Album was purchased as a gift for the Rev. Richard Salter Storrs, D.D. in recognition of his contributions to the Fair. The tours of the Storrs House will be conducted on Saturday, May 20 from noon to 4 p.m. and on Sunday May 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. Docents participating are Linda Abrams, Society Curator, Douglas Burt, Michael Gelinas, Denise Collins, Betsy McKee, and Nancy Marshall, all of Longmeadow. The Storrs House will also be open for docent-led tours on June 18, July 16, August 29, and September 17.