Serving the city HOLYOKE since 1995 FREE the June 18, 2021 Local news. Local stories. Local advertisers. A TURLEY PUBLICATION ❙ www.turley.com [email protected] www.sun.turley.com Matos was asked to resign Uncertainty over Soto’s by education commissioner By Gregory A. Scibelli The agreement states that future as receiver [email protected] Vazquez Matos would resign his position on March 18. At The acting receiver HOLYOKE – A report the time of his resignation, the emerged last week through Vazquez Matos would receive recently lauded the multiple media outlets that a payment of $102,500, equal accomplishments of the state’s Department of to half his yearly salary of Elementary and Secondary $205,000. HPS in the 2020-2021 Education actually asked Vazquez Matos waived any school year Holyoke Receiver/ further legal action, and also had Superintendent Alberto Vazquez seven additional days to revoke By Shelby Macri Matos to resign. his acceptance of [email protected] Vazquez Matos the agreement. He resigned in March fol- also has the abili- HOLYOKE – It has been lowing a lengthy leave ty to pursue future a year of changes for the of absence. It was orig- employment and the Holyoke Public Schools, but inally believed the for- state will not pro- none more impactful than mul- mer receiver was suf- vide any information tiple changes in leadership. fering from COVID- about his reason for Anthony Soto, who 19. Vazquez Matos told departure or com- was serving as the Finance the Holyoke School ment on his perfor- Director, was named acting Committee in February mance. receiver/superintendent this that he had tested posi- No part of year. With the end of the aca- tive for the disease. Alberto the agreement demic year, many have been He remained away Vazquez Matos states why he was curious if Soto will contin- after more than three asked to resign ue in this position or if there weeks, with Anthony Soto, the and the education commission- will be another change in finance director, taking on the er has remained quiet, stating superintendents. The state Acting Receiver/Superintendent of Schools for Holyoke Anthony Soto role of acting receiver. that it is a “personnel matter,” still has not provided an gives the commencement address at Dean Tech on June 4. Soto’s Vazquez Matos simply despite the fact Matos is no lon- answer on the issue. future with the district has yet to be determined after he took on the resigned to the state education ger employed with the public The Department of leadership role midway through the school year. commissioner, Jeffrey Riley, and schools and he was not under Elementary and Secondary Photo by David Henry www.sweetdogphotos.com no further details were given at any union protection. The sepa- Education’s Media Relations the time of his resignation in ration agreement also does not Coordinator Jaqueline Reis “We will share information of receivership, showing more March. guarantee that the reason for addressed the inquiries on about next steps in naming a changes to the schools albeit Two weeks ago, Holyoke Vasquez Matos’ release from his Holyoke’s Superintendent, permanent receiver as soon as good changes. Media, a community-based tele- contract. telling people to stay tuned. possible.” In a letter to the HPS vision station that covers local Riley’s only statement on “Anthony Soto continues Residents will need to Community, Soto shared news in the city and broadcast the issue stated that he thanked to serve as receiver on an act- wait to hear more, but Soto that the words of Holyoke city council and other pub- Vasquez Matos for his service to ing basis and has continued the continues in his job regardless. High School North Campus’ lic meets on its public access the district. work of supporting students Soto recently released a Perseverance Speaker, channel, made a public records Vazquez Matos was hired and staff during the pandemic list highlighting the accom- Shayleena Figueroa stuck request that revealed a separa- in May last year to replace Dr. and implementing the district’s plishments of the Holyoke tion agreement between Vazquez turnaround plan,” Reis said. Public Schools since the start See SOTO, page 5 Matos and the Commonwealth. MATOS, page 5 Spots remain open for extended BUSY BEE school year programs By Shelby Macri mer program are going well and [email protected] there are currently 181 students signed up to participate; some HOLYOKE – With the aca- outreach for the programs has demic year coming to a close been conducted through flyers the Holyoke Public Schools are in schools and local businesses, opening summer programs and radio ads and interviews, social