Popular Event Returns to Benefit Leonard House
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CULTURE LIBRARY SPORTS Applause Short Pioneers series story win title returns contest PAGE 7 PAGE 2 PAGE 3 AGAWAM ADVERTISER NEWS A TURLEY PUBLICATION ❙ www.turley.com August 5, 2021 ❙ Vol. 43, No. 23 ❙ $1.00 www.agawamadvertisernews.turley.com Popular event returns Chamber to host to benefit Leonard House job fair next month By Shelby Macri ally hoping that come September By Shelby Macri [email protected] when the additional unemploy- [email protected] ment stimulus expires, this major AGAWAM – The West of the issue in the job market will cor- AGAWAM – A living piece of River Chamber of Commerce is rect itself.” town history, Captain Charles holding a Job Fair in September; The Job Fair is set up to help Leonard House had to sit out the Chamber serves both Aga- those who will need the support the pandemic, and missed out wam and West Springfield and in September, those losing pay- on holding events last year. invites residents of both town’s ment through unemployment But supporters of the Leon- attend the fair, they’re also look- will need to supplement the miss- ard House were able to re-open ing for fair vendors among local ing money and the job fair is a recently and held two events businesses. perfect opportunity to help those this past weekend. The fair will be held in West when they need it. With the help of Agawam’s Springfield at the Storrowtown The event is being held in per- McCarthy’s Liquors, the house Tavern-Carriage House at the son with different vendors, busi- held a Craft Beer Tasting and Big E, 1305 Memorial Ave. on nesses and those searching for BBQ event on Friday, July 30. Wednesday, Sept. 8 from 3:30 to jobs, there will not be a hybrid or Two days later, Sunday, Aug. 1, 6:30 p.m. virtual option for the fair as one the house held a Summer Shop- Local businesses are looking has not been coordinated. Those ping Bazaar with multiple ven- for employees of all kinds, the attending will have to do so in dors setup around the lawn of Chamber’s Executive Director person, anyone concerned about the Leonard House. Robin Wozniak said there’s an their health and safety can wear a The Bazaar was made pos- PHOTOS BY SHELBY MACRI abundance of job opportunities mask and practice social distanc- in the region. This job fair is a way ing as it’ll be housed in a large sible with the help of Casey Daniel Stanton and Mary Lou Davila enjoy the craft beer tasting. Goodreau, a Tastefully Simple to help those needing a job and building. Wozniak suggests that saleswoman who organized the have any events for 15 months companies were afraid to be equally help businesses needing people showing up to search for event signed up people to vend; in here,” said Kimball. Because sued if someone came here and to fill positions. Anyone can at- jobs should dress to impress as an event she has held at the we couldn’t do it; we couldn’t got COVID.” tend the fair, from high school many businesses and job oppor- Leonard House before. have anything inside, and we The Captain Charles Leonard and college students, to adults tunities will be present, also peo- A Board of Trustee member, could only have about 10 people House is a historic building that and seniors looking for jobs. ple should bring lots of resumes Phil Kimball, said the Leonard if they were six feet apart. used to be a stage coach tavern. “Employers are having a very to hand out at multiple tables. House was closed from the start “We couldn’t even do it out- It was rebuilt in 1939 and the difficult time finding employees,” “There will be a wide variety of the shutdown last year to the side. Our big fundraisers are Board of Trustees is noticing said Wozniak. “It seems some of vendors at our job fair; from recent lifting of restrictions this our beer and wine tasting. That the need to update and upgrade businesses have reduced their manufacturing, to automotive, year. brings us the most income. They hours of operation because they “Because of COVID, we didn’t weren’t allowed to do it cause BENEFIT ❙ page 6 do not have enough staff. I am re- JOB FAIR ❙ page 12 Resident celebrates 107th O’Brien’s corner next for road improvements birthday By Gregory A. Scibelli have involved sidewalks im- tion of Maple Street. [email protected] provements. Maple Street leads toward In the case of O’Brien’s cor- West Springfield and is in sig- AGAWAM – As the final ner, sidewalks will be part of nificant need of improvements, punch-list items continue to an area for the first time, and including bike paths, drainage near completion at the