West Springfield

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West Springfield holiday home tour aids Boys & Girls Club

Rich J. Wirth

WEST SPRINGFIELD — West Siders are hauling out the holly in preparation for the 27th annual “Holiday Tour of Homes” to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield....
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West Springfield tax bills on the rise despite rates going down

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Town councilors voted on Nov. 20 to keep the same property tax split next year, so West Springfield businesses will continue to pay a higher rate than homeowners....
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West Springfield Middle School principal adopts ‘sense of urgency’ on achievement

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Middle school administrators and teachers need to share a “sense of urgency” about their falling state rating, School Committee members said on Nov. 14....
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West Springfield DPW yard plan withdrawn after Brush Hill neighbors object

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Following an outcry of opposition, Mayor William Reichelt has dropped his plan to build a DPW yard on 31 acres to be acquired by eminent domain on Brush Hill Avenue....
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Incumbents sweep West Springfield’s at-large council race

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Everyone on the Town Council who wanted to be reelected was a winner on Nov. 7, as voters backed a slate of five at-large candidates who are all current councilors....
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Former submarine builder opens West Springfield Crumbl

Tyler Lederer
tlederer@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The first Western Massachusetts Crumbl location opened Nov. 10 in West Springfield. The store offers Crumbl’s rotating selection of cookies, with only six flavors available per week....
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West Springfield teens excited to represent their peers

Mike Lydick
mlydick@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — West Springfield High School seniors Hannah Debian and Falak Kansara have much in common. One other thing they share: representing their fellow students at meetings of the town’s elected boards....
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West Springfield to unveil veteran parking spaces at event

Tyler Lederer
tlederer@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Along with the usual parade and ceremonies, West Springfield will mark Veterans Day on Nov. 11 with the unveiling of two parking spaces reserved for veterans at Town Hall....
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West Springfield has choices for council, school board

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Voters in West Springfield will decide contested races for Town Council and School Committee on their Nov. 7 ballots....
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Grant helps serve West Springfield homeless, migrant students

Tyler Lederer
tlederer@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Local schools are serving more and more homeless students, said the district’s homeless liaison, Jaclyn Willemain. ...
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Spirits active at West Springfield taverns, ghost hunters say

Mike Lydick
mlydick@thereminder.com

A local paranormal organization believes Helen Storrow is a resident spirit who remains at Storrowton Village looking after her beloved buildings surrounding the town green. ...
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West Springfield board wants progress on Tatham hallway

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — With an eye to the upcoming winter weather, School Committee members asked administrators to speed the process of building an enclosed connector between Tatham School and its modular classrooms....
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West Springfield mayor asks to take Brush Hill land for DPW

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — It will cost $1.2 million, but Mayor William Reichelt says he’s found a new home for the town’s Department of Public Works....
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History Trail offers free visit to West Springfield’s museums

Miasha Lee

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Four historical sites in town will be open for the West Side History Trail 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4....
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Fausey, West Springfield district honored for MCAS scores

Tyler Lederer
tlederer@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Students in West Springfield have grown academically this year, according to West Springfield School Superintendent Stefania Raschilla. Six out of the seven schools with “accountability percentiles” tracked by the state increased their scores. ...
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West Springfield Town Council candidate Q&A, part 3

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

Part three of three. What is the town’s biggest infrastructure need? What background, belief or skill would you bring to the Town Council?...
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West Springfield School Committee candidate Q&A, part 2

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

Part two of two. What are your thoughts on reorganizing the town’s elementary schools? What background, belief or skill would you bring to the School Committee?...
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Poles not ready for West Springfield broadband network pilot

Tyler Lederer
tlederer@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — West Springfield is waiting for Verizon and Eversource to finish work on utility poles so the town can start its municipal fiber pilot program, said Chief Technology Officer Stephanie Straitiff....
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West Springfield mayor welcomes power plant battery proposal

Dennis Hohenberger

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Electricity may flow again at the former power plant on Route 5 near the Memorial Bridge. This time, instead of being generated by burning fossil fuels, an energy company is proposing storing it with batteries....
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West Springfield School Committee candidate Q&A, part 1

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

First of two parts. Is the School Department budget growing too fast or not fast enough? What is the greatest impediment to student success in town schools?...
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West Springfield Town Council candidate Q&A, part 2

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

Second of three parts. Where would you look for cuts, if next year’s municipal budget comes in tight? What specific actions should the council take to encourage or oppose low-income housing?...
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West Springfield OKs apartment zoning at nursing home site

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — After the developer found about a dozen more parking spaces and said he is open to changes in how his apartments are configured, the Town Council on Oct. 2 approved a zone change for a long-abandoned downtown nursing home....
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West Springfield Town Council candidate Q&A, part 1

Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

First of three parts. Are residential and commercial property taxpayers treated fairly in town? What should the Town Council do to control driver speed on residential roads and promote pedestrian safety?...
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Delayed West Springfield rotary project now in ‘early stages’

Tyler Lederer
tlederer@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — After a monthlong delay, the downtown West Springfield rotary project has entered its early stages, according to Mayor William Reichelt....
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