extended school year programs. media outlets, and efforts are There are a few people in now geared towards cold-call- charge of the programming, ing families and assisting with including Jill Hughes who han- the registration process online. dles the extended school year While Hughes and Macklin programming for students with encourage families to sign up IEPs. Michelle Macklin is in as soon a possible there is still charge of the rising grades 1 space left in the traditional through 8 summer program and summer program, and the staff a high school teacher will be would like to include all fami- managing grades 9 through 12 lies who want to participate. for the summer program. The The extended school year extended year program for stu- program for students with IEPs dents with IEPs is a bit differ- has always been a service given ent from the traditional sum- at the schools. It’s required by mer program, both Macklin DESE guidelines for districts and Hughes speak about their to have a plan of an extended aspects of the summer program. learning program in the district. Macklin mentioned that the sign-up for the traditional sum- See PROGRAM, page 5 A bee is busy pollinating and stops on a spiderwort. Photo by Kara Walsh-Vey ◗ In The News HCC celebrates Pride Month with flag raising HOLYOKE – Holyoke Community College celebrated Pride Month June 10 by raising the rainbow flag over the cam- pus for the first time in its 75-year his- tory. Dressed in a black, Pride Month shirt, HCC President Christina Royal, the first openly queer community college president in Massachusetts, presided over the flag-raising ceremony, which was attended by faculty, staff and stu- dents at the main campus entrance by the Frost and Donahue buildings. “I’m very excited that at Holyoke Community College we have a very active group of faculty, staff and students who are engaged and interested in con- tinuing to further the progress that we made to ensure that HCC is an LGBTQ- HCC President Christina Royal raises the Pride flag over the campus during a June 10 campus celebration. plus friendly campus and institution,” Submitted photos Royal said in her introductory remarks. The Pride flag will fly over the HCC Giraldo-Wonders, assistant profes- “One of the things we’re very excited campus through the end of June. sor of Language and Latin American about this year is to be able to raise the “Thank you all for being part this Literature at Bard College at Simon’s Christina Royal, right, gathers with HCC community, for being supportive of those Pride flag on our campus in celebration, Rock, will lead a “queer conversa- faculty, staff and students to celebrate Pride not only of Pride Month, but also in rec- in the LGBTQ-plus community,” Royal tion” on Zoom about Pedro Lemebel’s Month with a flag raising on the HCC campus. ognition of our LGBTQ-plus employees said after raising the flag. “Let’s all poem “Manifiesto: Hablo por mi difer- and students.” remember that June is not the only time encia” (Manifesto: I Speak From My More information about HCC’s Royal noted that for the last two to celebrate, but it’s nice that we have a Difference). Lemebel was an openly gay Pride events, including registration links years, many Pride parades, festivals and month to be able to highlight and bring Chilean essayist, chronicler, and novelist to the June 22 and June 24 events, can be concerts have been cancelled because more visibility to those in the LBGTQ- who died in 2015. found at: hcc.edu/pride. of COVID-19, making small celebra- plus community.” tions like HCC’s flag-raising even more To watch a video of the flag-raising important. celebration on HCC’s Facebook page, “We very much feel that diversity is please visit: hcc.edu/pride-video Public invited to B-17 Memorial anniversary a huge asset to this institution and this HCC will be celebrating Pride region, and we believe very deeply in Month throughout June. HOLYOKE – The B-17 Memorial nizes the 25th anniversary of the B-17 being able to ensure that we have a wide Other events include a reading and Committee cordially invites the gen- monument unveiling. We ask that variety of representation, and that every- conversation with author Lesléa Newman eral public to join us on July 10, as attendees arrive at 8:30 a.m. for the 10 one can be seen and heard as they come on June 22 at 5:30 p.m. Newman will we commemorate the 75th anniversary a.m. ceremony. Parking for the cere- to HCC,” Royal said. “I feel very hon- read her book Sparkle Boy and answer of the B-17 tragedy on Mt. Tom in mony can be accessed by Mt. Park Rd ored to do this as the first queer president questions over Zoom.