Mor- there will be a new entrance to improvements, and resurfacing. gan-Sullivan Bridge, and the the shopping areas there. The Town Engineer Michelle Feeding Hills Center intersec- area will have curb cuts and new Chase said as the roads contin- tion is fully complete, attention sidewalks, and the traffic signals ued to be improved, the areas is turning to O’Brien’s Corner. will be improved, and slightly where residents can safely ride Construction is set to begin changed to accommodate the bikes will widen. The area be- there this month after years of flow of traffic around CVS, Sarat tween O’Brien’s corner and the planning as part of the Complete Ford, and the entrance to Maple Walnut and Walnut Street Ext. Streets Program. Street. does not have bike lanes, but Plans began more than five Right near there is Robinson Chase hopes it will in the fu- years ago and the town received Park School, which generates a ture. Chase, an advocate for bike a Complete Streets grant for large share of traffic during ar- paths throughout town, contin- $400,000 back in 2017 as the rival and dismissal times. ues to work toward that in the project continued to be planned JL Construction has won the future. out in conjunction with the bid, about $622,000 for the com- In the meantime, the current Morgan-Sullivan Bridge proj- pletion of the project, and work improvements will also help ect. The projects somewhat af- is scheduled to get underway with walking access to Robinson fect one another as part of the this month. The town is hopeful Park School, and the amenities overall goal is to alleviate traffic the project will be completed by behind the school, including throughout the area. This has the end of the year, but if not, it Shea Park, the Agawam Dog been achieved thanks to wider will be finished in the spring of Park, and the skateboard park. SUBMITTED PHOTO lanes, better turn signals, and 2022. Shea Park includes a baseball Last Friday, July 30, Mayor William Sapelli visited Anna Jasmin to present her with dedicated turn lanes coming off The work will continue in the and softball diamond that is a proclamation commemorating her 107th birthday. Jasmin currently resides at the bridge. area, with the town to benefit utilized throughout the warmer Heritage Hall East and celebrated her actual birthday on Sunday, Aug. 1. In addition, both projects from a state-funded reconstruc- months. 413.283.8393 • Facebook: @AgawamAdvertiserNews • Email: [email protected] Page 2 ❙ AGAWAM ADVERTISER NEWS ❙ August 5, 2021 Revolutionary War subject of ‘Applause’ opener The Applause Series begins its homestead on the Bay Road in Concord, thank bankESB, Elaine Carlson, OMG, Inc., Massachusetts. They later returned to the Southwick Cultural Council, Anthony 18th season with eyewitness search the Whitney house for ammunition Suffriti, and Westfield Bank for their gen- account of the American and supplies, while Abigail anxiously wor- erous support as Applause Series season ried about her husband Samuel, who had sponsors. Revolution as experienced by a joined fellow patriots at Concord’s North In lieu of the in-person free will dona- colonial housewife and family Bridge. She was frightened and concerned tions the Agawam Cultural Council (ACC) for her missing teenage son and survived a normally accepts at the conclusion of all AGAWAM – The 18th season of the Aga- dangerous trip with her youngest children its events, (which support fully 40% of the wam Cultural Council’s popular Applause to escape the British. Learn about these cost of each performance), the council asks Series gets off to a virtual start on Friday, firsthand experiences: why the soldiers viewers to consider making an online do- Sept. 10 with the presentation of Abigail searched her home; and what the outcome nation to support efforts to “Give Back to Whitney and Family: Eyewitness to the was for her family, the town of Concord, and the Community” by visiting the ACC web Events of April 19, 1775. The prerecorded the nation. site www.agawamcc.org and clicking on performance will be broadcast on the Town Gail C. Hamel, M.Ed. has been teaching the green “Donate” button. A check in any of Agawam’s public access channel (Aga- living history for over twenty-five years. amount, payable to the Agawam Cultural wam TV15) at 7 p.m. and streamed from Based on primary sources, and the real-life Council, may also be sent to: Agawam Cul- the “Watch” button on www.agawamme- experiences of Abigail Whitney and her tural Council, Town Hall, 36 Main Street, dia.tv for those residing outside of Agawam. family, Hamel developed a persona portray- Agawam MA 01001.