EAST LONGMEADOW — When Paul Federici marches in the Fourth of July Parade this year, he won’t be somewhere in the middle with politicians, local businesses or bands. Federici, 68, will be stepping out first, as grand marshal of this year’s annual parade in East Longmeadow.
SPRINGFIELD — With some trimming by the City Council, a slightly leaner $928 million budget for fiscal year 2025 was passed unanimously at the May 28 meeting by the 11 members in attendance.
SPRINGFIELD — The School Committee selected Sonia Dinnall as the next superintendent of Springfield Public Schools during a 4-3 vote at the special meeting on May 30.
Following a vigorous May 23 debate session, the nearly $60 billion budget reached unanimous approval by the Massachusetts state Senate. Members adopted more than 400 of the 1,100 amendments filed, resulting in close to $90 million of additional spending with Western Massachusetts lawmakers maintaining the regions stake in funding.
WILBRAHAM — A two-hour Town Meeting moved swiftly through a warrant containing 57 articles with attention focusing on the seemingly resolved differences in the budget numbers for the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District budget, funding for a new fire engine, issues concerning drinking water, battery storage, additions to the Memorial School pickleball courts, the presence of ice cream vendors and steeper fines for littering in town.
The Women’s Foundation of Boston recently announced that it has awarded more than $2.17 million in grants funding to nonprofits that focus on serving women and girls. These include three organizations based in the Pioneer Valley that will receive a total of $583,000 over the next three years.