LONGMEADOW – In Longmeadow, the year of 2018 brought a series of highs and lows, with the town taking steps toward becoming drug free and dementia friendly, a heartwarming “Vow Renewal” ceremony for six resident couples at Glenmeadow, a former Longmeadow High School student Brynn Cartelli winning TV-show “The Voice” and heated discussion on Longmeadow Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Martin O’Shea.

Town takes steps toward becoming drug–free with grant

In an installment of Longmeadow Superintendent Dr. Martin O’Shea’s YouTube series, Superintendent’s Corner, O’Shea discusses the national problem of drugs in towns and cities, and the specific prevention and intervention efforts that Longmeadow is taking to create a drug-free community.

Paul McNeil, Coalition Coordinator of the Drug Free Community and Shelly Warren, the towns Substance Abuse Response Coordinator and President of the Close Coalition joined O’Shea during the 20-minute video.

“Longmeadow received a highly competitive federal grant called the Drug-Free Community Grant,” O’Shea shared. “We’re excited to receive this grant and we think that it will support some very important prevention and intervention work in the years ahead.”

McNeil shared more information about the grant as well as his background.  Longmeadow is the third community that McNeil has worked with to help with the Federal Drug-Free Community support program funding, and he’s “found success in every community he’s worked with.”  He noted that though the federal funding for this grant has been around for about 20 years, it’s a very competitive grant, with only 99 communities awarded these funds.

“It’s $125,000 a year for at least five years, and we’ll have a chance to apply for five more years, being that we’re able to show success for the first five years.  I’m very optimistic that this will happen, a ton of people are on board with this Coalition already,” McNeil said.

JGS Lifecare hosts towns Dementia Friendly Kickoff Event

JGS Lifecare hosted Longmeadow’s Dementia Friendly Kickoff Event on Jan. 9 where they displayed their plans for the community to become “dementia friendly” through their partnership with the Longmeadow Council on Aging (COA), Glenmeadow Retirement Community and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Mary-Anne Schelb, director of Sales and Community Relations for JGS Lifecare shared that while many individuals think that becoming a dementia-friendly community means completing a series of steps to become “certified,” that isn’t necessarily how it works.

“It’s ongoing initiative and training with everyone from emergency responders, to business owners, to family members, it literally touches everyone in the community,” Schelb explained. “This isn’t just in Longmeadow and Massachusetts, this is across America.  It really brings education and awareness to the communities that it’s brought to, to have community members understand the folks with higher level memory loss and treat them with more dignity and compassion and to have a better understanding of what they’re going through.”

At the Town’s Dec. 3 Select Board meeting, after a year of work on becoming a Dementia Friendly town, Longmeadow was presented with a Dementia Friendly certificate of recognition.

Glenmeadow hosts ‘Vow Renewal’ ceremony for six resident couples

On Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, Glenmeadow Retirements’ Cotz Hall was full with both residents and fittingly, a whole lot of love.  Six resident couples renewed their vows in a heartwarming ceremony about celebration, redemption and commitment.  This is the second vow renewal ceremony of its kind that Glenmeadow has hosted, with the previous five years earlier.

Numerous tables were elegantly set in red tablecloths with burgundy and ivory rose centerpieces, welcoming family members of the once-more newlyweds as well as residents of the Retirement Community.  A white, marble flavored wedding cake with delicate piping, red hearts and a silver double-heart topper sat on a table in the room, soon to be devoured by guests of the ceremony.  Additionally, photos of the couples from their original wedding date were on display for onlookers to enjoy.

The six couples included James and Barbara Sullivan, Dr. Gabriel and Cissie Kitchener, Dr. Carl and Joanne Janovsky, Murray and Roberta Schultz, Gerald and Grace Ann Healy, and Oliver and Gundel Deex.

Cartelli adjusts to home life post ‘The Voice’

For weeks, millions of people watched her sing on NBC, and after several weeks of practice, perseverance and dedication, Brynn Cartelli of Longmeadow was voted by America as the winner of Season 14 of “The Voice.”

Reminder Publishing had the opportunity to chat with Cartelli about her time on the show leading up to her final performance, the friends she’d made and what it’s like to be back in her hometown after weeks in the spotlight.  

As the youngest contestant to win “The Voice,” at the age of only 15, Cartelli had no expectations of winning considering her competition–turned­­–friends were more experienced.

“I just thought it would be anyone else. They’ve [the other contestants] been in the industry longer than I have been, everyone’s just older than me and have been in it longer,” she shared.

If there was one piece of advice she could give an aspiring singer, whether young or old, Cartelli’s advice was simple: try.

“I think if you’re really interested and really love what you’re doing, it’s important to get out there and try. I remember when I first auditioned for “The Voice” and I was like, ‘Let’s just try it.’ It was really early in my career, and since then they took a chance on me and I kept going,” Cartelli said. “Try, no matter how young you are you can do it if you work really hard and are passionate about it.”

Post–win, Cartelli has released a music video for her song, “Walk My Way” and has recently released a new single titled, “Last Nights Mascara.”

O’Shea’s contract not renewed, town in search of new superintendent

The Longmeadow School Committee will now be searching for a new superintendent for the school district to begin on July 1, 2019 following an at times contentious and well–attended meeting of the School Committee on Nov. 14. Despite many members of the community speaking in support of Longmeadow Superintendent Dr. Martin O’Shea’s leadership, O’Shea’s contract was ultimately not renewed in a 4 to 3 vote.

Many Longmeadow Schools staff members, parents, students and local dignitaries attended the meeting, with most displaying their support for O’Shea’s contract renewal.

After the public comments were closed, School Committee member Bronwyn Monahan made a motion that O’Shea’s contract be renewed for three years. The motion was seconded, and open to the Committee’s discussion.

Following discussion, the Committee revisited the motion to renew O’Shea’s contract for three years, however only members Armand Wray, Bronwyn Monahan and Ryan Kelly voted in favor, with Melanie Rothstein, Stephanie Jasmin, Kerrin Morrin and Beth Barron against. Quickly, Wray attempted to move to extend O’Shea’s term by one year, which was seconded, however the votes remained the same.

Instantly residents shared their displeasure to the board with one resident stating, “Good luck with failure.”

Baron said that the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) would do a presentation to recruit and select a new Superintendent to be hired for July 1.

O’Shea asked that if members of the community and staff continue to want to be engaged in this process that they please be engaged respectfully.

Looking forward, Longmeadow is hosting a Special Town Meeting on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at the high school. At said meeting, residents will be able to vote on a citizens petition Article which, if passed, could lead to a bill granting registered voters the power to recall specified elected officials in the Town of Longmeadow.