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Date: 9/21/2021
WEST SPRINGFIELD – In 2024, the town of West Springfield will celebrate its 250th anniversary. In an effort to honor such an important event in the town's history, Mayor William Reichelt has established a committee that will be responsible for planning events that will take place over the course of the year.
On Feb. 23, 1774, West Springfield was officially incorporated as an independent municipality from Springfield. Since then, West Springfield has transitioned to a city form of government.
In 1874, the town celebrated its centennial, followed by the 200th anniversary in 1974. For the 250th anniversary, Reichelt decided it was a perfect opportunity to remember and reflect on all that West Side has accomplished.
The mayor appointed Chief of Operations Carly Camossi and Park and Recreation Director Victoria Connor, to co-chair the committee.
Camossi, a born and raised West Springfield resident, began working with Reichelt in 2017. Connor has been working in the community for 27 years. Together, the two claimed they have run a fair share of events over the years.
In addition to the co-chairs, the committee will consist of community members, residents and business owners in town. Connor said they are responsible for finding potential members and bringing forward names, however, the mayor will make the ultimate decision on who joins the committee.
Camossi said, “We need workers – people who are invested in the community.” This may include someone who serves on a board, volunteers in town, etc. “There’s a lot of relationships between the two of us,” said Camossi, referring to herself and Connor.
As of now, the limit to how many members will serve on the committee is to be determined.
Currently, they are in the early planning stages. Through extensive research, they have discovered past events that were celebrated during the town's momentous years. For the 250th celebration, Connor said, “We have events planned every month toward civic groups, a building project, etc.”
Camossi shared that they are hopeful to host 12 events – one each month, along with smaller events incorporated within. Of those 12 events, she predicted that three or four may be “huge” or “heavy” events. “It’s going to be big,” she added.
For the town’s last celebration in 1974, some events included an opening gala, pageant, birthday party, parade, masque ball and more. “We want to go through and see what works, said Camossi.” For instance, with the birthday party and gala, they want to see how this would take place and adapt to society now. “We want to see how the old touches in with the new.”
Connor informed Reminder Publishing that they have a lot of partnerships in town and will be working with those organizations, such as the library, the White Church, the high school/school department, Rotary Club and the Lions Club, among others. The events taking place will be assigned to the different organizations. “We want to make this educational and continue on to the next generation,” added Connor.
Along with doing research in their own town, Camossi and Connor have reached out to nearby towns to see how they’ve celebrated anniversaries. In particular, Westfield typically hosts their birthday party in the center of town, which West Springfield may do as well. Majority of the events are predicted to take place in different locations across town.
Connor said one event that she wants to do is a cemetery walk. “I want to work with the school department and history folks,” she shared. “Our first settlers are in there. The younger generation doesn’t know why or who these people are.” She is hopeful that they will be able to host this event, where people will be able to walk through and read about who is buried here and their accomplishments and contributions to West Springfield.
As co-chairs, Camossi and Connor have distinct goals for 2021. First and foremost, they wish to inform the public of the 250th anniversary approaching. Next, they are working on creating a website that will incorporate research, along with photos, to display West Side’s progression over time. Once created, this will be able to be accessed through the town's website.
In 2022, they are hopeful to begin fundraising efforts. “We’re going to hit the ground running and start planning/fundraising,” said Camossi. An idea mentioned by Connor is the possibility of having fireworks.
The two look forward to being co-chairs on this committee and working together. “Yes, we’re planning this, but it’s not for us,” said Camossi. “It’s for the residents.”
Connor added, “I commend the mayor for putting this [committee] down now and planning this ahead of time.”
West Springfield residents are encouraged to stay tuned and start thinking/sharing ideas on how the 250th anniversary celebration can be the best it can be.
If you’re interested in serving on the committee, email your name and contact information to Celebrate250@tows.org. This email can also be used for anyone wishing to send information or photos of particular moments and events that have taken place in West Springfield. The committee will work on archiving everything to put in a folder and eventually into a timeline on the town’s website, https://www.townofwestspringfield.org/.