FREE May 21, 2021 Vol. 52, No. 3 INDEX Viewpoints 4 TOWN Obituary 5 Public Safety 6 Granby 8 Reminder Education 9 A TURLEY PUBLICATION ❙ www.turley.com Serving the town of South Hadley www.townreminder.turley.com Sports 10 Classifieds 13 Reopening plans, concerns discussed NEWS, 2 By Cara McCarthy South Hadley ATM Correspondent warrant finalized SOUTH HADLEY - The “Even though masks South Hadley Selectboard ad- dressed several topics related are going away, to the lowering of COVID-19 restrictions after Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced COVID is still here.” the statewide mask mandate will be lifted May 29 and the state of emergency will end June 15 at its May 18 meeting. South Hadley Health Direc- tor Sharon Hart presented the latest COVID-19 case numbers and stressed the importance of OPINION, 4 getting a vaccine. Selectboard Vice-chair Sarah Farewell Etelman raised concerns over the Recreation Department end- South Hadley ing its mask mandate for youth sports. Selectboard Member Andrea Miles and Vice-chair Etelman asked Town Administrator Mi- chael Sullivan when the Select- Photo by Melina Bourdeau board will be expected to resume South Hadley Town Hall continues to be closed to the public, but Town Administrator Mike Sullivan is in-person meetings and if the working on a reopening plan for the municipal building. board should start having that conversation. COVID-19 Numbers and week, according to Selectboard “Even though masks are going Cooley Dickinson Hospital and Vaccines Chair Jeff Cyr. away, COVID is still here.” Baystate Franklin Medical Cen- Health Director Hart report- She added, “As of May 29, Hart said if anyone needs as- ter. ed the town of South Hadley business restrictions related to sistance receiving a COVID-19 “I went on through Baystate had eight confirmed cases of COVID will be rescinded. And vaccine to reach out to her. [Franklin Medical Center] and BUSINESS, 7 COVID-19 and 28 contact traces as of June 15, the state of emer- Selectboard Member Miles this past week. Double the num- gency will be over.” said she has seen how easy it is Additionally, Hart stressed, to get a vaccine appointment at Please see COVID, page 6 Adam Quenneville ber of cases from the previous Roofing & Siding earns recognition Granby School Annual Town Election draws 13% turnout Committee Beaulieu beats hosts budget Chojnacki in overview Selectboard race By Melina Bourdeau By Melina Bourdeau Staff writer Staff writer GRANBY – The Annual GRANBY – The Gran- Town Election drew 604 voters by School Committee held to the polls on Monday to elect a public forum on the fiscal Planning Board, Selectboard and SPORTS, 10 year 2022 budget on Tuesday other elected officials, according to provide insight into the to the unofficial results published Tigers outduel $10.4 million budget. by the Granby Town Clerk, During the presentation, Kathy Kelly-Regan. Knights under Granby Public Schools Direc- Of the two candidates for Se- the lights tor of Business Adam Tarqui- lectboard, Richard Beaulieu won ni provided the latest version the seat with 374 votes to Ste- of the budget is $10.4 million phen Chojnacki’s 205. The posi- which was adjusted to include tion has a three-year term. Rick Beaulieu was elected as a Nita Abbott won a seat on the cuts that were made by the There were two candidates new member of the Selectboard Planning Board with 316 votes schools. for the Board of Assessors, which on Monday. in the Annual Town Election. Reviewing the revenue has a three-year term. for the school department, Dakota Richards won the po- there is a projected $1.77 mil- sition with 294 votes to candidate Incumbent Lynn Snopek Donald Lindsay won a seat lion which is down from last James Healy’s 286. Mercier won reelection as the on the Housing Authority, which year’s revenue of $1.82 mil- Richards also ran for a seat on town moderator. The position has a five-year term. Lindsay re- lion. the Planning Board, which has a has a three-year term. Mercier ceived 441 votes. The projected deficit is five-year term. Candidate Nita received 498 votes. Incumbent Jennifer Bartosz $450,000 as of Tuesday. Abbott won the seat with 316 Nicole Menard won the posi- and Jill Pelletier won positions “We made some changes, votes to Richards’ 265 votes. tions as Town Collector with 501 on the School Committee. They it was up to $720,000 and we The remaining races were un- votes. The position has a three- received 402 votes and 414 votes, were tasked to try to reduce contested. year term. respectively. The seats have a some of operating budget to Lee Lalonde won reelection Incumbent Steven Nally won three-year term. Hopkins comes