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Date: 4/27/2022
WILBRAHAM – The Friends of Wilbraham Seniors was given approval by the Board of Selectmen to sell naming rights for various rooms, trees, benches and other fixtures at the new, as-yet-unbuilt senior center.
The Friends of Wilbraham Seniors, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds to pay for programs, services and facilities not covered by the town’s Council on Aging budget, has committed $186,000 to the center, Chair Matthew Villamaino said at the April 25 Board of Selectmen meeting. He told the board more funding would be required to pay for amenities, including outdoor recreation and new programs.
Villamaino commented that 93 percent of the town supported building the center and he hoped they would also support it through the fundraising part of the project. To accomplish some of the fundraising, he proposed selling the naming rights to the rooms of the new facility, with the cost varying based on size and location in the center. He said the Friends of Wilbraham Seniors had identified between 25 and 28 naming opportunities.
When asked how the Friends of Wilbraham Seniors would decide who gets which naming opportunity in the event, Villamaino explained that other senior centers have targeted organizations and businesses for specific rooms. A subcommittee of six people has been convened to tackle the task. Aside from the plaques outside each room, another plaque would feature the names of donors at different levels of giving.
Board of Selectmen Clerk Theresa Goodrich said naming rooms is a “common practice” for town facilities.
Paula Dubord, director of elder affairs and member of the Senior Center Building Committee, said she felt the Friends of Wilbraham Seniors were “definitely on the right path.” She asked the board for their thoughts on selling the name of the building, provided there was a large enough donation.
“You will offend somebody,” Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Carolyn Brennan said, noting it was her opinion and not necessarily that of the board. Goodrich agreed and said that the name should remain the Wilbraham Senior Center because it is the taxpayers who fund and will continue to fund the center.
Villamaino asked for a policy on naming rights to avoid any political messages being incorporated into plaques. Brennan asked him to draft it and said the board would review it. He also asked for a contract between the town and the Friends of Wilbraham Seniors requiring net proceeds from fundraising to go to the town, but Brennan said it is important to keep the town separate from the Friends of Wilbraham Seniors as it is a non-profit. Goodrich agreed, adding, “It’s not town money.”
Main Street Farmers’ Market
Resident Daniel Sullivan, who lives across from the Wilbraham United Church, spoke against allowing the Main Street Farmers’ Market to be located at the church this summer. He said the market, which is headed up by the Wilbraham Welcome Project for the first time, would be “disruptive” to the church and to the neighborhood due to increased traffic. Sullivan added that, despite the Fire and Police Departments stating they were “comfortable” with the market at a previous meeting, a proposed police detail proves the market is unsafe.
Aurora Pierangelo Frias of the Wilbraham Welcome Project told the board that she has consulted with the Wilbraham Fire Department on possible placement for food trucks and shared a site plan with the board. She also reported that she had toured Fountain Park with Tracy Plantier. While the park is a “second choice,” location to host the market, Pierangelo Frias said the lack of paved walkways would impede wheelchair access and is set far back from the road, and so, “not ideal.”
Brennan addressed Sullivan and said that, while she acknowledged his concerns, the board had not received any other complaints about the market. She said the Wilbraham Welcome Project had “done due diligence.”
“I’d like to see how it goes this summer at the church,” Brennan said. The board approved the Main Street Farmers’ Market from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays between June 1 to Sept. 28.
In a final piece of business, Goodrich volunteered to sit on the Superintendent Screening Committee for the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD).