EAST LONGMEADOW – The year of 2018 brought adult store bylaws, the town’s Lions Club celebrating 75 years in operation, a spirited School Committee race, a sixth-grade robotics club win from the world’s competition and the high school starting an initiative to kick off the year with “good vibes only.”

Adult Store Bylaw Approved

At the Feb. 13 Town Council meeting the Council presented the first reading of a new bylaw relating to adult stores, clubs and video theaters.  At the Town Council meeting on Feb. 27, the Town Council hosted their second reading and subsequently voted to approve the new bylaw.

The bylaw, which had been quite controversial in town, was created in response to an Adam & Eve store looking to potentially locate to East Longmeadow to expand their stores.  However, in January of 2018 owner Scott McGregor noted that he did not believe his store would be entering the town after the realization that with the new bylaw and restrictions, a sex-related store would be limited to a location in East Longmeadow’s industrial park.

Lions Club celebrates 75th year in operation

After years of service to the community, the East Longmeadow Lions Club is celebrating its 75th year of service.  

“Lions are known as “knights of the blind,” focusing on programs and services for the blind and visually impaired — and aim to eliminate preventable and reversible blindness,” lionsclubs.org reads.

In addition to their work with individuals with sight loss, the Lions work to support global health programs, fight hunger and support those in less-fortunate countries.

On Feb. 22, 1943, the Indian Orchard Lions chartered the East Longmeadow Lions Club.  Once the group was chartered they began to raise funds to support Lions Eye Research while simultaneously funding community events that would benefit the town, the state and the country. A few of the original members of the East Longmeadow Lions include Sandford Nooney, Archie T. Rintouli, Llobd C. Clark and Sherwood W. Cronk, along with 87 other like-minded individuals.

In their 75th year of operation the East Longmeadow Lions Club hosted their 29th annual Memorial Golf Tournament, a fall beer dinner, speed pitch at the carnival, a Valentine wine and chocolate dinner, Journey for Sight canisters and will place recycling boxes around the town and the open pantry at the Senior Center. Additionally, the club fundraised to restring the lights on the towns Christmas tree. The lights were replaced with LED C–9’s which are brighter and conserve energy. A three–foot star was also placed on the top of the tree.

With only 40 members, the East Longmeadow Lions are in search of men and women who are dedicated to making improvements in town and across the globe.

To learn more about the organization, call King Lion Paul Cunningham at 636-6568, Lion Lloyd Oakes at 525-2378 or Lion Scott Gabowski at 525-2500.

Truoiolo voted to open School Committee seat

At East Longmeadow’s Annual Town Election on June 5, after a long campaign, Sarah Truoiolo was voted to the open School Committee seat.

Truoiolo is a life-long Western Massachusetts resident. She attended Smith College and majored in education and child study.  She graduated Cum Laude, and went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania where she received her Masters in education.

Truoiolo won the election against her opponent Susan Mantoni by a mere 190 votes. Truoiolo received 664 votes, and Mantoni 474. Prior to the race between Mantoni and Truoiolo, Jon Torcia was also a candidate for the seat. Torcia now sits on the town’s Planning Board.

Sixth grade robotics students bring home trophy from world’s competition

Eight sixth grade students in East Longmeadow competed in both the New England Regional tournament and Worlds tournament for VEX Robotics. The sixth graders won Regionals in Worcester, beating 17 other teams, and walked away from Worlds in Louisville, Kentucky with the Judge’s Award.

East Longmeadow’s VEX?Robotics sixth graders include Samir Khan, Lucas Mantoni, Benjamin Bedford, Andrew Garstka, Emerson Pelletier, Anna Osobrne, Anna Turnberg and Ava Mendes. Teachers Deborah Barry and Chris Tyler traveled with the team, along with numerous parent volunteers.

The VEX robotics students will have the opportunity to continue their efforts all the way through High School in East Longmeadow.

High School kicks off school year with ‘Good Vibes Only’

Though students often associate the first week back to school with dread, East Longmeadow High School (ELHS) students have nothing to worry about. That week, Principal Gina Flanagan along with the schools’ staff prepared a fun week of team building and collaboration–no bad vibes allowed.

“Good Vibes Only,” is this year’s theme at ELHS, said Flanagan, noting that with the growth in students facing stress, anxiety, mental health issues and drug and alcohol abuse, the school system is taking a deliberate and direct approach to supporting students.

“We wanted to send a message to the student that we really care about you and want your journey here to be a successful one,” she explained. “”Good Vibes Only” is a big time catch phrase right now, it just seemed to fit what we’re trying to capture.”

Students were welcomed on their first day back, Aug. 28, by all faculty members and staff standing outside the school wearing matching red “Good Vibes Only” t-shirts. Flanagan said the staff greeting the students was part of the schools desire to build positive relationships this year.

This first day and often the first week of school is generally dedicated to reading through syllabuses, passing out books and going over classroom common practices. This year, however, ELHS teachers were asked to focus on developing a positive class culture by facilitating activities with students that foster trust, collaboration, ownership and kindness.