HOLYOKE – On Nov. 4, state Sen. John C. Velis announced $50,000 in fiscal year 2022 (FY22) funding for the Holyoke War Memorial toward restoration and repairs of the Lady Liberty statue in Veterans Park.

Velis said he filed an earmark in the FY22 budget and was able to get the amendment passed by the Senate and House and signed into law in July. The funding has been dispersed and will be used to restore and repair Holyoke’s Lady Liberty statue and the monument’s general upkeep.

Established in 1928, the Holyoke War Memorial Commission oversees the upkeep and overall management of all the veterans’ monuments within the city limits to include the Holyoke War Memorial Building on Appleton Street.

Chairman Christopher C. Sims of the Holyoke War Memorial Commission said, “It’s important to maintain our history and to maintain the focal points of that history with all of the monuments and the War Memorial Building. It commemorates the service of our military within Holyoke.”

The Lady Liberty statue was designed by H.G. Ellicott in memory of the citizens from Holyoke who died during the Civil War. It was dedicated on July 4, 1876, the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and is on the National Register of Historic Monuments.

Resident Michael Falcetti came up with the idea to restore the monument, as vice chair of the Holyoke Community Preservation Act Committee. He was able to secure a $25,000 grant from the committee to do a study on the restoration. “The budget amount we had to do this restoration was $110,000,” Falcetti said. “We’re $60,000 away from our goal. We’re hoping private citizens and banks help us out and give a donation. We’re aiming for the renovation to be done in the spring of 2022.”

Four years ago, Falcetti was walking to Veteran's Park with a cup of coffee and noticed that the names of the 51 men who had died were beginning to fade in the concrete base. He thought how heartbreaking it would be to have those 51 names simply forgotten in the distant future and no one will know the names of the men who sacrificed their lives for their country.

“That’s what started the whole thing,” Falcetti replied. “I talked to my good friend Don Provost who’s a veteran and former member of the Holyoke War Memorial Commission. Between the two of us we got the ball running and low-and- behold Senator Velis helped us out with a $50,000 grant which will be for the restoration of Lady Liberty to ensure that the names of those men will never be forgotten or never be worn away.”

Falcetti told Reminder Publishing the process took a year. He had to go before the Holyoke Preservation Committee to get the $25,000 grant. From that grant, Falcetti said everything fell into place. Then, working with Provst and Velis’s office was another six months.

“Lady Liberty is an iconic Holyoke memorial that's beautifully constructed and beautifully presented,” Falcetti said. “It’s very important not only to the people of Holyoke but, to anybody who is interested in the struggles of the men and women that fought to keep the union whole. It’s also a reminder to people especially for the 51 men that gave their lives to ensure the union is safe.”

As Chairman of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, and a veteran himself, Velis said his investment in this project is personal. He has been a longtime advocate for funding Veterans services and memorials across the state. He explained to Reminder Publishing that his constituents brought up the need for restorations to the Lady Liberty statue because the names of the 50-plus soldiers from Holyoke that fought during the Civil War are no longer visible on it.

Upon hearing this, he wanted to see for himself what its current state was. He took a ride down to the memorial and saw that indeed the names were no longer visible, and the memorial was “in disrepair,” and that “rubbed him the wrong way,” thus prompting him to take action.

He stated, “The one thing that I know from my standpoint is that I want to see those names prominently displayed. I want every person, no matter where they’re from, when they’re walking by that monument and look up, they’re going to be able to see those names because, at this point in time, that's someone’s great, great grandfather.” He also spoke of family members who may have lost a loved one in conflict and having a memorial is a “preservation of that person’s memory and in respects, keeps them going ­– and that’s what keeps their loved one's name and accomplishments alive.”

There will be a complete cleaning and restoration of the statute itself and the names of those civil war heroes will be on a bronze plaque at the site of Lady Liberty. As for when restorations will occur, Velis said there is no exact date but was notified that it will be immediately.