Agawam Advertiser News a Turley Publication ❙
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LOCAL SPORTS FUNDRAISER Lions Girls Flynn make basketball remembered PAGE 3 donation action PAGE 5 PAGE 8 AGAWAM ADVERTISER NEWS A TURLEY PUBLICATION ❙ www.turley.com March 4, 2021 ❙ Vol. 43, No. 1 ❙ $1.00 www.agawamadvertisernews.turley.com On the court Officials seek answers from county retirement board, or ‘Agawam Crony Cabal’ An audit report released tirement board can’t show proper enport said. “You have Mr. (Rich- documentation. ard) Theroux, who is the former last month pointed to mis- “One of the key questions has Agawam town clerk; you have management of funds to do with those invoices that Karl Schmaelzle, who is a Aga- amount to well over $200,000, for wam retired firefighter; and you By Dalton Zbierski which there doesn’t seem to be have the Agawam Town Trea- [email protected] any backup material,” said Hamp- surer/Collector, Laurel Placzek. den Town Administrator Robert You have three of the five [board] AGAWAM – Municipalities Markel of the audit report during members from Agawam, the [re- throughout the county are pre- the March 1 meeting of the Board tirement board] office is Agawam, paring to take action against the of Selectmen. “That money might and their counsel is also the town Hampden County Regional Board somehow be repaid, or at least we counsel for Agawam.” of Retirement after the release should have a decision to go after Davenport suggested contact- of a Feb. 21 audit that left more it .” ing a state representative or sen- questions than answers and gen- On March 1, Hampden Board ator to request that a bill be filed erated outrage over probable mal- of Selectmen Chair Donald Dav- to require all five board members feasance and mismanagement of enport identified another issue to come from different communi- funds. with the retirement board’s repre- ties. Davenport’s Agawam-centric And towns including Hamp- sentation that he did not approve inquiry is among many that re- den, which have had to pay ris- of. main unanswered. ing contribution costs over the “I think it’s important to note On March 3, Markel led a tele- last several years, hope they’ll get that you really have what I call conference with the retirement some of those funds back if the re- ‘The Agawam Crony Cabal,’” Dav- ANSWERS ❙ page 3 Hampden Town Administrator and President Biden share longstanding ties Delaney Brown takes a shot on the hoop for Agawam girls basketball in a By Dalton Zbierski game against West Springfield during the winter season. More girls basketball photos are on page 8. PHOTO BY DAVID HENRY WWW.SWEETDOGPHOTOS.COM Staff Writer HAMPDEN – On his first day at Archmere Academy in Claymont, Del., current Hampden Town AHS in great need of Administrator Robert Markel formed a friendship that would renovation or replacement last a life time. Markel’s acquain- tance was none other than Joseph By Gregory A. Scibelli Agawam High School is one of Biden, who, six decades later, [email protected] just a few schools in the area out- would become the 46th president side of Springfield and Holyoke of the United States. AGAWAM – Is it time for a that have not seen a facelift. “The first day of class when we “new” Agawam High School? In the last decade, Chicopee, were freshmen, he sat next to me; School officials here are Chicopee Comprehensive, West he was the first person I met in looking at the options for ei- Springfield, Longmeadow, and high school,” Markel said. ther renovating or possibly do- Southwick have all seen major The two students carved out a ing a full replacement of Aga- upgrades or brand new buildings friendship that still exists today. wam High School, a 65-year-old for their high school populations. As years have passed, Markel and building located on Mill Street. Agawam has submitted a new Biden have consistently had each Agawam has continuously ap- statement of interest to the MSBA other’s backs, lending support Photo: Hampden Town Administrator Robert Markel and U.S. President Joseph Biden plied for assistance through the citing the need to make major up- through a myriad of campaigns have remained close since meeting on the first day of high school more than 60 Massachusetts School Building dates to the science wing, but the while enjoying each other’s com- years ago. The photo above was taken at American International College’s Model Authority for funding for various entire school is in need of major pany outside of politics. Congress during the 1970’s, where Markel invited Biden to do the keynote speech. projects to renovate the building. AHS ❙ page 2 TIES ❙ page 2 PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT MARKEL. 