reduce the deficit. We have to the Board of Health, which has reelection as Town Treasurer back against a three-year term. He received with 462 votes. The position has Please see BUDGET, page 9 491 votes. a three-year term. Please see RESULTS, page 7 South Hadley Page 2 TOWN Reminder May 21, 2021 Input sought for South Hadley ATM warrant finalized appointment of By Melina Bourdeau new Planning Staff writer and Conservation SOUTH HADLEY – The Director Selectboard finalized the Annu- al Town Meeting warrant at its SOUTH HADLEY – recent meeting on Monday with Long-time Director of Plan- a unanimous vote, with plans ning and Conservation, Rich- to have a COVID-19 cautious ard Harris, has announced his meeting like last year’s. retirement after decades of The planning has begun in service to the Town of South full for the June 9 Annual Town Hadley. Meeting to be held “drive-in” The Planning Board and style at St Theresa’s Church at 4 the Town’s Human Resourc- East Parkview. es Department will be work- There will also be a review of ing together in the search articles and Appropriation Hear- and eventual appointment of ing on financial articles on the a new Planning and Conser- warrant will be held via Zoom vation Director. As this is a May 25 at 6 p.m. vitally important job to the There will be porta-potties, a overall functions of the Town, hand wash station and a seating Archive photo The Annual Town Meeting will be held on June 9 at St. Theresa’s Church much like it was last year. the Planning Board wishes to area (for those who wish to get reach out to members of the out of their cars) to the venue South Hadley community to with dual microphones available There will also be an eight- which Sullivan considers “very amount of public discussion. We understand what skills and at- as well. foot by 20-foot digital screen impressive.” replaced it with two items on tributes the community wish- “However, the most interest- that will be able to show the war- “I also think we were blessed the capital budget,” said Sulli- es to see in the new appointee. ing advance will be the addition rant articles in the front of the this year in a reduction in health van. “One at the high school to To help guide the search, of hand-held tabulators for vot- town meeting. insurance premiums, that cer- replace the dishwasher, which is the Planning Board asks you, ing on articles (if approved by The warrant has 20 articles tainly helped us,” Sullivan said. something that has been on capi- “What interview questions town meeting members),” Sulli- which Town Administrator Mike “We did add about $500,000 to tal for some time for $82,000 and would you like to ask a pro- van wrote in his report. “These Sullivan went over in the meet- the school budget which took up the second one was to start to re- spective candidate for Direc- devices have been used by Town ing. most of our growth. I think that’s place smartboards for $30,000.” tor of Planning and Conserva- Meetings in Massachusetts and “For the most part the war- a wise investment.” An allocation of $200,000 is tion?” elsewhere for well over a de- rant will contain some annually There will no longer be an proposed to go to the capital sta- A questionnaire has been cade. They have been proven required articles, financial arti- item for a deputy town adminis- bilization and $200,000 to stabi- posted at https://docs.google. to be more accurate, more effi- cles including the FY 22 budget, trator, there will be a director of lization as well. com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfF- cient, and once in place there is River Lodge Road acceptance human resources. “Even after those expendi- 0BU7dq4aMpnWkzUEKN- no known community who has and an easement article,” Sulli- Following his overview in the tures you’ll have $1.2 million in pSPzKSN1IvyoNcr1jho- gone back to the old way. As a van wrote in his Town Admin- meeting, Selectboard member free cash going into next year,” qwjjnxiKw/viewform to allow ‘belt and suspenders’ approach istrator’s report. “Nothing very Carol Constant asked about the Sullivan said. “It pretty much you to contribute your input. we will have the red/green pad- controversial, but I suspect there removal of a capital item related was going into next year you The posted job descrip- dles we used last year on-hand.” will be a ‘return to normal’ Spe- to the swimming pool at the mid- would have about $500,000. So. tion for Director of Plan- cial Town Meeting early in the dle school. you’ll have healthy free cash.” ning and Conservation fall with some articles which will Sullivan said it was removed However, Sullivan mentioned is posted at https://www.