413.283.8393 • Facebook: @AgawamAdvertiserNews • Email: [email protected] - DDreamream iinn CColorolor - 10 SSpringgeldpringgeld SStt. | A�����gawam, MMAA (413)(413) 786-6776786-6776 | Rockys.comRockys.com Page 2 ❙ AGAWAM ADVERTISER NEWS ❙ March 4, 2021 AHS ❚ from page 1 updates. or replace the building entirely. Test scores waived in IN THIS ISSUE The only work that has been There is now some urgency for done to the building in recent status of Agawam High School. Opinion ..............4 years is major upgrades to the While other school buildings in scholarship application locker room areas in the athletic town have had upgrade to their halls on each side of the gymnasi- boilers and HVAC systems, Aga- AGAWAM – Due to pandemic Fund awarded $297,000 in the Crossword..........5 um. Those upgrades were funded wam High School’s boiler, roof, and and the closing of national testing form of 21 Scholarships and 3 Fel- by the town through a borrowing other major parts of the infrastruc- sites, many students have been lowships to deserving students. Youth ..................6 and were aimed at upgrading the ture are nearing the end of their unable to take college entrance All applicants must be residents athletic facilities. In addition to the life and will need replacement. The exams. As a result, SAT and ACT of Hampden County and full-time Sports ................8 locker rooms, Agawam built a new roof is already in disrepair and re- scores are NOT required to apply students. Scholarships awards of varsity baseball field, made up- quires constant maintenance. for a Walter S. Barr Scholarship. $12,000 are distributed as $3,000 Classifieds .......10 grades at the varsity softball field, The process to get a replacement Those students in college, as well annually and renewable each the tennis and outdoor basketball or renovation project approved as graduating seniors, are all en- year until graduation. Fellowship courts, and a stadium field with a could take many years depending couraged to apply. awards of $15,000 are distributed Public Notices ..11 new track and artificial surface for on the process of the MSBA takes Completed Scholarship and as $5,000 annually and renewable football, soccer, field hockey, and as well as available funding as a Fellowship applications must be for two additional years. All recip- 12 PAGES lacrosse. result of the COVID-19 pandemic. received either electronically or ients must maintain a minimum Superintendent Sheila Hoffman Southwick went through a process be mailed to The Horace Smith GPA of 3.0 each semester. recently met to discuss Agawam’s with the MSBA that took almost 10 Fund at 16 Union Avenue, Ste. 2K, Recipients are selected on a va- application with MSBA officials. years before a major renovation/ Westfield, MA 01085, no later than riety of criteria, including merit, PLEASE The MSBA will now tour the build- addition project came to fruition. March 15. Applications are avail- financial need, recommendations, ings to assess Agawam’s needs A brand new high school build- able at local high school guidance and community involvement. Of RECYCLE against the other 29 applications ing could cost about $120 million, offices, college financial aid offices, greatest importance is the appli- that are pending. It is not known estimates Mayor William Sapelli, on-line at www.HoraceSmithFund. cant’s personal written account THIS how much funding will be made who was also previously the su- org or by phoning (413) 739-4222. of why they feel deserving of the NEWSPAPER by the MSBA, and what percentage perintendent of schools for several Last year, The Horace Smith award. the Town of Agawam could be on years. the hook for to make renovations TIES ❚ from page 1 As a teenager, Biden “was a gregarious person – one of he was so invested in the topic, a friend by the name of “Whenever I’d be down there, we’d get together, talk those fellas who got to know everyone and would talk to Charles Del Campo intervened. and go out and do stuff,” said Markel. “One of the things anybody everybody,” said Markel. “Charlie, who now lives in Los Angeles, said, ‘Joe wants we always did, the morning of Thanksgiving, I’d always be Markel recalls that Biden was extremely self-conscious to be President; can’t you understand?,’” Markell recalled. there, and some of the old classmates would meet in a park about his stutter, a speech impairment that he spent “We looked over at Joe. He didn’t say, ‘yes,’ or, ‘no,’ but he in Wilmington and play touch football on Thanksgiving countless hours working to overcome. Mean-spirited stu- had a little bit of a smile on his face. You can tell by his eyes morning until we got too old and fat to do it. We used to dents called Biden “Stutter Head,” although the nickname that clearly that’s something he had been thinking about call it the ‘Toilet Bowl.’” largely disappeared by senior year.